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When the Bucs were knocked out of the playoffs last season, quarterback Baker Mayfield was left all alone with the cruelest kind of Sundays: nothing left to do but watch, wonder and replay everything that might have been different. There was the pain of knowing Tampa Bay had controlled its own destiny and let it slip away. There was the physical toll of a season in which Mayfield played through eight different injuries. And there was the personal work that awaited him — the healing, rebuilding and reconnecting that extended well beyond football. Moving forward meant confronting all of it: the plays he wished he could have back, the body that had taken a beating, and the parts of his life that needed mending. Mayfield reconnected with his family when he and wife Emily took their then 1-year-old daughter, Kova, to Texas to meet her relatives in April 2025. The family fracture began when Baker and Emily sought an audit of millions of dollars that had flowed unauthorized from their accounts into businesses connected to Baker’s father and brother. What they discovered several years ago led to a confidential settlement with Camwood Capital Management Group, with the defendants expected to repay $11.741 million, plus interest. Another lawsuit eventually was pursued when Mayfield and his representatives believed the agreement was not honored. There were no easy fixes. Not for the season that slipped away. Not for the injuries that accumulated week after week. Not for the family wounds that cut far deeper than football. But there has been progress. Read the full story: https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2026/08/18/healing-continues-baker-mayfield/

Floridians have their last chance to weigh in on a long list of 2026 primary races — races that could shape the daily lives of voters for years to come. Voters will have the chance to weigh in on who Democrats and Republicans will nominate to be the state’s 47th governor, who should go to the U.S. Senate and who should represent their area in Congress. Locally, voters will also weigh in on their picks for St. Petersburg mayor, City Council, County Commission and more. While most winning candidates will go on to November’s election, some races, including four primaries in the Tampa Bay area open to voters of any party, will be finalized Tuesday. Here’s what to know if you’re planning to vote: https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/08/18/florida-election-day-how-to-vote-tampa-st-pete-2026/

Ken Welch seemed destined to be the next mayor of St. Petersburg — five years ago. He had notched 20 years on the Pinellas County Commission. He bore the blessing of the outgoing mayor. He carried major Republican and Democratic endorsements in the nonpartisan contest and the hopes and dreams of his hometown. Welch emerged as the top vote-getter in a crowded field on his way to winning the runoff with a landslide 61% of the vote. Fast forward to 2026. Former allies, including former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and City Council member Brandi Gabbard, are trying to unseat him and taking some of his endorsements with them. A second term for Welch is no guarantee. His critics say Welch’s failure to close deals, his penchant for unforced errors and his lack of visibility when storms struck — or even at City Hall during the early part of his term — have rendered the history-making incumbent vulnerable. Welch says he is undaunted. Read the story: https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/08/09/st-petersburg-mayor-ken-welch-election-voting/

Recent rainfall chipped away at a stubborn, extreme drought that has gripped the Tampa Bay area since April. But regional water managers and utilities still urge residents to conserve water while dry conditions persist. Tropical Storm Bertha and a cold front last week dumped about 7 inches of rain on Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties in July. Despite those downpours, the month ended about 1½ inches drier than usual, according to water managers. And uneven rains that mostly fell near the coastline did little to alleviate the region’s low river levels, according to an update from Tampa Bay Water, the regional drinking water utility. A lack of consistent rain in the Hillsborough and Alafia River headwaters means river flows have not recovered enough to resume pumping the typical amount of drinking water. Read the story: https://www.tampabay.com/news/weather/2026/08/06/tampa-drought-dry-rainfall-total-amounts-storms/

The second week of training camp began with two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea not practicing and still focused on his request to be traded. The Bucs say Vea tweaked his back during a team run when veterans reported last week. Since then, he has attended practice but not participated. No progress has been made in talks with the Bucs, according to agent Collin Roberts. “I just don’t see it ending in anything but a trade at this point,” he said. Vea is in the final season of a four-year, $71 million contract extension he signed in 2022. It averages $17.75 million per year, which ranks 19th among defensive tackles in the NFL. Read the full story: https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2026/08/05/vita-vea-trade-request-back-injury-collin-roberts-todd-bowles/

