FLORIDA — Throughout 2026, we have reported on stories that celebrate our country, our state and our community. All of this leading up to the nation’s 250th birthday party on July 4. And we have gathered the best of those stories to share with you all in one place.
Throughout these stories, you will see unique ways people in Central Florida show their patriotism — with their hands. You will also see the oldest wooden school in the United States as well as the first Black high school in St. Petersburg and so much more.
These are our stories…
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The One-Song Concert
— ‘It’s our history’s song. It’s part of who we are as America’ —
Justin Kubiak plays the Star-Spangled Banner every Memorial Day, as a tribute to his country and his father. (Spectrum News/Jeff Butera)
Twice a year, a Zephyrhills man pulls out his electric guitar and performs a concert right in his front yard. With his neighbors sitting and watching, they are in for a treat as his amp belts out the country’s national anthem. He doesn’t just do this for the patriotic pride he has for his country. It’s also the pride he wanted his father to feel for him. →
A Look at Tampa’s cigar heritage
— The first cigar was rolled in Tampa on April 13, 1886 —
A worker hand-rolls cigars at the J.C. Newman Cigar Company in Tampa. (Spectrum News/Jeff Butera)
Even though our country turns 250 years old this year, our state does not. Florida did not become a state until 1845, and very few people lived here when it did. In fact, in the first census after becoming a state, Florida had the lowest population of any state in the country, just 87,000 people overall. But we spotlighted some of the things that helped Florida’s population explode from there. We take you to an industry in Tampa that turned the city into the Cigar Capital of the World. →
Gibbs High school
— Rising above in the pursuit of excellence —
Gibbs High School will turn 100 years old in 2027. School leaders are celebrating nearly a century of education by unveiling a new history museum on campus. (Spectrum News/Jeff Butera)
Gibbs High School will turn 100 years old in 2027. School leaders are celebrating nearly a century of education by unveiling a new history museum on campus. The museum features display cases filled with photos, trophies, and school memorabilia. It includes a brick from the first school building in 1927, when Gibbs High School opened as the city’s first-and-only high school for Black students. Before Gibbs, educational options for St. Pete’s Black population ended after sixth grade. →
bringing back the art of cursive writing
— Connecting students past with their future —
Third-graders at Rymfire Elementary in Flagler schools are learning to read and write in cursive. (Spectrum News/Arnie Gerard)
Back in the 1920s, they taught math, history, reading and writing. But they also taught penmanship. This was the golden age of cursive writing. Students learned what was called the “Palmer Method,” a fast, efficient, legible version of cursive.
But 100 years later, with computers and smartphones, we don’t teach cursive the same way we used to. In fact, many kids today wouldn’t be able to read historic documents like the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution because they are written in cursive. Though this year one state lawmaker set out to change that. →
connecting history through gravestones
— Turning a quiet cemetery into an interactive archive —
At Lutz Cemetery, some graves have a stainless steel QR code affixed to the gravestone. Visitors to the cemetery can use that QR code to view the biography through a company called Life’s QR. (Spectrum News/Jeff Butera)
One tradition that has survived all 250 years in the United States is burying our dead in cemeteries. But we also found a cemetery in Lutz, trying to start a new tradition. Honoring those that have gone before us – with a QR Code and a clean gravestone. →
weeki wachee’s Mermaids
— Celebrating one of Florida’s classic roadside attractions —
New sign added at Weeki Wachee for America 250. (Spectrum News/Tim Wronka)
One of Florida’s first tourist attractions before Mickey Mouse and Shamu ever came to Florida were mermaids. A live mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Springs. Originally a roadside attraction, Weeki Wachee eventually became an official state park in 2008. It also includes the Buccaneer Bay water park, nature tours and other outdoor attractions. Here’s more on the history of Weeki Wachee Springs. →