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News at noon: Trump's retiree supporters in The Villages; Is Lakeland Florida's next hip food city?; and more

 
Check tampabay.com for the latest breaking news and developments.
Check tampabay.com for the latest breaking news and developments.
Published Aug. 7, 2019

Here are the top five latest headlines and updates on tampabay.com.

Man arrested in fatal Valrico carjacking is ordered held without bond

A man accused of murder in the death of a carjacking victim Tuesday will be held without bail until a judge can hear a motion from prosecutors to keep him behind bars while he awaits trial.

A hearing on the motion would be held Friday at the earliest.

James Hanson, 39, of Valrico, made a first appearance Wednesday morning on charges of first degree murder, carjacking, grand theft auto, kidnapping, resisting an officer with violence and robbery.

Among Trump's retiree supporters in The Villages, everyone is to blame — except Trump

Golf bags were fastened to carts by sunrise Tuesday in hopes of sneaking in 18 holes before the rain clouds showed up again. Neighbors huddled for the daily dilemma: Panera or the Starbucks across the street? Couples walked dogs through the village square as Fox News updates blared from speakers perched above sidewalks.

Elsewhere in Florida and the nation, the weekend's mass shootings have provoked some of the most hostile criticism of Donald Trump's presidency to date. Democrats are holding Trump accountable for inspiring white nationalists and for inaction on restricting firearms.

Yet inside the The Villages, a retirement hub of 125,000 residents north of Orlando, Trump's supporters easily tuned out the uproar.

Is Lakeland Florida's next hip food city? It sure seems like it

Something is happening in Lakeland, and it seems to be happening all at once.

The city halfway between Tampa and Orlando is in the middle of a food entrepreneur boom, buoyed by the plucky spirit of a younger population striving to invigorate the hometown they never thought they'd come back to.

At the center of a lot of this change is Catapult Lakeland, a coworking space that has fostered many of Lakeland's culinary up-and-comers.

Florida man pulls gun on furniture delivery men because they were late, deputies say

Tardiness, it seems, is a capital offense for one Manatee County man.

According to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Mitchell Helton pulled a gun on two men delivering furniture to his home Saturday and told them he'd shot people for less.

Helton, 55, initially told deputies he heard the men enter his home and was in fear for his life, so he grabbed a gun. But instead of calling for help, he called Furniture Warehouse to complain that the delivery was late, deputies said.

Playing underwater tag with sharks? FSU scientist says it's for their own good.

The deep sea may be the largest ecosystem in the world, but to Dean Grubbs it's more like exploring deep space.

Scientists know very little about both, said the Florida State University ecologist.

Grubbs' team is trying to change that, and they've made one giant leap for marine biology: They figured out a way to tag deep-sea sharks in their natural habitat — using a submarine.

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Contact Dinorah Prevost at dprevost1@tampabay.com. Follow @dprevost1.