A Board of Governors letter to the LCME has widened Florida’s accreditation fight, raising real risks for medical schools, federal aid and residency pipelines.

Hillsborough County extended the application deadline for its Self-Employment Workshop Program to February 20, providing additional time for potential entrepreneurs.

Manatee County will renovate the park at Martha B. King Middle School, adding sports courts, a playground, new sidewalks, and improving parking and stormwater systems, while enhancing the landscape with native plants.

Volunteers are quitting the Florida State Guard after reports of misused aircraft, questionable purchases and alleged retaliation, prompting calls for oversight.

Rep. Angie Nixon filed bills to create a First‑Time Homebuyer Assistance trust funded by a documentary‑stamp levy to pay down closing and down‑payment costs for first‑time buyers. The proposals are being tracked as lawmakers consider how to expand help across Florida.

HB 1471 would let the FDLE director designate groups as terrorist organizations and bar them from state funding. Advocates warn the language could chill campus speech and trigger expulsions.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office held a K-9 Memorial Service at Curlew Hills Memory Gardens to honor fallen service dogs, highlighting their contributions to community safety.

Charlotte County invites residents to discuss a 1% sales tax for community projects in a public meeting on February 19 at 3 p.m. at the county administration center.

Pinellas County has revised its tree permitting process to make it more lenient, requiring permits only for certain tree removals and incentivizing the planting of native species.

Early 2026 polling shows Byron Donalds leading the GOP primary to succeed Ron DeSantis, with Trump's endorsement amplifying his edge.

Hillsborough’s clerk says an AI-assisted review and a USF Credit Union volunteer analysis produced banking fee savings, returning $1.15M and freeing millions more for taxpayers.

Companion bills in Tallahassee would add visible citizenship markers to Florida IDs, pitting election‑security backers against civil‑rights groups over privacy and profiling.

Pinellas County to close select offices on Presidents Day for staff training, but key services will remain open.