A Florida TaxWatch mid‑decade report finds surging insurance bills and rents have left about half of residents considering moving. The study calls for policy fixes on insurance, housing and health care.

Pasco County opened a fully operational 911 call center in Dade City, completing countywide consolidation and adding backup capacity.

Hillsborough County detectives arrested 31‑year‑old Ariel Brito Ponce on April 1 after seizing more than 100 files tied to child sexual abuse material during a Tampa search. The probe is ongoing.

County commissioners approved more than $70M from a $709M federal recovery grant to fund drainage, ditch restorations and lift-station upgrades aimed at protecting roughly 500,000 residents.

A Homosassa woman was arrested after deputies say she set her husband’s home on fire during a family visit; investigators found lighter fluid, meth and marijuana nearby.

A Brazilian free‑tailed bat in Polk County tested positive for rabies, marking the county's second confirmed case this month. Three vaccinated dogs are being monitored under home quarantine.

Hernando County Fire Rescue says crews are fighting a commercial blaze in the 7200 block of Forest Oaks Blvd in Spring Hill and urged people to avoid the area.

Pinellas Park SWAT responded Tuesday after reports of an armed person near Briar Ridge Road and Cedar Brook Drive S; the situation remained active and developing.

A retired Tampa colonel was sentenced to 24 months after sending a photo of a classified CENTCOM email that prosecutors say revealed targets and timing for a planned operation.

Clearwater is pre‑marketing the century‑old North Ward School, touring developers and weighing reuse ideas from housing to small hotels while stressing preservation.

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.