Evening Briefing Tampa October 23 2025

Good evening, Tampa Bay. We’re wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook.

Your Weather Planner

The low humidity continues for Friday with mostly sunny skies.

It will be breezy with a wind out of the northeast at 10 to 20 mph with occasional higher gusts.

Highs will be in the mid to upper 80s. 

Expect clear skies at night with mid to upper 60s for lows around Tampa.

Lows will fall to the 50s for our Nature Coast counties. 

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Tropical Update

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Today’s Big Stories

1. Early voting begins Thursday in Tampa’s District 5 city council race
Early voting kicked off today for the Tampa City Council District 5 runoff election. The early voting period runs through Sunday, Oct. 26 and Election Day will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

2. Tampa WOW! gets approval from city council, clearing way for work
Tampa’s proposed “Wheel Over Water” was approved by city council today after a second public meeting on the project.

3. School bus turned ‘Innovation Lab’ visits Pinellas County middle schoolers
Pinellas County Schools designed the “Innovation Lab” to give all seventh-graders an opportunity to do hands-on STEM activities outside the classroom. It’s all part of the district’s push to improve the middle school experience.

4. Federal workers could miss first full paycheck in coming days as government shutdown drags on
As the government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, the number of furloughed federal workers is on the rise, and many U.S. government employees are slated to miss their first full paychecks come Friday and in the subsequent days.

5. Cedar Key Historical Society Museum reopens a year after Helene
Cedar Key is a piece of old Florida. Home to spectacular sunsets and resilient residents.

6. USF women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez leaving for WNBA job
Jose Fernandez, who coached USF women’s basketball to 485 victories and 10 NCAA Tournaments during his tenure, is leaving to pursue an opportunity to coach in the WNBA.

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Your Notes for Tonight and Tomorrow

• BOLTS RETURN HOME | The Tampa Bay Lightning are back on home ice tonight to take on the Chicago Blackhawks. The Bolts are off to a 1-3-2 start, while Chicago is 3-2-2. The puck drops at 6:45 p.m. at Benchmark International Arena.

• CLEARWATER GREEKFEST 2025 | An indoor/outdoor celebration of Greek heritage and culture starts tomorrow in Clearwater. Greekfest will include food, folk dancing, music, guided church tours and more. The event runs from tomorrow to Sunday at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. To learn more, click here.

• IGNITING COLLABORATION |  A half-day event featuring local speakers and performers sharing ideas for fostering collaboration across diverse industries takes place tomorrow in St. Petersburg. “Igniting Collaboration: Paving the Path to a Brighter Future” will feature a number of speakers and will happen at The Digitorium, St. Petersburg College Seminole Campus, 9200 113th St. N. in Seminole. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s free, but donations are welcome.

• FIND THE PERFECT PUMPKIN PATCH | If you’re looking for a patch to pick pumpkins, check out our interactive map. From farm animals to hayrides, there are plenty of locations to visit that offer a wide range of themed activities.

National Notes

Friday, Oct. 24

• New York AG makes initial appearance in court
• 80th anniversary of the United Nations officially coming into being
• MLB World Series Begins 
• CPI data released
• UK pre-trial hearing for Chris Brown, accused of attacking music producer with bottle
• Ireland presidential election