John Ruggeri’s office is unlike most others. It does not have traditional air conditioning. But it does have a massive fan. That fan pushes him and his guests through a massive lake surrounded by alligators. He is a captain at Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures and has been taking people on tours of Lake Tohopekaliga for the past 15 years. Florida Fish and Wildlife recently reported Lake Toho, as the locals call it, has 6,316 gators in it. That’s the 11th most of any body of water in the state of...

Many people know Matt Morgan for his days as a wrestler taking on opponents like Ric Flair. Morgan said Flair stepped out of retirement to help him launch his career to the next level. Following his wrestling career, Morgan has stepped into a new arena. He is now the Deputy Mayor of Longwood and is using his position to help people with autism find the resources they need. During a recording of Florida’s Fourth Estate, Morgan told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden his son Jackson has helped spur...

Michelle Armogida loves spending time outdoors tending to her farm in Brevard County, but she never imagined she would be spending three weeks outside with a complete stranger. Armogida said it all started when she and her husband were watching their favorite TV show. “Every time we would watch he would say, ‘Oh my gosh babe, you are so much better than these people. Why don’t you sign up?’ And at first I was like, ‘Ha ha very funny,’ but after he had said it multiple times, I finally went,...

When people think about hopping on a cruise ship they think about driving to the coast, boarding a boat, and setting sail, but, now you can enjoy the water while staying inland by hopping aboard the Barbara Lee. It is a 1986 river ship that takes people through Lake Monroe and into the St. John’s River. It can fit up to 300 people and if you come out on a Friday night, the new owner said you can enjoy the experience for as little as $25. Michelle Wyatt recently purchased the St. Johns...

Sanford is charming and inviting. It boasts a growing craft beer scene and enough restaurants and small shops to keep you engaged all weekend long. But, the original plans for the city were much larger. Brigitte Stephenson is the museum curator at the Sanford Museum. She talked to Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on Florida’s Fourth Estate about what almost was. “Henry Sanford originally came down here in Florida and realized after the American Civil War that Florida was probably going to be a...

Dr. Joseph Dituri’s story of spending 100 days underwater gained worldwide attention back in June when he resurfaced from the Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, shattering former record attempts. Now we are learning more about the health benefits that came along with that study. The retired Navy diver and Executive Director of the International Board of Undersea Medicine said being underwater for so long was like being in a hyperbaric chamber. He told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on the...

Some of the most recognizable names in golf used to walk the greens at Rio Pinar Golf. Now the new owners are hoping they will inspire the next golf greats to get their start in East Orange County with their family at their side. Gregor Tilch-Jensen and his wife recently bought Rio Pinar Golf and the duo isn’t wasting any time breathing new life into the historic golf course. If the walls could talk they would probably tell you all about the Florida Citrus Open. “It was a great event they...

Lou Holtz is famous for his incredible college coaching career, which included leading six different programs to bowl games, helping the Fighting Irish secure 100 wins, and then embarking on an enviable career as a sports analyst. When you get into a room with him, he is as humble, funny and sincere as they come. News 6 Insiders and other viewers were invited into the room as Florida’s Fourth Estate hosted a live recording with Holtz at Miller’s Ale House in Winter Park Village. He talked to...

News 6 anchors Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden debuted Florida’s Fourth Estate on Oct. 10, 2018. They said when they realized how good their chemistry was on the news set, they started thinking of a fun way to get stories to people outside of the traditional newscast. They sat down in a conference room, started talking about the headlines in our state, pulled out a cell phone and started recording. They soon realized those off-the-cuff conversations about the things that interested them would...

Whether it’s off-the-wall weird or business-related, anytime there is a question about the theme parks, especially Disney World, News 6 producer Ken Pilcher has the answer. He is not only a lifelong Floridian and Disney historian, but he also helped bring you all the special coverage News 6 had on Disney’s 50th anniversary. Add to that his mom was the woman at the center of coordinating Walt Disney’s announcement that the theme park was coming to Central Florida and it’s clear Disney is in...

Gerardo Bloise took the stand in the Casey Anthony murder trial to discuss evidence he processed from her car. He told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on the Florida’s Fourth Estate podcast that it smelled like something was decomposing in the vehicle. He said this case is something that has weighed heavy on him for years and by writing a book about it he hopes to let people see evidence that was “never explained at trial”. He said that includes, “How long Caylee was inside the trunk, what...

