Category: Features
-
September 26th and October 9th will mark the two-year anniversaries of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. But even twenty-three months after the destruction that both storms fiercely unleashed, there are still homeowners trying to recover. Although much of the Tampa Bay area, including Pinellas County, has rebuilt and rebounded, a substantial number of residents remain uncertain…
-
St. Pete city officials and residents of the Shore Acres neighborhood gathered Wednesday to discuss a $32 million flood mitigation project aimed at reducing chronic flooding in the low-lying St. Petersburg community. The plan calls for building a new pump station and replacing part of a culvert on Connecticut Avenue, with construction expected to begin…
·
-
Citrus County commissioners are preparing to hear a proposal for a large artificial intelligence data center, but say they want local guidelines established before any project moves forward. The proposal involves the development of an AI data center on roughly 800 acres near County Road 491 and Tram Road in the Lecanto area. Commissioners are…
·
-
Tropical Storm Lorenzo continues to weaken in the central Atlantic and currently poses no threat to the U.S. mainland, according to forecasters. Meteorologists say no new tropical systems are expected to form across the Atlantic basin within the next seven days. The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor the tropics, but conditions remain unfavorable for…
·
-
When Jim and Rachelle Pennington bought their house in St. Pete’s Oak Ridge neighborhood in March of 2001, they imagined it would be their forever home—a safe and comfortable place to grow and raise a family. The property had everything the young couple needed to build a firm foundation for the kids they had planned…
-
As Pinellas County residents continue to rebuild after hurricanes Helene and Milton, a troubling issue in Collier County is a stark warning: widespread permit fraud could leave property owners facing costly and complex consequences. In Collier County, officials revealed that at least 400 single-family homes and commercial buildings were issued certificates of occupancy using fraudulent…
·
-
The St. Petersburg City Council has greenlit potential remedies for the exorbitant water bills that have plagued numerous residents. The issue of sky-high water bills emerged in the wake of last year’s hurricanes, with some residents reporting bills ranging from $1,000 to a staggering $10,000. At a public hearing, frustrated residents voiced their exasperation over…
-
A heated zoning hearing on Monday night saw Seffner residents and representatives of a salvage yard clash over proposed upgrades, with neighbors raising alarms about potential drinking water contamination. Last month, an investigation by WTSP revealed that the salvage yard, operated by American and Import Auto Parts, is not in compliance with current zoning regulations…
-
The Tampa Bay Rays are demanding that Tropicana Field be fully repaired and ready for opening day of the 2026 season. However, leaders from the City of St. Petersburg have clarified that their agreement does not include a specific deadline for these repairs. The damage caused by a hurricane and the shredded roof of Tropicana…
-
Hurricane shutters are handy for home protection. They are usually simple to install and when customized, are ready to go on short notice. These storm-proofing shutters are made from a variety of materials and when danger is nigh, can help protect residential and commercial properties alike from extensive damage. However, such utilitarian items are intended…
-
Red light running is a serious problem across Tampa Bay – especially in Pinellas County. Within just 273.8 square miles, a complex network of major thoroughfares and intersections serves nearly 1 million residents (961,400), or 3,339 people per square mile, and its population is the most dense in the entire Sunshine State. At the last…
-
With Tropical Storm Milton spinning and soon forming into Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico and on a path to the west coast of Florida, residents of the Sunshine State, still reeling from Hurricane Helene, must prepare for another powerful tropical weather event and many projected to be potential victims will board up windows,…
-
4.7 million. That’s how many households Lost power across six states, according to the latest figures. Approximately 1. 2 million Florida homes were without electricity when Hurricane Helene passed west of the Gulf beaches and eventually made landfall across the Big Bend region. As of this morning, 21,000 Florida homeowners still have no power, down…
·
-
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport or PIE is where our son experienced his first interaction with airplanes as a toddler and was the same location as his first flight to…
·