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Bethany Barnes - Deputy Investigative Editor
Bethany Barnes

Deputy Investigative Editor

I’m on the Tampa Bay Times investigations team, where we examine big problems in Florida. I’m particularly interested in labor issues. Also, the federal government. If you’ve got insight on these matters – or any trouble that Floridians need to know about – get in touch. I started at the Times in 2019. I moved here from Portland where I covered education for The Oregonian. Before that, I wrote about courts, prisons and corruption in Las Vegas. My reporting has won awards, but more importantly it’s brought wrongdoing to light. I grew up in Arizona in a town not far from the Mexico border and have a bachelor’s in creative writing and a master’s in journalism from the University of Arizona.

  1. Water pollution puts Floridians at risk of severe health problems
    • Investigations
    Carol Leone was visiting Florida on vacation when she encountered a red tide off Longboat Key. She experienced a cough and difficulty breathing, even weeks after she left the state.
  2. Florida lets big companies pollute with impunity. Waterways suffer
    • Investigations
    Florida is supposed to police the state’s biggest sources of water pollution: agriculture and development. Instead, regulators and lawmakers have protected the major industries at nearly every turn, a Tampa Bay Times investigation has found.
  3. Gotten sick from Florida algae blooms? We want to hear from you
    • Environment
    A health alert sign warns visitors to Sand Key Park in Clearwater of the presence of red tide in March 2023.
  5. St. Petersburg protesters rally around rainbow crosswalk
    • St. Petersburg
    “It is absolutely marvelous to come out here and just exist with a bunch of other people and make art that they’re trying to take away from us,” says Samuel VanMiddlesworth, who participated in Monday's chalk art rally at the intersection of Central Avenue and 25th Street.
  6. 5 things to know about GardaWorld, one of the contractors behind Alligator Alcatraz
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Florida has tapped GardaWorld, a private security company that operates armored trucks all over America, to help run the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center.
  7. Tampa Bay residents gather in 1,000s at ‘No Kings’ protests across region
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Thousands of protesters take to the streets in front of City Hall during the nationwide "No Kings" protest on Saturday in Tampa.
  8. 1 dead, several hurt after hit-and-run boat crash into Clearwater Ferry
    • Breaking News
    Law enforcement investigate the wreckage of a Clearwater Ferry after a boat crashed into the ferry causing multiple injuries near the Clearwater Memorial Causeway Bridge Sunday.
  9. Sunday updates: Clearwater Ferry crash with hit-and-run boater leaves 1 dead, multiple injured
    • Clearwater
    Investigators stand at the bow of a Clearwater Ferry in Clearwater Harbor, near the Clearwater Memorial Causeway Bridge, on Sunday, April 27, 2025, after a crash that caused multiple injuries at the site; police say the driver of the other boat fled the scene.
  10. Florida waters are getting more polluted. Here’s what the Times found
    • Investigations
    A Times journalist surveys algae at Shell Key Preserve in Pinellas County in 2022. Tangles of seaweed coat the water and surrounding mangroves.
  11. Which polluted Florida waters are getting worse? Find out here
    • Investigations
    Screenshot of a Tampa Bay Times interactive tool.
  12. Florida must act quickly to stop water pollution, federal lawmakers urge
    • Investigations
    A devastating red tide bloom hit Tampa Bay in 2021, causing dead fish to float ashore in downtown St. Perersburg. Niko Price, center, used a net to collect carcasses while working with a contracted crew around a marina.
  13. Rampant pollution caused manatees to starve. Florida waters are getting worse.
    • Investigations
    Hundreds of manatees starved in the Indian River Lagoon after the animals' main food source, seagrass, disappeared following decades of pollution. To trace the manatee die-off to its roots, Times reporters conducted a first-of-its-kind statewide analysis, pinpointing alarming levels of chemicals in nearly 1 in 4 waterways.
  14. St. Petersburg wants state to create crane safety standards
    • St. Petersburg
    A construction crane is pictured after falling over during Hurricane Milton into an office building that houses the Tampa Bay Times headquarters, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.
  15. After St. Petersburg crane collapse, legislators propose changing Florida law
    • The Buzz on Florida Politics
    An aerial drone view shows where a crane fell and smashed into an office building during Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg.
  16. As Election Day unfolds in Tampa Bay, voters share their views
    • Elections
    David Mayer, 92, of Palm Harbor, celebrates after casting his vote during the 2024 General Election on Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024, at the Crystal Beach Community Hall. Mayer, who said he voted for Trump, said he is worried about the future of his 26 grandchildren. “The country has been gradually going down the drain,” Mayer said. “Trump is the only one who will be able to save this country, if it’s possible.”
  17. A crane collapsed in Hurricane Milton. Authorities aren’t investigating
    • Hurricane
    During Hurricane Milton's high winds, a crane fell from a downtown high-rise and smashed into an office building at 490 First Ave. S in St. Petersburg. Days later, an aerial drone view showed the broken crane still wedged into the damaged building and splayed across the street.
  18. Tuesday, Oct. 8 updates: Time running out for Tampa Bay to prepare for Milton
    • Hurricane
    A National Hurricane Center graphic shows Hurricane Milton's location and forecast cone as of 10 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday.
  19. Friday, Sept. 27 updates: Hurricane Helene leaves devastation around Florida, at least 7 dead
    • Hurricane
    A Citrus County Firefigher carries 11-year-old Michael Cribbins while conducting rescues in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Friday.
  20. Thursday, Sept. 26 updates: Hurricane Helene surges toward Florida as a dangerous Cat 4
    • Hurricane
    The Sept. 26, 2024 11 p.m. update on Hurricane Helene from the National Hurricane Center.
  21. In an evacuation zone? Hurricane Ian showed Florida why we’re told to leave
    • Hurricane
    Anthony Prado, with the South Florida Urban Search and Rescue Team (FL-TF2), ducks into a collapsed roof while searching for people Wednesday in Fort Myers Beach. Hurricane Ian devastated the town when it made landfall nearby on Sept. 28.
  22. Hurricane Beryl intensifies to Category 4 storm as it nears southeast Caribbean
    • Hurricane
    This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite image taken at 4:20 p.m. on Saturday shows hurricane Beryl, lower center right, as it strengthens over the Atlantic Ocean and churns toward the southeast Caribbean. (NOAA via AP)
  23. Pasco deputy who fatally shot man in car named, video released
    • Breaking News
    Paul Smith, who was killed by a sheriff's deputy Saturday, shown just before the fatal incident on body camera footage. Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff's Office.
  24. Hillsborough deputy charged with boating under the influence
    • Breaking News
    A Hillsborough deputy was charged with boating under the influence Friday night.