A Sarasota vet tech was convicted after prosecutors say venomous snakes and a monitor lizard were found emaciated and dying; he was jailed and must register on the animal abuser registry.

New video shows the moments before Pinellas Park officers shot 39‑year‑old veteran Ryan LeCompte after a hours‑long standoff. An independent use‑of‑force task force is investigating.

State investigators halted admissions at a Tampa 30‑bed mental‑health facility after a death in care; records show staff used a prone restraint.

Prosecutors filed notice to seek the death penalty for Diana Cullom after medical examiners determined her 4‑year‑old son was suffocated. A status hearing is set for April 20.

Hernando County issued an emergency burn ban April 14 as drought and recent brush fires raise wildfire risk. Grilling is allowed; rare exceptions require Florida Forest Service approval.

FDOT says the $227.5M Downtown Tampa Interchange is making solid progress; major ramps and bridge decks are near completion and nightly closures will continue into spring.

AdventHealth has broken ground on a 12‑bed, 13,000+ sq ft freestanding ER on State Road 54 in New Port Richey. The facility is slated to open in 2027 and add roughly 35 jobs.

Sunny and warm today with highs near 88°F. Evening east surges could make bay waters choppy.

A Keysville head-on crash killed a motorcyclist and critically injured a passenger; deputies arrested a 27-year-old driver who fled the scene.

Hillsborough detectives say they found more than 100 files of child sexual abuse material during a Southern Bayou Place search; a Tampa man now faces roughly 100 felony counts.

3rd & 3rd, a 33-story tower at 235 3rd Street South, has topped out. The project will add about 262 apartments and roughly 15,000 sq ft of retail to downtown St. Pete.

A Polk County K9 team helped deputies arrest a Winter Haven man after officers say a traffic stop turned up a Glock and baggies of marijuana.

Sunrise St. Pete is deploying $159.8M in HUD disaster funds for housing repairs, buyouts and infrastructure after Idalia and Helene.