Publication
No evidence linking illegal immigration to measles outbreak, despite Donalds’ comment
Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds linked U.S. measles outbreaks to illegal immigration. On CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Aug. 23, host Margaret Brennan said Florida is below the immunization rate needed to achieve herd...
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On Anna Maria Island, sea turtle nesting season marred by flooding, artificial lights
Sea turtles may be through nesting this season, but 179 of the 458 turtle nests laid on Anna Maria Island have yet to hatch, and Turtle Watch asks that lights be turned off to let hatchlings more easily find the Gulf of Mexico. Of the 11,796 hatchlings...
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A matter of trust: The U.S. should stop pushing away its allies | Column
Having served in South Korea while in uniform, I was disappointed recently to see the Trump administration scaling back, on short notice, long-planned military exercises with Seoul. President Donald Trump cited his good relationship with Kim Jong Un,...
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Mensah throws 5 TDs, Toney sets record in Miami’s win over Stanford
STANFORD, Calif. - Darian Mensah threw five touchdown passes in his Miami debut, Malachi Toney set a school-record with 234 yards receiving and the seventh-ranked Hurricanes opened their season with a 45-6 victory over Stanford on Friday night. Mensah...
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An ode to Tampa’s WestShore Plaza upon its deathbed | Column
Time is a thief, yes, but also a cruel shape-shifter. It changes how we see things. I’ve been around long enough to know WestShore Plaza asthe cool mall. The upscale mall. The place to be. It had a Saks Fifth Avenue, the first in Tampa Bay. It had...
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The bad math behind a St. Pete ‘affordable’ housing project | Column
On first glance, the Deuces Rising housing project didn’t make financial sense. Nor on second glance. Or third. Making the numbers work took the kind of math that would make a hedge fund manager flinch. That didn’t stop the St. Petersburg City Council....
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Chef & The Baker to expand with second Tampa location
Chef & The Baker, the European-inspired bakery and cafe in South Tampa founded by chefs Rosana Rivera and Ricardo Castro, plans to roll out a second location later this year. The new spot will occupy a 2,200-square-foot space at 1103 W. Main St. in...
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‘Constant sound of the turbines’: Florida neighbors complain of power plant noise
Dozens of Dania Beach homeowners are suing FPL for ruining the tranquility of their neighborhood with a noisemaking power plant they say makes the quietest evenings sound like living in a laundromat with all the machines in use. Broward Circuit Judge...
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David Jolly enjoys strong week, but his path remains challenging
As far asfirst weeks go in Florida’s general election race for governor, David Jolly isn’t complaining. After winning the Democratic primary, Jolly played offense following the leak of a Hope Florida grand jury report that concluded Gov. Ron DeSantis’...
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If Charlie Crist is St. Petersburg’s next mayor, what’s his plan?
Whoever is elected the next mayor of St. Petersburg will have to deal with the future of Tropicana Field, aging water and sewage systems and, should voters statewide approve it, fallout from a multimillion-dollar hit in property tax revenues. That...
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Ex-Brazilian model with ties to Melania links Trump envoy to corruption scheme
Paolo Zampolli, a special envoy for President Donald Trump, was part of a United Nations passport-selling scheme that led to the death of a former U.N. president, according to Amanda Ungaro, an ex-Brazilian model and former U.N. diplomat who had a...
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Who really pays if Florida’s property tax amendment passes in November | Column
What homeowner doesn’t like the sound of a property-tax cut? More money in the bank account. A little breathing room. Here’s the catch: Amendment 3 doesn’t make the cost of local government disappear. It changes who pays for it. The “tax cut” is likely...
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Smile. Flock is taking a picture of your Florida license plate | Column
There was a time when a person could drive across Tampa Bay in relative anonymity, observed only by traffic cops, toll collectors and an ever-increasing number of panhandlers. That freedom is disappearing. Flock cameras now stand along our roads...
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Tampa presses developers on Live Nation’s Ybor City music venue
To build a 4,300-person music venue that Live Nation would run in Ybor City, developers of the mixed-use project GasWorx say they’re ready to relocate both a protected live oak and a historic home that sits on the desired property. But at Tuesday’s...
