Publication
As Kanye West heads to Tampa, Florida Holocaust Museum offers free admission
Ahead of the upcoming Ye shows in Tampa, the Florida Holocaust Museum is speaking out - and offering an alternative activity for the concert weekend. The St. Petersburg museum is offering free admission from June 26-28, overlapping with the former...
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Here’s what $1 million can buy you in Tampa
Here’s a look at what sold for close to $1 million in May. A single-family house in Tampa that sold for $1 million tops the list at 2,383 square feet. Please note that the properties in the list below are for real estate sales where the title was...
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E-bike gangs on the Pinellas Trail? A letter writer describes his encounter | Letters
E-bikes are all over Tampa Bay. Is a crackdown on bad behavior coming? | Feb. 3 E-bike gangs?I have been riding my road bike (human muscles are required) on the Pinellas Trail for multiple decades and have witnessed the growing presence of e-vehicles...
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Dangerously overcrowded boat with 240 Haitians intercepted near Turks and Caicos
An overloaded boat carrying 240 Haitian migrants was interdicted near the Turks and Caicos Islands on Sunday as Haiti’s humanitarian crisis deepens amid escalating gang violence and continued forced deportations from neighboring countries. The small...
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Tampa Bay area man stole radioactive device to sell on Facebook, cops say
A Bradenton man faces felony charges after Florida Highway Patrol investigators recovered a stolen moisture density gauge containing a radioactive isotope from his home. Marco Antonio Benitez Jr., 24, was arrested May 28 and charged with grand theft...
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In rural Florida, the anti-data center movement gathers strength
When Citrus County retirees and activists started to organize against a nearby data center proposal, they weren’t sure how many of their neighbors would show up. They had been trying to gin up support on Facebook and Nextdoor. They had explained the...
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Orlando has a plan to breathe new life into its downtown. Will it work?
Arguing the historic preservation efforts are impeding rather than enhancing downtown, Orlando is proposing to ease restrictions on building in its Downtown Historic District, which officials contend have left valuable properties vacant and...
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In Florida, the AI race and data centers meet hurricane season | Column
The global AI race won’t be won in Silicon Valley alone. It may hinge just as much on whether places like Florida can keep the lights on after a hurricane. The United States is pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into the infrastructure that will...
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Florida lawmakers aim to slash property taxes. Would schools be impacted?
The big story: Florida lawmakers return to Tallahassee today for a two- to three-day special session all about property tax reduction. The goal that Republican leaders have set is to get a proposal before voters in November. There’s one idea up for...
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Hurray for Rick Scott. Now some friendly advice | Letters
Rick Scott blasts UF for picking presidential finalist ‘in the dark’ | May 22 Shining a lightI was genuinely stunned by Sen. Rick Scott’s letter to the University of Florida, which was packed with righteous fury. He was appalled that the search for a...
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Here are the lessons you learned from Tampa Bay’s historic 2024 hurricane season
Thirteen days brought us two storms and countless lessons in 2024. Whether it was a clearer understanding of your home’s flood risk, a preferred hurricane snack, or the importance of friends and family, Tampa Bay’s experience with Helene and Milton...
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$4M for Groveland Four families comes after decades of fighting for justice
ORLANDO - A $4 million fund negotiated by state lawmakers for relatives of the Groveland Four, the quartet of Lake County Black men falsely accused of raping a white woman in 1949, culminates a long battle to come to terms with a dark moment in Florida...
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Rain!!!!!!!! | Column
As I drifted off to sleep Tuesday night, a foreign sound started rustling in the distance, a whisper that grew stronger and smoother until steady beats plunked the window like a marimba. First thought: murderous intruder? Second thought: rain! Did you...
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$5.7 million house sells in St Pete Beach
A single-family home in St Pete Beach sold on May 5 for $5.7 million. The house has 4,213 square feet of living space. The home at 1403 Pass A Grille Way includes five bedrooms and six bathrooms. It was sold by Glen A. Davenport and Hollyce R....
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By slashing NOAA funding, president’s budget puts Florida at risk | Column
It’s becoming a regular rite of spring. Floridians start buying batteries, flashlights and other supplies for the coming hurricane season - and the Trump administration proposes devastating spending cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric...
