Sarasota County School Board will consider a $6.5M security package that would let city police tap school camera feeds during emergencies. The plan raises speed‑of‑response and privacy questions.

A federal suit says i‑Ready's maker collects and shares sweeping student data, with filings alleging analytics payloads were sent to third-party trackers. Local districts are watching.

A Charlotte County narcotics search at a Punta Gorda home led to three arrests and a juvenile taken into DCF custody after deputies say they found meth and packaging materials.

A $250 spin turned into a $1.2 million jackpot at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa on a Dragon Link Panda Magic slot. The payout continues the property's run of big slot wins.

A Sarasota man was arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot a family on Clearwater Beach because they were feeding birds, court paperwork shows.

Deputies swept River Ridge High in New Port Richey after an anonymous bomb threat — believed to be a swatting call — prompted the school's active‑threat plan.

A 19-year-old Gulfport man died after his motorcycle was struck by a turning cargo van at 18th Avenue South and Quincy Street South in St. Petersburg.

A boat fire near Marina Park in Venice left a woman and a 5-year-old boy with serious burns Sunday afternoon. Officials say the cause is under investigation.

Sarasota County reimposed a countywide burn ban April 19 after drought readings hit a critical KBDI threshold. Most open burning is barred until conditions improve.

New lab tests and a Lake Okeechobee operating change have scientists hopeful they can blunt red tide without hurting coastal ecosystems.

A Clearwater food company has filed to buy the North Greenwood National Guard Armory, surprising neighbors and setting off a redevelopment review.

Warm and sunny Sunday; Small Craft Advisories tonight and a Fire Weather Watch Monday for parts of Levy County. Boaters and those burning outdoors should take care.

A neighborhood coffee spot and a hotel brasserie joined Tampa Bay's dining scene this week, offering dessertlike lattes in St. Pete and coastal plates in Rocky Point.