Tag: Tampa Bay
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The Tarpon Springs City Commission has approved new rules banning large vehicles and boat trailers from parking on residential streets near the Craig Park Boat Ramp, over the objections of boaters who say the city should first provide alternative parking. The revised ordinance, passed on second reading March 10, prohibits any vehicle or attached trailer…
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Small business owners near the intersection of Bloomingdale Avenue and Kings Avenue in eastern Hillsborough County say a major water main project has caused their sales to fall by as much as 60 percent, and they want relief before more damage is done. The construction project involves a 26-mile water main, five feet wide, that…
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Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that the state will construct a new fishing pier on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway and renovate the existing structure on the Pinellas County side, both prompted by damage from Hurricane Milton. Part of the current Skyway Fishing Pier on the Manatee County side has been closed…
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The Tampa Bay area is experiencing a significant influx of visitors and spending this week as the Valspar Championship golf tournament and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament’s first and second rounds overlap with an already busy spring break season. The Valspar Championship teed off Thursday at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, while Tampa is hosting…
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School resource officers (SROs) in Hernando County will begin wearing body cameras when students return from spring break on March 24, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday. Sheriff Al Nienhuis said the rollout is part of a broader effort to equip all sheriff’s deputies with body cameras following funding approval received several months ago.…
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Tarpon Springs city officials are considering charging non-residents $5 to park at Sunset Beach and its adjoining Splash Park, a move that would bring the popular destination in line with the city’s other beach, Howard Park Beach, which already charges for parking. According to cell phone data obtained by the city, approximately 291,000 non-residents visited…
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Amazon has introduced its Prime Air drone delivery service to the Tampa Bay area, operating out of the company’s TPA1 fulfillment center in Ruskin — marking the program’s first Florida location. Eligible customers within an eight-mile radius of the Ruskin facility can receive orders within 30 minutes to an hour of placing them. The service…
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“Blood Moon” to Grace Tampa Bay Skies Tuesday Morning A total lunar eclipse will be visible over Tampa Bay in the early hours of Tuesday, March 3, giving local sky-watchers a chance to see the moon turn a deep red — a phenomenon commonly called a “Blood Moon.” The moon will begin to visibly darken…
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The Tampa Bay Rays have announced the first in a series of public community engagement sessions to discuss plans for a proposed new ballpark and surrounding mixed-use district in Tampa. The meetings are scheduled to begin March 3 at Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry campus, with additional sessions planned for March 10 at Jefferson High…
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Enrollment in virtual schooling is rising in Sarasota County, with the school district reporting a roughly 15% to 20% increase compared with the previous year. Experts and educators say the growth reflects a broader trend of students and families seeking more flexible and individualized learning options. Students in online programs can work at their own…
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The Tampa Bay region is preparing for an influx of visitors as the spring break travel season begins this week and is expected to last through mid-April. Although local school districts in the area have not yet started their breaks, officials anticipate that travelers will begin arriving immediately and continue over the next six weeks.…
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Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez unveiled an online calculator this week that allows homeowners and business owners to estimate how proposed state property tax reductions could affect their tax bills. The tool comes as Florida lawmakers debate a series of proposals that, if approved by the Legislature and voters, could significantly reduce or eliminate…
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Two budget air carriers are adding new routes to the Tampa Bay area this year, giving travelers more low-cost options out of two regional airports. Breeze Airways announced three new nonstop routes from Tampa International Airport (TPA) beginning this summer. Starting July 1, the airline will offer service to Fort Lauderdale 13 times weekly, as…
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A St. Petersburg community leader has proposed constructing a large retractable wall across the entrance to Tampa Bay to help reduce flooding from hurricane-driven storm surge. The idea, outlined to state lawmakers this week, has drawn interest but also skepticism from elected officials focusing on more immediate resilience measures. Kevin Batdorf, the immediate past president…
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St. Petersburg city leaders are laying the groundwork to accommodate electric air taxis — known as eVTOLs, or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft — at Albert Whitted Airport, following the release of a roadmap from the city’s Advanced Air Mobility Task Force. The task force, led by chair Ed Montanari, presented its recommendations to…
