St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch will be hosting a community conversations event about the history and future of the Manhattan Casino. The hosts will discuss how the space has been used since it's reopened and collect feedback from the community. When the current lease ends, the Manhattan Casino will be temporarily closed while capital improvements are made, according to the city. Those interested in attending the Nov. 1 event can register here.
MacKenzie Scott, billionaire philanthropist and former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, recently gave $2 million to The Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. The organization announced the donation Tuesday, the largest in its history. The $2 million is part of a total $84.5 million Scott gave to Girl Scout councils nationwide. The Tampa Bay chapter encompasses an eight-county region, from Pinellas to Polk and Marion Counties. Scott previously gifted $20 million to the United Way Suncoast, $18.5 million to local Habitat for Humanity affiliates and $123 million to Tampa-based Big Brothers Big Sisters.
St. Petersburg-based Duke Energy Florida recently filed to refund customers $56 million annually in federal corporate tax savings. According to Monday’s press release, residential rates would decrease by $1.90 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours in January, “as compared to recently announced rates,” if approved. The announcement comes a month after company officials said they planned to share soaring fuel costs with customers next year, in the form of a 13% increase. “We understand our customers need some relief, and this is an opportunity for Duke Energy to pass tax savings to our customers,” said Melissa Seixas, president of Duke Florida. The release credits the Inflation Reduction Act for proving tax credit changes to solar investments.
For the second year in a row, the University of South Florida’s Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program finished first in the state in the SportBusiness Postgraduate Rankings. The organization also ranked the course, now in its 11th year, third in the nation and the world. Named after the Vinik Family, owners of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, the program launched in partnership with the franchise and the wider Tampa Bay sports community.
Embarc Collective just announced a $50,000 grant from Truist Foundation to further support its customized coaching for startup founders. “The work of Embarc Collective provides essential training and ongoing assistance for entrepreneurs, which aligns with the foundation’s mission to work with innovative organizations that strengthen and revitalize the entrepreneurial spirit in communities," Iwan Mohamed, West Florida regional president for Truist, said in a news release.
Registration for the 2023 Skyway Bridge 10K opens Oct. 24, and will remain open through Oct. 31. A total of 8,000 participants will be chosen through a lottery system. The run/walk will take place March 12; registration forms are here. Lottery winners will be notified Nov. 4. The 2022 Skyway 10K raised more than $652K for the Armed Forces Families Foundation; to date, more than $2.6 million has been raised for the foundation from Skyway 10K events.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies ended the regular season on a high note, beating the New York Red Bulls II Saturday night to head into the playoffs on a four-match winning streak. “This is the best I’ve felt about this group this year,” said Rowdies Head Coach Neil Collins. The Rowdies close the season as the Eastern Conference’s third seed and will begin their USL championship run against in-state rival Miami FC Saturday, Oct. 22, at Al Lang Stadium. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m., and tickets can be purchased at rowdiessoccer.com or by calling 727-222-2000.
The St. Pete Pier has been selected as one of six winners of the Urban Land Institute's 2022 ULI Global Awards for Excellence, which recognizes the best new urban designs in the world. This year's winners include two from North America, two from Europe and two from Asia Pacific. The St. Pete Pier was named a winner of the ULI Americas Award for Excellence and then became a finalist in the 2022 ULI Global Awards for Excellence, competing against projects from Europe and Asia, according to a news alert from the City of St. Petersburg. In 2022, 152 projects and programs were submitted across the three ULI regions. The St. Pete Pier team included the City of St. Petersburg, Rogers Partners and Urban Designers; ASD SKY; Ken Smith Workshop, W Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and Wannemacher Jensen Architects.
Online tickets for the Cross Bay Ferry will be available for purchase on Oct. 19. The Cross Bay Ferry connects from the Vinoy Basin to the Tampa Convention Center. Adult tickets cost $24 round trip. Seniors, college student, military members cost $16 round trip. The Cross Bay Ferry, operated by HMS Ferries, has funding support from Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, City of Tampa, City of St. Petersburg and the state. The ferry does not operate on Monday and Tuesday.
St. Petersburg's Sunken Gardens is opening a history center in the original 1940 entrance and gift shop, a building that until recently held the garden’s tropical birds at night. The birds now have new nighttime accommodations, and the building has been restored with the history exhibits opening to the public Oct. 22, according to the city's website. The new history center will showcase Sunken Gardens’ history and its important role in developing Florida’s tourism industry during the era of Old Florida roadside attractions with never-before seen photos and documents. The organization was able to open the center with funding from Florida’s Division of Historical Resources, the City of St. Petersburg, Florida, Penny for Pinellas and the Sunken Gardens Forever Foundation
Tickets for Social Venture Partners (SVP) Tampa Bay’s signature event are now on sale through the Palladium Theater box office. SVP is part of an international collective of successful professionals who provide their time, expertise and resources to develop local nonprofits. In partnership with the Community Foundation Tampa Bay, SVP established its Fast Pitch event in 2017. Participating organizations first complete a 16-week program designed to bolster operations and effectiveness, while a mentor helps the nonprofits’ leaders develop a three-minute pitch. The 2022 participants include Barbershop Books, Frameworks, Sweetwater Organic Farms, Florida Resurrection House, Green Book Tampa Bay, Alpha House, Act and Beth El Farm Workers. The event takes place Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m. in the Palladium’s Hough Hall. For more information and tickets, visit the website here.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies host the New York Redbulls II at Al Lang Stadium Saturday night in the final match of the regular season. The second seed in the USL’s Eastern Conference standings is still up for grabs, but the Rowdies, currently in third place, first need to beat New York. The postseason begins Oct. 22, and team officials will give away playoff yard signs Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Al Lang. Fans can also grab a sign following the post-match fireworks show. The regular season finale kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
