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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

‘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...

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...

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....

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...

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. ...

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...

‘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...

Community leaders bringing shipping container small business ‘village’ to...

The Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition has received approval to build a small business village out of shipping...

New Black Chamber of Commerce emerges in Wesley Chapel

Darlene Hill (fourth from left), founder and CEO of the Wesley Chapel Black Chamber of Commerce, and the organization’s...

Juvenile Welfare Board’s interim CEO demands $100k, job for a year

Mike Mikurak (right), interim CEO of the Juvenile Welfare Board, has threatened to sue the agency. Photo: JWB. With a...

From ashes to action: Community rallies for College of Marine Science

Nearly 400 people attended the “Ocean of Support” fundraiser for the USF College of Marine Science on Friday evening at...

Black cemetery vandalized: Headstones spray-painted with ‘Trump’ and...

A damaged burial vault spray-painted with the words “Ron DeSantis” at the Old Memphis Cemetery in Palmetto. All images:...

Local leaders celebrate Rays stadium ‘compromise,’ stump for approval

From left: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Hillsborough County Commission Chair Ken Hagan, and Ken Babby, CEO of the Tampa Bay...

Culinary survival: Largo chef lands spot on TV’s ‘Chopped Castaways’

Dwight Hudgins and Sharon Young’s notoriety has recently increased after multiple local television shows featured the...

Partnering with nature: ECOncrete’s mission to build resilient communities

Mequela Moreno, environmental affairs manager for ECOncrete, is passionate about protecting marine environments,...

St. Pete seeks AI solutions to supercharge city operations

From left: David Thompson, director of government affairs and co-chair of St. Petersburg’s AI Task Force, City...

Tampa CRA invests $4 million into workforce housing conversion

Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency Chair Naya Young (right) and fellow City Councilmember Lynn Hurtak announced on...

Groundbreaking mental health program provides a lifeline for heroes

Graduates of the Applied Mental Health Advanced Technical Certificate for First Responders program at St. Petersburg...

From stone homes to skylines: Redevelopment bridges St. Pete’s past, future

Will Conroy, founder and president of Backstreets Capital, called downtown St. Petersburg’s Mirror Lake neighborhood...

Tampa claims world title for innovative water treatment system

The David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility will house the world’s largest Suspended Ion Exchange system at 7125 N....

Lowe’s invests $250 million into training skilled trade workers

Marvin Ellison, the first Black CEO of Lowe’s, is doubling down on efforts to address the nation’s critical shortage of...

Groundbreaking soccer star receives much-deserved spotlight

Clyde Best (right), a pioneering soccer star in England and Tampa Bay, with actor Tony Head, discusses a new...

Academy Prep honors ‘Five Fabulous Females’ for community excellence

The 2026 Fabulous Five Females, from left: Jounice Nealy-Brown, attorney and shareholder with Gunster; Jennifer...

Budgets shrink, rates increase as St. Pete navigates money crunch

From left: City Councilmembers Corey Givens Jr., Brandi Gabbard, and Deborah Figgs-Sanders discuss St. Petersburg’s...

From Tampa Bay to Germany: Local food truck goes international

Narja Campbell (left), owner of Campbell’s Catering and Son of a Brisket, recently returned from a trip to Germany....

Rays stadium deal deluge: Tampa has its say at marathon meeting

Ken Babby (left), CEO of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Ken Atwater, President of Hillsborough College, field questions from...

‘A promise delivered’: State of Tampa highlights investments in people

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor emphasized the importance of uplifting neighborhoods during her State of the City address on...

‘Disrespectful:’ Tampa Bay leaders react to state redistricting

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (front, left) and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch. Castor will no longer represent the city under...

Aerial integration: St. Pete Police Department launches Drone Hive

A Drone Hive atop the St. Petersburg Police Department’s headquarters launches one of three remotely operated aircraft...

Welch picks up key endorsement as mayoral race heats up

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch talk before the Tampa Bay Rays’ home opener on April 6....

Will voters approve a new property tax for St. Pete resiliency projects?

Mayor Ken Welch launched the St. Pete Agile Resilience (SPAR) Plan in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton....

Lower fares, higher frequency: PSTA unveils new ferry plan

Stakeholders from Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Hubbard’s Marina, the Tampa Bay Ferry’s operator, joined Pinellas Suncoast...

Empath Health’s restructuring stokes community concerns

Empath Health quietly restructured its “access and engagement” operations, leading to an outpouring of community...

Brotherhood, wellness take center stage at The Cookout

LaShante Keys (center), founder and CEO of CommunityEFX, organized the inaugural event in 2025. Photos: CommunityEFX.

Local lending guru disrupts the small business loan industry

Chris Hackney, chief lending officer for Lendesca. Photo courtesy of Chris Hackney. ​Lending expert Chris Hackney is...

Tampa’s historic Salcines Park receives $1.4 million makeover

From back left: Hillsborough County Commissioners Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers, former Judge E.J. Salcines, and his wife,...

New study supports Pinellas Office of Human Rights’ value

Pinellas County Commissioner Renee Flowers chairs the Human Rights Board and is a staunch supporter of the office it...

Residents return to the table for Gas Plant redevelopment forum

Members of four previously shortlisted development teams vying to reimagine the Historic Gas Plant District, currently...

Hillsborough launches mobile service center to reach underserved communities

Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers (center, left) and Tax Collector Nancy Millan (center, right) celebrated...

Hillsborough County: Rays stadium deadline is likely unreachable

Deputy County Administrator Greg Horwedel (standing) called the Tampa Bay Rays’ timeline “very aggressive” when there...

St. Pete Councilman Corey Givens Jr. prefers to leave Trop graves undisturbed

St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch emphasized the need for more research, which requires digging, and pledged to “do the right...

Realist week expands community reach, homeownership opportunities

From left: Cynthia Glover, Tamisha Darling-Roberson, and Keiran Madgwick during Realtist Week 2026. Darling-Roberson...

Transportation Disadvantaged Program proves popular in St. Petersburg

South St. Petersburg neighborhoods have the highest Transportation Disadvantaged Program utilization rates in all of...

Main Streets program navigates dry funding spigot in St. Pete

The Deuces Live District has a state-designated Main Street, one of four in St. Petersburg. Photos by Mark Parker. St....