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Monday, Jul 06, 2026

Good Monday morning. Expect it to be hot, hot, hot with some afternoon showers (high of 91).

In today’s edition, read about where to find a good scone; a marine biologist returning oysters to this waterway; and how the Rays may have a solution to some stadium concerns.

[Courtesy of Hillsborough County Public Schools]

For years, Hillsborough County had been an outlier in the way it calculated grade point averages, resulting in much higher numbers than in other places in the state and country.

The district has now changed the way it calculates GPAs — leaving Steinbrenner High School valedictorian Vaibhav Bhaskar’s 11.99 GPA as not only a record, but potentially the last GPA of its kind.

How did Bhaskar reach the top of his class?

Ernesto Lasso de la Vega, 64, says the city’s million-dollar oyster restoration project in the Manatee River is paying off. Read more.

These tips can keep your air conditioning running smoothly and even help lower your bills. Read more.

Pollution spiked in the river after big rainfalls, according to the research. Read more.

After police covertly collected DNA samples from Michael Lapniewski, prosecutors built their case on a match to hairs found at the crime scene in 1987. Read more.

We’re staying inside for the foreseeable future. Read more.

Shifting some dollars around could reduce the city’s commitment to $80 million, perhaps paving the way for council approval. Read more.