Here's what's new around the bay area this morning.
NEW GUIDELINES ON INFANTS AND PEANUTS MAY CONTRADICT EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE
Do you, or your children, suffer from peanut allergies? The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases released formal, detailed guidelines for pediatricians and allergists that suggest feeding infants younger than 1 year old a small portion of food containing peanuts could prevent the allergy from forming later.
TARPON SPRINGS GIRL CHOSEN AS EPIPHANY DOVE BEARER HAS LONG LOOKED FORWARD TO THE HONOR
The first time Maria Chagaris remembers watching a teenage girl release a dove at the bank of Spring Bayou during Epiphany, she was in a stroller. But she knew even then she someday wanted to be that girl, dressed in white with the whole city's eyes on her. And Friday, she will be. Chagaris, 16, was chosen as the dove bearer for the 112th Epiphany ceremony, a traditional Greek Orthodox Christian celebration that will draw thousands to Tarpon Springs to celebrate the baptism of Jesus Christ.
RAY NERI, PERSISTENT AND HONEST 'MAYOR OF LEALMAN,' DIES AT 79
Ray Neri, the self-proclaimed "mayor of Lealman" died this week. He is known for his tireless efforts to better the unincorporated area through work with Pinellas County and volunteer groups.
PASCO OKAYS $400,000 RESERVOIR LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT
Pasco County and King Engineering Associates have settled their nine-year legal fight over the ballooning costs of a sinkhole-plagued reservoir project in Land O'Lakes. Completed in 2008, the final cost of the reclaimed water reservoir was $22.4 million — almost six times the originally announced price and still more than $8 million above the eventual bid price of $14.1 million. Pasco utility customers paid for three-quarters of the expense, with a $5.6 million Southwest Florida Water Management District grant covering the balance.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF: ALL-TIME TAMPA BAY COLLEGE TEAMS
Some of the top players in the country will be in town for Monday's College Football Playoff national title game at Raymond James Stadium. Consider it payback for all of the top talent the Tampa Bay area's fields have produced and sent to programs across the country. With that in mind, we've compiled the best players from Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties to form our all-time Tampa Bay college teams.
LARGO OFFICIALS ROLL OUT ANNEXATION STRATEGY TO FILL HOLES IN CITY BOUNDARY
Dispersed throughout Largo are pockets of unincorporated Pinellas County almost or completely surrounded by properties inside city boundaries. Several areas have been filled through a mostly reactive approach. But with a new full-time position devoted to annexations, city officials have laid out a more proactive strategy to help Largo stretch contiguously from gulf to bay.
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Explore all your optionsTOP U.S. INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS TO TESTIFY ON RUSSIAN HACKING
Senior U.S. intelligence officials face questions at a Senate hearing that will be dominated by the intelligence community's assessment that Russia meddled in the presidential election to help Donald Trump win. The Armed Services Committee's cyber threats hearing comes a day before the president-elect is to be briefed by the CIA and FBI directors — along with the director of national intelligence — on the investigation into Russia's alleged hacking efforts.
REVIEW: 'EMERALD CITY' ON NBC IS A SINISTER TRIP DOWN THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
[NBC]
[NBC]
A yellow opium road. Crucified scarecrows. Flying monkey drones. Definitely not Kansas. The next trip to Oz is a far cry from the bubbly musicals and stage productions that came before. NBC's small-screen reboot Emerald City, premiering Friday at 9 p.m., is a darker look at the characters and world created by L. Frank Baum more than 100 years ago.