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Tampa Bay Times
Does humor in highway safety signs go too far?
States have had their fun with highway safety messages, posting everything from Taylor Swift lyrics to discourage texting in Mississippi, to a “vibe check” — winking at Gen Z — to encourage seat belt use in Arizona. Such messages are shown intermittently on thousands of highway...
Want a good steak? Here are 5 places to get one, and the best way to eat it
ST. PETERSBURG — Sometime during the hazy days of the early pandemic, I had a hankering for steak. It was hot and rainy outside in the late summer or early fall of 2020, when afternoon thunderstorms carried well into the evening and I was still spending most of my nights alone.
Critics blame lawmakers as Florida school districts close campuses
The big story: The Miami-Dade County School Board on Tuesday approved several new attendance zones as the district prepared to close two under-used schools that serve primarily poor and minority students. The plan follows a trend in several Florida school districts that are closing and “repurposing” buildings in an effort...
Elevate your wellness journey with Optimize U’s recovery, hormone and weight-loss services
Could your wellness journey use a boost? Whether your aim is to lose weight, get better sleep or improve your sex life, local wellness clinic Optimize U can help make your fitness goals a reality. Optimize U’s offerings, from athletic recovery services like cryotherapy and compression therapy to medical services like hormone therapy and weight-loss programs, can upgrade your quality of life and help you feel your best.
How a Black couple from the 1930s had a hand in Habitat for Humanity’s 900th home
It started with $800 and a dream. The year was 1936, Florida was under the rule of Jim Crow and Black people were barred from most schools, restaurants, theaters and pools. But Chester and Corrine Gooden — sweethearts from Ocala — had come into some money and were wanting land of their own.
Jimmy Buffett’s new Tampa cruise and the question of legacy
I feel most insignificant gazing up at the stars or pondering what happens inside a supermassive black hole. Or, you know, reading how Harvard researchers recently said aliens could be on Earth passing as humans, which, correct me if I’m wrong, is the plot of “Men in Black.”
With all the money thrown at QBs, is Baker Mayfield still a bargain here?
TAMPA — All in all, you would rather have Patrick Mahomes. Or Joe Burrow. Maybe Lamar Jackson, probably Josh Allen. As much as Baker Mayfield endeared himself to Tampa Bay last season, no one is suggesting the Bucs quarterback is among the very best in the NFL. But how...
As family mourns, prosecutors drop charges in fatal St. Petersburg crash
ST. PETERSBURG — On an afternoon in July, one Toyota SUV slammed into another on 22nd Avenue North. First responders found the driver, Sharon Johnson, and her granddaughter, Josalyn Lawson, bleeding inside the broadsided Toyota RAV4. The two had left home to run a routine errand. Johnson didn’t survive her injuries.
The Trop is a great place to catch a game | Letters
There’s no better place to watch a baseball game than a covered, air-conditioned stadium. Moving to Tampa Bay from the Midwest, I appreciate not having to sit in the sun during a summer game or having to wait for hours for a rain delay.
Rays get delayed by rain, then walked off by Twins
MINNEAPOLIS — The nearly 1 1/2-hour rain delay in the fifth inning officially turned Tuesday into a long night. Blowing two multi-run leads, having closer Pete Fairbanks leave with a right thumb issue and then getting walked off by the Twins 7-6 made it even worse for the Rays.
Jose Caballero returns to lineup, Taylor Walls rejoins Rays after illness
MINNEAPOLIS — Infielder Jose Caballero returned to the Rays lineup Tuesday, playing for the first time since leaving Friday’s game in Atlanta with flu-like symptoms from a bug going around the clubhouse. “I feel good,” he said. Caballero had planned to return to action Sunday, but the...
5 Pasco schools, one Hillsborough school get new principals
Five Pasco County schools are getting new principals for the fall as part of a shakeup made necessary by retirements. One Hillsborough County school also will have a new leader. Hillsborough’s appointment came about as a result of a previous transfer. Melody Mendoza, a coordinator in Hillsborough’s Transformation Schools...
These St. Petersburg City Council candidates will be on the 2024 ballot
Half of the St. Petersburg City Council’s eight seats were up for grabs. But only three will be on voters’ ballots this year. No one qualified to challenge council vice chairperson Copley Gerdes for his District 1 seat by Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline. That means Gerdes, who was elected in 2021 after Robert Blackmon left that seat early to run for St.
Investigation underway after person found dead near East Fletcher Avenue
An investigation is underway in Hillsborough County after a person was found dead near the 2200 block of East Fletcher Avenue on Tuesday morning, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reported on Tuesday afternoon. Officials said in a news release that deputies were called to that area at 10:13 a.m....
FSU lawsuit proceeds after Tallahassee judge rejects ACC motion to dismiss
TALLAHASSEE — Leon County Judge John C. Cooper began the latest hearing between Florida State and the Atlantic Coast Conference by describing FSU’s lawsuit as a track meet. The Seminoles cleared the first hurdle Tuesday; don’t expect any records to fall as this complex dispute slogs along, stalling...
Has iconic Tampa restaurant Wright’s Gourmet House been sold? Not yet.
The owner of Wright’s Gourmet House, the Tampa institution known for its cakes and sandwiches, is in talks to sell the restaurant to restaurateur Blake Casper. With his sister Allison Adams, Casper owns the hospitality company Oxford Commons, which operates Tampa restaurants Oxford Exchange, Predalina, the Stovall House and Casa Cami and St.
Tampa Prep athletics mourns loss of its greatest utility player
In a sense, Donna Fowler was a paradox with a pen. A scorekeeper for every season and the perpetual smiling face of Tampa Prep athletics shunned selfies like the stomach flu. “She refused to ever be in pictures,” longtime Terrapins boys basketball coach and school administrator Joe Fenlon said. “Her yearbook photo was always, like, the Tampa Prep mascot.”
How Rays’ Taj Bradley has grown into a potential future ace
MINNEAPOLIS — The improvements Taj Bradley has made to his actual pitching, such as refining his splitter, making better use of his full repertoire, and working deeper into games while sustaining his velocity, have been significant factors in the success he has had this season. But the progress he...
Florida plastic surgeon charged after operation leads to wife’s death, police say
A plastic surgeon was performing procedures on his wife when she had a seizure, went into cardiac arrest and later died, Florida authorities said. He’s now charged with manslaughter. Investigators with the state’s Department of Health previously accused Ben Brown of malpractice at Restore Plastic Surgery in Gulf Breeze,...
How Nick Paul’s advocacy for mental wellness is impacting Tampa Bay
TAMPA — From an early age, hockey players are taught that it’s strong to suck it up and shelve massive amounts of physical pain for the benefit of their teams. There also can be major mental hurdles, which Nick Paul knows first hand. The Lightning forward has been open with his own mental wellness as he struggled to stick on an NHL roster early in his professional career with Ottawa. He also is eager to share his success story, how his career took off when he was able to open up and talk about his feelings and find avenues to handle his anxiety.
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