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Ken Babby (left), CEO of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Ken Atwater, President of Hillsborough College, field questions from the Tampa City Council on Tuesday night. Image: Screengrab. While details remain scarce, city officials and residents had their first opportunity to discuss a $2.3 billion stadium deal with the Tampa Bay Rays at a nearly four-hour-long workshop on Tuesday. ​Questions from Tampa’s City Council largely mirrored those recently posed at a Hillsborough County Comm

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor emphasized the importance of uplifting neighborhoods during her State of the City address on Tuesday. All photos: City of Tampa. Mayor Jane Castor chose a unique venue for her seventh, and likely last, State of the City address - a sparkling new community center in underserved East Tampa. ​Castor told attendees who packed the Fair Oaks Community Center on Tuesday that the centerpiece of a $34.7 million project completed in December represented the cit

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (front, left) and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch. Castor will no longer represent the city under Florida’s new congressional map. Photo

A Drone Hive atop the St. Petersburg Police Department’s headquarters launches one of three remotely operated aircraft that now respond to calls for

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

Mayor Ken Welch launched the St. Pete Agile Resilience (SPAR) Plan in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. How to fund the program remains an issue.

Stakeholders from Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Hubbard’s Marina, the Tampa Bay Ferry’s operator, joined Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority leadership on Monday

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

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

Chris Hackney, chief lending officer for Lendesca. Photo courtesy of Chris Hackney. ​Lending expert Chris Hackney is passionate about helping small business owners receive the capital they need to thrive. However, protracted application processes can sink those already struggling to stay afloat. ​Hackney helped launch Lendesca, which offers a faster, more efficient pathway to secure U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, to mitigate accessibility hurdles. A beta ver

“All Power to the People: Arts & Letters Cultural Experience” event flyer. Image Courtesy of St. Petersburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. With the midterm election season fast approaching, voter registration is a vital issue, and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) events are starting to pick up steam. The St. Petersburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (SPAC) is working to raise awareness and engagement on the topic through their event, “All Power to the Peop

From back left: Hillsborough County Commissioners Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers, former Judge E.J. Salcines, and his wife, Elsa, celebrate the reopening of Salcines Park on April 28. The park was named in honor of Salcines’ father, Emiliano. All photos: City of Tampa. Salcines Park, named after a Hispanic civic leader and once considered the gateway to West Tampa, has a new lease on life after falling into disrepair. ​The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) recently com

Pinellas County Commissioner Renee Flowers chairs the Human Rights Board and is a staunch supporter of the office it governs. Photo by Mark Parker. ​Pinellas County is no longer considering dismantling the department responsible for protecting residents from several forms of discrimination after an independent report highlighted its value. ​Commissioner Chris Scherer recommended eliminating the Office of Human Rights in August 2025, amid Florida Department of Government Effi

Members of four previously shortlisted development teams vying to reimagine the Historic Gas Plant District, currently home to Tropicana Field, field questions at The Coliseum on Thursday night. All photos by Mark Parker. Several hundred St. Petersburg residents are still very much engaged in the latest effort to redevelop 86 hallowed acres – the Historic Gas Plant District. ​While it may have felt like déjà vu, stakeholders filled most of the 500 seats at The Coliseum on We

Cobb, far right, FLOWERS Youth participants, and Daniel Arango, USF Civil Engineering student, far left. Image courtesy of Dominique Cobb.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers (center, left) and Tax Collector Nancy Millan (center, right) celebrated the launch of a new mobile service center on Tuesday. Photos: Hillsborough County. ​Seniors, residents with disabilities, those who lack reliable transportation, and anyone who struggles to access government services have a new resource in Hillsborough County. ​Tax Collector Nancy […]

Deputy County Administrator Greg Horwedel (standing) called the Tampa Bay Rays’ timeline “very aggressive” when there is still “a lot of work that needs to be done” at a workshop on April 16. Image: Screengrab. Hillsborough County officials have told the Tampa Bay Rays that meeting the team’s aggressive deadline to finalize a stadium deal […]

St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch emphasized the need for more research, which requires digging, and pledged to “do the right thing.” Photo by Mark Parker. ​Confirming if human remains are still buried underneath a parking lot at Tropicana Field requires digging. City Councilmember Corey Givens Jr. believes community stakeholders should decide the best path forward. […]

Current students, Black alumni, faculty, and staff gather during Stetson Law’s 2026 Black Alumni Gala, where the chapter celebrated its history and the relationships helping guide the next generation of Black legal professionals.Photo courtesy of Mason At Stetson University College of Law, the Black Law Students Association has long served as a source of support, […]

The fifth Epsilon Class of the Beautillion Militaire. Image Courtesy of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s St. Petersburg Alumnae Chapter. The St. Petersburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (SPAC) is celebrating the Beautillion Militaire Experience this Sunday, April 26, 6 pm, at The Coliseum, 535 4th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. The […]

From left: Cynthia Glover, Tamisha Darling-Roberson, and Keiran Madgwick during Realtist Week 2026. Darling-Roberson organized the events as founder and president of the Pinellas County Association of Realtists (PCAR). Photo courtesy of PCAR. ​The strain of organizing seven events in as many days – while running a business -couldn’t stifle Tamisha Darling-Roberson’s enthusiasm as she […]

South St. Petersburg neighborhoods have the highest Transportation Disadvantaged Program utilization rates in all of Pinellas County. Photo by Mark Parker. Mayor Ken Welch’s administration has increased funding for a popular program that ensures low-income St. Petersburg residents can afford transportation. The state-funded Transportation Disadvantaged Program, which launched in 2016, provides reduced-cost fares for qualified […]

The Deuces Live District has a state-designated Main Street, one of four in St. Petersburg. Photos by Mark Parker. St. Petersburg is home to four state-designated Main Streets that foster economic development and historic preservation in traditional business districts. A lack of funding is hindering growth and expansion. ​On April 16, city officials explored avenues […]