Coast Guard Statue, 2 Huge Lottery Wins, Test Cruise: Nearby News

Here are some of the share-worthy stories from Florida Patches to talk about tonight:

• Winter Haven’s Latest Florida Lottery Winner Wins Millions
• $2 Million FL Lottery Prize Claimed By Manatee County Woman
• 100 Images Of Child Pornography Found On Computers: Tampa Police

Royal Caribbean Plans Test Cruise From Miami After CDC Approval

The Royal Caribbean cruise line has been granted permission from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch a simulated cruise in preparation for the return of cruising after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the industry to a standstill last year.

FL Veteran Builds Movement To Clean Abandoned Gravestones

Trae Zipperer just wanted to travel the country with his daughter, sightseeing and visiting historical sites, cemeteries, battlefields, museums and national parks. From that family trip cane a national movement to clean and repair all 6 to 7 million abandoned veterans' gravestones in small community and church cemeteries across the country.

Fire Risks High In Tampa Bay As Memorial Day Weekend Approaches

Even the smallest fire can become an uncontrollable blaze this time of the year. A lack of rain, low humidity and an easterly breeze in Tampa Bay prompted the National Weather Service to issue several "red flag warnings' over the weekend due to increased fire danger and discouraged residents from any outdoor burning.

Coast Guard Sinks 13th Statue In Nation's 1st Underwater Memorial

It's been 41 years since U.S. Coast Guard Seaman Apprentice William R. Flores died along with 22 shipmates when the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn and the tanker Capricorn collided near the entrance to Tampa Bay. It was the worst peacetime disaster in Coast Guard history. On Tuesday, a 6-foot statue of Flores was lowered into the waters off the coast of Clearwater, the 13th statue in the Circle of Heroes memorial, the nation's first underwater dive memorial honoring veterans.

Memorial Day Events, Ceremonies

• Clearwater Veterans Alliance To Host Memorial Day Ceremony Monday
• Treasure Island Beach Cleanup Planned On Memorial Day

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Also Worth a Look Today

• Body Of 40-Year-Old Boater Found In Whitcomb Bayou
• Fire Breaks Out At Scrapyard Near Tampa International Airport
• School Mask Policy Poised To End Friday In Manatee County: Report
• 13-Year-Old Suffers Serious Injuries After Being Struck By Car
• Man Arrested After Shots Fired At Tampa Riverwalk
• Saint Leo University Celebrates More Than 1,250 Grads
• 33 Cattle Seized After Animal Neglect Reported: Sheriff
• Man Wanted For Sexual Battery On Child: Report
• Update: Deadly Force Investigation Active, Street Reopens
• School Counselor Charged With DUI, Child Abuse: Sheriff

Across America

• San Jose Shooting Latest: 8 Killed, Accused Gunman Also Dead
• John Warner, Former Virginia Senator, Dies At Age 94
• Longtime School Custodian Becoming A Teacher After Earning Degree
• ‘Unathletic,’ Arthritic Alligator Back At WI Harley-Davidson Zoo
• Oregon Couple Discover Large Lava Tube Underneath Their Home