The LGBTQ Caregiver Center, created in June 2021 in Dunedin, is celebrating its one-year anniversary of being in business. The Caregiver Wellness Collective Inc. is a nonprofit startup focused on holistic wellness education and services for caregivers and aims to raise awareness of the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ caregivers, according to the Center's website. The center was founded by Jennifer Henius, founder of Yoga4Caregivers, and Zander Keig.
The 3rd annual Juneteenth Business Expo is returning to the Deuces Saturday, bringing together Black-owned vendors, educational and kid-friendly activities, a “journey” of Black music and art and food trucks. Located at 9th Ave. S. and 22nd Street, the expo will feature a panel of local Black-owned business owners representing several industries. Titled “The Blackest Dollar” and presented by Lynda Elle Public Relations, the panel runs from 1 – 2:00 p.m. The family-friendly expo is held outdoors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
The Associated Press reported that following Thursday’s MLB owners' meeting, Commissioner Rob Manfred said that there is an urgency with respect to a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium. “There needs to be a resolution in the Tampa Bay region,” he said. The Rays’ lease with Tropicana Field expires after the 2027 season, and Manfred noted that stadiums take time to build. He added that if the region is interested in having baseball, “they need to get to it.” He said the team is anxious to work out a deal, and when asked if he is considering relocation, Manfred said, “right now, I’m focused on Tampa.” He later clarified he was referring to the region rather than the city. Somewhat cryptically, Manfred relayed that a great man once said, “all good things must end at some point.” Tampa Bay’s average attendance this year is 13,740, which ranks the Rays ahead of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Miami and Oakland.
The Shore Acres Recreation Center, at 4230 Shore Acres Blvd. NE., closed in August 2020 and has been completely rebuilt. The city will host a ribbon cutting and an open house event on Saturday, July 9, at 10 a.m for the renovated and expanded 21,064-square foot, two-story facility, the city announced Friday. "We're excited for the revitalization of the Shore Acres Campus that is home to the recreation center, aquatic facility and greenspace, which will bring more intergenerational recreational and educational opportunities not just to the neighborhood but to the St. Pete community," Mike Jefferis, leisure services administrator with the City of St. Petersburg, said in a city email. "These incredible opportunities include additional youth activities, instructional classes for all ages, an indoor gymnasium and rental space, to name just a few." The facility will offer a six-lane swimming pool, an indoor gymnasium with leagues and "open gym" hours for basketball, volleyball, pickleball and more.
Ringo Starr's late-June concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall, postponed after several members of the All-Starr Band tested positive for Covid-19, has been re-scheduled for Sept. 16. Twelve dates on the cross-country tour were affected. Tickets for the original Ruth Eckerd date will be honored.
During Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, officials from the University of South Florida provided updates to the construction timeline and capacity for a long-awaited on-campus stadium. Athletic Director Michael Kelly said the process is moving faster than anticipated, on pace for completion in time for the 2026 season. USF Foundation CEO Jay Stroman expects the stadium to hold 35,000 people and will include standing-room-only areas and space for future expansion. Kelly said several architectural firms have already reached out to the school, and USF will issue an official invitation to negotiate in the coming weeks.
Chicago-based fintech firm CoinFlip, which is opening a new office and cryptocurrency learning lab in the Water Street Tampa District, is expanding into the Canadian market. CoinFlip is known for its Bitcoin ATMs throughout the U.S. To date, it has 3,500 ATMs across 49 states, taking its place on the frontline of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. "We’re rapidly growing our fleet of crypto ATMs, dozens of which are already up-and-running in Toronto, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia," CoinFlip CEO Ben Weiss said in a LinkedIn post. Investors can now buy and trade Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and several other cryptocurrencies using cash in Canada.
It took sudden-death overtime, but the Tampa Bay Lightning dropped Game 1 of the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals to the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche, playing on their home ice in Denver, jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first period. However, the Lightning struck back in the second, with Ondrej Palat and Mikhail Sergachev scoring two goals in just 48 seconds to tie the game. Colorado controlled the third, but goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy helped Tampa Bay escape regulation and force overtime. Following a turnover by Bolts defenseman Victor Hedman, Colorado’s Andre Burakovsky played the hero by netting the game-winner for the Avalanche less than two minutes into sudden death. Game 2 is set for 8 p.m. Saturday night in Denver.
The St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department is ensuring no child goes hungry through the summer break. In partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s Summer BreakSpot, the department is offering free breakfast and lunch to area kids through August 5. The meals are available at 12 locations throughout the city and are open to anyone 18 or under. For a full list of locations, visit the website here.
The new 144-room AC Hotel Clearwater Beach is now open at 395 Coronado Drive. The new hotel is a lifestyle-branded property from Marriott and is managed by Raleigh, North Carolina-based Concord Hospitality Enterprises. The resort offers a European-inspired breakfast and tapas-style dining, a library-focused workspace, a resort-style pool and a 24-hour fitness center.
Tampa Bay Lightning fans received some good news Wednesday afternoon, as coach John Cooper announced star center Brayden Point is “a go” for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Point missed the last two playoff series after suffering a lower-body injury in the opening minutes of Game 7 in the team’s first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. His return is a huge boost for the Lighting offense, as no player has scored more goals than the Point over the last three NHL postseasons. Tampa Bay faces the Colorado Avalanche, the highest-scoring team in this year’s playoffs, in Denver Wednesday night. The puck drops at 8 p.m. and will air on ABC and ESPN +.
St. Petersburg’s Hitchcock’s Green Market announced it is closing by Sunday, June 19. The grocer, located in Tyrone Square at 6765 22nd Ave. N., is offering a 50% discount on its entire inventory as part of a liquidation sale. It remains unclear why the store is closing.
