Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital's emergency room team has won the 2024 HealthImpact DAISY Nurse Leader Team Award in Compassionate Policy for their work to advance care for patients struggling with addiction. The awards are given out annually by the DAISY Foundation to nurses who show compassion for underserved communities through hospital policy change.
So that we can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends, the St. Pete Catalyst staff won't publish Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28 and 29. We'll be back Saturday. Happy Thanksgiving!
The Tampa Bay Rays face a dramatically altered 2025 season schedule as Major League Baseball hopes to avoid summer rain at open-air Steinbrenner Field, the team’s temporary home. The Rays will play 19 of their first 22 and 47 of their first 59 games in Tampa. The team will then play 64 of its 103 games on the road. The Rays will play just eight home games in July and again in August.
The Raytheon Debris Management Site and several other drop-off locations in St. Petersburg will close Thursday for Thanksgiving but reopen for normal business hours Friday. The Disaster Recovery Center at the Enoch Davis Center will close Thursday and Friday and reopen Saturday. The city will pick up residential trash and recycling normally scheduled for Thursday on Wednesday.
The Pinellas Education Foundation announced Tuesday that it provided $1.6 million in support and resources to Pinellas County Schools (PCS) as part of ongoing hurricane relief efforts. The foundation raised over $1 million in donations and its board added another $600,000 from reserve funding. Over 500 PCS employees have received awards ranging from $500 to $5,000.
Residents who live in flood hazard areas within unincorporated Pinellas County will soon receive letters informing them of their home’s substantial storm damage determination. However, they can apply for repair permits before receiving the letter. A substantial damage determination means a homeowner’s estimated repair costs will likely exceed 49% of the structure’s cash value. For more information, visit the website here.
City officials and community stakeholders recently planted 183 trees in St. Petersburg’s Child’s Park neighborhood. A U.S. Forest Service grant funded the project to increase the tree canopy, improve air quality, mitigate the urban heat effect and reduce stormwater flooding. The city plans to plant additional trees in Childs Park over the next two years as part of a continued commitment to enhance the environment and engage the community.
Pinellas County has extended the deadline for two companion surveys that help shape how officials spend millions of dollars in public funding and prioritize community development over the next five years. Residents can now participate in the Fair Housing and Community Needs Assessment Surveys until Friday, Dec. 6. To take the Fair Housing Survey, visit the website here. To participate in the Community Needs Assessment Survey, visit the website here.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue recently announced that the U.S. Secret Service formally recognized Lt. Bennet, Lt. Blinkey and Firefighter Paramedic Kmiotek. The first responders were awarded for their “exceptional assistance, coordination and medical coverage” during President Joe Biden’s visit to St. Petersburg in Hurricane Milton’s aftermath. The announcement states that the “prestigious recognition underscores the professionalism and dedication of our crews who consistently go above and beyond in service to both our community and our country.”
St. Petersburg city officials have temporarily extended the permitting office’s hours of operation due to an influx of applications following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The office at One 4th St. N. typically closes at noon on Wednesdays and will now remain open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday until further notice. Permitting officials have completed over 18,000 inspections and approved nearly 8,000 applications in the past three months.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Mike Alstott personally delivered Thanksgiving meals to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue personnel Saturday morning. He and Mike Alstott Family Foundation members provided the feasts for all 13 fire stations. Agency officials called the gesture “a meaningful holiday tradition for those who can’t be home with their loved ones” on Thanksgiving.
St. Petersburg College and Veterans Florida, a state-sponsored nonprofit, have partnered for a second consecutive year to offer the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program. The statewide initiative equips veterans with the skills and resources to transition from military service to business ownership. SPC’s will host the free, eight-week program in January, followed by the St. Pete Greenhouse in March.
