Author: Owen E. Richason IV
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With the April 15 tax deadline one week away, IRS data shows the average refund this filing season is running significantly higher than last year — though not quite as large as the White House had predicted. As of March 27, the average tax refund stood at $3,521, up from $3,170 at the same point…
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Florida Power & Light retained 27 cents of every dollar in revenue as profit in 2025, ranking it first among investor-owned utilities in the nation that year, according to a report released in March by the Energy & Policy Institute, a utility watchdog organization. The report analyzed financial data from 110 investor-owned utilities from 2021…
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A new report from Florida TaxWatch finds that the state’s cost of living has climbed significantly faster in the 2020s than in the prior decade, driven largely by housing, health care, and property insurance costs. The nonprofit government watchdog’s report, titled “Cost of Living in Florida: A Mid-Decade Check-In,” found that Florida’s implicit regional price…
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Lan Vaughan was sworn in as Indian Rocks Beach’s new mayor on March 25, two weeks after defeating incumbent Denise Houseberg by more than 350 votes. Commissioners Janet Wilson and Kellee Watt were also seated, marking significant leadership change in a beach community that has faced hurricane damage and the resignations of top officials over…
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Hillsborough County commissioners have approved $70 million in stormwater and infrastructure improvements as part of the county’s “Rebuilding For Tomorrow” campaign, aimed at reducing flood risk after a 2024 hurricane season that inundated neighborhoods across the region. The funding comes from a larger federal disaster recovery grant and will support projects in communities including Seffner,…
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Florida’s school bus camera program, designed to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped buses, is facing growing scrutiny from state lawmakers and drivers who say the system has generated unfair tickets and offered little recourse to contest them. State Sen. Nick DiCeglie (R-Indian Rocks Beach) has raised concerns about drivers receiving citations even when bus…
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New U.S. Census Bureau data shows that Pinellas County lost approximately 12,000 residents between 2024 and 2025, recording the second-largest population drop of any county in the country — trailing only Los Angeles County, which was dealing with its own crisis from destructive wildfires during that period. Local officials and residents largely attribute the exodus…
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Tampa residents and community advocates are pressing city leaders to publicly oppose rising electricity rates from Tampa Electric Company (TECO), as the utility’s bills continue to climb faster than its customers can keep up. The issue came into focus during a March 26 Tampa City Council meeting, where city energy officials revealed that despite investing…
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Four Pinellas County schools are in line for new start times for the 2026-27 school year, with one middle school facing a dramatic shift of more than two hours earlier in the morning. The district has recommended moving Largo Middle School’s start time from 9:40 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. — a change aimed at streamlining…
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Pasco County has expanded income eligibility for its hurricane relief program, opening the door to thousands more homeowners still recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The Better Future Individual Homeowner Program, which launched in January, provides $200 million in federal block grant funding to help residents repair and strengthen their homes. When the program began,…
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The Southwest Florida Water Management District has declared a “Modified Phase III Water Shortage,” imposing mandatory water-use restrictions on a large portion of the region beginning this week. The watering restrictions run from April 3 through July 1, 2026, and apply to all of Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, and…
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The Florida Legislature officially adjourned its 2026 regular legislative session sine die on March 13, marking the end of a whirlwind sixty days of policy debate. While the traditional dropping of the handkerchief signaled the conclusion of standard business, the work is far from over, as leadership has already signaled a return to the Capitol…
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The tax landscape for homeowners shifted meaningfully this year, with some deductions expanding, one returning from expiration, and others disappearing entirely. The most significant change for many homeowners is the increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap. The cap, which had been limited to $10,000 since 2018, rose to $40,000 for the…
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Pinellas County school officials are considering new bell schedules at four schools for the upcoming fall semester, with a board vote set for April 14. Parents at St. Petersburg High, Dunedin High, Largo High, and Largo Middle School received letters outlining the proposed changes. District officials say the adjustments are intended to better manage bus…
