Hernando County voters must register or change party by July 20 to be eligible for the Aug. 18 primary. The supervisor’s office says online and paper registration are available now.

Hillsborough County will remove i‑Ready and Amira from daily K‑2 lessons, shifting classrooms back to books, handwriting and hands‑on learning while keeping devices for tests.

Nineteen defendants pleaded guilty in a sprawling Central Florida check‑fraud scheme tied to the "Trap Boys" gang, prosecutors say.

Hillsborough detectives named Omar Gonzalez, 22, in a Warrant Wednesday post, saying he is wanted on multiple battery and criminal mischief counts.

A Tampa man admitted he doused another man with gasoline and set him on fire at a north Tampa gas station; he was sentenced to 40 years and a decade of probation.

A welfare check in Crystal River uncovered dead puppies and decomposed dogs inside a home. A local breeder was arrested and surviving dogs are in urgent care.

French syrup maker Monin plans to buy about 70 acres near Zephyrhills Airport and invest more than $100M in a U.S. production and distribution campus. Details on jobs and timeline are still pending.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will retire Kumba on Aug. 2, 2026; the park says a new attraction called Kumba’s Revenge will follow as part of broader investments.

Federal prosecutors say two Tampa men forced their way into an apartment, tied up residents including a 13‑year‑old, and fled with guns and valuables. The indictment carries mandatory‑minimum exposures that could mean decades in federal prison.

Pasco deputies released surveillance images after a June 26 burglary in the 6000 block of Sea Ranch Drive; investigators are asking anyone with information to call the Crime Tips Line.

A $1 million Mitchell family gift will fund a residential recovery program at Saint Leo University, offering sober housing, counseling and peer support beginning fall 2026. The initiative honors their son Derek and is modeled on Augsburg's StepUP program.

BayCare placed the final steel beam on its new Manatee County hospital in Palmetto, capping a $563M campus that includes a HealthHub this year and a 2028 hospital opening. The 154‑bed facility will add a NICU and middle‑of‑county acute care.

The EEOC said a Tampa-area pizza owner harassed young female servers, including at least one teen; Joey’s New York Pizza will pay $55,000 and adopt new training and reporting rules.