Lightning Named No. 1, Officer Kidnapped, Kids' Presidential Pick

Patch operates 24 daily news sites in Florida. The following are some of the top stories from the past week:

Teen Drivers’ Worst Habits Behind the Wheel in Florida

Teens in Florida are buckling up when they get in a car, but phones are in increasing worry over lax seat belt use, as more than one in three teen drivers in Florida reported texting while driving, according to a survey of the state's teens. More than one in five got into a car with a driver who had been drinking.

Lightning Ranked No. 1 Franchise by ESPN

The Tampa Bay Lightning has been named the No. 1 professional sports franchise in this year’s ESPN Ultimate Standings. The Bolts beat out 121 other teams across all sports to earn the honor.

Florida Kids Vote for Hillary Clinton for President

If kids in Florida could vote, they would elect Hillary Clinton to be the 45th president of the United States. That's according to the results of a Scholastic poll, which included 153,000 kids nationwide from kindergarten through 12th grade voting by online and mail-in ballot.

Kidnapping of State Correctional Officer: Details Released

A state prisoner’s armed escape from a work crew at a Polk County park Wednesday afternoon ended a few hours later in St. Petersburg. But not before he managed to kidnap a correctional officer, who would later make his own escape, officials said.

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Announce Tampa Tour Stop

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have announced a Tampa stop on their upcoming Soul2Soul world tour. While that stop isn’t set to take place until next fall, tickets for the show go on sale next week.

St. Pete Police Officer Charged in 2nd DUI

A 36-year-old St. Petersburg Police Officer faces DUI charges after a Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy allegedly found him sleeping behind the wheel Monday night.

Halloween 2016: Do Sexual Predators Live in Your Tampa Bay Area Neighborhood?

As little ghosts and goblins prepare for their big night of trick-or-treating, parents may want to arm themselves with information on which houses to avoid while going door-to-door in the Tampa Bay area.

Newsome Band’s March to Macy’s Gets Boost from County

With just over a month to go before Newsome High School’s Wolfpack Marching Band and Color Guard makes Hillsborough County history by appearing in the 2016 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, fundraising crunch time has arrived.

Photo courtesy of the City of Tampa Facebook page