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Lightning fans can breathe easy—the team’s not leaving Tampa anytime soon. On Wednesday, Hillsborough County commissioners backed a new lease extension in a 7–0 vote, locking the Tampa Bay Lightning into Benchmark International Arena for at least six more years. That means the Bolts are here through 2043. It’s a big statement about the team’s commitment to Tampa and the county. Commissioner Ken Hagan didn’t hold back: “Everyone knows what Jeff Vinik’s done for the Lightning,

Alligator found in Naples pool If you grow up in Florida, you just know—where there’s water, there’s probably a gator lurking. Locals try to warn visitors, but honestly, most people just shrug it off. Even with cooler temps in Naples, that didn’t stop a nearly 8-foot alligator from going for a midnight swim in someone’s backyard pool. “This is wild. Nobody believed it, not until we saw the video—especially when he started rolling around. He was huge,” said Rob Emhoff, who liv

Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier The timeline, what we know, who are Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier, and the unanswered questions. After four intense days searching the waters off Naples, Florida, the Coast Guard called off the hunt for Randall Spivey and his nephew, Brandon Billmaier. Both disappeared on December 19, and despite scouring nearly 6,700 square miles, crews couldn’t find them. Their families now face the grim truth. On Monday, December 22, as the sun s

Florida’s first Christmas didn’t look anything like the holiday we know now. Picture this: late 1539, cold air hanging over the Apalachee village of Anhaica, right where Tallahassee sits today. Hernando de Soto, hungry for gold, had dragged his huge expedition—soldiers, priests, craftsmen, and enslaved people—straight into the heart of Apalachee territory. They occupied the capital, but the Apalachee didn’t surrender quietly. Tension filled the camp; skirmishes flared up agai

The Orange County School Board just took a big step toward possibly closing seven schools. On Tuesday night, during a long work session, board members agreed to let the district start the rezoning process for families at Bonneville, Chickasaw, Eccleston, McCoy, Meadow Woods, and Orlo Vista elementary schools, plus Union Park Middle School. These schools are on the chopping block, and the board’s decision opens the door for the district to move forward. Superintendent Maria Va

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has a hypothetical he floated at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting: “What if we didn’t have tolls in Florida?” He said this while the state has been using a budget surplus to pay down debt sooner than scheduled. So it got him thinking, at least out loud, about tolls on state roads, including the Turnpike. “We’re going to be able to be paying off taxpayer-supported debt … ,” DeSantis said. “But what about these tolls? I know other folks have purview on that

The AKC® National Championship presented by Royal Canin is back on December 13 and 14, 2025, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. This year, 5,557 dogs will compete for the title of America's National Champion. That’s a lot of fur, ambition, and excitement packed into two days. Alongside the main event, 1,602 puppies and juniors are chasing the Puppy/Junior of the Year title in the AKC/Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes. Another 1,040 dogs wi

Orange County Public Schools is thinking about closing up to seven schools, and the reason is pretty clear: fewer kids are enrolling. Over the last three years, the district lost more than 8,300 students. For the 2025-2026 school year alone, enrollment dropped by 5,539 students—a nearly 3% dip. With fewer students, the district expects to lose $41 million in state funding, maybe even more. That kind of loss stings. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Orange County School Board will meet

On December 7, 2025, the community will come together at Englewood’s Veterans Park on W. Dearborn Street to mark the eighty-fourth anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The ceremony starts at 1 p.m., organized by VFW Post 10178 and Auxiliary, Lemon Bay High School NJROTC, Rotunda West American Legion Post 113, and the Veterans Honor Guard. Danny Fuson kicks things off with introductions. Rev. Ronnie Jackson leads the opening prayer before the Lemon Bay NJROTC steps forward for the Ple

On Sunday, Trump administration officials sat down with Ukrainian negotiators in Hallandale Beach, just north of Miami. Their goal: find a way to end the war in Ukraine and prepare for the high-stakes talks happening this week in Moscow with Vladimir Putin. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner—all key players—joined the conversation, digging into the details of a possible peace deal. The first draft, a 28-point proposal, expected Ukra

The exterior of the Lewis Spring House, the only residence in Florida designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright designed one private residence in Florida, and it’s called the Spring House. In 2025, the Tallahassee landmark hit the market for $2.1 million. Its curving, pod-like form stands out as one of Wright’s final hemicycle designs—an architectural treasure tucked away just north of U.S. 27, not far from the interstate. The house sits quietly in the

Orlando pro Sandra Changkija made history on Sunday, becoming the first woman to win the Assistant PGA Professional Championship in the tournament’s 49 years. She shot an even-par 72 at the Dye Course at PGA Golf Club and finished three shots ahead of the field. Changkija, once an LPGA Tour player, now works as an assistant pro at Lake Nona in Orlando. Out of 132 players, just two were women. The PGA of America sets course yardages so women play about 85% of what the men do.

Blue Origin just pulled off a major milestone. Early Thursday, Jeff Bezos watched from Launch Control as his company launched the massive New Glenn rocket—321 feet tall, named after John Glenn—into the sky over Cape Canaveral. Four days of bad weather held things up, but when the skies finally cleared, the rocket thundered off the pad, carrying two NASA Mars orbiters. Once the rocket released the orbiters, the real show began. The booster turned around and stuck the landing o

Palm Beach, Florida People in Florida got a real surprise on Tuesday night, November 11—well into the early hours of the 12th, 2025. The northern lights, usually reserved for far northern skies, showed up thanks to a powerful G4 geomagnetic storm. Central Florida photo credit Ali Roux Gaudette The Space Weather Prediction Center actually put out a G4 “severe” warning, which is just one step below the highest alert they can give. Tallahassee, Florida That’s why the aurora push

Arctic air is barreling all the way down to Florida, dragging temperatures into the 20s and 30s—cold enough to feel like Christmas, but without the lights or the music. North and Central Florida are bracing for freeze warnings and watches, with wind chills dipping below 20 degrees in some spots. The whole state’s under a small craft advisory too, with big waves and nasty rip currents hitting both coasts. So, here’s the drill: cover your plants, bring your pets inside, wrap up

The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to play their 2027 season in Orlando. The NFL still needs to sign off, but on Friday, Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose made it clear: Orlando is the Jaguars’ top choice over Gainesville for that year. Right now, Jacksonville’s EverBank Stadium is set for renovations, so the team needs a temporary home. Rose says the city is deep in the process, sorting through details and negotiations. There’s still a big step ahead—a vote from NFL owners—but

If you’re in Florida and need help with food after SNAP cuts, or you want to help others, there are a few solid options.   Start with Feeding Florida’s map—just plug in your location and you’ll see the nearest food banks. If you’d rather call, dial 211 for United Way. They’ll point you to meal programs or food pantries nearby.   Looking for something different? The Too Good To Go app connects you with local stores and restaurants that have extra food at the end of the day.

Break out your sweaters, Florida—winter’s showing up early this year. Next week, a strong cold front barrels in, dragging the coldest air we’ve seen so far this season. If you’re up in the Panhandle, get ready for a real shock: we’re talking wind chills in the 20s and the first freeze of the year. Central Florida’s not off the hook, either. Folks inland might wake up to temps in the 30s, maybe even some frost if you’re farther north, like around Gainesville. Even down in Sout

Are Florida voters heading to the polls this November? Well, some are—but it’s not a big election year for the state. Most Floridians won’t see statewide or major local races until 2026. That’s when term limits push Gov. Ron DeSantis out of office and voters pick a new governor. The next presidential election? Not until 2028. Still, a handful of cities and counties in Florida have elections this year. We’ve already seen a few special races, and 2025 brings even more—mainly to