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Tampa Theatre’s 100-year history comes alive in Andrew Huse’s final book
As downtown Tampa’s iconic movie palace preps for its 100th birthday in October, a new book will help readers travel through time. “Tampa Theatre: A Century of Stories” will be released in late September. The 272-page coffee table book dives into the...
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Teen takeover at Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Park? Where are the parents | Letters
Tampa Bay officials respond after ‘teen takeover’ at Curtis Hixon Park | March 15 Enough excusesTwenty-two people were arrested in the recent “teen takeover,” most of them boys under 18. Thirteen were younger than 15 years old - nearly 60%. Yet much of...
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Lawyers say Alligator Alcatraz detainee transfers are ramping up
Immigration lawyers and advocates say detainees at Alligator Alcatraz are being moved unusually fast to other locations amid reports the detention center in the Everglades could shut down as soon as next month. Immigration attorney Laura Quintero, who...
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A Florida lovebug’s dating profile | Column
Name: Lovebug #543,952 Location: Florida, all up in your business, floating into open mouths in the grocery store parking lot, landing on bare legs at the Memorial Day barbecue. You know how we do. Age: I’m 2 days old (unless you count my six months as...
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Busch Gardens Tampa’s 2026 summer events feature drone shows and free beer
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is ready for thrills this summer. The theme park announced Summer Nights will return May 22-Aug. 9. It will feature drone shows, seasonal festivals and complimentary beer. Here’s what’s in store: Attractions:Wild Skies Drone...
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Tampa Bay Chamber supports the proposed Rays project | Column
The Tampa Bay Chamber strongly supports the proposed new stadium and mixed-use development project for the Tampa Bay Rays and believes this investment represents a transformational opportunity for the future of the Tampa Bay region. The framework...
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Raccoons, meet your match: Pasco teen’s invention targets the masked bandits
Eva Livingston has a fix for one of suburbia’s most persistent nuisances: the raccoon that treats garbage night like a buffet. The Angeline Academy of Innovation freshman won first place at the Pasco Young Entrepreneur Competition in April for the...
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If you’re renewing your Florida driver’s license, make sure you do this
It’s been less than two years since a new Florida law went into effect that assigned drivers new ID numbers when they renew their licenses. But as midterms approach, it’s unclear if this seemingly innocuous bureaucratic maneuver will cause voter...
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Keep church and state separate. If not, revoke all tax exemptions | Letters
Rejecting church and state separation pushed by Trump religion commission | May 10 Revoke tax exemption I am a firm believer in the separation of church and state. Anyone should be able to practice whatever religion they wish without the influence of...
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Review and setlist: Journey brings farewell tour to Tampa, and everyone left happy
Sue-happy Journey breezed into Tampa on Friday, took a nearly 2 1/2-hour recess from their legal escapades and delivered a crowd-pleasing set of classic rock. The court of public opinion, a packed house inside Benchmark International Arena, reveled in...
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Who could have predicted Alligator Alcatraz would fail? | Column
Folks, take it easy. There was no way to know it would end like this. Who could have predicted that a stunt with all the subtlety of a juggling bear would fizzle out in less than a year? Don’t dare imply that Alligator Alcatraz, Florida’s most odious,...
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‘Trump’ and ‘DeSantis’ graffiti among vandalism at historic Tampa Bay area cemetery
Broken headstones, damaged graves and spray-painted graffiti now mark a historic Florida cemetery after vandals targeted the site, according to investigators. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating vandalism at Old Memphis Cemetery in...
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Trump’s EPA wants to roll back rules for a toxic gas. What it means for Florida
Top federal environment officials are proposing to weaken rules for companies that emit ethylene oxide, a toxic gas that polluted a residential area of Tampa Bay in recent years. Starting about a decade ago, a sterilizer plant in Temple Terrace relied...
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How to get out of a reading rut | Column
A version of this column first appeared in Stephinitely, a weekly newsletter from columnist Stephanie Hayes featuring a bonus column and behind-the-scenes chatter. Get it in your inbox every Monday. Is anyone else in a reading rut? What I mean is, does...
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Affordable housing planned for former Playhouse Theatre property
An affordable housing project may be built on the former Playhouse Theatre property and adjacent land in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District. Tampa-based developer Blue Sky Communities plans to create the JR Tower at 1850 Central Ave. and 1833...
