Tampa Bay, Florida news | Tampa Bay Times/St. Pete Times

Vaibhav Bhaskar, 17, addresses the 2026 graduating class at Steinbrenner High School as valedictorian.

His 11.99 GPA may have been a record. It might never happen again

Steinbrenner High’s valedictorian says there are more important things than eye-popping grades. Increasingly, schools and colleges seem to agree.

Where to celebrate America’s 250th in Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay has plenty of July 4 fireworks celebrations happening for America's 250th this weekend.

Independence Day weekend kicks off soon, and fireworks shows take place across the region.

Scenes from America 250 celebrations across Tampa Bay

Children hand out candy while participating in the Gulfport Fourth of July Community Parade and Family Fun Day on Saturday.

Photo gallery | Fourth of July parades, parties and, of course, fireworks are all in store for the semiquincentennial.

To find adoptive parents, Florida foster kids embrace their creativity

Vyolette Hastings, Florida Craft Art youth program coordinator, encourages 12-year-old Serenity to draw something that makes her happy.

A young artist helps them share their stories. She has one, too.

Silas Kenneth Sampson, then 22, is pictured in a screenshot of a video captured by a camera in the back seat of a Florida Highway Patrol car on Nov. 8 after Sampson was arrested in connection to a pursuit and crash in Ybor City that killed four people.

Newly released videos show what suspect said after catastrophic Ybor crash

The videos show the pursuit from a Florida Highway Patrol trooper’s dash camera and suspect Silas Sampson learning he’s accused of killing four people.

July 4: What’s open and closed in Tampa Bay for America 250

July 4 is on a Saturday this year; many businesses are closed for the federal holiday in Tampa Bay. What's open and closed?

Heads up. Many Tampa Bay services are observing July 4 the day before.

He survived a Speedo. 20 years later, Sarasota dolphin is still making waves

In July 2006, a Sarasota Bay resident juvenile male dolphin named Scrappy was observed entangled in a men’s Speedo bathing suit, and the suit had worked its way back to the point where it was cutting deeply into his pectoral fins.

Scrappy’s story shows how one small mistake can put an animal’s life on the line — and how expert intervention can save them.

Here’s how to best use your AC during Florida’s steamy summer

Michael Love adjusts the AC unit in his St. Petersburg residence in this July 2024 photo. There are steps people can take to make their air conditioners run more smoothly.

These tips can keep your air conditioning running smoothly and even help lower your bills.

SPORTS

4 burning questions coming out of Lightning’s offseason moves

General manager Julien BriseBois made at least one splashy move during free agency. Did he address all of the Lightning's needs?

Junior Caminero homers again, leads Rays past Astros for 9th win in a row

• Tampa Bay Rays

Junior Caminero celebrates after hitting a solo home run to give the Rays a 2-1 lead over the Astros in the seventh inning Friday night in Houston.

Rays hope to be represented well on AL All-Star team releasing Saturday

• Tampa Bay Rays

Junior Caminero, left, Jonathan Aranda, center, and Yandy Diaz have provided the bulk of the Rays' offense this season. Caminero seems to be a lock for the All-Star roster.

Argentina survives scare from underdog Cape Verde in World Cup thriller

Cape Verde defender Sidny Cabral, right, is consoled by Argentina defender Nicolás Otamendi after Cape Verde loses 3-2 in extra time in Friday's World Cup Round of 32 match in Miami Gardens.

VIEWPOINTS

250 years later: Time for Thoreau’s ‘civil disobedience’ | Column

The U.S. turns 250 on July 4.

Is this sentence in the Declaration really the greatest ever written? | Column

A broadsheet version of the Declaration of Independence on display in the National Archives exhibit, "Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration," in celebration of America's 250th birthday.

The Rays may have a solution to the city council’s stadium concerns

While there is still work to be done on a proposed ballpark on the Hillsborough College campus, the Rays may have come up with a new path that could make financing more palatable for the Tampa City Council.

America at 250: Keeping our republic starts here in Florida | Column

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More Viewpoints

POLITICS

America at 250 vs. America at 200: Has the nation’s mood shifted?

Debora Bullan, left, and Laurie Cardinale work among the stars, sewing what would become the world’s largest American flag, in Marblehead, Mass., on June 15, 1976.

If Florida’s GOP debate for governor has no Byron Donalds, does it count?

GOP candidates gathered Thursday in Fort Lauderdale for a late debate. From left to right, investor James Fishback, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and former House Speaker Paul Renner.

As America turns 250, here’s what Floridians say about patriotism

Jane Mulford, a member of Tribute To The Troops, wears her United States attire to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and the 104th birthday of Roy Caldwood, a New Tampa World War II veteran, at the New Tampa Recreational Center on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Tampa.

There’s a new type of pollution in the Hillsborough River. The cause? Car tires

• Environment

The Hillsborough River is being polluted by a previously undetected chemical. The cause: car tires. A new study led by Florida International University found the toxic compound in every water quality sample over a 10-month period.

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DIVE IN

In 2026, the Tampa Bay Times is recognizing 165 area companies as part of our Top Workplaces rankings.

Here are the top 165 Tampa Bay Workplaces of 2026

Each year, the Tampa Bay Times surveys employers to celebrate the best places to work.

America is celebrating its 250th birthday on July 4.

Can you pass this quiz on Florida’s role in US history?

St. Petersburg vegan restaurant Good Intentions is one of several local restaurants closing this summer.

Tampa Bay restaurants fear a slow summer season, and are scrambling to adapt

Mary Ann Massolio and Superintendent Van Ayres renewed a memorandum of agreement between Hillsborough County Public Schools and 1Voice Academy on Massolio's late son's birthday.

After losing her son, a Tampa Bay mom started a school for kids with cancer

The new congressional district map taking effect for this year's elections.

A snapshot of each of Tampa Bay’s new congressional districts

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