Charlotte County detectives arrested a 20-year-old Bradenton man in Punta Gorda after he allegedly tried to meet a 13-year-old, investigators said.

Hillsborough deputies arrested a Riverview man with 54 prior convictions after finding a firearm in his bedroom following a Feb. 9 barricade call. He faces weapons‑related charges and the probe remains active.

A Winston-Salem couple used a lucky coin to scratch a $1M Loteria Multiplier win and opted for a $600K lump sum. Each took home about $216,031 after taxes.

Pinellas County will hold pop‑up help sessions in Dunedin and Palm Harbor next week to help residents apply for People First hurricane recovery grants.

Iran‑backed Houthis claimed a missile strike toward Israel and Israel says it intercepted the projectile as U.S. forces report new casualties and reposition in the Gulf.

A Palm Harbor science teacher is home after a lightning strike in Peru left him paralyzed and his friend dead. Months of rehab in Atlanta and a GoFundMe have followed.

Zephyr Chills has filed plan‑review paperwork for a Stadium Drive storefront in Zephyrhills. The applicant is Zephyr Chills Ventures LLC and details remain limited.

A Tampa hemp retailer says a 2025 raid treated his shop like a crime scene; the owner sued police and the State Attorney’s Office seeking damages and to stop the criminal case.

Hundreds of teens swarmed Urban Air in Brandon last Saturday; deputies cleared the crowd and eight juveniles were arrested for trespassing.

Pasco County is pairing opioid‑settlement dollars with a USF training and simulation program and a community grant fund to expand treatment, prevention and harm‑reduction work. The move folds university research into local grantmaking to try to cut fatal overdoses.

The state board reclassified Introduction to Sociology as an elective for 2026–27, part of a broader rewrite of college curricula that faculty say censors core topics.

San Martin Boulevard will drop to one lane on March 30 as the city relocates pipes under Riviera Bay; expect delays through October 2026.

Chen’s Duck & Dumplings, currently in Brandon, is set to open a Lakeland outpost at 5125 S Florida Ave, public records show.