🤠 Happy Friday, and happy "9 to 5 Day," which some governments have dubbed Dolly Parton Day in the wake of the beloved singer's death.

🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high of 87 and a low of 66 (!!!)

Sounds like: "9 To 5," Dolly Parton

🎂 Happy birthday to our members Walt Blenner and Clyde Smith!

Situational awareness: Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco county leaders declared local states of emergency over rising cases of dengue fever, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

• The declaration allows local governments to access state funding if it becomes available.

Today’s newsletter is 1,100 words — a 4-minute read.

Fall is finally here.

• And along with the subtle cool in the air comes a lineup of events to help you lean into the season.

Get in the fall spirit!

🏞️ Fall y'all at Coachman Park, Clearwater: Decorate pumpkins, meet costumed characters and enter the kids in the Little Miss and Little Sir Pumpkin contests at this waterfront festival.

• Oct. 3, 11am-5pm. Free.

🍁 Pumpkin Patch & Fall Fun Fest, Tampa: Make your way through an inflatable corn maze, get your face painted and browse local vendors at Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen.

• Oct. 3, noon-4pm. $10.

🎃 Howl-O-Scream 2026, Tampa: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's after-hours fright fest runs on select nights throughout October, with a new haunted house and two new scare zones.

• Tickets start at $48.99.

👻 Creatures of the Night, Tampa: Explore an abandoned, haunted neighborhood or dance with disco-loving zombies at ZooTampa's annual Halloween event.

• Saturday, 4-10pm, then select weekend nights throughout October. Tickets are $39.95 on Saturdays and $34.95 on Fridays and Sundays.

🍂 9th annual Fall Fest, Tampa: Armature Works turns its West Lawn into a fall fair with camel and pony rides, a petting zoo, live music, face painting and local vendors.

• Oct. 10-11. Free admission.

🍷 Keel Farms Harvest Days, Plant City: Keel Farms leans into harvest season with a corn maze, hayrides, pumpkin painting, local vendors and seasonal wines and ciders.

• Weekends in October. Free admission; $10 parking.

Enjoy the weather!

🚲 Christy's Thirsty Halloween Ride, St. Petersburg: Pedal through Historic Old Northeast after dark to see the neighborhood's Halloween displays, with a stop at Colony Grill for free pizza.

• Oct. 24, 5pm. $30 in advance; $35 day-of.

🎨 Corey Avenue Fall Art & Craft Festival, St. Pete Beach: Artists and makers take over Corey Avenue for the weekend, selling jewelry, paintings, home goods and more.

• Oct. 3-4, 10am-5pm. Free.

🦐 38th annual Tarpon Springs Seafood Festival, Tarpon Springs: Grab some seafood, catch live music and watch chefs in a cooking competition at the Sponge Docks.

• Nov. 7, 10am-9pm, and Nov. 8, 10am-5pm. Free.

🖼️ 62nd annual Art Harvest, Dunedin: Spend the weekend browsing paintings, pottery and other artwork from more than 200 artists at Highlander Park.

• Nov. 7-8, 10am-4pm. Free admission; $5 parking.

🪕 St. Pete Country Music Festival 2026, St. Petersburg: Koe Wetzel, Riley Green and Bailey Zimmerman headline three days of country music at Vinoy Park, featuring more than 50 acts.

• Nov. 20-22, starting at 1pm. Single-day tickets start at $138.11; three-day passes start at $229.66.

Start holiday shopping!

🦇 Haunted Harvest Market, Odessa: Shop Halloween décor, fall gifts and seasonal treats from local makers at this indoor market.

• Oct. 24, 10am-3pm. Free.

🛍️ Shopapalooza Festival, St. Petersburg: More than 350 local businesses take over Vinoy Park for a two-day holiday shopping festival, with live music and activities for kids.

• Nov. 28-29, 10am-5pm. Free.

Tell a friend

We all remember that summer storm back in August that felt like the sky was a giant strobe light.

Why it matters: Turns out, Florida has seen more lightning than usual so far this year, the Washington Post reported this week.

State of play: Lightning activity across the state is up 28% over the 10-year average, per the Post report, citing data from the National Lightning Safety Council.

• That's in a state that already typically sees more lightning than most places in the U.S.

Threat level: Florida often leads the nation in lightning deaths, and that remains the case so far this year, per Lightning Safety Council data.

• Four have occurred in the last month, the Post report notes.
• That includes Steve Matheson, a father of four from Utah who was struck Aug. 29 while riding a jet ski off the coast of Fort De Soto, WTSP reported.

Between the lines: Only about 10% of lightning strike victims die, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but survivors can experience short- and long-term health effects.

What they're saying: "I couldn't move my limbs. I couldn't respond the way I wanted to. … Then, I was in the worst pain of my life, " strike survivor Aaron Walenga told the West Orange Times.

• Walenga and his wife, Clare, were struck Sept. 2 during an evening walk in Winter Garden.
• They both suffered from brain bleeds, and Clare Walenga experienced short-term memory loss. Aaron also had fractured eye sockets, a broken nose and cuts on his face, the couple told Fox News.

The bottom line: Next time a storm is approaching, consider the Lightning Safety Council's motto: "When thunder roars, go indoors."

Spread the word

⚖️ Former Bucs player Warren Sapp filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Tampa. (Tampa Bay Times)

• The Hall of Fame defensive tackle said city officials violated his right to free speech when they removed him from City Hall during a recent council meeting.

🏫 A Sarasota County teacher who Attorney General James Uthmeier accused of trying to "cancel" a middle school student had grappled with the student's controversial remarks in the past, documents show. (WUSF)

• The student made comments that were sexual in nature and talked about abortion, beating up women and social media influencer Andrew Tate, who faces rape and human trafficking charges.
• Uthmeier accused the teacher of labeling the student a "misogynist" for his conservative views.

🏘️ Hillsborough County commissioners advanced a land-use change without reviewing a key report that did not rule out the presence of graves on the property. (WTSP)

Click here to test your knowledge of this week's headlines.

• Congrats to Angelia Piche, Catherine Yarmel, Stacy Stidger and Roberta Watson for acing our last quiz.

Hit reply with a screenshot of your perfect score, and you could get a shout-out (AKA bragging rights!) in a future newsletter.

🌴 Kathryn is looking forward to spending some time outdoors this weekend!

🍿 Yacob saw "Primetime" last night!

This newsletter was edited by Jeff Weiner.