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The Florida Cabinet voted Tuesday to grant a 22-acre parcel of state land to Hillsborough Community College (HC), clearing a key hurdle for a proposed Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium on the college’s Dale Mabry Highway campus in Tampa. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who presided over the vote, cited the potential economic benefits for both the…
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Pinellas County Animal Services has integrated an AI-powered platform into its operations to help match lost pets with their owners, and early results suggest the technology is working. The agency began using Petco Love Lost — a free tool developed by Petco’s nonprofit arm — roughly two months ago through its Found Center website. People…
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Three area beaches in the Tampa Bay region were ranked among the top beaches in the United States in TripAdvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice “Best of the Best” list, the travel platform’s annual ranking based on millions of traveler reviews and ratings. The beaches recognized from the region are: The Travelers’ Choice Awards reflect sustained positive…
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The City of St. Petersburg has adopted a new housing policy that permits churches and other places of worship to use underutilized land to build affordable housing, making it the first city in Florida to implement the statewide “Yes In God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) framework into local zoning. Under the policy, religious institutions can rezone unused…
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The City of Lakeland has announced that construction on a long-planned “road diet” project along South Florida Avenue in the Dixieland corridor is expected to begin in spring 2027, after the design phase reaches about 60% completion. The project, estimated to cost $22 million, calls for reducing the road between Ariana Street and Lime Street…
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency has committed $16.5 million to reimburse St. Petersburg for repairs to Tropicana Field, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in October 2024. St. Petersburg Assistant City Administrator Tom Greene informed City Council members of the expected reimbursement in a Feb. 10 email, describing it as “an extremely promising step…
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The historic Tampa Theatre is preparing to close part of its facility this spring for a roughly $30 million renovation, city and theatre officials announced as the venue approaches its 100th anniversary in October 2026. The project, part of the theatre’s “Second Century Campaign,” will focus on restoring decorative finishes in the auditorium, updating production…
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St. Petersburg officials say that Tropicana Field repairs will be completed by Opening Day on April 6, 2026, more than a year after Hurricane Milton severely damaged the stadium. City leaders conducted a final media walkthrough of the facility on Friday, marking a significant milestone in the stadium’s recovery. Hurricane Milton tore through the stadium’s…
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Several Tampa Bay area cities were ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Places to Live in Florida in 2025-2026.” Riverview ranked 11th in the state. The job market in Riverview is better than the national average, with an unemployment rate of 3.8%, lower than the national average of 4.5%. The median home value…
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The Tampa Bay Rays will hold their annual Fan Fest on Saturday, February 14, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. outside Tropicana Field. The event will take place on 16th Street South due to ongoing repairs inside the ballpark. Admission is free, though attendees must claim tickets through the Rays website. Free parking will be…
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Tampa Bay area school districts are weighing whether to add 2% and whole milk to cafeteria menus following federal legislation that made the higher-fat options available again. President Donald Trump signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act in January, reversing a nearly 15-year ban on 2% and whole milk in schools. The Obama administration…
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Tampa Bay homebuyers are canceling purchase agreements at one of the highest rates in the nation, according to recent real estate data. Around 20% of pending Tampa Bay home sales fell through in September, higher than the national average of 15%, according to Redfin. In December, Tampa saw 19.4% of contracts canceled, placing it fifth-highest…
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An unusually strong cold snap sweeping through the Tampa Bay region this winter is now creating additional obstacles for homeowners still recovering from the destructive 2024 hurricane season, according to local officials and construction experts. Temperatures that have dipped well below seasonal norms — with sub-freezing lows and forecasts of 20s in some areas —…
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The Southwest Florida Water Management District has declared a Modified Phase II “severe” water shortage, placing the Tampa Bay region, including Hillsborough County, under a Stage 2 drought warning because of prolonged dry conditions and low water levels. Under the new restrictions, outdoor lawn watering will be limited to one day per week from Feb.…
