Hannah Farrow

While many residents are looking to refurnish their homes and replenish their closets, others are taking the opportunity to offload things they’re no longer using.

The general election is over. As residents remove their political signs, we found out if they’re recyclable — and how people are reusing them.

While delivery companies say they’re fully operational, arrival times depend on street conditions and safety.

Aid seekers can visit in-person recovery centers or apply online.

Meteorologists believe the system could form into a tropical depression within the next seven days.

When it comes to internet providers in the Tampa Bay area, know what you’re getting for the price you’re paying.

The plants provide food and shelter for over 211 species of wildlife — and there’s an increasing interest in the berries for humans.

Cane toads, also called bufo toads, have glands on their shoulders that release a thick, creamy poison that can be deadly to animals.

Thunderstorms roll through Tampa Bay during summer months like clockwork: Sometime usually between 4 and 7 p.m., dark clouds form, rain pours down, thunder claps — and lightning strikes.Florida sees millions of strikes a year. On Thursday evening, four teens were struck by lightning while standing under a banyan tree in downtown St. Petersburg. A building under construction in the city was hit earlier this week .Forecasters say to seek shelter indoors when lightning is present. But is there more…

While fishermen showed off their biggest catches to the crowd at the Southern Open Derby weigh-in, David Yang stayed off to the side.“Look at that hogfish!” announcer Scott Morris said over the microphone. “That’s a big barracuda!” Other fish displayed: Red snapper. Grouper. Mahi mahi.But Yang, a participant in the tournament, crouched over a cooler filled with lionfish.Lionfish aren’t revered as a prize fish; they’re invasive, known throughout the community as a nuisance. Many fishing tournamen…

Cuban tree frogs can hide in your toilet, in your gutters, in crevasses around your yard.On warm nights, they hang on walls and windows near lighted areas and wait for insects to eat. They’ve adapted to living among humans — and have been known to jump on people as they enter and exit their homes at night.The non-native frogs can lay up to 1,000 eggs during the spring and summer months, especially after heavy rains. They remain tadpoles for only a few weeks before they morph into frogs, preying…

The dust is expected to bring vibrant sunsets and hazy skies, and its impacts should be pretty mild, forecasters say.

Tom Eldon saw a cat stalking something in the grass. So he decided to stalk the cat.Out on a midafternoon Sunday walk in Old Seminole Heights earlier this month, Eldon saw a 3-foot-long lizard not far from the river.“I was in flip-flops,” Eldon said. “I didn’t want to get too close.”Eldon was mostly concerned about the cat, he said. But the cat got about 2 feet from the lizard, jumped up on a little ledge and walked away. Eldon crossed to the other side of the street; he didn’t know how the liza…

You can farm tomatoes. You can farm fish. And in southern states, you can farm alligators.Florida is one of a few states that farm the reptiles, which are the primary aquatic reptile aquaculture product in the state . Some gators are farmed for tourism, like zoos and parks. Some are farmed for meat, and some are farmed for hides.Rearing gators from wild eggs to full size is complex and expensive. And when it comes to selling hides, fashion houses have monopolized the market, according to experts…

A recent report found that the rate of gun thefts from vehicles is triple what it was a decade ago .The report from gun safety group Everytown came just weeks after a 14-year-old boy in St. Petersburg accidentally shot and killed his 11-year-old brother . Police say the teen found the gun in an alley after it was stolen from a vehicle.Nationwide, nearly 122,000 guns were reported stolen in 2022, with over half of those from cars, the Everytown report found. In the Tampa Bay area, officials repor…

The recent news of a baby found in a garbage bag on the University of Tampa’s campus sent a shockwave through the community: A 19-year-old student gave birth to a baby in a dorm bathroom, the baby’s cries were heard by several people, and then — silence, according to a police report .Police have not said whether the student will be criminally charged.The tragedy prompted many questions, like what options did the mother have? Could the baby have been saved? What other protections do parents have…

It’s the time of year when animal shelters are inundated with cats: pregnant cats, baby cats, hormonal cats.Aka, kitten season.“Spring and summer are the classical times for shelters getting overwhelmed with kittens that need homes,” said Julie Levy, a professor of shelter medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, in an email to the Tampa Bay Times.Felines start going into heat in January as daylight begins to linger longer, and pregnancy rates peak in March. Cats giv…

By HANNAH FARROW Tampa Bay Times Jimmy Nichols walked into his new downtown deli and looked through the lunchtime crowd to find his wife Sally behind the counter. She caught his look, flashed a smile, and tears welled in their eyes.“It’s been like this since December,” said Nichols, dabbing with a paper towel and trying to collect himself.December is when a lifetime of wondering came to an end for Nichols. Adopted as an infant, the 53-year-old Tampa man finally agreed to let Sally look for the…