Florida COVID hospitalizations break record

A day after it recorded the most new daily cases since the start of the pandemic, Florida on Sunday broke a previous record for current hospitalizations, as the number of patients in hospitals because of COVID-19 once again broke through the 10,000-person threshold.

CDC: Florida breaks record with more than 21,000 new COVID cases

Federal health officials say Florida has reported 21,683 new cases of COVID-19, the state's highest one-day total since the start of the pandemic. 

Holmes Beach restaurant says business is booming since requiring diners to be vaccinated

Beach Bistro on Holmes Beach in Anna Maria Island now requires diners to be vaccinated, adding to its "aggressive" safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Woman charged with child abuse, manslaughter after crash kills toddler, teen in St. Pete

An 18-month-old and a 16-year-old were killed in a crash on Tyrone Square Boulevard in St. Petersburg Friday and police say a caregiver has now been charged with manslaughter and child abuse.

Peppa Pig theme park set to open in Winter Haven in 2022

Anyone who has young children knows the popularity of Peppa Pig, but you know a character has reached true stardom when they get their own theme park. Now kids can experience the world of Peppa Pig in person at a new theme park in Winter Haven. 

Dog found hogtied, mouth taped shut now having 'more good days than bad' as she heals

Petal broke hearts across the internet after a good Samaritan in Orlando found her dumped in a plastic bag, hogtied with her mouth duct-taped shut, and ‘near death.’ T

K9 at Florida sheriff's office helps handler with gender reveal

A police dog in St Lucie County, Florida, was a particularly good boy when he helped his handler with a gender reveal display.

Riverview boy adopted by HCSO detective after surviving being stabbed, set on fire by father

Ronnie Blair, now 12 years old and adopted by a Hillsborough detective's family after his own father tried to kill him, says he doesn't want to be defined by the night he nearly died. He loves science, his new siblings, and parents. When he grows up, he wants to become an actor.

Man who hid in Spring Hill teen's bedroom for weeks sentenced after pleading guilty to having sex with a minor

A Louisiana man who traveled multiple times to Spring Hill to have sex with a 15-year-old girl he met online will spend the next 15 years in prison. He was captured after the teen's parents found him hiding in their child's closet -- and he had been living in there for a month.

Male seahorse gives birth to hundreds of babies at Clearwater aquarium

A male seahorse was brought to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for buoyancy issues and a few days later gave birth to hundreds of babies.

Mold fills home built in 2017, forcing homeowner out while builder tries to identify cause

When Jasmine Miles first saw her shoes covered in a gray film last year, she didn’t know what to think. The Wesley Chapel homeowner says mold has taken over her brand-new house, forcing her to live elsewhere for the last seven months.

Florida babysitter charged with murder 37 years after baby shaken

36 years ago, babysitter Terry McKirchy was sentenced to weekends in jail for three months for shaking a 5-month-old boy so severely that he suffered permanent brain damage. But she now faces a possible life sentence for murder after a medical examiner said the victim succumbed to those injuries at the age of 35, after a life with severe mental and physical disabilities.