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Tampa Bay Times
St. Pete City Council candidate wants your vote, but never voted locally
Donald Bowens Jr. says his political role models are state Sen. Darryl Rouson, former state Rep. Frank Peterman and current St. Petersburg City Council members Gina Driscoll and Copley Gerdes, to name a few. But he’s never voted for any of them because Bowens, 36, has never voted in Pinellas...
Challenges loom for new school year in Tampa Bay districts
The big story: Longtime Hillsborough County educator Van Ayres is about to embark on his second year leading Florida’s third-largest school district. He’s got several challenges ahead, including the potential loss of more students to voucher programs and more teachers to neighboring districts that pay better. Yet Ayres...
Florida Hispanic voters could decide the election. Here are their top issues.
Hispanic voters in Florida are more likely to list affordable housing and gun control as top issues than their non-Hispanic counterparts, a new online survey of nearly 1,400 likely voters in the state found. The poll, conducted from June 13-17 by TelevisaUnivision Consumer Strategy & Insights and Media Predict, offers...
Pinellas supervisor race latest in Florida to feature elections denier
The allegations were outlandish, but they still shocked Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Julie Marcus when they appeared on a blog in 2022. Clearwater resident Chris Gleason claimed that Pinellas County was “ground zero” for mail ballot fraud that stole the 2020 election from former President Donald Trump, even though Trump won Florida. To his followers online and at local political clubs, Gleason spread allegations that Marcus erased votes and attempted to hide the evidence which Marcus said is “categorically false.”
Dear Annie: I started a funding campaign for sick friend and regret it.
Dear Annie: A close friend of mine, who I’ve been urging for years to save for a rainy day, is now facing a very real storm. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and is undergoing treatment. Knowing her financial situation, I felt compelled to help with her GoFundMe. I’ve...
Florida deputy used crime surveillance system to spy on girlfriend, records state
An Osceola County sheriff’s deputy arrested last week on charges of domestic battery and stalking used the sheriff’s office crime monitoring system to spy on his girlfriend, court records reveal. Douglas Ford used software at the office’s Real-Time Crime Center to observe his girlfriend, an Osceola reserve deputy,...
Man bitten by shark while spearfishing off Key West, police say
A man was bitten by a shark while he was spearfishing on a reef off Key West on Monday afternoon, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The bite happened around 3:40 p.m., said Adam Linhardt, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. The victim was brought to shore on...
Rays draftee Emilien Pitre’s journey: Canada to Kentucky to Tampa Bay
ST. PETERSBURG ― When Emilien Pitre arrived in Lexington, Kentucky, for college, he had more of an adjustment period than a typical Wildcat freshman. The Canadian infielder not only was seeing a new level of baseball and meeting new teammates, but dealing with another language. Pitre grew up speaking...
Bye-bye, bake sales? USF plan would restrict campus banners, fundraisers
The University of South Florida’s general counsel is seeking feedback on proposed changes to a policy that would clamp down on events on campus and who attends. It would also add more scrutiny for any signage on campus, and ban bake sales, unapproved banners and amplified sound. Months after...
Security guard died after breaking up Tampa bar fight. 2 weeks later, an arrest.
A Tampa man has been arrested on a manslaughter charge nearly two weeks after a security guard died after breaking up a fight at a local bar. About 1:30 a.m. July 2, Joshua Valdibieso, 27, was involved in a “physical altercation between patrons and security” at the Tally Ho Bar, Lounge and Grill, located at 7402 N. 56th St., the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. During the fight, a security guard tried to intervene, and Valdibieso struck him in the head, according to an arrest report from that day.
7 ways to avoid becoming a misinformation superspreader when the news is shocking
The problem of misinformation isn’t going away — and may be getting worse, in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Internet platforms like Facebook and X have taken some steps to curb its spread and say they are working on doing more. But no method yet introduced has been completely successful at removing all misleading content from social media.
Buju Banton’s first ever U.S. arena tour is making a stop in Tampa
After a 15-year performance hiatus in the U.S., Grammy Award-winning reggae artist Buju Banton is embarking on his first-ever arena tour. It includes a stop in Tampa on Aug. 25 at Amalie Arena. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 19. “The Overcomer” tour also features guest artist Fridayy, the Haitian-American...
Tampa murder suspect stabbed 2 people within an hour, records state
A man arrested in Tampa over the weekend is accused of fatally stabbing a woman while her young daughter was nearby, then using the same knife to kill a man who refused to help get rid of the weapon, records show. Hillsborough deputies arrested Silvio Ramon Franco Peralta, 35, of...
Isaac Paredes on deck to join Rays’ All-Star history
Isaac Paredes has plenty of reasons to be excited on Tuesday, making his first appearance as an American League All-Star. And the Rays are excited for their 25-year-old third baseman — who leads them with 15 homers, 50 RBIs and an .823 OPS — to be part of the midsummer showcase event in Arlington, Texas.
America, we’ve got a problem when 1 in 5 of us believe that political violence may be justified
We have lived this national nightmare too many times. In the last 60 years, we’ve had the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, of Medgar Evers and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, of Robert Kennedy, and the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. And Saturday, we had the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
A new study names St. Petersburg the best food city in America. Wait, what?
Is St. Petersburg the “best food city in the U.S.?”. I’m so sorry, but it’s not — at least not yet. My humble opinion is at odds with a recent study cited by the popular travel publication Travel + Leisure, which ranked the ‘burg the top city in the country for foodies, beating out runners-up Richmond, Virginia, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which came in second and third, respectively.
Florida Republicans rally in Milwaukee, days after assassination attempt on Trump
MILWAUKEE — Echoing words mouthed by former President Donald Trump after being hit in the ear by a bullet Saturday, Florida delegates at the Republican National Convention erupted into cheers of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” when Rep. Kat Cammack mentioned the assassination attempt at a Monday morning breakfast.
Was summer heat to blame for Wednesday’s plane tire explosion in Tampa?
Record-breaking heat waves across America this summer may have consequences for travelers. Extreme heat has grounded planes in places like Las Vegas, resulting in a slew of delays at major airports. But it was mechanical wear and tear, not Tampa Bay’s scorching July temperatures, that was most likely to blame...
Florida A&M president stepping down, will remain on faculty
TALLAHASSEE — Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson announced Friday he will step down after nearly seven years leading the state’s only historically Black public university and plans to return to the faculty. In a letter addressed to “FAMUly and Friends” that was posted online, Robinson did not...
Meghan Trainor is coming to Tampa this fall
She’s all about that bass: Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Meghan Trainor is coming to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa on Sept. 2. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 19. Trainor burst onto the scene with her diamond-certified single “All About That Bass” in 2014. She went...
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