Curt and Jeannie Bartholomew’s jobs are anything but ordinary. They are both competitive skydivers with a combined 22,500 jumps and belong to a DeLand-based team with the most world titles in the history of the sport. So, what exactly is competitive skydiving? “It’s called canopy piloting and our slang term for that is called swooping,” Jeannie Bartholomew told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on the Florida’s Fourth Estate podcast. “Basically we take the smallest parachutes that they make and...

Bob Brown, the owner of Brown’s Taxidermy, started stuffing birds and other animals back in the 1970s, but he quickly realized mounting fish for people making big catches on chartered boats here in Florida was a more lucrative business. At first, he said he did taxidermy the old-school way. “A lot of times when they would bring us fish, we were just beginning, so we would make molds off of the original fish, which entailed taking the guts out of the fish and stuffing it back with some sawdust...

Like many people, Lauren Irving first experienced the circus as a child. “I remember watching the trapeze act, and the smell of the popcorn and just the lights, you know, everything and how I felt. I felt so inspired,” Irving said. Little did she know, years later, that she would be helping to lead that show. She told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on Florida’s Fourth Estate she is one of three people who helps to guide the audience through the experience. She plays the character of Aria but...

Walt Disney World is part of the fabric of Florida, but did you know the theme park almost ended up in St. Louis instead of Orlando? University of Central Florida History professor Dr. Jim Clark said Walt Disney had his eye on the “Show Me” state well before he began eyeing the “Sunshine State”. But a fight over beer changed everything. After successfully introducing the public to Disneyland in California, Clark said Disney was looking for a second location. The animation mogul considered...

If you still haven’t finished your Christmas shopping, you are not alone, but with just days left until the holiday, the clock is ticking. So, Florida’s Fourth Estate hosts Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden are helping you identify some of the top gifts people are asking for this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sheriff Mike Chitwood gets real about his journey to becoming a law enforcement officer. He talks about how his relationship with his own Dad influenced his choice, why he is not afraid to take on controversial issues, and how his family has been impacted by his job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Waterfalls, koi ponds, trails, cliffs and exotic plants are just some of the things you will see inside the epic backyard tucked away in the small Florida town of Williston. Dr. Raymond Webber said he initially wanted a fish pond, but, his vision for a backyard oasis kept expanding. Now, 32 years after discovering an abandoned lime rock quarry, he has established a peaceful garden fit for a king. Though it was originally designed as a place to relax and entertain friends, word quickly got...

Kim and Penn Holderness pulled on their Christmas Jammies 10 years ago and churned out a viral video many still remember a decade later. They teamed up with their two young kids, Lola and Penn Charles, to rap about all the things that made 2013 special for them. Today, they are still making videos, but they are also releasing books, games, and merch. While they did win the 33rd season of The Amazing Race in 2022, Kim says another round of reality TV is not on their short list. She said,...

If you have ever been to Disney World, you have probably been on the Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom. One of the highlights of the ride is the feeling of escaping to the jungle while laughing at a slew of “dad” jokes. Former Imagineer Brian Collins is responsible for some of those. “I was very lucky to be able to work on some very cool projects, like writing very corny puns for the Jungle Cruise,” Collins said. He said he wrote, “You don’t need to bring any money with you on the jungle cruises...

If you are looking for a discount car, truck, sunglasses or even office equipment there is one place to find it all. A quick look at the George Gideon Auctioneers website reveals many of the local governments in Central Florida use them to sell their surplus items. Right now a 2012 Dodge Charger from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office is going for $1,025, a kayak from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is going for $3, Seminole County Public Schools is offering several school buses that...

Mar-a-lago is one of the most famous homes in Florida, if not the country, but the property former President Donald Trump referred to as his “Winter White House” wasn’t always what it is today. It used to belong to all Americans. In her book “American Castle One Hundred Years of Mar-a-Lago,” Mary Shanklin talks about how the mansion and surrounding property used to be part of the National Park Service. She said the original owner, Marjorie Merriweather Post, heir to the creator of Post...

People aren’t the only ones looking to avoid the cold this winter. Birds are also looking for a warmer spot to settle down, but their journey is proving to be difficult. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates up to 988 million crash into buildings every year and die. The Audubon Society said that’s because the majority of them migrate at night, and are drawn in by city lights, rest among the trees and when they try to return to the sky they crash into windows. “They see the sky in front of...

A boat, which experts believe is from the 1800s, has a new home after crews stumbled upon it during a road construction project. The Florida Department of Transportation was working on drainage improvement along King Street and State Road A1A in St. Augustine in October when they discovered the historic boat. Dr. James Delgado with SEARCH, a company headquartered in Orlando that describes itself as a global leader in maritime archeology, talked about what’s next for the artifact with Matt...