The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is again warning residents of a “popular” phone scam involving people claiming to be officers. The suspects also spoof their number to mimic the agency's Civil Court Services and main line. A victim recently purchased and transferred over $12,500 in gift cards to resolve non-existent civil violations and a warrant.
The Saturday Shoppes is hosting its third annual BBQ and Seafood Festival event at Tropicana Field Saturday from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. in Lot 4. Organizers will also give away 2,500 backpacks stocked with school supplies to youth and families. In addition, the event will feature bounce houses and face painting for children.
The Tampa Bay Estuary Program is now accepting applications for its Bay Mini-Grant initiative. The competitive cash awards fund community-led environmental restoration and education projects throughout the region. The deadline to apply for up to $5,000 is Sept. 15, and for more information, visit the website here.
Retailer Chillum, which claims to be the first legal mushroom dispensary in U.S, is opening its second local store across the street from the Imagine Museum in St. Pete. The hemp and mushroom dispensary has an existing location in Ybor City. The store owners will host a grand opening event Aug. 18 at 1916 Central Ave.
An 11,586-square-foot Clearwater estate is on the market for $14 million. The five-bedroom estate at 837 Harbor Island, built in 2015, has a state-of-the-art wine cellar, a gym, a screening room and an elevator leading to a rooftop entertainment area outfitted with a firepit, a grill and a wet bar overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Jeff Shelton with Compass Realty is the listing agent.
According to a new Florida Atlantic University study, Tampa Bay places third among the nation’s “most overvalued and steadily rising metro areas.” The study states that area buyers pay a 42.56% premium on homes. Only the Atlanta and Detroit metro areas placed higher in the U.S., and Tampa Bay paced the state for people overpaying for homes.
Turner Construction has partnered with Bayfront Health St. Petersburg to host its School of Construction Management program. The four-week course begins Sept. 26 and supports local small business owners interested in growing their construction companies. Hospital officials competitively selected Turner Construction to oversee its latest projects, the Bayfront Health Women’s Pavilion and Medical Pavilion at Institute Square. To register, visit the website here.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in partnership with the Tampa Bay Rays, will host a PACT Act VetFest event Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tropicana Field. The event educates and informs veterans about the PACT Act and provides onsite services, including VA health care enrollment, toxic exposure screenings, VA claims assistance, women’s health, mental health and more.
U.S. News & World Report has named Bayfront Health St. Petersburg a “high-performing” hospital for diabetes and stroke procedures and treatments. The publication analyzed over 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 21 procedures to determine its rankings. “These distinctions demonstrate the expertise and commitment of our doctors, nurses and other team members to the health care needs of our community,” said Dr. Trina Espinola, chief physician officer for Bayfront.
Tampa-based Kforce Inc. (Nasdaq: KFRC), one of the area’s largest tech employers that provides staffing solutions to companies, has released its second quarter earnings results, showing a decrease in revenue. Revenue for the quarter, which ended June 30, was $389.2 million, which represents a 4.1% decrease of revenue compared to last year's second quarter revenue of $436.5 million. "Our results for the second quarter reflect the continuation of an uncertain economic environment and, we believe, the actions being broadly taken across industries by our market-leading clients to ensure they are prepared for the possibility of a slowdown," CEO and President Joseph Liberatore said in a prepared statement. "While the firm continues to operate efficiently, it became clear to us that we needed to adjust our structural costs to align them with the lower levels of revenue that we are experiencing without compromising investment in key strategic initiatives. We anticipate that these difficult actions will reduce annual operating costs from current run rates by approximately $14 million.”
The Tampa Bay Rowdies hosted a Community Clinic and Backpack Drive Tuesday evening that included 20 local schools and organizations. Players provided basic soccer skills through three drills on Al Lang Stadium’s pitch and concluded the event with an autograph session. Every child also received a backpack and school supplies for the upcoming year.
July was the warmest month ever recorded in Tampa, according to Bay News 9 meteorologist Kyle Hanson. The average high was 93.3, and the average low was 79.7, about 2.7 degrees above normal temperatures. Hanson said a lack of rainfall contributed to the heat, with St. Petersburg, Tampa and Bradenton well below typical monthly totals.
