
Mark Parker

History & Culture
‘Exciting win for St. Pete:’ Smithsonian selects Woodson Museum for America 250
The Woodson African American Museum of Florida, in partnership with the Smithsonian, commissioned renowned artist Najee...

Youth
‘Joy and Justice’ tour coming to Florida, Southern Black Girls uplift...
The Southern Black Girls and Women Consortium’s “Joy and Justice Tour,” its first since 2022, is coming to Florida....

Lifestyle
St. Pete mayor selects $8.1 billion concept for the Gas Plant, developers vow...
From left: Thompson Whitney Blake, founder of Blake Investment Partners; Neil Brickfield, executive director of the...

Entertainment
Dali Museum’s latest exhibit is an immersive escape into natural wonder
Seoul, Korea-based digital design house d’strict is behind the Dalí Museum's new 360-degree, immersive experience,...

Entertainment
‘Speakeasy vibe’: Boutique comedy club heads to downtown St. Pete
Kenny Garcia began his career in comedy as a stand-up comedian. He will soon open Sunshine Comedy Cafe in downtown St....

Politics
Hillsborough DOGE finds $678M to cut amid property tax debate
Cover art for the Hillsborough County DOGE Liaison Committee’s 69-page Fiscal Accountability Report depicts a Shiba...

History & Culture
West Tampa’s historic Rey Park Center set for $5 million rebirth
City Councilmember Naya Young, also board chair of Tampa’s Community Redevelopment Agency, celebrates the start of...

Policy
As decision looms, will St. Pete choose multiple Gas Plant developers? Welch...
The Historic Gas Plant District currently consists of Tropicana Field and a sea of surface parking lots. Mayor Ken...

Lifestyle
Power play: St. Pete’s new Duke agreement includes buyout clause
St. Petersburg’s 30-year contract with Duke Energy expires in August. The city has drafted a new memorandum of...

Policy
Reps Luna, Castor at odds over linking housing relief to voting bill
Congresswoman Kathy Castor (right) at a St. Petersburg Housing Authority check presentation ceremony in March. (Photo...

Lifestyle
‘No warnings’: Extreme water restrictions continue amid drought, fines will be...
Children play in the splash pad at the St. Pete Pier. Residents are prohibited from any “wasteful and unnecessary water...

History & Culture
‘Not just a zoning Issue’: Clearwater CRA fights to protect its legacy
Residents at a North Greenwood Community Advisory Committee meeting in March. Clearwater officials are extending the...

Lifestyle
How record-breaking tourism is paying off for Pinellas County residents
A spring sunset at St. Pete Beach. Tourism officials and stakeholders are celebrating a record-breaking “high season”...

Policy
Housing report highlights St. Pete’s progress, new economic hurdles
Mayor Ken Welch (right) and a new homeowner at a Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside dedication ceremony in South...

Policy
Hillsborough report highlights ‘drastic’ impact of property tax cuts, what...
From back left: Hillsborough County Commissioners Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers, former Judge E.J. Salcines, and his wife,...

Education
Rays unveil Ya La’Ford apparel, honor Negro Leagues on Juneteenth
Prominent artist Ya La’Ford and Sean Gibson, executive director of the Josh Gibson Foundation,, at Juneteenth & Negro...

Business
‘Fight like hell’: Tensions rise over Lakeland data center moratorium
Lakeland Commissioners Stephen Musick (left) and Ashley Troutman at a tense city meeting on Monday. (Screengrab / City...

Policy
St. Pete mayoral forum prioritizes substance over rhetoric
St. Petersburg mayoral candidates, from left: Kevin Batdorf, Jim Large, Maria Scruggs, Charlie Crist, City...

Politics
‘A big deal’: Pinellas Commission salutes Flowers’ new presidency
Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers (left), incoming president of the Florida Association of Counties, and her...

Business
‘Sit easy,’ St. Pete: New owners vow to protect Chattaway’s legacy
Two local restaurateurs and a real estate investor are purchasing The Chattaway for $1.8 million. The 75-year-old...

Entertainment
‘Stop this concert’: Florida politicians push to cancel Kanye’s Tampa...
Sen. Rick Scott (podium), Sen. Ashley Moody (left), and several other political and Jewish leaders speaking against...

History & Culture
National Juneteenth Flag creator in Tampa to celebrate the fabric of freedom
Pastor Philetha Tucker Johson (second from left), president of the Tampa Bay Juneteenth Coalition, solemnly watches as...

Youth
Community leaders challenge ‘traditional’ masculinity to prevent deaths
From left: Maress Scott, founder of Quis for Life; Brian Lamar Stokes, a local therapist and social worker; B.J....

Business
Are Black entrepreneurs leveraging AI as a game changer? New survey to reveal...
Pat Mack (left), founder and CEO of analytics firm PVM, with Yolando Goodloe, government contracting consultant for the...