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St. Petersburg and Wauchula are in the same congressional district. We drove it
Seventy-five miles, 90 driving minutes and two counties separate downtown St. Petersburg and Arcadia, a city of around 8,000 deep in the state’s rural interior. Welcome to the new District 16, one sprawling puzzle piece of Florida’s new congressional...
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Rookie or real deal? Rueben Bain Jr. sets the tone at Bucs minicamp
Rueben Bain Jr. stepped off the bus first at the AdventHealth Training Center on Thursday wearing a No. 99 Bucs jersey backward so one word hit first: SAPP. The message was impossible to miss. Bain and Warren Sapp both came out of Miami. Both arrived...
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Scammer stole $350,000 from Tampa Bay area senior with dementia, cops say
A man entrusted with managing a woman’s finances after she developed dementia is accused of spending more than $350,000 on himself, investigators say. Richard James Meyers, 64, faces a charge of exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult...
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Will those Miami skyscrapers sink? Researchers say we should consider it
An unlikely pair of researchers - a retired dental surgeon and the former dean of the University of Miami College of Engineering - are pushing for more scrutiny in the permitting process for skyscrapers in Miami. In a newly published paper, Jean-Pierre...
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Better ways of dealing with Tampa Bay’s illegal watering during drought| Letters
Amid Tampa Bay’s epic drought, water cops hunt forbidden sprinklers | May 3 Assist neededMy experience when I presided over the Jungle Prada Neighborhood Association was that most residents don’t know how to reset their irrigation control box. We...
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Tax cuts have helped Florida’s small businesses to thrive | Column
Off the front pages, and in the real world, American small businesses are quietly thriving, especially in pro-business states like Florida. U.S. Census Bureau data shows new business formation hovers at its highest level in history, with approximately...
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Tampa Bay high school seniors weigh in on benefits, harms of AI
Over the past couple of years, the phrase “artificial intelligence” has entered the everyday lexicon. And some of Tampa Bay’s top graduating seniors have thoughts on what the implications of AI could be. Since 1959, the top 3% of Hillsborough County’s...
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Turn the Trop site into ‘St. Pete Central Park’ | Letters
Tropicana Field redevelopment won’t happen in Welch’s first term | April 1 ‘St. Pete Central Park’I am extremely discouraged to read about so much debate on the future of Tropicana Field. I feel this land should be used for the taxpaying citizens of...
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Rip current statement issued for Central West Florida until 2 a.m. Sunday
The National Weather Service issued a rip current statement at 1:57 a.m. on Saturday from 10 a.m. until Sunday 2 a.m. The statement is for Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Lee counties. What to do if you get caught in a rip...
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In an age of religious conflict, how should we picture Jesus? | Column
A convergence of news elements inspires this reflection on how we picture Jesus, with special attention to how religious imagery might affect our children, our culture and our politics. *On the days leading up to and following Holy Week, Pope Leo and...
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Foreclosures, debt and bankruptcies. Florida’s economic warning signs | Column
Florida’s economy is in an uncertain place. Several key indicators are flashing warning signs, and the trend lines are moving in the wrong direction. The numbers aren’t historically bad, not even close. But they aren’t great, either. Florida isn’t in...
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$4.55 million house sells in Anna Maria
A residential home in Anna Maria sold on March 26 for $4.55 million. The house has 5,591 square feet of living space. The home at 832 South Bay Boulevard, Unit B includes five bedrooms and four bathrooms. It was bought by Patricia Lynn Cote Trust and...
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Many downtowns ban outdoor drinking. This Florida city is expanding it
Letting people walk around downtown with an alcoholic drink in hand - a rarity in Central Florida - was a bold gambit for St. Cloud. But five years later, the city says the move has been so successful that it is doubling down. Earlier this month, the...
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Gov. DeSantis’ AI Bill of Rights should answer a glaring question | Column
Florida lawmakers return this week for a special session, with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ AI Bill of Rights back on the table. The legislation addresses real concerns: deepfakes, data privacy, artificial intelligence disclosure, and parental controls....
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New buildings with no parking in St. Pete? No thanks | Letters
St. Pete may allow new buildings without parking | April 17 No thanksElimination of the parking space requirement for new structures is not reasonable. If the hope is that such an arrangement will inspire more riders on buses, the cart is before the...
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