The City of St. Petersburg has once again received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI). The index provides the only nationwide assessment of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) inclusion in municipal law, policy and services. The 2022 MEI evaluates 506 cities on how inclusive cities' laws, policies and services for LGBTQ+ people, according to the announcement. "In my first year as mayor, I am proud to be leading a city where intentional inclusivity guides our work. After nine years of a perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index, it could be easy for St. Petersburg to become complacent. Rather, it is motivation for the city to explore more ways in which our LGBTQ+ community can be supported, promoted and valued," Mayor Ken Welch said in the city's Thursday news release. "I appreciate the Human Rights Campaign for holding municipalities accountable, and I especially thank the City's LGBTQ Liaison Jim Nixon for leading the charge in ensuring that St. Petersburg remains so." Tampa and Orlando also received a score of 100.
The University of South Florida is starting anew after a six-month national search for a new provost failed to yield “the best possible fit with the right vision and experience.” President Rhea Law made the announcement in a Wednesday email. An 18-member search committee named four finalists in October and the candidates participated in subsequent interviews and campus visits. Interim provost Eric Eisenberg was among the finalists but Law asked him to withdraw and assume the newly created leadership position of senior vice president of university-community partnerships.
According to a study by Redfin, residents in the Tampa Bay metro area must earn 62.4% more than they did last year to buy a home. The real estate platform’s statistics show that in 2021, homebuyers needed to make $62,615 annually. That number is now up to $101,682. Tampa residents saw the nation’s fourth-largest increase, and eight Florida cities made the top 15.
Denver-based Frontier Airlines is launching its nonstop service today, Nov. 16, from Tampa International Airport to St. Louis. The new nonstop connection will be offered four times weekly. Frontier now serves 18 nonstop destinations from TPA. The introductory fares start at $49.
The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners allocated $8 million Tuesday to help the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) build its long-planned downtown Clearwater transit center. Officials expect construction to begin next year. According to a release, PSTA lowered its original ask of $15 million after securing additional funding. The project’s cost increased from $34 million to nearly $45 million, and the county money - not available until PSTA exhausts other funding - will help close that gap.
The City of St. Petersburg, in collaboration with several local partners, is hosting three watch parties as the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team is back in the World Cup. The events take place Nov. 21, 25 and 29 in Williams Park, located at 350 2nd Ave. N. Gates open at 11 a.m., with the Tampa Bay Rowdies hosting a kids zone with player meet and greet sessions. All matches kick off at 2 p.m., and the watch parties feature an 18-foot screen, surround sound, food, drinks and live music. For tickets and more information, visit the website here.
St. Petersburg-based Climate First Bancorp, the holding company for Climate First Bank, announced Tuesday it purchased the climate and social justice fintech platform developed by the startup Ecountabl. The platform indexes data on over 10,000 companies, analyzing environmental, social and governance performance to help customers track how their purchases with brands align with their personal values. The purchase closed Oct. 31. As a result, two Ecountabl co-founders joined the OneEthos team, a digital banking fintech operation under the Climate First Bancorp umbrella. Andy Burr, Ecountabl CEO, was named Chief Growth Officer of OneEthos. Additionally, Justin Bretting, Ecountabl CTO, was named CTO of OneEthos, according to the announcement. Details of the financial terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
Mayor Ken Welch, Fire Chief James Large and city council members participated in a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning for a new memorial honoring St. Petersburg’s firefighters who died in the line of duty. MGA Sculpture Studio is constructing the memorial, located on the east shore of Demens Landing Park and overlooking Tampa Bay. According to a press release, the memorial features a bell, obelisk, aluminum plate, flag and bunker gear to symbolize the dedication, commitment and collective spirit of the city’s firefighters.
SmartAsset recently listed St. Petersburg as its 13th-best city for military retirees. The financial information platform compared the nation’s 200 largest cities according to eight metrics across three categories: military retirement friendliness, veteran resources and economic environment. St. Pete was the only city in the top 25 to score a perfect 100 in the friendliness score. Anchorage, Alaska, came in first, while Port St. Lucie was the second-highest-rated city in Florida at 22.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Seattle Seahawks 21-16 Sunday at Allianz Arena in Germany, the NFL’s first game in the country. Quarterback Tom Brady also made history in the win, becoming the first quarterback to win an NFL game in three different countries outside of the U.S. He previously won two games in London and one in Mexico City as a New England Patriot. The Bucs improve to 5-5 on the season and head into their bye week atop the NFC South division.
The 2022 St. Pete Run Fest is in the history books - find all the race results on the Catalyst's Run Fest results page. And there's still time to sign up for your exclusive Run Fest 5th anniversary NFT, courtesy of Cityverse. Click here to find out how.
Leo Fernandes, an attacking midfielder for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, was named the USL Championship’s Most Valuable Player. Receiving the MVP award caps a stellar year for Fernandez that saw the six-year Rowdies veteran lead the league in combined goals and assists. The team’s longest-tenured player is the first to win the USL MVP since the club joined the USL in 2017.
