Local News

MIAMI – Xzavier Peon, a 16-year-old angler from Miami, caught a jaguar guapote weighing 3.02 pounds and measuring 16 inches long in the Westwood Lakes area with live bait.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission fisheries biologists certified the catch as a new state record jaguar guapote. 

“When I hooked it, I thought it was a peacock bass,” Xzavier said. “But once the giant jaguar came up, I knew that it was a state record almost instantly. We started freaking out once we realized it was a state record.”

Jaguar guapote are found primarily in the urban canal systems of southeast Florida. 

The FWCmade jaguar guapote was made eligible for state record status in 2012. The first state record for the species was certified in 2017. That record stood for nine years until Xzavier’s catch was confirmed in September 2026.

Jaguar guapote are one of more than 30 nonnative freshwater fish species that have become established in Florida. The FWC encourages anglers to catch, keep and eat nonnative fish (except legally introduced peacock bass and triploid grass carp) to control their numbers and reduce potential impacts on native fish. 

Anglers can check current state records at MyFWC.com/Freshwater. 

NEW PORT RICHEY — Pasco Kids First has named Rebecca Lemanski as CEO.

The nonprofit described Lemanski as an experienced nonprofit executive and licensed social worker. She will lead its work in protecting children, strengthening families and helping communities respond to and prevent child abuse and trauma.

“I am honored to join Pasco Kids First and lead an organization whose mission means so much to me,” Lemanski said. “I have spent my career strengthening the systems that support people during some of the most vulnerable times in their lives. I’m excited to bring that experience to Pasco and Hernando counties and work alongside our staff and community partners to help children and families feel safe, supported and empowered to thrive.”

Before joining Pasco Kids First, Lemanski served as chief operating officer for two Connecticut nonprofits. One supported survivors of domestic violence. The other served people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Lemanski is a licensed master social worker. She is trained in the Community Resiliency Model, Circle of Security and Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. She has also served as adjunct faculty in undergraduate and graduate social work programs.

Officials said Lemanski’s leadership approach emphasizes compassion, transparency and strong relationships. She strives for meaningful, lasting results for children and families.

“One of my first priorities is to listen to our employees, families, board members and community partners to understand what is working well and where we have opportunities to grow,” Lemanski said. “I believe the strongest organizations invest in their people, build authentic partnerships and hold themselves accountable to the communities they serve. Pasco Kids First already has a strong foundation, and I’m excited about what we can build together for children and families in the years ahead.”

Pasco Kids First works with community partners to create coordinated responses to abuse and neglect while expanding prevention and early intervention.

ST. LEO – Saint Leo University said it’s the first in Florida to offer an accredited bachelor’s degree requiring 93 credit hours – a full year less than the traditional 120-credit model.

Saint Leo’s new Reduced-Hour Bachelor of Business Analytics received approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in September. The program will launch in January 2027.

“This is an important moment for higher education in the state of Florida and for Saint Leo University,” said Dr. Jim Burkee, president of Saint Leo University. “In 1998, when online education was still in its infancy, we made a bold investment in a new way of delivering a college education. Today, we are applying that same spirit of innovation to another fundamental question facing institutions of higher learning: What should a bachelor’s degree look like in the 21st century?”

Officials said reduced-credit and three-year bachelor’s degree programs are gaining momentum across the country, particularly in fields such as business and computer science. Saint Leo is bringing this approach to Florida as part of a universitywide effort to align undergraduate education with student and employer needs. 

“Higher education has an opportunity, and a responsibility, to examine long-standing assumptions about how a bachelor’s degree must be structured,” said Bryan DePoy, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Saint Leo University. “We believe students should have an education that is rigorous, relevant and intentional. This program is an example of what can happen when we start with the outcomes we want for our graduates and build the curriculum around them. We also hear clearly from students that cost and time to completion matter. This program responds to that directly, offering a path to a degree that costs less and takes less time, without compromising the quality of the education behind it.”

DePoy also pointed to employer response. 

“We surveyed a broad cross-section of regional and national employers about the reduced-credit model, and the response was overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “Employers told us an accredited, reduced-credit degree would not affect a candidate’s eligibility for hire and would meet their bachelor’s degree requirement. What they look for is accreditation, demonstrated competencies and relevant experience, not the total number of credit hours.”

The new reduced-credit degree gives students an alternative to Saint Leo’s traditional four-year, 120-credit-hour Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics, which was introduced in fall 2026. Both programs prepare students for careers in fields that rely on data-driven decision-making, with coursework in data analytics, finance, economics, marketing analytics and the application of artificial intelligence to business.

Students will develop the ability to interpret data, apply emerging technologies and translate insights into strategic business decisions. By focusing on core business and technology coursework, the 93-credit program is expected to reduce the time and cost of earning a bachelor’s degree by 25% compared with a traditional 120-credit-hour degree.

“Business analytics sits at the intersection of technology and business, making it particularly relevant to the workforce our students are entering,” said Derek Mohammed, dean of the university’s Tapia College of Business and Technology. “This program brings together the analytical, technical and business skills students need to understand data and use it to make informed decisions.”