Photos shared by the Florida Forest Service show smoke near Brooksville as crews monitor wildfire activity amid dry conditions. Officials urge residents to heed local advisories.

Pinellas County deputies arrested Carla Lynn Jenkins after a neighbor reported cats and dogs living in roach‑ and flea‑infested conditions. She now faces six animal‑cruelty counts.

Worried about AI and tech layoffs, more Tampa students are choosing trade certificates and apprenticeships at Hillsborough Community College for hands-on skills and faster pay.

Benderson Development is expanding its Sarasota footprint with a 50‑plus‑acre Wellen Park plan while reworking Countryside Mall to add a two‑story Target.

Pasco County leaders moved to create a dedicated taxing unit to protect funding for roughly $500M in parks projects. The proposal spotlights a $90M Villages of Pasadena Hills 'super park.'

Hernando County Fire Rescue says multiple patients and entrapment after a multi-vehicle crash at Spring Hill Drive and Horizon Drive; all lanes closed and delays expected.

Jim Reeves and his family have retaken Big Jim’s Famous Steaks and are quietly testing menu tweaks and a possible rebrand at the Seminole Boulevard spot. Locals say the return leans into the restaurant’s old strengths while trying new ideas.

Chen’s Duck & Dumplings, currently in Brandon, is set to open a Lakeland outpost at 5125 S Florida Ave, public records show.

A 65‑year‑old Orlando man has been charged with lewd or lascivious molestation after police say he molested a child during a Bradenton Beach vacation and in Orlando.

Alex Chamberlain is leaving Michelin‑starred Kōsen to run Mei, a French‑Nordic‑Japanese restaurant set to open this spring at 320 Third St. S in downtown St. Pete. The project comes from Omei Restaurant Group.

Gin Khao, a Polk County Thai food truck, has filed plans to open its first brick-and-mortar at 750 W Main Street in Bartow. The owner confirmed the move.

Polk County and Bartow police have identified a 56-year-old man found outside an apartment complex; detectives are processing the scene and seeking tips.

Polk County commissioners voted 4-1 to accept an appeal and reopen review of an 856‑acre PH Citrus sand mine near Lake Wales, reigniting a fight between neighbors and developers. The decision follows a de novo hearing held March 17.