Human remains found in a Cape Coral canal in 2024 have been matched to Rose Marie Gayhart, missing since 1985. The identification has reclassified the cold case as an active homicide investigation.

Polk County deputies arrested an 18-year-old and a 13-year-old after early-morning car burglaries in Jan Phyl Village; deputies say the masks led to enhanced charges.

A Gulfport mother was sentenced to life after pleading guilty to first‑degree murder when investigators found her son’s body hidden behind a false wall. Prosecutors say she used forged letters and staged messages to cover the crime.

Bullard Family Foundation volunteers packed 30,000 backpacks for Tampa students ahead of an August 8 giveaway at Raymond James Stadium. The event pairs school supplies with free health services.

Marine deputies cleared a hazardous debris field from the Manatee River near the DeSoto Bridge. Officials are asking boaters to report any floating hazards.

A portion of the roof at Aviata at Bradenton collapsed Saturday evening, prompting an evacuation; Bradenton police say there were no injuries. Crews are on scene securing the building.

A compact Thai counter has opened inside a Citgo on N Armenia Avenue, serving Pad Thai, curries and Thai iced teas from a pickup window. Early delivery buzz is already forming.

Tampa Electric has filed plans for the Harvest Sun Solar Plant on roughly 400 acres near Parrish, with regulatory records showing a 74.5 MW project and a 2027 target.

County budget options include permanently closing a 40‑year‑old Hernando library, threatening programs and services in Brooksville and Spring Hill.

A Hillsborough County jury convicted Taron Criner this week in the fatal 2022 stomping outside a Busch Boulevard 7‑Eleven.

Byron Donalds rolled out 'Healthy Florida Healthy Families' — a plan to remove ultra‑processed foods from school meals, require contaminant testing and expand farm‑to‑school links.

DRIP opened a North St. Pete cafe at 4901 38th Ave N, mixing coffee, botanical teas and kava with evening events and alternative wellness products.

Florida regulators ordered Peace River Center’s Bartow crisis unit to stop new admissions after an AHCA review found lapses in emergency care following a patient’s death. The hold applies only to new intakes; existing patients and other sites remain open.