Largo man charged with Clearwater bank robberies
TAMPA, Florida - Shannon Luster, a 49-year-old from Largo, has been arrested and charged with bank robbery, according to United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. If convicted, Luster faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The criminal complaint alleges that Luster robbed two Clearwater banks at gunpoint, with...
Clearwater Teen Involved In Fatal Crash That Claimed Life Of Holiday Motorcyclist On US-19
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – A collision on Monday evening involving a pickup truck and a motorcycle has left a Holiday man dead, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP). Troopers were dispatched to the scene on US-19 south of Alderman Road around 6:40 p.m. on January 5, 2026. According...
Deputies Capture Fleeing Suspect Hiding Inside Vacant Home in New Port Richey
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A routine traffic stop early Friday morning ended with deputies locating a suspect hidden inside a vacant home, according to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. Deputies say the incident occurred Jan. 2, 2026, around 3:46 a.m., when a deputy attempted to stop a man...
Tampa man sentenced for tax fraud scheme defrauding IRS of millions
TAMPA, Florida - George Tucker, Jr., age 45, of Tampa, Florida, has been sentenced to seven years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aiding in the filing of false tax returns. The court also ordered Tucker to forfeit $1,354,757.64 and pay $15,028,309.89 in restitution to the...
Florida Will Publicly Name Animal Abusers Starting January 2026
Florida is about to treat animal cruelty the way it treats sex crimes. Starting January 1, 2026, the state will post the names of convicted animal abusers on a searchable public database run by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The registry exists because of what happened to one dog...
Derby Lane Hosts New Weekend Market After Wagon Wheel Closure
Derby Lane began hosting the Farmers and Flea Bazaar in November 2025. The spot? An old greyhound track in St. Petersburg at 10490 Gandy Blvd. Organizer Shawn Yang relocated about 150 vendors after his previous site shut down. Yang had operated the Pinellas Farmers and Flea Market at 13600 Icot...
Tarpon Springs rejects medical office over flood risk
TARPON SPRINGS — City commissioners unanimously denied a request to build The Shoppes at Meres, a 13,057-square-foot medical and general office building on a 1.8-acre site at 1098 S. Pinellas Ave. Juniper Development sought approval for the project at the northwest corner of Meres Boulevard and Alternate U.S. 19....
New marker keeps memory of slain Tarpon Springs officer alive
TARPON SPRINGS — For more than a decade, Teresa Kondek avoided the place where her husband took his last breath. The intersection near 199 Grand Blvd., where Tarpon Springs Police Officer Charles Kondek Jr. was shot and killed while responding to a noise complaint on Dec. 21, 2014, held too much pain. Aside from one...
‘This is extremely dangerous’: Tampa Bay doctors react to CDC, RFK Jr. vaccine recommendations
"I think this is extremely dangerous. There has not been a case made to eliminate these vaccines," said Dr. Jill Roberts, a USF professor at the College of Public Health.
Wild Ride From Tampa To Polk County: Gunman Kidnaps Uber Driver, Demands Drive-Thru Stop
POLK COUNTY, Fla. – What began as a standard pickup at a Tampa gentleman’s club ended in a terrifying ordeal—and a bizarre fast-food detour—for one rideshare driver early Saturday morning. Polk County deputies are now searching for a suspect they say kidnapped an Uber driver at gunpoint, stopping for a meal before...

