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Florida’s proposed property tax amendment will require trade-offs
Between inflation, rising car and property insurance premiums and the costs of contending with extreme weather, many Florida homeowners are feeling financially squeezed. While the ballot box can’t change the risk of floods or hurricanes, a...
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South Tampa real estate is booming. Why is this waterfront lot still empty?
In fast growing South Tampa, waterfront property is as good as gold. An influx of wealthy newcomers willing to pay a premium to live beside the bay has left builders scrambling to meet demand. In the past five years alone they’ve added a slew of new...
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Floridians should not have to ration their insulin | Letters
Insulin rationingFor more than 12 years, insulin has been as necessary to me as breathing. I have rationed doses to make a vial last longer, calculated whether I could afford another month’s supply, and experienced the fear of possibly coming up short....
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Republican voters nominated Floridians in primaries, not carpetbaggers | Column
Tuesday’s primary tested whether Florida Republican voters were willing to nominate candidates with failed electoral records in other states. The answer was a resounding no. In Southwest Florida’s 19th Congressional District - a reliably Republican...
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Who will win this Pinellas school board race? They’re split by 7 votes.
The big story: The two candidates for Pinellas County school board District 6 head to the local elections headquarters this morning hoping for some closure to their race. The supervisor of elections called for a new look at the ballots after the first...
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Oxford Exchange owners want to build a 550-acre Pasco wellness resort
Hundreds of acres of farmland on the border of Pasco and Hernando counties could soon be transformed into a sprawling wellness retreat. The project, dubbed Clay Hill, will feature a 130-key luxury resort with multiple restaurants, tennis and pickleball...
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Florida seniors: Better access to obesity care is here. Will it last? | Column
Florida is home to one of the nation’s largest Medicare populations. For thousands of our seniors, obesity is more than a number on a scale - it’s a chronic disease that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis,...
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Live updates: Florida voters hit the polls on primary day
It’s primary day. Floridians who haven’t voted early are set to cast ballots from 7 a.m. until polls close at 7 p.m. local time. The primary has big implications for the state. On the ballot in Tampa Bay are candidates seeking to replace term-limited...
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HIV prevention is free. Florida insurers just won’t tell you | Column
For decades, preventing HIV meant navigating a web of stigma, risk, and limited options. Today, scientific innovation has changed that reality - offering people proven, reliable tools to protect their health on their own terms and bringing the goal of...
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4 things to watch during Tuesday’s Florida primary
Both parties will decide Tuesday who should lead their tickets in a cycle where Democrats have grand ambitions to reverse years of Republican gains in Florida. Democrats face one of their most favorable political environments since at least 2018....
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Ark Invest gives big to Charlie Crist days after Trop project snubbing
Days after St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch snubbed Cathie Wood and her Ark Invest-led bid to redevelop Tropicana Field this summer, $69,000 landed in campaign accounts supporting his biggest reelection rival. The money, donated by an outfit named...
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Fortune 500 company Ferguson to open Ybor City office next year
Ferguson, a Fortune 500 company and construction supplies distributor, is opening an office in Ybor City’s Gasworx development. Based in Newport News, Va., Ferguson will lease 50,570 square feet in a six-story building under construction in Gasworx,...
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What does the Trump vaccine order mean for Florida parents, kids?
TALLAHASSEE - President Donald Trump wants to change how American children get vaccines. On Monday, Trump signed an executive order recommending changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, including pushing for vaccines to be spaced out and for certain...
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Temple Terrace voters to decide Tuesday on $50M public safety complex
Temple Terrace voters will decide Tuesday whether to give the green light to the city to build its first stand-alone police headquarters and a third fire station, something city leaders feel is long overdue. But the vote comes just as residents are...
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Most Tampa Bay congressional candidates oppose DeSoto data center proposal
If you’re a resident of downtown St. Petersburg or Bradenton, you may not know that a data center could be coming to your congressional district. That’s because it’s proposed in DeSoto County, part of the redrawn District 16 that splices together...
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Workout studios in Tampa Bay are booming. Thank a fitness revolution
It’s a Wednesday morning at Tremble, a Pilates-inspired workout studio in South Tampa. The space glows a burning red from long,spiraling bulbs in the ceiling, and house music blasts from the speakers. The class of eight steps onto their “reformers” - a...