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Three Bahama Breeze restaurants in the Tampa Bay area are set to be rebranded as part of a larger shift by their parent company, Darden Restaurants Inc., which is winding down the Caribbean-themed chain. Darden announced that it will permanently close 14 of the 28 Bahama Breeze locations nationwide by April 5, 2026, and convert…
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A $15.3 million pedestrian overpass on the Courtney Campbell Causeway is expected to open by the end of the year, providing a walking and cycling route between Clearwater Beach and Tampa. The city of Clearwater is now planning improvements to the 1.6-mile Bayshore Trail, which will connect directly to the overpass. The trail runs from…
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The Florida State Fair returns to Tampa Thursday for a 12-day run through Feb. 16 with the theme “America’s Sunniest Celebration” honoring the nation’s 250th birthday. The fair opens with discounted admission promotions throughout its run, including Heroes Day on opening day offering free admission to law enforcement, first responders, active or retired military, medical…
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A section of the public fishing pier at Picnic Island Park in Tampa collapsed late Saturday night, city officials confirmed, prompting an ongoing safety investigation. According to the City of Tampa, the collapse happened while the pier was open to the public, but no injuries were reported and no one was trapped in the incident.…
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More than a year and a half after back-to-back hurricanes struck Tampa Bay—Helene and Milton—residents who opted into Elevate Florida continue to wait for federal approval. The program, administered by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), received over $400 million in federal funding, primarily through FEMA programs such as the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.…
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A rare arctic cold outbreak is bringing potentially generational cold temperatures to the Tampa Bay area this weekend, with meteorologists monitoring the possibility of Gulf-effect snow—a phenomenon similar to lake-effect snow that occurs when cold air moves over warmer Gulf waters. A piece of the polar vortex is breaking off and moving south into the…
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Tampa City Council met Wednesday to discuss a comprehensive flood mitigation project for South Tampa’s South Howard Avenue district, with estimated costs reaching $98 million. The South Howard Flood Relief Project addresses chronic flooding in the area through a complete overhaul of aging stormwater drainage infrastructure. The plan includes underground pipe replacement, widened sidewalks, enhanced…
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Meteorologists are tracking the possibility of gulf-effect snow in parts of Florida late Saturday into Sunday morning, though conditions must align precisely for the rare weather phenomenon to occur. The setup requires cold air from a weekend cold front to rush over the warmer Gulf of Mexico waters, creating atmospheric instability similar to lake-effect snow…
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The Museum of Science and Industry has officially changed its name to the Museum of Science and Innovation while retaining the MOSI acronym it has used for more than four decades. The rebranding was announced Tuesday during a science-themed ceremony at the museum’s North Tampa campus near the University of South Florida. Museum President and…
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The Polk County School Board unanimously approved a rezoning plan for all 16 of its high schools Tuesday, marking the final vote on a proposal aimed at addressing enrollment imbalances across the district. The rezoning follows years of data analysis, demographic studies, and research on population trends, according to Superintendent Frederick Heid. The new boundaries…
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The southbound lanes of the Howard Frankland Bridge will be closed overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning for construction work. The Florida Department of Transportation announced the closure will begin at 11 p.m. Wednesday, January 28, and lasts until 5 a.m. Thursday, January 29. The closure is needed to finalize the installation of overhead signage as…
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The City of Tampa has issued parking guidelines for the 2026 Gasparilla Parade of Pirates, warning attendees to expect heavy traffic and plan accordingly. Event parking is available at Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest for $30, and city-run garages will also be open. The city recommends allowing extra time to arrive and secure parking.…
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Duke Energy is alerting customers about a scam falsely claiming they will experience scheduled power outages. The utility company confirmed these messages did not come from Duke Energy and urged customers to avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. Duke Energy advises customers who receive such communications to contact the company directly to…
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Southwest Florida Water Management District Expected to Tighten Watering Restrictions Due to Drought
The Southwest Florida Water Management District board is expected to approve stricter outdoor watering restrictions on Tuesday in response to an ongoing drought affecting the region’s underground aquifer. The new Phase 2 restrictions would reduce lawn watering to once per week for properties under one acre, down from the current twice-weekly limit. Several areas including…
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