Hernando Beacon

Hernando County

Hernando County News

Local news from across Hernando County: Brooksville, Spring Hill, Weeki Wachee, and the Nature Coast.

The latest Hernando County news and local headlines from Brooksville, Spring Hill, Weeki Wachee, and Hernando Beach, updated regularly by the Hernando Beacon newsroom.

A tannin-dark spring run winding through cypress and sawgrass in the Withlacoochee State Forest under a low morning sun, no people in frame.
News

Are Burmese Pythons Coming to Hernando County? What the Nature Coast Should Actually Know

How far north Florida's Burmese pythons have really spread, what it means for the Nature Coast, and what to do if you spot a big snake here.

Jul 21, 2026 · 5 min read

Read more →
A low coastal road along Hernando Beach with mangroves and a canal, mailboxes lining the shoulder under a gray pre-storm sky.
News Hernando County, FL

Hernando County Evacuation Zones, Explained: A–E, the Mobile Home Rule, and Where to Shelter

Your plain-language guide to Hernando County's A–E evacuation zones, the countywide mobile home rule, and local shelters with addresses.

Jul 21, 2026 · 5 min read

Read more →
A wide daytime view of the Cortez Boulevard and Barclay Avenue intersection in Spring Hill, showing six lanes of traffic beside the Publix-anchored shopping center and open land under a bright Florida sky.
News Spring Hill, FL

SR 50 and Barclay: A Running Tracker of What's Actually Coming to Spring Hill

A confirmed-vs-rumored guide to the retail, road work, and housing reshaping the Cortez Boulevard and Barclay Avenue corridor in Spring Hill.

Jul 21, 2026 · 4 min read

Read more →
A red fire engine parked outside a suburban Florida fire station under a clear sky, illustrating a story about Hernando County Fire Rescue funding
News Brooksville

‘No Confidence’: Hernando Commissioners Reject Fire Rescue’s Push for a 4–6% Tax Increase

Hernando County Fire Rescue asked for a 4–6% tax increase — about $45 million in new revenue — to fund staffing, stations and equipment. Commissioners pushed back hard and sent them back for data.

Jun 14, 2026 · 5 min read

Read more →
An aircraft maintenance hangar at Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport with a small general aviation airplane parked outside and palm trees lining the taxiway under a clear Florida sky
News Brooksville

Florida Drops $3M at Brooksville Airport for PHSC's New Aircraft Mechanic Program

Gov. DeSantis announced a $3M grant on June 10 for a PHSC airframe and powerplant program at BKV — what it pays for, who can apply, and what the job pays.

Jun 13, 2026 · 9 min read

Read more →
A raccoon at dusk on the edge of a Spring Hill residential lawn near an open trash bin, suburban houses softly out of focus behind it
News

Spring Hill Rabies Alert: The Norvell Road Cat, the Zone Map, and What to Do in the Next 96 Hours

A rabid raccoon bit an unvaccinated Spring Hill cat near Norvell Road. Here's the alert zone, the 96-hour pet rule, and who to call.

Jun 13, 2026 · 5 min read

Read more →
A wide multi-lane Florida highway corridor at dusk with fast-moving traffic and a lone pedestrian waiting at a far curb, palms and low storefronts out of focus, the kind of road common along US-19 in Spring Hill
News Spring Hill

The Tampa Bay Metro Is the 8th-Deadliest in America for Pedestrians — and Hernando County Is Inside the Map

A new national study ranks Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater the 8th-most-dangerous metro for pedestrians. Hernando County is part of that metro. Here are the corridors to respect — US-19, Cortez, Spring Hill Drive — and what FDOT and the county are doing.

Jun 13, 2026 · 8 min read

Read more →
A kayaker paddling the clear blue Weeki Wachee River past a cypress-lined bank with a "no beaching" zone marker visible at the water's edge
News Weeki Wachee

Weeki Wachee Springs Protection Zone: What Boaters and Paddlers Need to Know Before You Hit the River

A local guide to the Weeki Wachee no-beaching rules, the $140 fine, tube exceptions, and whether the Boater Freedom Act will undo it all.

Jun 11, 2026 · 4 min read

Read more →
A Hernando County Board of County Commissioners meeting in session inside the Brooksville government center, commissioners seated at the dais with residents in the gallery
News Brooksville

Hernando County's Data Center Moratorium, Explained: What It Means for Your Bills, Your Water, and Your Neighborhood

Hernando commissioners voted unanimously to pause data centers for a year. Here's what it actually means for residents — water, bills, and the fine print.

Jun 10, 2026 · 4 min read

Read more →