My Mayor 2026 – Episode 3

Welcome back to season 2 of My Mayor, the Catalyst series that helps you get to know the person behind the policy. We sat down with each candidate and asked them each the same five questions, with a few follow up questions sprinkled in. For Episode 3, we asked:

Tampa General leadership signs healthy food pledge	Places This Week: Palm Harbor estate on 2.5 acres of land
The 2026 Florida elections: Key dates and links	Poliverse: Clearwater sticks with Duke Energy

Gulfport artist keeps Florida’s tiki tradition alive

In the fall of 1998, Hurricane Georges tore through the Florida Keys, leaving behind toppled trees and damaged homes. Wesley Wing had traveled south with his soon-to-be wife to help repair her family's property when an evening around a bonfire unexpectedly altered the course of his life.

"We were drunk one night, and by a fire," Wing told the Catalyst at his Gulfport studio. "I carved my first tiki with a little hatchet."

Arts Alive! podcast: Actor Cody Farkas

It’s barely half over, but at this point it looks, theatrically speaking, like 2026 might be remembered as The Year of Cody Farkas. The Pasco County actor, singer and dancer didn’t exactly appear out of nowhere; he’s performed with Stageworks, the Off-Central and the USF theatre company, as well as Sarasota’s West Coast Black Theatre Troupe.

	City releases back-to-school resource guide
	County issues rainfall and flooding warning
	Busch Gardens’ lion and hyena exhibit to open July 25
	The Pier’s Ice Cream Festival rescheduled for July 26