Pro wrestler Hulk Hogan stopped by Tampa CBS affiliate WTSP this week to show off his 24-inch “pythons,” call people from Miami “lunatics,” and promote his restaurant, his line of vitamins and TNA Impact Wrestling.

WTSP meteorologist Bobby Deskins painted on a fake Hoganesque mustache and made only one steroid reference as he guided Hogan through the weathercast. “I’m juicing by the way, can you tell?” asked Deskins. “What kind of juice you taking?” asked Hogan. “Carrot juice or Orange juice?”

[Yardbarker]

After a string of defections, WTSP has rounded out its revamped weather team with the addition of meteorologist Kate Wentzel this week.  Wentzel comes to WTSP after working as a weekend weathercaster for West Palm Beach ABC-affiliate WPBF–a post that she departed in April.

“Kate is going to be another great addition to the team,” WTSP news director Peter Roghaar said, in announcing the move.  “She brings almost ten years of experience forecasting Florida weather and is hurricane-tested.”

Wentzel, who is set to begin on September 26th, is the third meteorologist to join WTSP in the past two months.  The CBS-affiliate recently named Orlando veteran Jim Van Fleet chief meteorologist and added Mark Collins, a native of St. Petersburg. Read more

Saying that he felt there was “an opportunity for growth” in the time period,  WTSP president and general manager Ken Tonning announced this week that the station will debut a new, half-hour newscast at 9 a.m.

“10 News at 9am” will be anchored by Keith Jones and Ginger Gadsden, with Bobby Deskins doing weather.

The new, weekday newscast will be feature-oriented, focusing on issues important to women.  It is set to premiere on Monday.

“I don’t think anyone owns the time period,” Tonning told the St. Petersburg Times. “And we know there’s a market for local programming in the mornings.”

Is it possible that St. Petersburg’s WTSP may only have one weathercaster on its payroll going into the heart of hurricane season?

That’s the question Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times is asking, pointing out that meteorologists Sherry Ray Hughes and Chris Suchan are both scheduled to leave the Gannett-owned station by the end of September. Their imminent departures mean that WTSP would be left with just Bobby Deskins on its weather team.

WTSP general manager Ken Tonning assures Deggans that the station, which brands itself as “Your Local Weather Authority,” is “actively pursuing replacements.”

Hughes is expected to leave the station in mid-August for personal reasons and Suchan will depart at the end of September, reportedly for a chief meteorologist post at another station.