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WUSF •

Here's how the Rays and St. Petersburg got to the historic redevelopment vote

In 2022, newly elected St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch announced he was going to start from scratch with a plan to redevelop the Historic Gas Plant District and build a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays to replace Tropicana Field.Welch scrapped the almost two years of planning led by previous mayor Rick Kriseman, leaving the city and developers to start from ground zero. But after the Pinellas County Commission approved the plan Tuesday, the proposal will now start to become a reality.Here is a...
WUSF •

'Our Changing State' Vote 24: What to expect on Florida's primary ballot

With all the drama and turmoil surrounding the upcoming presidential election, it might be easy to forget that Floridians have a primary vote on Aug. 20. Matthew Peddie, host of "Florida Matters" and the podcast "Our Changing State," speaks with WUSF reporter and producer Steve Newborn about what to expect on the upcoming primary ballot.There are several important elections.One is a school board measure. This August might be the last time Floridians get to vote in all the school board primaries...
WUSF •

Our Changing State Vote 24: What school board issues are at stake?

School board elections have been nonpartisan in Florida since 2000. That’s because voters here approved a constitutional amendment on the issue in 1998.But now there’s a proposal to make school board races partisan again — a constitutional amendment to reverse the one decided 25 years ago. Floridians will get to vote on Amendment 1 in November.One reason may be that in the past four years, school board meetings have gotten a lot more polarized. And these county level government agencies are gett...
WUSF •

How to decipher political ads this election season? Here's a primer

It takes a savvy voter to separate fact from fiction when it comes to making sense of political advertisements. Matthew Peddie, host of "Florida Matters" and the podcast "Our Changing State," interviewed Alex Mahadevan, the director of MediaWise — the Poynter Institute’s digital media literacy project — to talk about what voters need to know to make informed decisions. Voters can expect to see an influx of new and different political advertisements this election season. From AI to social medi...
WUSF •

USF launches a remotely operated vehicle for deep-sea exploration

More than 80% of the ocean remains unexplored by humans.With the help of a new remotely operated vehicle (ROV), researchers at the University of South Florida and Florida Institute of Oceanography hope to lower that percentage.Taurus will be able to sink down to depths of up to 2.5 miles while capturing 4k imagery.According to a news release, USF is the only university in the continental U.S. to operate a vehicle with these capabilities.Monty Graham, the director of FIO, said this ROV will bring...
WUSF •

Here are the Tampa-area athletes competing for Team USA in the Paris Olympics

The 2024 Summer Olympics are just three weeks away, and Florida is set to make a significant mark with an impressive number of athletes heading to the games in Paris.In all, 35 athletes from Florida will be on Team USA, with a dozen coming from Tampa Bay and surrounding areas.Among them is Nelly Korda, who won gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and reached No. 1 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings.Korda, a Bradenton native and daughter of former Czech tennis players, has had 14 LPGA tour wins and tw...
WUSF •

Here's how fans are reacting to Steven Stamkos' departure from the Lightning

Steven Stamkos, the longtime Lightning captain who helped lead the team to two Stanley Cups, has said goodbye to Tampa Bay after 16 seasons. Stamkos was drafted by the Lightning in 2008 when he was 18 years old as a saving grace for the team. He quickly became a symbol not only for the team but also the Tampa Bay area. His face could be spotted on bus stops and at Amalie Arena throughout the NHL season.Stamkos signed a four-year, $32 million deal with the Nashville Predators after he could not c...
WUSF •

The Tampa City Council is giving themselves a $20,000 pay raise

Tampa City Council members have voted to give themselves a pay raise.The annual salary for council members will go from $54,000 to $75,000 – an almost 40% increase.Mayor Jane Castor’s administration proposed the raises two years ago. Council members at that time voted 4-3 against them.Council member Gwen Henderson voted in favor of the raise at a workshop Thursday.“If you looked at it from if this was a full-time job, can a person afford to live in the city that they’re actually governing,” Hend...
WUSF •

