St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is staging rescue units across downtown for the Firestone Grand Prix and urging seatbelts, sober rides and caution on race weekend.

Hillsborough County will install vape-detection sensors in every high school this spring after a pilot found vaping in restrooms; the board has pressed staff on privacy and discipline.

Investigations and court filings show hundreds of Floridians deemed too sick for trial are stuck in county jails for months while they wait for state psychiatric beds.

A jury will decide who is responsible for removing more than 300 graves found beneath FrankCrum’s Clearwater campus. Descendants and activists are demanding reburial and a memorial.

A Tarpon Springs shopper claimed the $1,000,000 HOLIDAY CA$H scratch-off and accepted a $606,700 lump-sum payout. Local coverage identified the winner as Jessica Henri.

Unannounced fireworks lit up downtown Tampa on Monday night, rattling windows and spawning online videos and speculation about what set them off.

A Fort Meade man claimed a $2 million top prize from the $2,000,000 Gold Rush Multiplier scratch-off and took a $1.276M lump-sum payout. The ticket was bought at a local beverage store.

A coyote briefly visited John Hopkins Middle School on Friday; St. Pete police monitored the scene and the animal left without threatening anyone.

A short video appears to show two people on the elevated rails of the Cheetah Hunt coaster without fall protection, prompting safety questions at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Hernando County will open a temporary warming center at the Brooksville Enrichment Center beginning Sunday night, with TheBus providing pickups at Walmart on U.S. 41. Officials say the site is an overnight refuge while cold conditions persist.

A newly obtained radar report flagged 16 subsurface anomalies beside Marti‑Colon Cemetery; residents want archaeological verification before trenching starts.

Pinellas County Schools will charge $50 per sport beginning in fall 2026, capped at $200 per family. The district says the fee will help expand programs and won’t block kids who can’t pay immediately.

Hillsborough County, FL, to hold Prescribed Fire Fest to educate on controlled burns for wildfire prevention and ecosystem health on Feb. 21 at Edward Medard Conservation Park.