Saint Petersburg FL

Capt. Matt Cowden (727-534-6603): Capt. Matt reports the cold water over the past week had the sheepshead and black drum fired up in Pasco’s inshore waters. Both species are resilient and feed well even in winter conditions. Live shrimp around bars, docks and rocks takes both. Trout fishing has been good, with a lot...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg is the first city in Florida to adopt the “Yes In God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) housing policy, allowing churches and other places of worship to build affordable housing on unused land. City leaders say the effort could help close a widening...

After six years of anticipation, a new five-story food hall in the heart of downtown St. Pete is finally ready to welcome its first guests. Central Park, the 27,700-square-foot food hall at 551 Central Avenue, will begin rolling out its 14 concepts in phases rather than opening all at once.

(Photo by Ryan Williams-Jent) The inaugural Winter Pride welcomed an estimated 57,000 people to St. Petersburg last year. Originally presented in partnership with the Grand Central District, that success led organizers to form an independent nonprofit while planning this year’s return, set for Feb. 15-22. Executive...

Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol responded to a two-vehicle collision yesterday in Pinellas County that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist. According to the FHP report, at approximately 3:20 pm, a Suzuki motorcycle, operated by a 20-year-old Clearwater man, was traveling northbound on South Highland...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA)— A St. Petersburg police officer was arrested Monday for domestic battery while on parental leave, the police department announced. Officer Curtis Wright was arrested on February 16 and charged with domestic battery. Wright is currently on parental leave until March 6. “On March 7th, he...

Pinellas County school leaders took another hard look Tuesday at a controversial plan to close two campuses, merge others into K‑8 schools and expand an employee child‑care program, all under the districtwide “Planning for Progress” banner. The proposals are designed to tackle years of declining enrollment and rising...

SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla. — When Betty Harden agreed to a beach trip with friends nearly 70 years ago, she didn’t realize it would end with cameras, reporters and the city closing all of Spa Beach in downtown St. Petersburg simply because they were Black. At that time, the...

Midnight-shift Largo officers say a Friday night narcotics investigation ended with an assault-style rifle off the street, hundreds of grams of drugs seized and two 21-year-olds booked into the Pinellas County Jail. According to the department, officers arrested Zarion Wallace and Sierra Wright and recovered roughly...

Last February, nearly all of Pinellas County’s 10 local police departments signed “287(g) agreements,” which deputize local police to do some of the jobs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Records obtained by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay show that the agreements were signed within days of each...