Maryland bridge tragedy has the ring of familiarity

Tuesday morning’s news that Maryland’s Francis Scott Key Bridge had been struck by a ship, and collapsed into the Patapsco River, was eerily reminiscent of perhaps the darkest day in Tampa Bay history.

At approximately 7:34 a.m. on Friday, May 9, 1980, a 606-foot freighter, Summit Venture, glanced one of the support columns of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, causing it to buckle and break at its highest point. More than 1,200 feet of roadway tumbled.

USF St. Pete’s science facility went unfunded; what’s next?	Coconuts Comedy Club re-opens in new location

Local eatery expanding space, adding breakfast and lunch

An EDGE district dinner and cocktails spot is planning a major expansion, doubling its size and introducing new hours and menus.

COPA has been serving Afro-Latin Caribbean fusion entrees, tapas and craft cocktails since it opened at 1047 Central Avenue in 2019. COPA is now looking to double its footprint by taking over the space next door at 1043 Central, which the restaurant Italy Bottega previously rented until it closed earlier this year.