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New Lakeland VA Clinic opens as Polk County's veteran population grows
LAKELAND, Fla. - For veterans living in Polk County, the only option to get to a VA hospital was to drive to Tampa or to Orlando, but now there's a closer option. James A Haley Veterans' Hospital hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Lakeland VA Clinic, located at 2080 Meadowland Park Boulevard in south Lakeland.
No requirement for landlords to provide A/C
Tenants at one St. Pete apartment complex say they’ve been without air conditioning since as far back as May. Florida law does not require landlords to provide A/C, leaving residents frustrated as they deal with summer heat.
LeRoy Neiman 2023 Collectors Edition by J.C. Newman Cigar Company | Cigar Review
Today, we take a look at the LeRoy Neiman 2023 Collectors Edition. This is the first installment of a joint project between J.C. Newman Cigar Company, LeRoy Neiman, and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation. The project showcases the artwork of the late LeRoy Neiman. J.C. Newman and the Foundation will donate all profits from this collaboration to support arts education in Tampa’s public schools, including those surrounding J.C. Newman’s El Reloj cigar factory.
Tampa Bay-area 16-year-old Alex Bowen now racing Lamborghinis in Italy on GT3 circuit
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — 10 Tampa Bay first told you about a local 15-year-old striving to be a professional race car driver in March. He's 16 now and is a race car driver — in Italy. Alex Bowen is back in the Bay area after racing in Italy...
Popular craft brewery files Chapter 11 bankruptcy for an unusual reason
The popularity of craft beer in the past 10 years has led to a significant increase in the opening of breweries and taprooms across the U.S. The number of craft brewers grew from about 4,803 in 2015 to about 9,761 in 2023, according to the Brewers Association. The U.S. craft...
Coming Soon to Downtown Lakeland: ‘Market on Kentucky’
There’s paper covering the windows of the former Taco Bus location on Kentucky Avenue right now. But in about a month, Frescos owner Tina Calhoon, 54, hopes to unveil a curated community market where up to 20 local purveyors can sell artisan food products. She and her husband Tim...
Florida's IMG Academy has 14 Olympians from 11 countries and territories competing in Paris
At IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, some 4,600 miles from Paris, they’ll be watching the Summer Olympics with tons of interest. And for good reason. The school has 14 alums in the Paris Games, representing 11 countries and territories. Australia’s Josh Green (basketball) Canada’s Dwight Powell (basketball)
Social media influencer known as ‘Petty Levels’ dies in Tampa at 23
Mia Armaj Bennett, a social media influencer and musician from Philadelphia who rose to prominence with short videos of her freestyling, died in Tampa last week, according to state officials and family. She was 23 years old. Bennett, known online as “Petty Levels,” was found dead on July 19 in...
Housing, development dominate Sarasota City Commission District 1 Tiger Bay forum
The banquet hall of Michael’s on East was occupied on Thursday afternoon by about 125 of Sarasota’s elite players in business and politics. City commissioners, government officials and representatives from influential development firms rubbed elbows and enjoyed salmon and black olive salads and iced tea for lunch. The venue and clientele contrasted with the voters of Sarasota’s City Commission District 1, who make up the most diverse and lowest income city residents. Nevertheless, the suit-and-tie crowd...
Sarasota unveils new all-terrain wheelchair for disabled individuals at Lido Beach
The city of Sarasota showed off a new, all-terrain wheelchair this week that will allow people with disabilities easier access to the sand on Lido Beach. The EcoRover is an electric, tracked chair the user controls with a joystick or by a companion with a remote control. During a press conference, the official who oversees city compliance with federal disability access requirements, Jake Brown, demonstrated how easily the chair moves across the sand. ...
Time Magazine named Sarasota’s Selby Gardens one of the World’s Greatest Places
Sarasota’s Marie Selby Botanical Gardens has even more bragging rights as of Thursday, when Time magazine announced its annual list of the World’s Greatest Places. On the list of 100 places, Selby Gardens was one of only eight found in the United States. It was also the only...
Randy Arozarena watches Rays game from stands after being traded
In the early morning hours on Friday the Tampa Bay Rays traded one of their best players, outfielder Randy Arozarena, to the Seattle Mariners for two prospects.On Friday night, Arozarena spent a few innings in the stands watching his former teammates play the Cincinnati Reds before officially saying goodbye to Tampa and its fans. Randy Arozarena watched a few innings of the Rays game from the stands and said goodbye to fans pic.twitter.com/PGgVUGYbHS— MLB (@MLB) July 27, 2024 Randy as a fan I AM UNWELL pic.twitter.com/wiJxhnOz3z— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) July 26, 2024 That is not the type of thing you...
Miami imam's sermon sparks debate over school vouchers and the First Amendment
A Jewish lawmaker is calling for Governor Ron DeSantis’ Administration to take action against a Muslim school that receives taxpayer-funded vouchers. Republican Representative Randy Fine is incensed by the school leader’s inflammatory remarks against Jewish people -- and by the state’s apparent lack of action since those remarks came to light.
The News-Press, Naples Daily News journalists win state awards for excellence
From coverage of a crash that killed five teens to a video of a manatee rescue, The News-Press and Naples Daily News recently collected 17 awards from the Florida Society of News Editors at a ceremony in Orlando. Overall, the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida ― of which the Naples Daily News and The...
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