Brain-Eating Amoeba, Baby Hyena, Monsignor Higgins' Passing

Patch operates 23 daily news sites in Florida. The following are some of the top stories from the past day:

Brain-Eating Amoeba: Florida Teen Defies the Odds

The 16-year-old Broward County boy who contracted Naegleria fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba, earlier this month has defied the odds. Sebastian DeLeon is the fourth person in the United States to have survived a run-in with the deadly amoeba in the past 50 years.

Baby Hyena Joins Busch Gardens’ Clan

Visitors to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay may notice a new celebrity on display in the Edge of Africa habitat. Mandazi, a 20-week-old male hyena, has officially joined the park’s clan.

Gun Found on Lakewood High Campus

A 15-year-old Lakewood High School student faces criminal charges after police say they found him in possession of a loaded handgun on campus.

Tampa Bay Zika Virus Case Count Climbs

Just one day after the Florida Department of Health confirmed Pinellas County’s first locally transmitted Zika virus case, nine new travel-related incidents were reported across the Tampa Bay area. As of Wednesday, there were 636 cases confirmed statewide.

Pedestrian Critically Injured in Hit-and-Run

The Florida Highway Patrol is looking for help locating a driver its troopers say struck a woman on 28th Street North Tuesday night and then fled the scene.

Hurricane Gaston Likely; Disturbance Aims for Florida

As forecasters at the National Hurricane Center brace for Tropical Storm Gaston to become the season’s next hurricane, another disturbance is on a path that may bring it to Florida’s shore.

Monsignor Laurence E. Higgins Dead at 87

Members of Tampa’s St. Lawrence Catholic Parish are mourning the loss of their longtime leader Monsignor Laurence E. Higgins. The 87-year-old passed away Wednesday morning at his parish rectory home.

Update: Baby's Death Under Investigation

The Bradenton Police Department has located a 21-year-old man wanted in connection with the death of a 10-month-old child.

Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay