Small Changes, Big Shifts

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THE SKINNY

• Penny Problems

• Ask an Attorney

• Cutting Credit Card Debt

• Breakthrough Science

• Florida Bureaucracy at its Best

Featured Story

A Penny For Your Thoughts

Florida moves closer to phasing out pennies with new cash rounding law

They’ve been talking about getting rid of the penny for years. It always felt like one of those ideas that would never actually happen. But now, Florida is one step closer to making it real.

Lawmakers in Tallahassee have passed a bill that would essentially phase the penny out of everyday use, not by banning it outright, but by changing how we use cash. The plan allows businesses to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel, meaning totals ending in a few extra cents would either round up or down.

So what does that actually look like? If your total comes out to $10.02, you’d pay $10.00 in cash. If it’s $10.08, it rounds up to $10.10. The key detail here is that this only applies to cash. If you’re using a card, nothing changes.

This shift didn’t come out of nowhere. The federal government stopped producing new pennies back in 2025 because it cost more to make them than they were worth, creating a growing shortage in circulation. Florida, like many other states, is now figuring out how to operate in a world where exact change isn’t always possible.

Lawmakers say the rounding system balances out over time. Sometimes you’ll gain a few cents, sometimes you’ll lose a few, but it should even out in the long run. Still, there are concerns, especially for people who rely heavily on cash, since they’ll be the ones most affected.

For Southshore residents, this is one of those changes you probably won’t notice at first, but it’ll slowly become part of everyday life. Fewer pennies in your car. Fewer in jars at home. And eventually, fewer being handed back across the counter.

It’s a small shift, literally just a few cents at a time. But like a lot of things happening right now, it’s another reminder that even the smallest parts of the system are starting to change.

Ask a Personal Injury Attorney

Common personal injury questions with McBreeen & Nowak

Today’s question: If I am injured in a car accident caused by the fault of another, should I report the car accident to my insurance company?

Answer: Yes. Notify your insurance company of the accident as soon as reasonably practical. However, do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company until you have spoken with a car insurance attorney. You likely have a contractual obligation to give a recorded statement to your insurance company. You have the right to have an attorney present during that statement. Furthermore, you have no legal obligation to give a statement to the other party’s insurance company, and we recommend that you refuse to do so until you have spoken to a car accident attorney and obtained advice regarding whether a recorded statement should be given to the other party’s insurance company. In most cases, we advise our clients not to give a recorded statement to the other party’s insurance company.

*The foregoing does not constitute legal advice, and this Q and A does not create an attorney-client relationship.  We recommend that you speak to an attorney ASAP if you think you may have been injured in an automobile collision.

Monday Money Minute

Breaking the Credit Card Cycle

Credit card debt has a way of sneaking up on you. It usually doesn’t start with one big purchase. It’s a little here, a little there, and before you know it, you’re carrying a balance that never seems to go down. With interest rates where they are right now, that balance can grow faster than most people realize.

The first step is simple, but not always easy. Know your number. Add up every card, every balance, every interest rate. No guessing. No estimating. The real number. Because once you see it clearly, you can actually build a plan.

From there, it’s about strategy. The avalanche method tackles the highest interest first, saving you money long term. The snowball method focuses on the smallest balance, giving you quick wins and momentum. Neither is wrong. The best one is the one you’ll stick with.

If you’re only making minimum payments, that’s where the trap is. You’ll stay in debt longer and pay a lot more in interest. Even an extra $50 or $100 a month can make a bigger difference than you think.

It’s also worth trying to lower your rate. That could mean a balance transfer, consolidating into a loan, or simply calling your credit card company. It sounds simple, but it works more often than you’d expect.

And then there’s the part nobody likes to talk about. Behavior. If spending habits don’t change, the debt usually comes back. It’s not about cutting everything out. It’s about being more intentional.

