A state data snapshot shows Florida Poly alumni earn a median $93,600 five years after graduation — the highest among Florida public universities and a win for focused STEM training.

Lake Wales launched Polk County's first open-container ACE district, letting patrons stroll downtown with drinks as the city pushes a Walesbilt hotel restoration and streetscape upgrades.

Heat Advisory Friday, June 19 in Tampa: highs near 94°F and heat‑index values topping 105°F. Cooling stations and safety tips inside.

Hillsborough’s TPO voted 8‑6 to remove a long‑disputed I‑275 widening between Hillsborough and Bearss avenues from the five‑year TIP, pausing a costly, contested expansion. Construction remains unfunded.

The Jackson House in downtown Tampa is slated for repairs beginning in August after the foundation raised key funding. Leaders plan to turn the 1901 boarding house into a museum and community center.

UF’s athletic budget jumps $30.4M to about $235.7M as revenue sharing, coach buyouts and football spending drive the increase. The shift tightens the squeeze on smaller sports.

Jennifer Susan Cruz pleaded guilty to assaulting officers during a January immigration operation in Jacksonville. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Nebraska Roadside will convert the former Nebraska Mini‑Mart corner in Seminole Heights into a mostly outdoor food park, promising a retro, family‑friendly mix of vendors, games and live entertainment by fall 2026.

Carlos Hernandez was struck by a fleeing driver while mowing in Pasco County in 2021. His family has sued Sheriff Chris Nocco, alleging deputies' pursuit was reckless.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear Kian v. Florida, a challenge to the state’s use of six‑person juries that could force the justices to revisit a 1970 precedent and reshape criminal trials here.

Federal prosecutors say a Pasco County man was indicted for attempting to meet a minor and to produce child sexual abuse material. The USAO credited HSI Tampa and tagged @MCSOFlorida in its announcement.

The last top buyer tied to a $31.8M counterfeit coupon ring was sentenced this week, closing a multiyear federal probe out of Virginia Beach.

Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody say the Senate’s FY‑2027 NDAA would direct roughly $935M to Florida bases, funding hangars, ranges and infrastructure from Homestead to the Space Coast.