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The St. Pete Beach City Commission met Tuesday evening to discuss a parking rate increase that could generate nearly $2 million in additional annual revenue for the city. Under the proposal, all paid parking spaces would rise by at least $1 per hour, bringing rates to $5 per hour Monday through Thursday and $6 per…
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Florida small businesses and nonprofits hurt by this winter’s cold snap can now apply for federal disaster relief loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Frost and freeze conditions beginning at the end of January prompted a disaster declaration covering several counties statewide, including in the Tampa Bay area. The state estimates the freezes caused…
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The Tarpon Springs City Commission has approved new rules banning large vehicles and boat trailers from parking on residential streets near the Craig Park Boat Ramp, over the objections of boaters who say the city should first provide alternative parking. The revised ordinance, passed on second reading March 10, prohibits any vehicle or attached trailer…
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Researchers are warning that 2026 is shaping up to be another major year for sargassum, the brown seaweed that has increasingly fouled beaches across Florida and the Caribbean in recent years. The floating seaweed clumps grew from an estimated 9.5 million tons to 13.6 million tons in just one month and are expected to keep…
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Florida’s Legislature last week passed a bill to expand and incentivize participation in Florida Advanced Courses and Test, or FACT, a state-developed alternative to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs. The legislation allows school districts and teachers to earn bonuses for offering FACT courses, including a $50 bonus per student who achieves a qualifying score…
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled last week that property tax relief could still move forward this year, even after a proposal stalled in the state Senate during the recently concluded legislative session. Speaking at a bill signing in Bradenton on Thursday, DeSantis said property taxes remain his top priority for addressing residents’ cost of living.…
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Roughly 50 parents, students, teachers, and community members gathered on Wednesday at Tampa’s Rotary Riverfront Park to protest a plan by Hillsborough County Public Schools to close or restructure several public schools next year. The most prominent concern centered on Pizzo K-8, a Tampa school located on the University of South Florida campus. Unlike other…
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Wednesday that the state has launched a civil investigation into Discord, a social media and online gaming application, over concerns that it is being used by predators to target children. Uthmeier made the announcement at a press conference in Sarasota, where he described Discord as a platform where predators…
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Several popular Gulf Coast destinations have rolled out new restrictions this spring break season to manage crowds and reduce disorder. In Panama City Beach, officials have approved temporary overnight beach closures from March 12 through April 30, with certain sections of the beach closed nightly from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. The measure is intended…
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Students and community members urged the Pasco County School Board on Tuesday not to eliminate language governing student peaceful assemblies from its code of conduct. The guidelines currently state that students taking part in walkouts or peaceful assemblies should limit them to 15 minutes or less, gather in places they are typically allowed, and should…
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Florida drivers are paying significantly more at the pump after a rapid spike in gas prices over the past two weeks. The state average climbed 84 cents over just 12 days, reaching $3.72 per gallon as of Sunday — the highest daily average since August 2023, according to AAA. That increase translates to roughly $12…
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Florida lawmakers returned home Friday without delivering on one of their most-hyped promises to the state’s homeowners: property tax reform. The 2026 legislative session wrapped up without passing a state budget or agreeing on a plan to cut property taxes, sending the Legislature into overtime for a second year in a row. What Happened? Republican…
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About one month after dredging began at John’s Pass, city officials say the project is roughly 20% complete. The dredging effort, led by contractor Bayside Dredging, is removing sand that has accumulated beneath the John’s Pass Bridge. City officials say the work is progressing slowly as crews remove an estimated 13,000 cubic yards of sand…
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The City of St. Petersburg is set to begin dredging Bartlett Lake next week as the first phase of a $30 million stormwater improvement project aimed at reducing flooding on the city’s southside. Workers will remove between one and six feet of accumulated silt from the lake bottom to improve water flow. The buildup has…
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The Florida Legislature has passed a bill that would allow booster clubs to supplement the pay of high school coaches and other extracurricular sponsors, while also tightening student-athlete transfer rules. The measure now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature. The legislation, carried in a Senate companion bill to CS/HB 731, permits school districts…