For a lot of people in Southshore, rising costs haven’t made this any easier. Groceries, insurance, everyday expenses, they’ve all gone up, and credit cards have filled the gap. But long term, that’s a tough cycle.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress. Because once you start chipping away at it, even a little at a time, that balance that felt overwhelming starts to look a lot more manageable.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Your Weekly What in the World

New gene therapy allows people born blind to gain vision in a groundbreaking medical breakthrough

Imagine being born without sight and then one day, being able to see. That’s not science fiction anymore.

A group of scientists just won one of the biggest awards in science, often called the “Oscars of Science,” for developing a gene therapy that can restore vision in people who were born blind.

Let that sink in. Not improving eyesight. Not correcting vision. Restoring it.

The treatment targets a rare genetic condition in the retina, where faulty genes prevent the eye from processing light. Using a harmless virus, scientists deliver a working copy of that gene directly into the eye, giving those cells the instructions they were missing.

And for some patients, the results have been life-changing. People who once could only detect light are now seeing shapes, movement, and even faces. Some are experiencing vision for the first time in their lives.

This didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of decades of research and years of testing to prove it works. But here’s the bigger picture. This isn’t just about vision. It’s about what’s coming next.

Gene therapy is opening the door to treating diseases at their source, not just managing symptoms. From blindness to other genetic conditions, medicine is starting to shift in a big way.

We’re not just treating problems anymore. We’re rewriting the code. And somewhere out there right now… Someone is seeing the world for the very first time.

Southshore Spotlight

Seniors in Service

Disabled American Veterans is helping make sure local veterans and their families get the support they’ve earned. Through services like benefits assistance and free transportation to the James A. Haley VA Medical Center, the organization plays a big role in connecting veterans with care and resources. Right now, there’s also a need for volunteers in the Sun City Center and Ruskin area, especially drivers and dispatchers, to help keep that support moving.

Nominate your local hero by emailing us at [email protected]

Budget on Hold

Florida lawmakers return for special session as budget remains unfinished

It’s starting to feel like Tallahassee is spinning its wheels.

Florida lawmakers wrapped up their regular legislative session without doing the one thing they’re actually required to do: pass a state budget. Now, instead of finishing that work, they’re being called back for a special session focused on other issues, and not everyone is on board with that approach.

Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing for lawmakers to return and take up topics like redistricting, artificial intelligence, and vaccine policy. But with no budget deal in place, even members of his own party are questioning whether that’s the right priority.

The disagreement comes down to timing. Lawmakers left the regular session still more than a billion dollars apart on spending, with no clear agreement on how much the state should budget for the upcoming year. And until that gets resolved, some argue everything else should take a back seat.

Critics say calling a special session without a finalized budget only adds confusion and delays decisions that local communities are waiting on. Without a clear state budget, cities, counties, and organizations across Florida are left guessing what funding they’ll have to work with.

For Southshore, this is one of those stories that doesn’t always feel immediate, but absolutely is. State budget decisions trickle down into everything from infrastructure and schools to local programs and development. When there’s a delay at the top, it creates uncertainty at every level below it.

And that’s where things stand right now. Lawmakers are heading back to Tallahassee, but not necessarily to finish what they started. The budget still isn’t done. The disagreements are still there. And until that gets resolved, everything else is just noise.

We Know a Guy…or Girl

The Vibe Music Store

Ready to pick up an instrument or level up your skills? The Vibe Music Store in Apollo Beach brings back that old-school music shop feel with lessons, gear, and a community that actually cares about your sound.

Interested in joining the list? Shoot us an email to [email protected]

“Keep it Local!”

Foodies Only

Your Restaurant

New menu items, promos, specials, events- feature them here. This is the place to tell 30,000 readers in Southshore what you've got. Only 20 spots for the year. Claim yours today.

If you’ve got a restaurant, food truck, or even a lemonade stand, it could be featured here. Email us at [email protected]

Local Sports

Our area high schools boast state champions and multiple division titleists. Come out and show your support for these teams and for our community.

Got news, events, or press releases that the Southshore needs to know about? Submit them here. (We’ll do our best to add press releases in our regular rotation.) If you’re looking to run an actual ad, go here instead.

Until next time,

Keep It Local.