Former DeSantis spokesperson's PR firm lands more than $700K in government contracts

ABC Action News 9/3 9:17A Katie LaGrone

A former high-level political communications operative who spent years speaking on behalf of Florida's most powerful Republicans is now getting paid by the state again. This time through her own private PR firm. State records show that over the...

Eat well! Do good! Columbia, Ulele and more celebrate September with tasty fundraiser

ABC Action News 9/3 9:00A Sean Daly

Eat well. Do good. Words to live and eat by! For the month of September, the iconic 1905 Family of Restaurants we're talking the Columbia , Ulele , Casa Santo Stefano and more, all across Florida will donate 5% of every bill to almost 100...

Sarasota police asking for help to solve 9-year cold case

ABC Action News 9/3 8:07A Brian McBride

Its been nine years since 14-year-old Jabez Spann was last seen in Sarasota and police detectives are asking the public for help. Spann went missing on Sept. 4, 2017, nearly a year and a half before his skeletal remains were found on Feb. 19,...

St. Pete man hit, killed by 4 cars while walking on I-275: FHP

ABC Action News 9/3 4:06A Brian McBride

A St. Petersburg man walking on Interstate 275 in Pinellas County was killed Wednesday night after being hit by four vehicles, troopers said. Near the 25 milepost, a 39-year-old St. Petersburg man was walking in the inside travel lane of I-275 at...

Two people confirmed dead in Tampa plane crash: HCFR

ABC Action News 9/3 3:09A Brian McBride

Two people were killed in a Tampa plane crash on Thursday morning near U.S. Highway 301, officials said. WATCH: Two people confirmed dead in Tampa plane crash: HCFR Two people confirmed dead in Tampa plane crash: HCFR Hillsborough County Fire...

Woman, 93, wakes up to find man standing next to bed: HCSO

ABC Action News 9/3 1:25A Brian McBride

Hillsborough County deputies arrested a man on Tuesday after a 93-year-old woman awoke in her apartment to find him standing next to her bed. Connor Norcross, 24, was charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling and battery (victim over 65)....

Largo police rescue woman kidnapped at gas station, held in apartment: LPD

ABC Action News 9/2 10:52P Brian McBride

Largo police rescued a woman on Tuesday after she had been kidnapped at a gas station and held against her will in an apartment, officials said. Joshua Sandman, 26, was charged by the Largo Police Department with kidnapping and false...

Fatal crash shuts down all southbound lanes on Interstate 275 in Pinellas

ABC Action News 9/2 9:17P Brian McBride

A fatal crash on Interstate 275 South in Pinellas County has closed all lanes, officials said. The multi-vehicle crash occurred at 54 th Street North, the Florida Department of Transportation said. There was a fatality involved in the crash, the...

17-year-old on trial for Tampa killing of 14-year-old Jevario Buie

ABC Action News 9/2 7:33A Brian McBride

Jahmir Moore, 17, is on trial this week after being accused of the Tampa killing of 14-year-old Jevario Buie in 2024. Moore, who was 15 at the time and was charged as an adult on Dec. 4 with first-degree murder in Buies death, faces life in...

Tampa coaches heading to Shanghai, China to lead international football camp this fall

ABC Action News 9/2 6:23A Kyle Burger

Two Tampa football coaches are taking the game halfway around the world. C.J. Bennett and his father, Chip, run the Quarterback Stable , a quarterback development academy based in Tampa. This October, C.J. Bennett and Receiver School coach Sean...

South Howard Flood Project inches closer to finish line

ABC Action News 9/2 5:26A Keely McCormick

A controversial flood relief project along South Howard is moving closer to a final decision as the City of Tampa released a new simulation showing how the proposed project could help clear floodwaters from the area. The South Howard Flood Relief...

TB Comic Convention Weekend Traffic Advisory: Sept. 4 - Sept. 6

TAMPA.GOV News 9/2 5:15A Tony Delavan (Technology & Innov

TB Comic Convention Weekend Traffic Advisory: Sept. 4 - Sept. 6 Tony D. Wed, 09/02/2026 - 11:15 am Traffic advisory for Tampa Convention Center during Comic Convention, September 4-6, 2026. Increased...

Tampa ranks No. 20 among America's top tech cities, new study finds

ABC Action News 9/2 5:13A Michael Paluska

Tampa is cementing its place on the national tech map, with new rankings and a growing startup ecosystem pointing to a city that has moved well beyond its emerging market days. A recent study by Lemon.IO ranked Tampa No. 20 for best tech hubs in...

SAO rules Venice man was justified in deadly shooting

ABC Action News 9/2 5:09A Brian McBride

The State Attorneys Office (SAO) said it will not prosecute a man in a deadly Venice shooting on July 1, saying it was justified. The SAO said that Aaron Bean had no duty to retreat within his own home and reasonably believed the force was...

Hillsborough County leaders approve short-term rental regulations

ABC Action News 9/2 4:15A Keely McCormick

Hillsborough County commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved a short-term rental ordinance for properties. The decision comes after some neighbors say the growing number of vacation rentals is affecting their communities. The county has had...