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Florida eases zoning restrictions for private schools
The big story: It just got easier for private schools to open classrooms in Florida. Under law that took effect Monday, school operators don’t face as many zoning restrictions when selecting locations to offer their programs. The law allows them to use museums, libraries, theaters and other venues that weren’t necessarily available in the past.
USF St. Petersburg’s newest mental health helper is a very good boy
ST. PETERSBURG — Jenny Gelin, an incoming first-year student at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, sat in the front row of student orientation. A graduate from Tampa’s Wharton High School, Gelin has never lived in a dorm and is nervous about meeting new people. As the...
This patriotic dog is afraid of everything except fireworks
Florida summers can be treacherous for dogs, what with blazing pavement and heavy rain dampening bathroom hour. Now mix in flaming combustibles shot off in suburban streets with the aid of copious Miller Lites. Fun for the fingerless, sure, but our poor pooch pals have much more intense hearing than the humans buying packs of fireworks called “Waking up the Gators.”
Dear Annie: Don’t call yourself a single parent unless you’re doing it alone
Dear Annie: Ten years ago, I became a single parent when my ex-husband, who had worked in the World Trade Center on 9/11, became addicted to drugs and alcohol. The love of my life became abusive toward me, threatened our young children and pets and refused treatment. After a lengthy and expensive court battle, I gained sole custody of our three children. I have financially supported them almost entirely alone since he is unable to hold a job.
I think Gov. DeSantis should take his kids to the Fringe Festival | Letters
I have been aching for a week about Gov. Ron DeSantis cutting most funding for the arts. The arts nurture the soul and are as essential to an advanced society as food, clean air and water. When I read that the governor made this decision because of two Fringe festivals, I was shocked.
Rays take early lead, wait out 2.5-hour delay to beat Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Rays looked like they won the race against the rain and the game against the Royals early Tuesday evening. With a one-run lead and five innings completed to make the game official just before the skies opened, the Rays would have had an abbreviated victory had the umpires not decided to wait out the wave of storms.
New Lightning top prospect Conor Geekie hopes to make leap to NHL
BRANDON — The Lightning expect big things from new prospect Conor Geekie. And on his first day with a bolt on his chest, the 20-year-old wunderkind already is eyeing a spot on the NHL roster this season. The Lightning acquired Geekie, the 11th overall pick in the 2022 draft,...
An ocean drone recorded video in Hurricane Beryl. Here’s what it saw.
In the hours after Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the island of Carriacou, a floating ocean drone intercepted the northern edge of the historically powerful storm in the Caribbean Sea. The uncrewed research vessel, dubbed a saildrone, crossed paths with Hurricane Beryl 100 nautical miles south of Puerto Rico on...
This indicator of Florida’s property insurance market sees improvement
TALLAHASSEE — As Florida gets ready to enter the thick of hurricane season, property insurers have seen improvements in the market for reinsurance — critical backup coverage that helps drive how much homeowners pay in premiums. Now, it’s a waiting game as forecasters expect a busy, and potentially...
Birth, death certificates affected by Florida health system outage
Floridians may have to wait longer to get birth and death certificates as the state Department of Health deals with server issues. State tax collectors’ offices and funeral homes say they haven’t been able to access the online system needed to issue certificates since last week. They say...
At Weedon Island, campers absorb the sounds, sensations of nature
Malia Bassant has Peters Anomaly, a medical condition that makes her vision blurry. On Monday at the Weedon Island Preserve’s cultural and natural history center, she was fascinated by a table of tools once used by Florida’s indigenous people. A large shell tied to a stick as a hammer. A flat stone as a chisel.
Florida stripper sues state over law raising age requirement
A 19-year-old is suing over a Florida law that raises the age requirements to work in adult entertainment establishments, saying it violated her constitutional rights and made her lose her job as a stripper. In a lawsuit filed Monday, Serenity Michelle Bushey said she and at least eight other performers...
Biden administration proposes worker heat protections
TALLAHASSEE — The Biden administration is moving forward with a proposal that would require heat protections for workers across the country after Gov. Ron DeSantis this spring signed a law barring Florida local governments from imposing such requirements on businesses. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday...
Farewell, Godspeed and thank you, Steven Stamkos
TAMPA — We fall in love easily. That’s what a sports fan does. Every new prospect is a potential romance, and every season’s end is another round of heartbreak. It’s not that we’re difficult, we just have certain qualities we demand of our athletic idols.
Hurricane Beryl disrupts cruise ships scheduled to depart from Port Tampa Bay
Hurricane Beryl threatens to ruin vacationers’ plans for smooth sailing aboard cruise ships slated to depart from Port Tampa Bay. Cruise line meteorologists are actively monitoring conditions in the Caribbean and making itinerary adjustments, but the situation is fluid. Throughout the week, four cruise ships are scheduled to leave...
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