Author: stpeteclearwatersun
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Beachgoers who have parked at some of Pinellas County’s most popular waterfront parks for years on a flat $6 daily fee may soon be asked to foot a much larger bill, as county commissioners weigh a fee restructuring that could push costs as high as $28 a day. Under the proposal, the county would scrap…
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Manatee County commissioners voted Wednesday unanimously to prohibit Flock license plate-reading cameras from being installed at county-operated parks, facilities and buildings, citing concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of surveillance technology. The 5-0 vote comes as automated license plate readers face increasing scrutiny across the Tampa Bay region and elsewhere in Florida. The decision…
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The City of Tampa has settled with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection after state inspectors documented illegal discharges, permit violations and persistent sewage odors at the Howard F. Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, south of downtown. The city was staring down a fine of nearly $590,000. Instead, under a deal state regulators call an…
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A license plate reader program credited with helping deputies solve felonies and locate missing children is being shut down after Pasco County commissioners turned against it, Sheriff Chris Nocco announced this week. Nocco notified the Board of County Commissioners that he is terminating the interlocal agreement governing the license plate detection systems, effective September 30.…
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Longtime Clearwater residents near The Landings golf course are pushing back against a city-backed plan to convert the greenspace into a multi-use recreation center, arguing that City Hall’s redevelopment ambitions threaten to upend a quiet residential neighborhood that never signed up for the change. Neighbors say they aren’t opposed to development outright — but they…
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Two years after the City of Tampa scaled back regulations on accessory dwelling units, homeowners across the city are moving to add small second structures to their properties — proof, backers say, of what happens when local government gets out of the way of private property owners. Renee King has had an ADU on her…
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Florida recorded the largest decline in Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollment in the country this year after enhanced federal subsidies expired, forcing many residents to confront the actual cost of coverage. About 440,000 Floridians left their ACA plans following the January end of the COVID-era premium assistance, according to figures first reported by the Associated…
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Tampa International Airport will keep its security checkpoints staffed entirely by federal Transportation Security Administration officers after a months-long review of switching to a program that would have brought in private-sector screeners under federal oversight. TSA approached airport leaders earlier this year about joining TSA Gold+, a public-private partnership model that replaces federal screening officers…
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County leaders are advancing a permanent, county-wide ban on large-scale data centers in unincorporated Volusia County, opting for the most restrictive regulatory route available rather than a temporary pause while the issues get sorted out. At an Aug. 17 meeting, officials chose to pursue an outright ban instead of a moratorium, and the county has…
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Hillsborough County taxpayers are about to find out whether nearly $880 million in public money will flow to a professional sports franchise, as local governments prepare to finalize a deal that has grown and shifted in the final stretch before a vote. Tampa City Council is scheduled to vote on the stadium funding package Thursday,…
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Florida is expanding a state program that helps families pay for children’s swimming lessons as officials confront a troubling rise in childhood drowning deaths. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation earlier this year expanding eligibility for Florida’s swimming lesson voucher program from children age 4 and younger to children ages 1 through 7. The program was…
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Drivers navigating the intersection of Seminole and Park boulevards have spent recent weeks dodging orange cones, heavy equipment, and shifting lane patterns as Pinellas County pushes forward with a long-planned signal overhaul. The project will replace the intersection’s aging span-wire traffic signals with permanent steel mast arms, eliminate the concrete “half-moon” slip lanes used for…
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Hillsborough County commissioners last week approved a 280-home development north of Dorman Road, rejecting an organized push by area residents to block it — a decision that puts the county’s growth management process, not just a piece of pasture, to the test. The residential project has been the target of Preserve Rural Lithia, a resident…
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Tampa’s Community Redevelopment Agency asked residents Wednesday to weigh in on how the taxpayer-funded agency should keep spending public money in Ybor City, part of an ongoing process that officials say will eventually funnel recommendations up to city leaders for a final decision. Urban planner Riva Heinrich, who addressed attendees at the meeting, said the…
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City Hall is asking St. Petersburg residents to dig deeper into their pockets again, with a fresh round of utility rate hikes set for a first vote this Thursday — just six days before voters head to the polls to pick the city’s next mayor. If the St. Petersburg City Council signs off, the increases…
