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THE SKINNY

• New ID Change Sparks Controversy

• Hillsborough County Expo

• Well, That Wasn’t on the Bingo Card

Featured Story

Florida’s Getting a Facelift

Newly issued Florida driver's licenses and ID cards will begin reflecting changes required under a new state law

If you've spent years memorizing your Florida driver's license number, we've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is you don't need to rush out and get a new license. The bad news is Florida is once again making changes to what's on it.

Under a new state law signed earlier this year, Florida will begin adding citizenship status information to newly issued driver's licenses and state identification cards as part of a broader elections bill. The change officially takes effect July 1, although the updated license design is expected to be phased in through future renewals and replacements.

For most Southshore residents, nothing changes immediately. If you already have a valid Florida driver's license, you won't be required to replace it. The new designation will generally appear when you renew or replace your credential in the future.

The law has generated plenty of discussion across the state, with supporters saying it helps improve voter registration verification and election security. Critics have raised concerns about privacy and implementation. As the implementation rolls out, the debate is sure to become a hot topic.

For now, the biggest takeaway for most drivers is simple: Your current license remains valid. You can keep carrying it, using it, and forgetting where you put it until renewal time arrives. Which, let's be honest, is probably in the same place as your hurricane supplies.

The Annual Florida Tradition

Hillsborough County's Disaster and Recovery Community Expo will help residents prepare for hurricane season before the next storm arrives

Right now, the Gulf is quiet. The weather is beautiful. Nobody is thinking about hurricane supplies. And that's exactly why Hillsborough County wants to talk to you now.

On June 13, the county is hosting a free Disaster and Recovery Community Expo designed to help residents prepare before the next storm has a name, a cone, and a Facebook comment section full of amateur meteorologists.

If you've lived in Southshore for a while, you already know the pattern. The first storm appears. The bottled water disappears. The gas stations get crowded. People suddenly realize they don't know where their flashlights are. Then everyone promises they'll prepare earlier next year.

The expo is essentially an opportunity to break that cycle. Residents can learn about evacuation planning, flood risks, hurricane preparedness, disaster recovery, and the resources available before and after a storm. More than 40 agencies and organizations will be on hand to answer questions and provide information.

For Southshore residents, where conversations about storm surge, flooding, and evacuation zones are simply part of life, a little preparation goes a long way. Because hurricane season is a lot less stressful when your supplies are already in the garage instead of sitting on a store shelf next to the last pack of batteries in Hillsborough County. Just a thought.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Your Weekly What in the World

Cuba Shakes, Florida Checks For Sinkholes

For a few strange moments Monday afternoon, thousands of Floridians had the exact same thought: "Was that an earthquake... or is my house finally giving up?"

A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Cuba around 2 p.m. Monday and was reportedly felt across parts of Florida, including Tampa Bay, Orlando, Miami, and other areas around the state. The quake was initially reported as a magnitude 6.4 before being revised to 6.1. The epicenter was located just west of Cuba near Mantua at a depth of about six miles.

Residents from Clearwater to Orlando reported feeling buildings sway, pictures shake, and floors tremble. Some office buildings were temporarily evacuated while workers tried to figure out what exactly was happening.

In true Florida fashion, many people assumed it was construction, a sinkhole, or maybe just another insurance rate increase hitting their mailbox. Scientists say this was one of the strongest earthquakes ever observed in the Gulf region. Despite being centered offshore near Cuba, the quake was powerful enough for vibrations to travel hundreds of miles across the Gulf and into Florida.

The good news is there were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries in Florida. Experts say aftershocks are possible in the coming days, although most would likely be too small or too far away for Floridians to notice.

Florida isn't exactly known for earthquakes. We're nowhere near a major tectonic plate boundary, which means when the ground starts moving here, people tend to pay attention. So if your office chair started wobbling Monday afternoon, you weren't imagining things. For once, the thing shaking Florida wasn't a hurricane, a tropical storm, or a new housing development proposal.

Southshore Spotlight

Oasis Opportunities

For many students, success starts with something as simple as a pair of shoes, a school uniform, or basic hygiene supplies. That's where OASIS Opportunities comes in.

The Hillsborough County nonprofit works with local schools to provide clothing, shoes, hygiene items, and other essentials to students facing hardship, helping remove barriers that can stand in the way of education.

Because sometimes the biggest difference in a child's life starts with making sure they have what they need to walk through the school doors with confidence.

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

We Know a Guy…or Girl

June is for celebrating

Birthdays

Anniversaries

Father’s Day

Graduations

Girls’ trips

Family reunions

“Just because” moments

This is the perfect time to turn plans into reality.

At MAQ Travel, I help you create personalized, stress-free travel experiences designed with intention—so you can focus on celebrating, not stressing.

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

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.