Margaritaville at Sea cruises could be a boon for Tampa's tourism economy

A cruise ship that brings the island spirit of the late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett is now calling Port Tampa Bay home.Starting with a maiden voyage Friday, the Margaritaville at Sea Islander will sail year-round from Tampa.The ship, which accommodates 2,650 guests, will offer four- and five-night trips that include stops in Key West and Mexico. Six- and limited edition seven-night trips will be offered in 2025.Christopher Ivy, the CEO of Margaritaville at Sea cruise lines, said adding Tampa...
WUSF •

St. Petersburg Police are looking for a driver who damaged the Pride street mural

UPDATE: Christian Maier, 18, was arrested on July 1. He is charged with felony criminal mischief and racing on a street.ORIGINAL STORY:St. Petersburg Police are looking for the drivers of two different vehicles that recently damaged the Progressive Pride street mural.Officials say the first incident was at 9:36 a.m. on Friday, May 17, when a truck accelerated through the mural, which is in a roundabout at 2500 Central Ave. Then, at 2:41 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22, a blue two-door vehicle spun out...
The Gainesville Sun •

Best kept secret: Fresh resource largely untapped by UF students

University of Florida students have access to fresh produce grown and harvested at Field & Fork Farm and Gardens, a small farm on the outskirts of UF’s campus − but few seem to know about the resource.

All produce that is grown on-site is sent to the Alan and Cathy Hitchcock Field & Fork Pantry, where food-insecure students can get their next meal.

The farm and gardens are operated by UF faculty, student interns and volunteers. The farm and gardens currently have 12 interns, mostly from the UF
WUSF •

Why several Florida universities will face challenges in the search for a new president

Three public Florida universities have openings for a new school president.The University of Florida, Florida A&M and Florida Atlantic University are conducting searches after they were left without a president for different circumstances.UF is searching for a new president after Ben Sasse resigned in July, citing his wife's health. Former President Kent Fuchs is now serving as interim president.UF came under scrutiny for its lack of transparency when it hired Sasse 17 months ago.Jeff Brandes, a...
WUFT News •

Marion County residents celebrate farmland heritage, vow to halt developments

Marion County residents have been celebrating all month long, thankful for the ground beneath them.

In 2007, county commissioners officially declared April as Marion County Farmland Preservation Month. For Sara Fennessy, the executive director of Horse Farms Forever, the awareness lasts all year.

“It’s reassuring to see that the county recognizes the importance of the industry,” Fennessy said. “It recognizes the importance of our farms, and we’re able to shine a bright spotlight on all of thos
WUFT News •

Metal detecting: Finding Florida relics and new friends

Thom Parham is on a mission to uncover parts of Florida’s buried past.

The 64-year-old history teacher and conventional archeologist in Keystone Heights has his sights on finding Seminole War Fort No. 11– using his metal detector.

The Seminole Wars started in 1817 and consisted of three wars lasting until 1858. Taking place in Florida, remnants of the battlegrounds and forts are still being unearthed today.

Parham, who moved to Keystone Heights about six years ago, has been looking for any re
WUFT News •

Veterans find healing through nature at Soldiers Freedom Outdoors

Jason Bucy lives in Inverness and served in the US Army from 1997 to 2004. As with many veterans returning to the United States, he has wounds from war. By connecting with other veterans at Camp Freedom in Melrose, he’s been able to let his guard down while fishing, horseback riding, hunting and blacksmithing.

“You show up on Friday, and nobody wants to talk, and they’re kind of standoffish,” Bucy said. “By about dinner time, people started asking about the hats and the units that we were deplo
WUFT News •

UF student business competition deadline nears, $25,000 prize at stake

University of Florida students have until Dec. 15 to sign up for the opportunity to win $25,000 in the 2024 Big Idea Gator Business Plan Competition.

Shelby Thomas, a Ph.D. student at UF, won the first-place prize of $25,000 in the 2023 competition, along with the $1,000 Best Social Impact and Sustainability prize for her company Coastal Resilience Solutions.

“I started a nonprofit the first year of my program, and as I got further down the line, I realized I should have made it more of a comp