In late May, the Florida Department of Transportation opened a pedestrian and cycling trail across the Howard Frankland Bridge, which connects Tampa and St. Petersburg. It is the latest piece of a six-year, nearly $1 billion project that also added express toll lanes to the bridge. The trail stretches seven miles along the southbound side, joining the many waterside walkways in the Tampa Bay area, including Tampa's Bayshore Boulevard and Riverwalk, and the Courtney Campbell Trail, which connects Tampa and Clearwater. At sunrise on a Friday in June, three Times reporters started the walk from Tampa to St. Pete. They carried sports drinks, sunglasses, sunscreen and Nerds gummy clusters for quick fuel. In theory, they knew what they were signing up for. At least one of them had walked seven miles in one day before. But that number didn’t account for everything else the bridge brings with it. Read the story: https://www.tampabay.com/culture/2026/08/04/howard-frankland-pedestrian-biking-trail-interstate-275-experience/

Florida wildlife officials on Wednesday arrested two men on charges that they scattered hundreds of toxic mothballs across St. Pete Beach in April near a colony of protected black skimmers. Robert Czyszczon and Christopher Monroe were arrested on a felony charge of “commercial littering” and a misdemeanor charge of “attempted take of a state listed imperiled species by harassment,” according to Maj. Evan Laskowski, the Southwest Regional Commander of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Investigators believe that the mothballs were scattered to deter the shorebirds from nesting behind the Plaza Beach Hotel, owned by Czyszczon. Video surveillance and receipts from a local Walmart showed Czyszczon purchasing a “large quantity of mothballs” the day before they appeared on the beach. Investigators also found text messages between Czyszczon and Monroe stating that they did not want birds nesting behind the hotel and that they planned to stop the birds from nesting, officials said Wednesday. Read the full report: https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2026/07/29/st-pete-beach-mothball-arrests/

It’s the beginning of the end for Tampa’s oldest mall. After years of slumping sales and shuttered stores, a local real estate firm will tear down WestShore Plaza and redevelop the 54-acre site. Third Lake Partners purchased the aging mall from Ohio-based Washington Prime Group earlier this month for $135 million, according to a deed filed with the Hillsborough County Clerk’s office. The city approved plans from the mall’s previous owner to rezone the site in 2024, paving the way for a new project with shopping, office space, recreational facilities and more. Third Lake Partners said it would not make significant changes to those plans. Read the full story: https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2026/07/29/westshore-plaza-mall-tampa-sold-demolish-redevelop/

Vita Vea showed up to training camp Wednesday. He wore his No. 50 red jersey, carried a blocking dummy and spent time talking with head coach Todd Bowles and linebackers coach Larry Foote. What he didn’t do was practice. After requesting a trade amid a contract standoff with the Bucs, Vea was sidelined by what Bowles described as a back tweak during a running test Tuesday, a conveniently-timed setback that also bought both sides another day to see whether they can salvage negotiations. Meanwhile, quarterback Baker Mayfield looked sharp operating the offense during the team’s first camp practice. Mayfield stuck to his self-imposed deadline to end talks on a contract extension and will play the 2026 season under the final year of his contract, earning $40 million. Given Vea’s timely injury, and the fact that he reported to camp, he’s avoiding the $50,000 per day fine that would be levied if he held out altogether. As for where any future negotiations stand, Bowles deferred to general manager Jason Licht. Read the full story: https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2026/07/29/baker-mayfield-vita-vea-contract-dispute/

Baker Mayfield will play the 2026 season with the Bucs under his current contract as he was unable to reach a deal by his self-imposed deadline of the start of training camp. The 31-year-old Mayfield will earn $40 million this season; he was seeking a long-term agreement. Talks ended Tuesday afternoon with no further discussions planned at this time. Mayfield had made it clear he didn’t want contract negotiations to extend into training camp. Just before mandatory minicamp in June, he acknowledged he was disappointed with the club’s initial offer. In fact, it was low enough that his representatives chose not to make a counteroffer. The sides ultimately found common ground before players reported. Read the full story: https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2026/07/28/baker-mayfield-contract-extension-nfl-free-agency/

