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From left: Sarah Joubert, Anddrikk Frazier, Amber Brinkley, and Will Conroy of Foundation Vision Partners fielded questions regarding their plan for the Historic Gas Plant District from St. Petersburg stakeholders on Thursday. Photos by Mark Parker. After decades of unfulfilled promises and three failed all-or-nothing deals, a development team continues highlighting the benefits of a community-led blueprint to reimagine the culturally significant Historic Gas Plant District.

Mayor Ken Welch speaks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for an affordable housing development. His administration has opened a program that will provide similar projects with up to $15 million. Photo by Mark Parker. ​St. Petersburg officials have launched a $42 million competitive race for developers to replenish the city’s affordable rental housing stock, which has suffered multiple blows from hurricanes in recent years. ​Funding for the new Affordable Rental Housing Program (A

Pinellas County Commissioner Renee Flowers (left, podium) was among the public speakers who urged the local Juvenile Welfare Board to scrap its current search for a new leader. Image: Screengrab. Five months of infighting over who should lead the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County came to a grinding halt three hours into a tense meeting on Thursday. Members also selected a new interim CEO. ​In a dramatic reversal, the taxpayer-funded agency voted to scrap its current

The Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition has received approval to build a small business village out of shipping containers in the North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Area. Image: CULC. A nonprofit dedicated to uplifting a long-neglected, predominantly African American community in Clearwater has received the green light to create a culturally rooted economic engine out of shipping containers. ​Tentatively dubbed The Village, the Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition’s (

The Tallahassee resident and Parliament-Funkadelic superstar takes on a music industry giant George Clinton, the funk pioneer who has called Tallahassee home for more than three decades, filed a federal lawsuit on May 15, against UMG Recordings, alleging the record company unlawfully froze more than $1.1 million in royalties owed to Clinton. The 20-page complaint — available at via Music Business Worldwide — accuses UMG of breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant

From left to right: Christian Pyror Hurst, Mendee Ligon, Tamisha Darling-Roberson, Carolyn Brayboy, and Shawntavia Turner at Black Leaf Cigar & Wine Lounge for W.I.R.E. Photo by J.A. Jones. Last month, the Pinellas County Chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) hosted the W.I.R.E. (Women Investing in Real Estate) event at Black Leaf Cigar & Wine Lounge in St. Pete. Pinellas County Association of Realtists (PCAR) President Tamisha Darling-Roberson m

Darlene Hill (fourth from left), founder and CEO of the Wesley Chapel Black Chamber of Commerce, and the organization’s board at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in March. Photos: WCBCC. The Wesley Chapel Black Chamber of Commerce has officially launched, serving as a critical conduit between underserved entrepreneurs and essential resources in one of Tampa Bay’s fastest-growing communities. ​Founder and CEO Darlene Hill said the chamber has already attracted over 30 members in less

Mike Mikurak (right), interim CEO of the Juvenile Welfare Board, has threatened to sue the agency. Photo: JWB. With a high-stakes leadership vote looming, the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County now faces a $100,000 ultimatum. Interim CEO Mike Mikurak also wants the agency to scrap its search process and extend his contract by a year. ​The taxpayer-funded board, which distributed $133 million to youth-focused nonprofits in 2025, has spent the past several months embroi

Nearly 400 people attended the “Ocean of Support” fundraiser for the USF College of Marine Science on Friday evening at the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. Photos by Mark Parker, unless otherwise noted. While years of invaluable research went up in flames earlier this month, an “Ocean of Support” is proving that St. Petersburg’s marine science sector is too vital to stay submerged for long. ​Nearly 400 people attended the Ocean of Support benefit on Friday evening at th

The decline is Black voter registrations is worst in St. Petersburg, but affects all of Pinellas County Most readers have already heard about the body blows suffered by Black and Democratic voters in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais late last month. In Florida, that devastating loss was accompanied by a successful sneak attack — led by Gov. Ron DeSantis and backed by the majority-Republican legislature — to further gerrymander the state’s

