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Zachary T. Sampson - General Assignment Reporter
Zachary T. Sampson

General Assignment Reporter

I'm a general assignment reporter, which means I cover pretty much anything depending on the day. Think of me like a super utility player. Local, state, national, crime, weather, politics, and so on. I'm fascinated by where we're from -- how places shape us and how we shape them. I aim to tell stories that matter to you now, or will, or should. One day that might involve a police horse that paints, another how county officials spend your tax dollars. I'm from Rhode Island and will talk to you about it. I've coached youth baseball -- yes, the loud one. Okay, maybe I was checking the score on my phone under the table. I'm sorry. Call me with anything. I'm friendlier than my face suggests.

  1. Man kills his grandfather in Hernando County, deputies say
    Nov. 7• Hernando
    Check tampabay.com for the latest breaking news and updates.
    Timothy Gaffney, 20, faces charges including second degree murder.
  2. Amid Trump-NYT controversy, everyone has a thought for Citrus County
    Nov. 7• The Buzz
    The New York Times newspaper on the shelf at the Citrus County Library Lakes Region at 1511 Druid Rd. on Thursday in Inverness. The Citrus County Commission was looking to eliminate the cost of the New York Times digital subscriptions because they say it is "Fake News." A former Mets GM has stepped up and wants to donate money to the Citrus County Libraries to cover the cost of the subscriptions.
    The former general manager of the New York Mets offered money. A flood of emails crashed government servers. And the opinions keep coming.
  3. Welcome to Citrus County, Fla., home to the culture war for a day
    Nov. 6• The Buzz
    Inverness was home to the Citrus County commission meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 5, where leader were under fire from the public over their denial of a request to fund the county's libraries for digital subscriptions to The New York Times.
    The debate was on its surface about a digital subscription to The New York Times. It was really about much more.
  4. Body found in burning vehicle by Pasco deputies
    Nov. 2• Crime
    Check tampabay.com for the latest breaking news and updates.
    The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office called the death ‘suspicious’ but has not identified the person or released any other details.
  5. Brooksville man, 78, dies after vehicle hits tree
    Nov. 2• Hernando
    Check tampabay.com for the latest breaking news and updates.
    The driver’s Kia Soul drove off the road and went through multiple yards, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
  6. Pinellas deputy cleared in death of Guatemalan man stopped over false report
    Oct. 31• Pinellas
    A photo of Baudilio Morales Velásquez, a father of six and Guatemalan migrant who was badly injured and ended up in a coma after an encounter with Pinellas County sheriff's deputies on the night of Aug. 18. He died on Aug. 31. (Courtesy of the Morales family)
    Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says the “circumstances lined up just horrifically.”
  7. Census is yet another worry for Florida Panhandle after Hurricane Michael
    Oct. 18• Florida Politics
    The sun sets over a slab which once served as a foundation for a home on Mexico Beach in May.
    Area leaders fear lower population numbers will lead to reduced federal funding and political representation.
  8. A year since Hurricane Michael, what’s left of Mexico Beach?
    Oct. 11• Hurricane
    Peggy Wood, center, attends a community announcement with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, right, in Mexico Beach in September.
    The Wood family presses forward with plans to rebuild the Driftwood Inn amid a changing town.
  9. Hurricane Michael left a Florida ‘ghost town.’ See the before/after pictures.
    Oct. 10• Hurricane
    Mexico Beach, one year anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Michael.
    One year later, Mexico Beach is still recovering from the Category 5 storm.
  10. Gov. Ron DeSantis scoffs at Trump impeachment talk
    Sep. 26• The Buzz
    Gov. Ron DeSantis addresses citizens of Mexico Beach Thursday at city hall.
    The Florida leader, a Trump ally, says Washington should “focus on issues that really matter.”