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Dengue fever is gaining ground across Tampa Bay this summer, with local health departments confirming multiple mosquito-borne cases in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties as the region enters its highest-risk stretch of the year. Hillsborough County reported its first locally-acquired dengue fever case of 2026 in late July, marking the first such case reported anywhere in…
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City officials in Palmetto are moving ahead with a new flood adaptation plan, but for residents still repairing homes damaged by the 2024 hurricane season, the process is a reminder of how slowly government responses can move compared to the losses homeowners absorb on their own. The Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has hired Applied…
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After watching hurricanes Helene and Milton rack up as much as $300,000 in damage to a single city building in 2024, Bradenton Beach is trying something refreshingly simple: spend a little now to avoid paying a lot more later. The city has installed a Tiger Dam system at its public works building, a barrier made…
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Tampa City Hall is pressing ahead with a $100 million stormwater overhaul in South Tampa, and while officials insist the massive underground project will fix chronic flooding, the businesses and residents who’ll have to live through years of construction are increasingly asking who’s really paying the price. The South Howard Flood Relief Project would bury…
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The school bell isn’t the only thing ringing across Tampa Bay this week. So are cash registers. As students head back to class Monday, local governments are flipping school zone speed cameras back on across Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Lakeland, Bradenton and Sarasota. A Spectrum Bay News 9 Watchdog investigation found the…
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While inflation keeps eating into household budgets, Florida is doing something increasingly rare among state governments: getting out of the way and letting families keep more of their own paychecks. The state’s monthlong back-to-school sales tax holiday began July 20 and runs through Aug. 20, exempting clothing, shoes, backpacks, school supplies and computers from sales…
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A citizen-led petition drive is closing in on the signatures needed to force Clearwater City Hall to reconsider a decision that handed over a public street to the Church of Scientology, with organizers arguing residents were cut out of a call that should have been theirs to make. The Clearwater City Council voted 3-2 on…
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Pasco County Schools is telling parents to cut back on screen time this year — then handing them a new app to spend more time on their phones. District leaders unveiled “Pasco One,” a consolidated app that folds transportation schedules, cafeteria payments, and school communications into a single login. It replaces roughly three separate apps…
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The Sirata Beach Resort unveiled a $25 million renovation Wednesday night during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking a major transformation for the 65-year-old property. The overhaul included the addition of central air conditioning, hurricane impact windows, refurbished guest rooms, renovated restaurants, and an updated pool and beachfront bar. As part of the project, the resort also…
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Roughly 62,000 hospitality-related jobs in Hillsborough County are either currently unfilled or expected to open in the near future… #PIESun — local St. Pete-Clearwater & Tampa Bay, FL news
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A new affordable townhome development is moving forward in Tarpon Springs after receiving unanimous approval from the City Commission. The project will bring 32 townhomes to a site on Mango Street near Disston Avenue, just outside the city’s downtown area. City leaders approved the development as part of an ongoing effort to increase housing options…
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New research shows that nearly half of working households across Tampa Bay are struggling financially, even as local food assistance organizations report record levels of aid distributed to the community. According to data from the Tampa Bay Partnership, 46% of working households in the Tampa Bay region continue to struggle to make ends meet. Feeding…
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Construction has entered the first visible phase of Port Tampa Bay’s planned fourth cruise terminal, marking the beginning of a major expansion of the port’s cruise operations. Crews have started filling the former Metroport site, preparing the land for the future terminal. Port officials said the work represents the first noticeable stage of a long-term…
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Sarasota city commissioners have unanimously voted to suspend recently expanded paid parking enforcement following weeks of criticism from residents and downtown business owners. The suspension pauses longer parking enforcement hours that took effect earlier this summer while city leaders review the program and consider potential changes. Commissioners said they plan to gather additional public input…
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St. Petersburg officials are considering a long-term plan to gradually replace many of the St. Pete Pier Marketplace’s temporary vendor tents with permanent kiosks, a proposal intended to improve the experience for both merchants and visitors. The Pier Marketplace currently includes seven permanent kiosks and 21 tent spaces that house nearly 30 local businesses selling…