On May 6, American Express announced two programs focused on AI training and workforce development American Express issued a press release in early May announcing partnerships with two nonprofits — Generation and Scholarship America — to introduce new artificial intelligence (AI) education initiatives designed to help small businesses and their employees integrate AI into their day-to-day operations. Jennifer Skyler, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at American Express, noted

A damaged burial vault spray-painted with the words “Ron DeSantis” at the Old Memphis Cemetery in Palmetto. All images: Screengrabs, YouTube. Police are still searching for suspects after vandals damaged 17 gravesites at a historic Black cemetery in Palmetto, roughly 25 miles south of St. Petersburg. ​The vandalism included broken and toppled headstones and caused significant damage to burial vaults at Old Memphis Cemetery, which opened in 1904 to serve African American resi

From left: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Hillsborough County Commission Chair Ken Hagan, and Ken Babby, CEO of the Tampa Bay Rays, celebrate the negotiating parties reaching a memorandum of understanding on Friday afternoon. Photo: City of Tampa. ​A memorandum of understanding between the Tampa Bay Rays and local government representatives now caps the public contribution toward the cost of a new stadium at $976 million - nearly $100 million less than the initial $1.065 billion

Dwight Hudgins and Sharon Young’s notoriety has recently increased after multiple local television shows featured the couple. Photo: Barbara’s Kitchen. An affinity for catching and smoking wild game made Dwight Hudgins, also known as the Dreaded Fisherman, a natural to compete on Food Network’s new series, Chopped Castaways. ​However, landing a spot to compete for $100,000 against 12 chefs on a deserted island was so unexpected that Hudgins didn’t reply to what he thought wa

Kyandra Darling is a proud fourth-generation native of St. Petersburg and a lifelong Democrat (Kyandra Darling) The announcement came on Friday that U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has endorsed St. Petersburg-based Kyandra Darling for Florida House district 62 - an open race for a seat currently held by State Representative Michele Rayner. The senator from Vermont posted the news to his social media channels on Friday morning, writing “Today, I am proud to endorse 61 progressive

Akayla Gardner is an award-winning journalist who has covered President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris (Akayla Gardner) On Tuesday of this week, President Donald Trump called MS NOW reporter, Akayla Gardner, “a dumb person” for pointing out that the cost of his hoped-for ballroom had doubled since he first announced the project. The incident happened on the South Lawn of the White House prior to the president’s departure for a summit with

Mequela Moreno, environmental affairs manager for ECOncrete, is passionate about protecting marine environments, education, and providing much-needed Black representation in a typically homogenous field. Photo courtesy of Mequela Moreno. Mequela Moreno is on a mission to reshape concrete jungles into marine sanctuaries, while proving that protecting coastal communities starts with breaking barriers in and outside of the lab. ​Moreno, environmental affairs manager for ECOncre

The Black Money Movement is a political action organization supporting community wealth and economic circulation in the South St. Petersburg area, including Cash Mob advocacy for Black-owned businesses. Pictured: Cash Mob at Juggs Soul Food Kitchen, St. Pete. Photo by Jabaar Edmond. Following the reported mistreatment of resident Carlisa Wilson and neighborhood children on September 8, 2025, the South St. Petersburg community moved to boycott the Snax Convenience Store. This

From left: David Thompson, director of government affairs and co-chair of St. Petersburg’s AI Task Force, City Councilmember Copley Gerdes, and Mayor Ken Welch. Photo: City of St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg officials believe artificial intelligence can, potentially, revolutionize city operations, municipal service delivery, and workforce productivity. But first, they need more information on the rapidly evolving technology. ​Mayor Ken Welch’s administration has issued a form

Rooted in the founders’ Zimbabwean heritage and Shona background, EnnYe brings together print, color, and everyday wearability. Photo retrieved from @ennye_collection Black designers have long shaped the language of fashion, from the way trends move through communities to the way culture shows up in texture, color, silhouette, and storytelling. Still, their presence inside the broader fashion industry remains limited. Essence reported that only 7.3 percent of American fashio