The Tampa Bay Rowdies will travel to the Paradise Coast Soccer Complex for a USL Jagermeister Cup match Friday against FC Naples. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m., and local fans can watch on Tampa Bay 44 or stream it on ESPN+. The Rowdies will move to the top of the tournament's Group 6 with a victory on Independence Day.
The City of St. Petersburg invites residents to learn more about the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility Thickening Expansion project at a public meeting Tuesday, July 8. The Sunshine Senior Center will host the event, which begins at 6 p.m., at 330 5th St. N. Residents will hear how the project protects against flood risks, minimizes service disruptions and doubles the city's biosolids processing capacity to accommodate future population growth.
Clearwater's BayCare Sound and Ruth Eckerd Hall have partnered with the Homeless Empowerment Program (HEP) to collect food for homeless individuals and families in Pinellas County. Through July 31, the public may bring non-perishable food to HEP containers located at the Ruth Eckerd Hall administration office, or the ticket office. Those who donate a minimum of two non-perishable items will be eligible to win a VIP Backstage Tour Experience package for two for the Brad Paisley concert Aug. 3 at the BayCare Sound.
St. Petersburg-based Pet Food Warehouse will be closing its doors this summer. In a Facebook post, owners Neil and Susie Kupfer confirmed the closure, saying a cancer diagnosis and the end of their lease led to the decision. Located at 1830 61st Avenue N., the store has been open for 25 years.
The St. Pete Catalyst staff is taking a well-deserved break for the holiday weekend; we'll be back on Monday (Jan. 7). Have a great 4th of July.
An upscale steakhouse and martini bar has opened in the Carillon area of North St. Petersburg. The Blu Halo officially opened Monday on the ground floor of Park & Main, a new 17-story luxury apartment tower in the Echelon City Center mixed-use community. The Blu Halo has one other location in Tallahassee.
Jabil Inc., the St. Petersburg-based tech company, will be building a new $500 million facility in Rowan County, North Carolina. When the company announced last month that it would build a new manufacturing facility in the Southeast United States, St. Pete was considered a contender. North Carolina governor Josh Stein confirmed the location June 30. The new site will employ 1,181 people full time.
Popular breakfast diner Frog Pond has reopened in St. Pete Beach, inside the Mad Fish restaurant at 5200 Gulf Blvd., and will serve breakfast and brunch from 7:30 a.m. until 1:40 p.m. daily. The storm-damaged Frog Pond location at 16909 Gulf Blvd. in Redington Beach also reopened Tuesday. The breakfast staple was founded in 1982, and a downtown St. Petersburg location opened in April 2022.
Dutch Bros. Coffee will open its first Pinellas County location at 2250 East Bay Drive in Largo. The coffee chain has a cult following on the West Coast and entered the Tampa Bay market in 2023. Dutch Bros. will occupy a 967-square-foot building with a double drive-thru in Keene Plaza.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue will distribute free lifejackets for children, door alarms and vouchers for swim lessons and CPR classes from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at the Lake Vista Pool. The agency partnered with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital's Safe Kids program, the Juvenile Welfare Board and St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation to host the water safety event at 1450 60th Ave. S. Attendees will receive education and resources for children and caregivers, and water safety items while supplies last.
Pastor Andy Oliver has billed the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office $10,000 for using the Allendale United Methodist Church's parking lot to stage 13 vehicles June 17. A social media post states that the invoice reflects "damage and disruption" caused by the unauthorized vehicles. While the church, known for messages supporting its progressive activism, will likely not receive payment, it will donate any proceeds to legal services for immigrants.
Naked Farmer in downtown St. Petersburg, the farm-to-table, fast-casual restaurant's first location, will close by mid-July for extensive renovations. The city approved construction permits in late June. Naked Farmer opened on the ground floor of the 200 Central office in May 2020 and now operates eight other locations statewide.