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Welch, elected St. Petersburg mayor in a walk, no shoo-in for 2nd term
Ken Welch seemed destined to be the next mayor of St. Petersburg - five years ago. He had notched 20 years on the Pinellas County Commission. He bore the blessing of the outgoing mayor. He carried major Republican and Democraticendorsements in the...
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Water lettuce has taken over St. Petersburg’s Crescent Lake. What is it?
These days, Crescent Lake looks more like a football field than a body of water. Thanks to what was likely a perfect storm of prolonged drought followed by heavy rains, water lettuce has engulfed one of the city’s most popular lakes. The aquatic plant,...
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Senator Ashley Moody should help ensure every child can smile | Column
When a child is born with a cleft lip, cleft palate or another congenital craniofacial condition, the journey to a healthy childhood is rarely over after a single surgery. These children often require years of medically necessary reconstructive...
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At the Banksy show in Tampa, discomfort is the point | Column
Tampa’s well-heeled art supporters and media members teetered into a VIP preview Thursday eveningfor “The Art of Banksy” at the Straz Center. Some wore cocktail frocks and filmed social media videos, performatively walking from piece to piece for...
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The US’s chronic disease crisis demands a smarter prevention strategy | Column
As policymakers search for ways to reduce health-care spending while improving Americans’ health, the microbiome deserves far greater attention. The United States spends more on health care than any other nation, yet chronic disease continues to drive...
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Florida’s fentanyl and drug-related deaths continue to drop | Column
Last year, I wrote to share some encouraging news about a 20% drop in fentanyl deaths as reflected in the interim report issued by the Florida Medical Examiners for the first six months of 2024. The news was even more encouraging once data for the full...
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A Tampa Bay area library was set to be closed. Residents spoke up and saved it
This one’s for the books. And the branch. The Hernando County Commission on Thursday, responded to community action that called on them to keep and reopen the West Hernando Branch Library. County Administrator Jeff Rogers said he was looking for...
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A Florida child supplement maker had no permit and used vodka as sanitizer
Processing liquid supplements without proper safeguards and using potato vodka as sanitizer for equipment topped a state inspector’s problems with an Aventura supplement seller. That first issue at BrainChild Nutritionals was enough for the business to...
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After 5 months on the job, USF’s president gets $230,000 bonus
The University of South Florida is giving president Moez Limayem a nearly $230,000 bonus. After taking office in February,Limayem’s first few months as president were marked by upsetting events for the USF community. Two students were killed at an...
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See the Florida Aquarium’s next stage of expansion in new concept art
The Florida Aquarium is entering the final stage of its $45 million Sea Change expansion. Last year, The Tide Pool opened during the Aquarium’s 30th anniversary celebration. The 60-foot-long, 4,000gallon cold-water exhibit is home to hundreds of marine...
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Beyond Crist and Welch, these are St. Pete mayor candidates’ paths to the runoff
Ken Welch and Charlie Crist are the likely front-runners in the St. Petersburg mayoral race. Welch is the incumbent and Crist, a former Florida governor, is a career politician with strong name recognition and a million-dollar war chest. But four other...
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Amid insider trading allegations, how do political betting markets work?
Reports of insider trading are increasing as activity on prediction markets skyrocket. In mid-July, The Wall Street Journal published a report saying the Commodity Futures Trading Commission was investigating an allegation against Rep. Anna Paulina...
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Volunteers wade in to bring a Land O’ Lakes pond back to life
About a dozen volunteers spent a hot Sunday morning knee-deep in muck, and they were happy to be there. On July 12, they waded into a stormwater retention pond in front of the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, pulling out invasive plants and lining the...
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Attention Tampa Bay young artists: Can you draw the celebrity pig Waddles?
Hey kids! Do you love animals? Are you between the ages of 3 and 10? We would love to see your drawing of a pig named Waddles! And you can be eligible to win a prize! A Tampa Bay family adopted Waddles when he was a piglet. He loves watermelon,...
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Florida police and fire unions oppose property tax rollback
One of the largest unions representing police officers in Florida said Friday it would be opposing Amendment 3, the ballot initiative meant to begin rolling back property taxes. Fraternal Order of Police President Jeff Stinson said in a statement that...
