A Brandon woman was arrested and faces first‑degree murder and child‑abuse charges after a 3‑year‑old died at Brandon Regional Hospital; the death was ruled a homicide.

FEMA approved nearly $55 million to help Florida repair storm-damaged infrastructure and fund mitigation projects, from pier rebuilding to home elevations.

Polk County deputies say 51-year-old Rey Caballero Alarcon attacked a woman in a U.S. 98 N parking lot on July 19 and resisted arrest before being secured. The sheriff’s office lists multiple misdemeanor and felony charges.

A plan to rezone roughly 600 acres at Sand Hill Scout Reservation has sparked local outrage and put the issue into formal county review.

A D.C. judge found the Digital Equity Act's race‑based funding language unconstitutional but severable, keeping the competitive grant program intact and opening a path to restore funding.

A two‑alarm blaze ripped through a commercial building on Combee Road in Lakeland Sunday; crews had the fire under control by midmorning and reported no injuries.

An 85-year-old Tarpon Springs man died after his pickup left County Road 296 and submerged in a retention pond. Troopers say the crash remains under investigation.

The U.S. Coast Guard shadowed the China‑flagged Xue Long and Xue Long 2 as they crossed the Bering Sea into U.S. waters; cutter Munro ran Operation Frontier Sentinel to track the transit.

South Tampa’s beloved deli is going suburban: Wright’s will open new locations in Brandon and Wesley Chapel with a bigger menu and catering push.

A Bradenton man was arrested after his motorcycle caught fire during a high-speed chase on I-75 near mile marker 247. Troopers say he faces multiple charges.

A man accused of using stolen ID to buy over $20,000 in jewelry at two Brandon stores was arrested in Mount Vernon, New York, after an investigation. Charges include identity and credit‑card fraud and grand theft.

A DeFuniak Springs man claimed the $5 million 200X THE CASH prize and took a $2.78M lump-sum; the winning ticket was sold at a local Tom Thumb, state records show.

Scattered storms and gusty winds today in Tampa. Dangerous rip currents and small‑craft advisories persist through Tuesday evening.