Business
St. Pete honors ‘Hometown Haulers’ following state Innovation Award
Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders (third from right) presented several community stakeholders with Distinguished...

Youth
‘Magic’: Rays bring the Science of Baseball to Lakeland, Tampa and St. Pete
Students at Academy Prep Center of Lakeland participate in a lesson on vision science. (Photo submitted by Kimberley...

Lifestyle
Michael Jordan-backed private club expands before Sarasota debut
Kevin Daves (left), the developer behind 1000 North Sarasota, and the brand’s most prominent co-founder, Michael...

History & Culture
St. Petersburg NAACP calls on hospital leaders to respond to racially-coded...
The St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP is challenging local healthcare providers to go beyond routine reviews of...

History & Culture
Tampa lawmakers join fight to save burial grounds from development
A sign advertising “easy living” sits atop a parcel of land that many stakeholders believe holds unmarked graves....

Policy
Who ‘won’ a contentious St. Petersburg mayoral debate?
From left: Mayor Ken Welch, Maria Scruggs, Brandi Gabbard, Charlie Crist, and Kevin Batford at St. Petersburg’s first...

Policy
Mayoral hopefuls take aim at Welch in St. Pete’s first debate
From left: St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, Maria Scruggs, Brandi Gabbard, Charlie Crist, and Kevin Batdorf participate...

Art
Trop site developers to St. Pete: We can accommodate Rays extension
Competing historic Gas Plant District redevelopment teams say they are willing to accommodate the Tampa Bay Rays...

Faith
‘Out of many, one’: St. Pete faith coalition endorses Welch’s reelection
Rev. J.C. Pritchett II (podium) and several other imams and pastors gathered to endorse St. Petersburg Mayor Ken...

Youth
Dianne Hart Scholarship returns to foster educational access, trade...
Rep. Dianne Hart (right) with Najaeh Wise, one of her previous scholarship recipients. Photos: East Tampa Business and...

Art
Tampa streetwear brand quickly ascends from markets to Water Street
Tampa-native Gabriel Santos, founder of Engrained Lifestyle Apparel, has secured his first storefront in one of the...

Business
Human ROI: St. Pete’s economic outlook swaps statistics for soul
From left: Andrea Falvey, economic development manager; Mayor Ken Welch; Tracey Smith, manager of the St. Petersburg...

Policy
Coach wins key battle in discrimination war against NFL
Brian Flores, now the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, sued the NFL over discriminatory personnel...

Education
Tampa Bay students turn to innovative AI platform for personalized support
Students at Pepin Academies and dozens of other Tampa Bay schools are using a kid-friendly artificial intelligence...

Politics
DeSantis property tax plan sails through Legislature, mayors sound alarm
Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a long-discussed property tax reform plan on May 27. Florida lawmakers have approved the...

History
Local leaders secure $300,000 for embattled Lincoln Cemetery
Men in the Making, a youth-focused nonprofit, during a tour of historic Lincoln Cemetery. Commissioner Renee Flowers...

Wealth Building
The people’s plan? Community questions unique Gas Plant proposal
From left: Sarah Joubert, Anddrikk Frazier, Amber Brinkley, and Will Conroy of Foundation Vision Partners fielded...

Art
Preserving dignity: Housing affordability extends beyond new builds in Tampa
From left: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Carlton Mallard, and City Councilmember Naya Young. Mallard was nearly forced to...

Health
As new CoC chair, Figgs-Sanders vows to put homeless services over politics
St. Petersburg City Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders is now the interim board chair of Pinellas Continuum of Care...

Health
‘Force multiplier’: Feds join USF to fight human trafficking
Dr. Shelly Wagers (left), director of USF’s Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Lab, and representatives of the...

Finance
DeSantis moves to eliminate property taxes for 92% of Floridians
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his long-awaited property tax reform plan on Wednesday, despite significant concerns from...

Policy
Jolly adds prominent national, local advisors to gubernatorial campaign team
Attorney Kimberly G. Jackson (left), former executive director of the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions at St....

Education
City awards $750K to launch ‘Genius Lab’ in South St. Pete
From left: Sakeya Donaldson, founder of the Science of Beauty; Mayor Ken Welch; Robyn Donaldson, founder and CEO of...

Youth
College for Kids ignites dreams of higher education for St. Pete youth
The nine-week College for Kids summer program returns to St. Petersburg College’s Gibbs Campus on June 1. Photos: SPC. ...

News
St. Pete opens $42 million affordable housing grant program
Mayor Ken Welch speaks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for an affordable housing development. His administration has...

Family
‘Stop the insanity:’ Juvenile Welfare Board restarts CEO search process
Pinellas County Commissioner Renee Flowers (left, podium) was among the public speakers who urged the local Juvenile...
