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Florida officials hear suggestions on updating felon voting process
TALLAHASSEE — State election officials on Friday listened to suggestions about how to update the process for convicted felons to seek what are known as advisory opinions about their eligibility to vote, with advocates calling for a procedure that provides “certainty” for people who have completed their sentences.
From old malls to the White House, this designer brings life to dated spaces
TAMPA — Michele “Mik” Oca’s mission is to optimize every square inch of a space for maximum amusement. The founder of US Design Lab, based in Tampa, specializes in revitalizing vacant commercial spaces. Kind of like a fairy godfather for fun. Or, as the company’s LinkedIn,...
How much do you need to know about your spouse’s spending?
Love is in the air, and wedding season is upon us. Like many elder millennials, I grew up watching sitcoms in the 1980s and ‘90s. Whenever those series needed a ratings boost, they would feature a wedding. Those special episodes taught me that weddings usually involve young lovebirds: Think Elvin and Sondra from “The Cosby Show,” Cory and Topanga from “Boy Meets World” or David and Darlene from “Roseanne.”
Florida should fund students, not mere systems
Rising property values have poured billions of dollars into Florida public schools — a boon from our growing economy and families flocking from other states. But most parents and taxpayers aren’t aware that this funding doesn’t benefit all students. Florida is the top state in the country...
Not to be pessimistic, but the numbers say Rays are not bouncing back
ST. PETERSBURG — Taylor Walls got you, didn’t he?. When the Rays shortstop went up the middle to rob a base hit and turn a spectacular double play to end a 3-2 win against the Cubs on Thursday night, it was as if the world inside of Tropicana Field had finally been set right-side up.
How we prepare for hurricanes at Port Tampa Bay and why it matters
With an active hurricane season under way, it is imperative that Port Tampa Bay, Florida’s largest and most cargo-diverse port, stands ready to face the challenges that lie ahead. The nature of hurricanes — powerful, violent storms capable of causing catastrophic damage — demands that we as a port...
Dear Annie: Real life interrupts gaming love affair with married woman
Dear Annie: I’ve been friends with “Remy” for six years. We both play the same computer game on the same platform, and we always enjoy chatting as we play. A little over a year ago, I was single and found myself developing feelings for Remy. We’d always just been friends, but gradually, an attraction grew. Before I knew what was happening, we both found ourselves falling in love.
Braves hit Zack Littell hard, Rays start 10-day road trip with a loss
ATLANTA — Carrying over momentum from game to game — and series to series — is typically considered to be dependent on the opposing starting pitcher. Friday, they Rays were foiled by their own. After a pair of comeback wins over the Cubs, and with a near...
DeSantis signs condo bill. Some unit owners are threatening to sue.
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday quietly signed a controversial condominium bill into law that unit owners are already threatening to sue over if lawmakers don’t fix certain provisions next legislative session. The 154-page bill, HB 1021, is largely about creating more accountability for condominium homeowner associations...
New USF baseball coach seeking players with a gym rat mentality
TAMPA — During his introductory news conference Friday, new USF baseball coach Mitch Hannahs laid out his fundamental recruiting philosophy by recalling the night he discovered one of his former players, Joe Kido. Hannahs, then-coach at Indiana State, was so enamored with the spunk and determination of the 5-foot-7...
Last-minute qualifiers shake up Hillsborough school board race
A flurry of activity this week left two Hillsborough County School Board contests with smaller fields and one with three new candidates. The newcomers include a pastor who has run for office before and a business owner who has served on the school board in the past. Two longtime educators,...
Democrats field candidates in every Florida legislative race. Does it matter?
TALLAHASSEE — Are there signs of hope for Democrats seeking to retake control of the Florida Legislature this fall?. No. But they did field a candidate in all 140 legislative seats up for election this year, according to the end of candidate qualifying on Friday. That’s the first time since Democrats lost power nearly 30 years ago, a significant feat for a party that has struggled to recruit candidates.
New College’s new plan: more students, more faculty, more ‘civil discourse’
TALLAHASSEE — The New College of Florida Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a revamped five-year business plan, setting up the release of tens of millions of dollars earmarked for the school in the state budget. Lawmakers included a collective $25 million for New College in the budget for...
In Hillsborough, buckle up for a busy election season. Here’s who qualified.
Election qualifying ended at noon, setting the candidate slate for this year’s elections in Hillsborough, one of the nation’s fastest-growing counties and where Republicans in 2022 flipped the County Commission. Three of Hillsborough’s seven commission seats are up for grabs this year, offering voters the potential to disrupt...
Trump said Biden wants “to quadruple your taxes” | Fact check
In his first interview since he was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records, former President Donald Trump deflected the focus to his presumptive opponent this fall, President Joe Biden. During the June 2 “Fox & Friends Weekend” interview, Trump attacked Biden’s policies on immigration and the economy....
In Pinellas, elections supervisor race draws results skeptic
Mirroring an increasing trend across the state and nation, Pinellas County will have a race for Supervisor of Elections featuring a candidate running on allegations of election fraud. Chris Gleason, a self described election integrity activist, qualified to challenge incumbent Supervisor of Elections Julie Marcus in the Aug. 20 primary....
With no trade to be had, Rays release Harold Ramirez
ATLANTA — Unable to get a team interested in trading for Harold Ramirez, the Rays released the veteran outfielder/DH on Friday, making him a free agent. Ramirez, 29, was designated for assignment last week when the Rays needed to create space on the 40-man roster to reinstate shortstop Taylor Walls. Ramirez cleared both outright and release waivers — as a claiming team would have been responsible for his full remaining salary — and then was given his unconditional release on Friday.
7 candidates qualify in races that could flip Pinellas school board
Three seats on the Pinellas County School Board are up for grabs in August, and there’s a slate of challengers who have aligned themselves in a bid to “flip” the board to a conservative majority. In District 1, an at-large seat chosen by all county voters, incumbent...
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