Here are the top five latest headlines and updates on tampabay.com.

FLORIDA PANHANDLE BRACES FOR 'MONSTROUS HIT' FROM HURRICANE MICHAEL

Hurricane Michael continues to gain strength, with winds just shy of Category 3 strength amid fears it would swiftly intensify into a major hurricane before striking Florida's northeast Gulf Coast, where frantic coastal dwellers are boarding up homes and seeking evacuation routes away from the dangerous storm heading their way. By today at 11 a.m., Michael's top sustained winds had risen to 110 mph (175 kph) as it headed north at 12 mph (19 kph). The storm was centered about 335 miles (535 kilometers) south of Apalachicola and 360 miles (580 kilometers) south of Panama City. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 35 miles (56 kilometers) from the core and tropical-storm-force winds out 185 miles (295 kilometers).

HURRICANE MICHAEL'S EXPECTED IMPACT ON TAMPA BAY

Hurricane Michael continues its ascent toward the Florida Panhandle, and while the storm is expected to continue intensifying as it passes more than 200 miles off the coast of Tampa Bay, that doesn't mean the region will not feel its effects. But it is becoming more apparent that the region will avoid the most devastating impact.Winds from the south will pick up throughout today, but the real change will begin to occur tonight. That's when dark clouds will begin to roll in, spreading an increased chance of rain throughout the area, according to Tony Hurts, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

FLORIDA EXTENDS VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE AHEAD OF HURRICANE -- SORT OF

If your supervisor of elections office is closed today, you can register to vote on paper the day it reopens. But if it's open, you have to register by 11:59 p.m. today if you want to vote this November. That's according to a directive issued by Florida Secretary of State Kent Detzner today ahead of the anticipated landfall of Hurricane Michael. Voters hoping to register online at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov will have to do so ahead of the 11:59 p.m. deadline regardless of the activity of their elections supervisor. Detzner's new directive applies only to people turning in paper voter registration forms.

RAYS SIGN KEVIN CASH TO EXTENSION THROUGH 2024

The Rays and manager Kevin Cash have finalized a deal on a multiyear extension that puts him under contract through 2024, the Tampa Bay Times has learned. Cash, 40, had one year left on his original five-year $5-million contract signed going into 2015, plus a two-year option. With some restructuring of those terms and the new deal, he is now signed for six years, with an option for 2025. Financial terms were not available, though a raise is certain.

R. KELLY ANNOUNCES MEMORY LANE CONCERT IN TAMPA

With short notice, R. Kelly is coming to the Yuengling Center in Tampa on Nov. 10 as an extension of the R&B singer's Memory Lane Tour. Tickets for the concert, which will also feature Keshia Cole and Adina Howard, go on sale Thursday through Ticketmaster. Prices range from $49 to $125. Kelly launched the tour almost a year ago, promising fans a trip down memory lane with "all the hits" stretching back to the early '90s when Kelly broke through as a solo artist with the single "Bump N' Grind." Later hits in a career that has seen more than 70 million albums sold worldwide include "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Ignition (Remix)."

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