Charter school closures; mosquito-borne dengue; revamped veterans housing

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Thursday, Aug 06, 2026

 
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Good Thursday morning. It’ll be partly cloudy with a high of 90.

In today’s edition, read about Hillsborough County charter school closures; a second reported case of mosquito-borne dengue; and what led to Hillsborough's emergency director firing.

Play 

What’s it like on the Howard Frankland Bridge’s sidewalk?

Tampa Bay residents are hungry for more bike and pedestrian infrastructure, which is why a Times reporter sought out the Howard Frankland Bridge’s new trail.

In theory, our reporter knew what she was signing up for — but those seven miles don’t account for everything else the bridge brings with it.

Read about the journey.

 
 

AROUND THE BAY

  • Hillsborough emergency director fired after HR probe finds retaliation, high turnover

  • Hillsborough County to draft large-scale data center ban

  • Hillsborough County reports second case of mosquito-borne dengue 

  • Hillsborough schools reverse dress code changes after leggings outcry 

  • 4 Hillsborough charter schools close amid financial, enrollment challenges 

  • In marked shift, new education commissioner has high praise for Hillsborough

  • Forecast for 2026 hurricane season remains ‘well below normal,’ forecasters say

  • Red Mesa’s west St. Petersburg location to also close

  • Nearly 3 years after founding member of 13 Ugly Men is killed, his nephew is sent to prison

  • Ye concerts at RayJay brought in $3.44M for Tampa Sports Authority
 

FEATURED

[JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ | Times]

Tampa immigration group brings education to neighbor’s front doors

For hours, people shared their immigration enforcement stories at a recent Tampa program called Barrio Walk, a door-to-door effort that educates residents, families and local business owners with their constitutional rights and how to find free legal help.

 

POLITICS

FIND MORE AT TAMPABAY.COM/POLITICS

As Democrats try to reclaim the U.S. House, they're targeting three of Tampa Bay's four Republican seats. 

New data shows: The GOP has expanded its active voter registration advantage in Florida ahead of the primary.

“The Constitution protects speech, but not obscenity": A federal appeals court upheld a Florida law that bans venues from allowing children at drag shows.

 
 

SPORTS

The second week of Bucs training camp began with defensive tackle Vita Vea not practicing and still focused on his request to be traded.

Birthday boy: Nick Martinez gave the Rays more reason to celebrate, delivering a strong outing that led them to a 4-0 series-sweeping win over the Rockies.

How successful have Rays been with ABS challenges? Take a look at the stats.

For more in-depth sports coverage, sign up for Sports Today, our daily newsletter focused on your favorite Tampa Bay teams.

 

VIEWPOINTS

The British street artist Banksy did not authorize the exhibit of his work on display at Tampa's Straz Center. You may be asking, then, would Banksy want us going to this show? Columnist Stephanie Hayes went to the preview party thinking the same thing and left with a different point of view.

 

BRIGHT SPOT

[ASHLEY NEYRA | Times]

After renovations, a Tampa shelter offers permanent housing for veterans

Hillsborough County partnered with a nonprofit to revamp and bring residents back into a homeless veteran shelter that had fallen into disrepair. The first veteran to stay in the shelter called it “a little piece of heaven.”

Today's DayStarter was compiled by Neha Seenarine and Kiley Petracek.

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