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The GOP has seen this movie before. Florida Republicans should pay attention | Column
By most measures, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds seems to have the GOP gubernatorial primary secured. But that’s the least interesting thing about the race. He has President Donald Trump’s endorsement and millions of dollars in the bank. He’s spending $20...
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Tampa Police Department partners with University of Tampa to recruit students
The big story: A partnership between the University of Tampa and the Tampa Police Department is aiming to help students become local officers after they graduate. Seniors majoring in criminology or criminal justice will be able to spend their last...
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St. Petersburg council member skipped key Duke Energy votes. His district has concerns
St. Petersburg City Council member Corey Givens Jr. sat through more than four hours of debate and resident testimony as suspense built toward a vote. It was June 4, and the council was weighing whether to hire consultants to evaluate the pros and cons...
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Armed Pinellas man demanded strangers show him ID. Police say it was legal
The young entrepreneurs carefully picked their outfits. A collared shirt for Giovonnie Lenhart. Long black pants for Santiago Salinas. Closed-toe Birkenstocks with socks for Alekos Speaker. The college students set out June 25 to promote their...
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Luna: Time for common sense on pesticide liability protections | Column
The fastest way to find out who Washington really serves is to threaten the corporate interests it protects. The fight over pesticide liability protections in the Farm Bill was never just about one amendment, but whether Congress would stand with...
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Democratic socialists are changing national politics. Is Florida next?
Fed up with a Democratic Party that they view as too old, conservative and out of step, young progressive voters have lifted the Democratic Socialists of America to a string of improbable victories across the U.S. Zohran Mamdani’s victorious campaign...
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Clearwater man shot his ex’s lover. Would a jury find that he planned it?
In the five days Stuart Beck has been on trial, theories have abounded about what happened inside a Clearwater apartment in the early hours of July 6, 2022. Did he plan to shoot 20-year-old Michael Conrad out of a jealous rage? Or was it a...
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Americans can’t handle a diarrhea apocalypse | Column
Delightful poo-poo memes are going around. In one of my faves, people list stuff that doesn’t have cyclospora. It’s not salads. It’s Snickers, mac and cheese, cookies. Hilarious, I thought after a scroll. Solid creative energy from the internet hive...
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How is USF St. Pete’s Marine Science Lab doing 2 months after catastrophic fire?
The University of South Florida employee pushed a dolly loaded with cardboard boxes into the classroom. The room full of displaced students and faculty instantly brightened. The USF College of Marine Science students jumped from their chairs to rip...
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Florida health care, children’s services to be hit under property tax plan
TALLAHASSEE - Hospitals and children’s health groups say a proposal to cut property taxes could hit them hard - and comes as the need for care in Florida is only growing. They say the property tax plan, if passed, could force groups to cut services...
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Former Florida cop accused of domestic violence arrested for 4th time in 6 months
A former Broward Sheriff’s Office sergeant was arrested Saturday on a charge of violating an injunction for protection, his fourth arrest related to domestic violence allegations within six months. Scott Nida, 55, was arrested by deputies in Pompano...
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Oldsmar Flea Market will stay open, despite selling off part of its property
The Oldsmar Flea Market will remain open despite part of its property being sold for $13.9 million - paving the way for a 279-unit apartment complex to be developed by Kolter Multifamily LLC. The flea market will continue to operate in a smaller space...
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As sea temperatures rise in the Florida Keys, coral evacuation has begun
The warning bells are ringing for another potentially killer season for Florida’s beleaguered coral reefs, sending reef restoration companies scrambling to protect their brood. While the atmospheric phenomena of El Niño is linked to a quieter hurricane...
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Hillsborough sheriff’s office investigating death at Dick’s House of Sports in Brandon
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a death that occurred inside a Dick’s House of Sports store at the Brandon Exchange. Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said deputies received a 911 call from an employee at 4:28 p.m. that reported a...
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Florida regulators stood by as dozens of sloths died, new records reveal
The first warning reached the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before a single sloth had arrived in Orlando. On Dec. 9, 2024, a member of the public called the agency after seeing advertisements for a new business called Sloth World....
