Top Stories: Terminally Ill Teen; GOP Aide Fired; Erratic Driver

Here are five of the week's top headlines on Tampa Bay Patches:

TEEN DIES: A Florida teenager with a rare cancer who married his childhood sweetheart last month died Friday, according to multiple reports. Nineteen-year-old Dustin Snyder, of Valrico was given only weeks to live when he married Sierra Siverio, 21. Terminally Ill Teen Who Married Childhood Sweetheart Has Died

HAMMER DROP: Pinellas sheriff's deputies arrested 26 unlicensed contractors during the "Operation Drop The Hammer" undercover sting over the past three days. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri described the arrests made during the sting operation as "like shooting fish in a barrel." 'Operation Drop The Hammer' Nabs 26 Unlicensed Contractors

GOP AIDE FIRED: An aide to state Rep. Shawn Harrison, a Tampa Republican, has been fired for claiming that some of the children from a Parkland high school where 17 people died in a mass school shooting were actors supporting tougher gun control measures. Tampa GOP Aide Describes Outspoken Parkland Students As Actors

BEST BEACH: Forget about traveling to Hawaii or California. Tampa Bay residents seeking the top beach in the country need look no further than home. The travel site TripAdvisor has named Clearwater Beach the best beach in the country for 2018. TripAdvisor analyzed the quantity and quality of more than 160,000 traveler reviews and ratings gathered during a 12-month period to create its list of best beaches. When all was done, Clearwater went straight to the top of the list of Traveler's Choice Beaches in the U.S. Clearwater Beach Named Top Beach In U.S. By TripAdvisor

ERRATIC DRIVER: A Temple Terrace man has been arrested after driving recklessly through Brandon during rush-hour traffic and nearly causing a head-on collision. Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies received a call Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 4:30 p.m. that a Nissan Altima was driving on the wrong side of Bloomingdale Avenue near Bell Shoals Road. Bystanders also reported seeing the car hit a guard rail and run other drivers off the road. Watch: Sheriff's Helicopter Tracks Erratic Driver Through Brandon

Patch file photo via Pixabay/Simon_Goede