When it comes to funding for a new stadium, politicians in Tampa are not messing around. Unhappy that the Rays are negotiating exclusively with city administrators instead of elected officials, the Tampa City Council — in its role as caretaker of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) — voted Thursday to postpone an upcoming discussion about financing for the proposed $2.3 billion ballpark. It sounded worrisome. It appeared ominous. And, in the end, it may mean nothing, Times sports columnist John Romano writes. As the City Council gears up for a fight, the Rays are already maneuvering in another direction. Instead of seeking approval for $180 million in public funds from the city as originally specified in a nonbinding memo of understanding, the team may be able to circumvent the council while going directly to Hillsborough County for approval of a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district — or a similar Community Development District — for $100 million. Read more of Romano's thoughts: https://www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2026/07/23/tampa-bay-rays-stadium-financing-tampa-city-council-cra-hillsborough-county/

As soon as May 2027, a new private company will manage security equipment and employees at Tampa International Airport. The change, announced this week, is a part of the Trump administration’s so-called Gold+ push to privatize airport security. It comes as Congress deliberates the president’s proposed budget, which cuts jobs in the Transportation Security Administration. Here’s a bit more about what this means for travelers in Tampa Bay: https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2026/07/23/tampa-international-security-private/

St. Petersburg City Council member Corey Givens Jr. sat through more than four hours of debate and resident testimony as suspense built toward a vote. It was June 4, and the council was weighing whether to hire consultants to evaluate the pros and cons of leaving Duke Energy and forming a municipal-run utility. Constituents from Givens’ district, which includes some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, were among those who asked the council to approve the study. In other places, dropping a corporate utility has led to lower power bills, and in recent months, some Duke bills had spiked dramatically. The vote would be down to the wire. One by one, each of the council members revealed where they stood. Except Givens — who got up out of his seat and left. It wasn’t the first time he’d skipped a vote on this topic. And as his constituents have begun to speak out about issues with Duke Energy, his absence has become more conspicuous. Read the full report: https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2026/07/22/duke-energy-florida-electric-bill-childs-park-corey-givens/

When the Rays first acquired Victor Mesa Jr. from the Marlins in a small trade just before the start of spring training, there didn’t seem to be much of an opportunity for him. He didn’t do much to distinguish himself initially, limited by injuries in spring camp and sent down in an early wave of cuts. While he got off to a good start at Triple-A Durham, he pulled his right hamstring in mid-April and missed a month. But as happens in baseball, circumstances changed suddenly in late May. And Mesa was in exactly the right spot. Jake Fraley and right-handed-hitting outfielder Johnny DeLuca were injured days apart, Melton was already sidelined at Durham and Mesa, having just returned to action with the Bulls a few days earlier, was on his way to join the Rays. In the eight weeks since, Mesa has played his way into an important role. Read the story: https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2026/07/21/victor-mesa-jr-richie-palacios-cam-booser-casey-legumina/

Bob Buckhorn, the former two-term mayor of Tampa, wants his old job back. He left City Hall in 2019 due to term limits. He, and former governor and current St. Petersburg mayor candidate Charlie Crist, are now back to reclaim their former glories, both with money, name recognition and experience — a winning formula for many campaigns. But are voters tired of seeing the same names on the ballot? Their opponents say voters want fresh faces to lead a region booming with growth and an influx of new, young residents. Especially, they say, as many Americans claim to crave a new generation of leaders. Read the story: https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/07/18/charlie-crist-bob-buckhorn-tampa-st-petersburg-election/

Heavy thunderstorms that started along coastal Tampa Bay overnight Thursday are expected to worsen through the weekend. National Hurricane Center meteorologists are watching an area of low pressure above the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. The system has slim chances of developing over the next week: 20%. It’s still expected to bring 3 inches of rain to inland Hillsborough and 6 inches of rain to coastal Pinellas, Manatee and Pasco counties through the weekend, said Christianne Pearce, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Ruskin office. By early next week, some areas could see up to 8 inches of rain. Read the story: https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2026/07/17/tropical-weather-system-storm-depression-gulf-florida-rain/