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This Tampa Bay cemetery buries people in the woods. It’s getting more popular
Laura Starkey greets the widow who picnics by her husband’s grave. She remembers the old woman who wove urns. She welcomes the children of a cancer patient, the parents of a young marine and the son of a cowboy. Some of their loved ones were laid to...
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An open letter to Florida’s summer gnats | Column
Attention disgusting little guys, I write by the light of a candle in hopes you won’t locate me. I have been reduced to a hostage in my own home, a scavenging rat-style person dragging a pizza crust from the fridge to eat under cloak and dagger. Why...
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Kamoutsas nets pay raise in move to Polk State from Florida commissioner
The big story: After spending a year ruffling feathers as Florida’s education commissioner, Anastasios Kamoutsas officially took over as Polk State College president on Monday. He got a pay raise to go with the new gig. His previous job carried the...
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Free speech? Florida students have diplomas threatened for silent ICE protest | Column
Back in March, a handful of students at Florida International University stood up at an event where the school president was speaking and showed off their T-shirts. They didn’t say anything to interrupt the program or speakers. Instead, they simply...
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To find adoptive parents, Florida foster kids embrace their creativity
The kids gathered in the gallery at Florida CraftArt, trailed by their therapists and foster parents. After checking out glowing glass rods and painted teapots, they headed upstairs to make their own art. A teenage girl looked bored. She’d been to this...
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Argentina survives scare from underdog Cape Verde in World Cup thriller
MIAMI GARDENS - Lionel Messi and Argentina beat Cape Verde 3-2 on Friday and advanced to the World Cup Round of 16 in a thrilling match in which the tiny island nation challenged the reigning champion until the final minutes of extra time. The go-ahead...
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What does freedom mean to Floridians? We asked. You responded.
What does freedom mean to Floridians in 2026? What about the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? How about “proud to be an American”? Every birthday prompts some existentialism amid the celebration. This just happens to be a really...
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Woman killed in Florida gator attack was ‘unforgettable soul,’ friend who was with her says
ORLANDO - Brittany Clark was a “beautiful, unforgettable soul” who fought to survive after an alligator attacked her while she cooled off from a hike in the Econlockhatchee River on Sunday, according to a friend with her that afternoon. Clark, 31, of...
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How a tiny Caribbean island made American independence possible | Column
The American Revolution is often told as a heroic story of 13 colonies rising up against a mighty empire and, with some help from France, winning their independence. But the real story is more complicated. As the United States celebrates the 250th...
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What should Wimauma’s new middle school be named? Hillsborough wants ideas
The Hillsborough County school district is seeking name ideas for a new middle school in Wimauma expected to open in 2027. The district said the school - located near the Aquilla J. Morgan High School, which opened last year, and a future elementary...
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Off-roader faced 90 years in prison for injuring Florida cop’s foot. What would he get?
A locksmith who was facing the possibility of decades in prison for injuring a Pinecrest officer’s foot and leading police on a chase is free on probation after a deal was struck in Miami-Dade court on Tuesday morning. Adolfo Denis Jr.’s life has been...
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God is waiting for us to graduate from kindergarten | Letters
Despite critics, Tarpon Springs mayor doubles down on proclamation honoring gay couple | June 18 Mature understandingA mature understanding of the Bible views it as inspired, but not the literal “word of God.” Bible passages were used before the Civil...
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Review: At Ye’s Tampa concert, the rapper is on still top of the world
On Friday night in Tampa, Ye was on top of the world. No, literally. He spent all of his roughly twohour comeback show pacing atop a giant globe in the center of Raymond James Stadium. The 49 year-old rapper, formerly known as Kanye West, towered tall...
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USF receives $1.5 million cybersecurity grant from Tampa firm
The big story: The University of South Florida received a $1.5 million gift from Tampa computer service company ReliaQuest. The money will be put towards students at the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. About $1...
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Even as it’s abandoned, boondoggle ‘Alcatraz’ may cost taxpayers more | Column
Today, we have items on the return of Matt Gaetz, some odd choices for a time capsule and more debate-dodging in Florida. But first, let’s look at the latest developments in what increasingly looks like one of the biggest boondoggles taxpayers have...
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