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Tampa Bay Times
We got a peek at Busch Gardens Tampa’s new rollercoaster, Phoenix Rising
TAMPA — At first glance, Busch Garden’s latest thrill ride Phoenix Rising appears daunting. With a 1,831-foot track that brings riders to the brink of flipping upside down on an over-banked curve, it reaches an 80-foot maximum height before launching into a series of twists and turns. The...
Trinity’s Trevor Harrison learning quickly in the Rays system
Trevor Harrison was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to pitching. A first baseman and catcher for most of his baseball career, he found the switch to the mound in his junior year of high school wasn’t that hard. “In high school, if you throw hard,...
Hillsborough blocks tax to raise teacher pay from this year’s ballot
Using an obscure law and arguing that prices are too high for area residents, the Hillsborough County Commission voted 4-3 to keep a schools tax off of the November ballot. School district leaders had hoped to follow the lead of other large and neighboring districts in collecting money through a property surtax that would go toward higher pay for teachers and other school employees.
J.D. Vance completes Trump’s ideological takeover of the Republican Party
There is an old political critique of Donald Trump, perhaps understandable, that the 45th and favored 47th president of the United States has no ideology, that the Republican turned independent turned Democrat turned Republican turned independent turned Republican is an incoherent and opportunistic ragbag of selfish impulses and populist punchlines.
Floridians, are you ready to vote this year? You sure?
The conversations are straightforward enough when they start out: “Hey, are you registered to vote?” “Absolutely!” “Great! Do you happen to vote by mail, and if so, have you re-requested your ballot for the 2024 election year?”. Even if the person being engaged is on...
Freebies and concerts for first anniversary of Clearwater’s BayCare Sound
CLEARWATER — This month marks the one-year anniversary of the opening of the BayCare Sound, the outdoor amphitheater that sprung up in the also newly remodeled Coachman Park. To mark the occasion, concertgoers will get some birthday presents like beach towels and bucket hats in an anniversary concert series.
Florida Republican: Trump deportation proposal might just be ‘rhetoric’
MILWAUKEE — Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar is walking a tightrope on immigration policy, supporting former President Donald Trump but saying she was hoping the mass deportations he has promised would prove to be rhetorical excess. In May 2023, the Miami-area Rep. introduced bipartisan legislation billed as “providing a dignified...
The Tampa Bay Partnership favors the Rays-Hines deal. Here’s why
As the CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership, a coalition of regional business and non-profit leaders who support more than 120,000 jobs across eight counties, I am writing to express my full support for the Historic Gas Plant District Development proposal put forth by the Tampa Bay Rays and their global development partner, Hines. This project represents an outstanding opportunity to stimulate economic growth and enhance the quality of life throughout St. Petersburg and the entire Tampa Bay region, benefiting both residents and visitors alike.
Our biggest sports pet peeves, from sideline drivel to social media
Forgive our testiness, but we’re suffering from sports withdrawal. Befitting the dog days, the current stretch of the calendar features only kibble — nothing into which sports fans can really sink their teeth. The NFL, hoops and hockey are on hiatus, baseball’s observing its All-Star break, and the...
Pinellas, SPC partner on free tuition program to boost teacher pipeline
Rashad Harrell never thought about being a teacher. The 48-year-old spends his weekdays as a paraprofessional, supporting teachers at Pinellas County Schools’ Nina Harris Exceptional Education Center; his weeknights, a supervisor at UPS. He found the Nina Harris job seven years ago when a UPS coworker told him about an opening.
Duke Energy cuts Florida rate hike request by hundreds of millions
Duke Energy more than halved the increase it’s seeking to customers’ base rates under a milestone agreement with energy consumer advocates, dramatically reducing the proposed hikes to the electricity bills of nearly 2 million Floridians. The settlement agreement, which was announced this week, is the latest development in...
Tampa ‘heat playbook’ outlines plans to revamp east city neighborhoods
Every day in East Tampa, people walk, bike and wait for buses along busy N 22nd Street. Some carry groceries or head home from jobs on foot because they don’t own a car. There’s hardly a tree to shade them. Tampa is dotted with places like this, corridors...
Florida debates role of religion in public schooling
The big story: The role religion plays in public education has gained renewed attention in recent weeks, as several states have adopted laws, rules and requirements relating to lessons and services in their schools. Florida is one of the flash points. Debate has centered on whether the states are supporting...
Does Tampa Bay have a gang problem?
A little before 3 a.m. one Sunday in May, the sidewalks in South Tampa’s SoHo district bustled with revelers ambling between bars when gunfire erupted. An overhead camera outside MacDinton’s Irish Pub captured the scene as people screamed and scurried. Officers drew guns as they arrived at the Shops on South Howard, where two men lay dead and a third wounded.
City of St. Petersburg sustainability and resilience director resigns
Allison Mihalich, director of the city of St. Petersburg’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience, has resigned for a job with the federal government. Mihalich, 35, tendered her resignation last week in an email to her boss, Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley, and Human Resources Director Chris Guella. She said she accepted an opportunity to “continue supporting sustainability at the national level with the Federal Government.”
A Christmas store in a Florida summer is something special
CLEARWATER – On a sun-beaten highway leading to the beach and sitting just a bit east of the world’s first Hooters stands the anomaly known as Robert’s Christmas Wonderland. The sign hangs above State Road 60 like a giant Little Debbie Christmas tree cake. The roof appears...
Florida Fringe festivals exemplify taking the high road | Column
“Starving artist” has always been an unfortunate concept. The phrase suggests that to meaningfully seek a life steeped in creativity, one must eagerly subsist on a dime’s worth of spaghetti. It implies that the real payment comes from the, uh, joy? Of trying to get literally anyone to notice your passion projects?
DeSantis leans on anti-woke rhetoric during Moms for Liberty event at RNC
MILWAUKEE — The rhetoric on the first night of the Republican National Convention was focused on the economy, and the second night was designed to spotlight immigration. But in remarks to the group Moms for Liberty on Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis focused on a tried-and-true issue of his gubernatorial tenure: anti-wokism.
How the Rays went in-house to find the draft’s best pitching
ST. PETERSBURG — If you look at the lists that rank the top prospects in the Rays system, they’re loaded with infielders. The organization did little to change that on the first day of the draft, since most of the best athletes play in the middle of the infield.
‘Free State of Florida’ welcome signs touting DeSantis motto cost $60K
Florida spent $60,000 on new highway welcome signs that feature a campaign slogan used by Gov. Ron DeSantis in speeches and on merchandise. Signs welcoming visitors to “The Free State of Florida” now stand at 24 locations along highways and at two welcome centers, said Michael Williams, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation, in an email.
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