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The Oldsmar City Council has approved the key terms of a development agreement that would transform 8 acres of city-owned land into a walkable downtown district. The site sits between Tampa Road, State Street and Washington Avenue. Under the terms approved in late July, the city attorney will now draft a formal development agreement based…
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Central Florida is expanding infrastructure to support testing and future operations of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, known as eVTOLs, as state and local officials prepare for the potential introduction of short-distance regional air travel. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority has approved plans to develop a vertiport at Orlando International Airport that would support…
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Pinellas County collected more than $36 million in tourist development taxes this spring, marking a new record for Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, the county’s tourism marketing organization. Tourism officials said 12% of visitors now travel specifically for special events, including sporting competitions such as the St. Pete Grand Prix and the Red Bull Cliff Diving Competition,…
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St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch says the city is moving into a new phase of redevelopment for the Historic Gas Plant District following the selection of development proposals for the long-vacant site, emphasizing affordable housing, economic opportunity and honoring commitments made to the former neighborhood. Speaking during a recent edition of WFLA’s Rooted in Progress,…
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Rising prices are hitting parents hard this back-to-school season, prompting the city of Clearwater and community partners to step up with free backpack and supply giveaways ahead of the new school year. According to data from The Century Foundation and Groundwork Collaborative, families will pay significantly more for basic supplies than they did last year,…
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Time is nearly up for Pinellas County residents hoping to tap into an unusual pot of federal disaster money that helps hurricane survivors buy homes instead of just repairing them. The Pinellas Recovers Homebuyer Assistance Program is accepting applications through Friday, offering eligible residents up to $80,000 in down payment assistance using federal disaster recovery…
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The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority will launch a new bus route this October connecting downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport, a change local business owners say could ease chronic parking shortages in the downtown corridor. The route will cross the Howard Frankland Bridge daily and include nine stops throughout downtown St. Petersburg. Downtown business…
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With the 2026-2027 school year approaching, community organizations across the Tampa Bay area are hosting a wave of giveaway events to help families stock up on backpacks, school supplies and other essentials before the first day of class. Citrus County The FUMC Homosassa Back to School Bash runs Saturday, Aug. 1, from 10 a.m. to…
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Hillsborough County Public Schools will provide free meals to all students at select schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2026-2027 school year, the district announced. CEP is a provision that allows eligible schools to offer meals to all students at no cost to their families, regardless of household income. The district…
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Hillsborough County officials are urging residents with serious medical needs to register for storm assistance well before a hurricane threatens the area, rather than waiting until an evacuation is imminent. The push came during the county’s final “Make a Plan” community discussion, which focused on helping residents preregister for special needs shelters and transportation services…
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Florida’s Division of Unclaimed Property is currently holding more than $2 billion in forgotten money and unclaimed property that belongs to residents and former residents statewide, according to the state’s Department of Financial Services. Officials estimate that roughly one in five Floridians has unclaimed funds tied to a forgotten financial account. The unclaimed property typically…
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The City of St. Petersburg’s long-running franchise agreement with Duke Energy is set to expire at midnight Friday, and the city currently has no active negotiations underway to renew it, according to Duke spokesperson Ana Gibbs. Gibbs said Duke is reviewing what the expiration will mean for both the city and the company, and that…
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A certified arborist is urging Tampa Bay property owners to inspect the trees on their property for signs of disease and structural weakness before severe weather hits, saying a healthy, well-pruned tree remains the best defense against storm damage. Lee Claxton, a board-certified arborist, walked through warning signs to look for, including branches overloaded with…
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Manatee County commissioners are weighing a proposal for an $80 million indoor sports and entertainment complex that would bring four hockey rinks to Lakewood Ranch, setting up a debate between families eager for expanded youth sports access and neighbors worried about traffic and noise. The project, known as Project Grace, would occupy roughly 22 acres…
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