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Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced this week that the state returned a record $88 million in unclaimed property to residents and businesses during the month of February — the highest single-month total in the program’s history. Unclaimed property refers to financial assets that have been abandoned or left inactive for at least five…
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School resource officers (SROs) in Hernando County will begin wearing body cameras when students return from spring break on March 24, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday. Sheriff Al Nienhuis said the rollout is part of a broader effort to equip all sheriff’s deputies with body cameras following funding approval received several months ago.…
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Tampa Electric customers gathered Tuesday evening for a community forum hosted by the Hillsborough Affordable Energy Coalition, looking for answers and assistance amid a stretch of significant rate increases. The event gave residents the opportunity to share personal stories, speak with energy experts, and connect with local elected officials about rising electricity bills. The timing…
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The Florida Senate passed legislation Monday that would require some of the state’s poorest Medicaid recipients to work or participate in education programs to maintain their health coverage, a provision that has no counterpart in the House version of the bill. Senate Bill 1758 would impose 80 hours of monthly work or education requirements on…
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The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) is alerting the public to an active phone scam in which callers impersonate a real sheriff’s office official to fraudulently collect money from residents. Scammers are currently using the name of Assistant Chief Deputy Paul Carey to pressure potential victims. Callers claim the recipient has a warrant for their…
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Seven candidates competing for seats on the Indian Rocks Beach City Commission gathered at City Hall on Feb. 24 for a public forum centered largely on the growing tensions over short-term vacation rentals in the beachside community. The election is March 10. The two-hour event, co-hosted by the League of Women Voters of North Pinellas…
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Florida homeowners are set to receive some relief on their insurance bills after the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association announced it is ending a 1% emergency surcharge two years ahead of schedule. The surcharge had been in place for three years, originally put in effect after 10 insurance companies went out of business. Eliminating it early…
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The Florida House approved legislation Thursday that would curtail the powers of homeowners’ associations, though the bill faces an uncertain path in the Senate. The bill’s sponsor, State Rep. Juan Porras (R-Miami), argued that HOA board presidents currently wield unchecked authority, leaving residents with little recourse against excessive fines or liens. The legislation would move…
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The Florida House approved a wide-ranging tax relief bill on Thursday by a vote of 105-2, and the state Senate unanimously passed the measure the following day with minor amendments. The legislation, HB 7031, now heads back to the House for concurrence before being sent to the governor’s desk. If signed into law, it would…
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Crystal River is moving forward with a long-term effort to upgrade its stormwater infrastructure following severe flooding during the 2024 hurricane season. The city has received a $2 million state grant to improve stormwater drainage throughout Crystal River, marking the first step in a broader initiative to reduce flooding after major weather events. The push…
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St. Pete city officials and residents of the Shore Acres neighborhood gathered Wednesday to discuss a $32 million flood mitigation project aimed at reducing chronic flooding in the low-lying St. Petersburg community. The plan calls for building a new pump station and replacing part of a culvert on Connecticut Avenue, with construction expected to begin…
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A debate over the future of Tom and Kitty Stuart Park in Madeira Beach has emerged as the city works to rebuild the beachfront property nearly 18 months after Hurricane Helene devastated it. The city’s Public Works department says it plans to restore the park to its pre-Helene condition, including an upgraded restroom. The proposed…
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The Florida House passed a housing bill Tuesday that would restrict how local governments regulate residential development, setting up a potential debate with the Senate over competing versions of the legislation. House Bill 399, sponsored by Rep. David Borrero (R-Hialeah), would limit what local governments can charge for development permits, require them to approve minor…
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Homeowners in Pinellas County accepted into Florida’s Elevate Florida program say they remain without clear timelines or visible progress on flood-mitigation funding nearly a year after last hurricane season, prompting calls for greater transparency from local and state officials. Elevate Florida is a statewide initiative intended to help owners of flood-prone homes elevate their houses…
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