DRC approval clears the way for St. Petersburg Catholic's $64M, 11‑phase master plan, which includes a new science center and later athletics upgrades.

A 28‑year‑old federal inmate was found unresponsive at the Pinellas County Jail; detectives say the death does not appear suspicious. Investigators are examining medical records and interviewing staff.

Flight deputies say a blue laser was shone into a sheriff's helicopter cockpit; a 62‑year‑old Dunedin man was arrested and faces a felony charge. Investigation is ongoing.

Three years after a Fourth of July shooting that killed 7‑year‑old Yitzian Torres Garcia, his family will gather at the Courtney Campbell Causeway to renew calls for answers. Investigators say they have leads but no arrests yet; reward money has been boosted.

GameTime will close its Centro Ybor arcade on Aug. 9 after 16 years; the company says game-card and gift-card balances will be honored and may be used at other Florida locations.

A federal judge handed Vincent A. Principe, 55, a 30-year prison term after prosecutors said he traveled to the Philippines to sexually exploit children. Authorities say victims included children as young as eight.

North Port will activate school‑zone speed cameras when Sarasota County classes resume Aug. 10. A 30‑day warning runs in August, with $100 notices slated after that period.

Permit filings put Costco at the center of a proposed mixed‑use development near Apollo Beach, promising shops, hotels and new jobs for south Hillsborough. County review and infrastructure work are still needed.

A Central Florida felon received a 21-year federal sentence after assaulting a Deputy U.S. Marshal, the FBI’s Tampa field office said. Investigation involved FBI and FDLE.

A former Hardee County corporal was arrested after investigators traced $833.88 in unauthorized charges to local vendors and a Seminole casino.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds for governor, adding a powerful statewide ally to the front‑runner’s law‑and‑order coalition.

Deputies say a traffic stop in south Hillsborough County turned into an interstate pursuit with a child in the car; two people were arrested at the scene.

Raising Cane's is planning a double‑drive‑thru in Brooksville, joining new retail development along Commercial Way as county planners review a contested rezoning.