Shopapalooza Fest returns to St. Pete with music, makers and more
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (BLOOM) – From soulful duos and beachy bands to an adoptable pet runway show, the 15th Annual Shopapalooza Festival is tuning up for what organizers say will be its biggest year yet. The two-day event, set for Thanksgiving weekend, returns to Vinoy Park on Nov. 29 and 30 with more than 350 […]
City of St. Petersburg takes first step to study dropping Duke Energy
ST. PETERSBURG — More than a year after the idea was first floated, St. Petersburg city leaders took the first step July 31 toward studying what it would mean to drop Duke Energy as the electricity provider citywide. The vote of the City Council’s sustainability committee was 2-1 in...
DOGE visits Pinellas County, commissioner says a lot can be ‘trimmed down’
Efforts to make local governments more efficient are underway in the Tampa Bay area.
Lakeland nurse sentenced after stealing fentanyl from patients, injecting in bathroom
A Lakeland nurse has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to stealing fentanyl from patients across Tampa Bay.
Florida nurse used cup to take fentanyl from patients’ IV treatments: DOJ
A Florida registered nurse was sentenced after he was found guilty of using fentanyl intended for patients.
Nation’s longest-running MLK Parade will not lose funding
A new organizer, budget crunch and state auditors will not, at least for now, affect St. Petersburg’s support for its storied Martin Luther King (MLK) Parade. Councilmember Gina Driscoll caused a community stir when she broached the topic at a July 31 budget meeting. She questioned why the annual event’s allocation...
Florida’s State Fair ranks in USA TODAY’s ‘10Best’ State Fairs in the U.S.
Florida has more than 100 county fairs and festivals each year, but there’s only one official state fair. Held in Tampa, Florida, every February, the Florida State Fair recently ranked as one of the 10 best state fairs in the country by a panel of experts and USA TODAY readers. “From funnel cake to enormous pumpkins,...
Massachusetts Sheriff Arrested In Florida On Extortion Charges
Federal Prosecutors Allege Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins Leveraged His Position for Personal Gain in Cannabis Company Scheme. Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins has been arrested in Florida and indicted on two counts of ‘Extortion Under Color of Official Right,’ according to the U.S. Attorney’s...
Strawberry Festival to exclude swine show participants west of I-75, citing space concerns
PLANT CITY, Fla. - The Strawberry Festival is overflowing with livestock, and its organizers are changing the rules to try to get control of it. However, their new plan to restrict participation in the swine show is ruffling some feathers on the western side of Hillsborough County. Kids at schools west of I-75 will...
Pinellas prepares for students with new school, maintains ‘A’ grade
LARGO, Fla. (WFLA) — From following a hot trend of combining K-8 schools to welcoming students back to schools that suffered major hurricane damage last year, Pinellas County School Superintendent Kevin Hendrick is excited to get back to learning. Hendrick was once himself a student at Walsingham Elementary. He tells...
