British rock legend Roger Daltrey left the stage of Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall Saturday, after an hour of struggling to sing the songs he made famous as a member of The Who. Daltrey aborted a rendition of "Naked Eye," apologizing to the audience and complaining of throat problems. An audience member captured the incident on video.
Following Walmart's announcement of closing its Walmart Neighborhood Market in Pinellas Park, located on 6900 U.S. Highway 19 N., the company has issued a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) letter to the state. The letter states the Walmart store will close on March 10 to the public and will permanently close on Feb. 8. As a result, all 71 associates will be cut by May 19.
St. Petersburg native and Lakewood High School graduate Marquez Valdes-Scantling reached the pinnacle of professional football Sunday night after his Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII. The wide receiver erupted with six catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in the AFC Championship game but did not record a catch in the Super Bowl. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named the game’s MVP after passing for three touchdowns while playing on a hurt ankle.
The Tampa Bay Estuary Program is soliciting proposals for “on-the-ground habitat restoration and water quality improvement projects” until March 15. Awards range from $25,000 - $250,000, but organization officials will consider other proposals. The program requires a cash or in-kind match, and for more information, visit the website here.
Pinellas County officials have recently spent a considerable amount of time and resources to improve unincorporated Lealman, home to over 30,000 residents. Part of that initiative is showcasing the area to the surrounding community through the upcoming Lealman Honey & Arts Festival. The expansive event takes place Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Raymond H. Neri Park.
After three years as a finalist, Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback and safety Ronde Barber is now a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Barber played all 16 years of his career with the Bucs after the team selected him in the third round of the 1997 draft. He went on to make five Pro Bowls, received five All-Pro selections, helped secure a 2002 Super Bowl victory and is the only player in NFL history to record at least 40 interceptions and 25 sacks.
The St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and Aquatics Departments are partnering to raise money to help local children learn how to swim. The 4th Annual Firefighter and Lifeguard Car Wash Fundraiser takes place Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Northwest Pool at 2331 60th St. N. in St. Petersburg, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. To date, the two departments have raised over $14,000 and provided over 1,000 children with free swim lessons.
The Sheriff’s Citizens Association (CA) is looking for small, local organizations to receive $1,000 grants. Interested organizations must provide youth empowerment programs, youth-initiated projects or provide support to children and their families. To download an application, visit the website here.
Courigan’s Irish Pub, which has been operating at t 1 Beach Drive SE. for nearly 20 years, has sold. Owner Sam Martin sold the St. Pete fixture to another restauranteur who is making big changes to the place, according to the restaurant's Facebook post. Today, Feb. 9, is the last day the "Old Courigan's" will be open.
Arkansas-based giant retailer Walmart announced it will close its Walmart Neighborhood Market in Pinellas Park, located on 6900 U.S. Highway 19 N. Walmart officials said the closure, which is set for March 10, is due to the store's underperformance.
The groundbreaking for the 50-acre Ybor City Gas Worx project will be held on March 6. "This first phase embodies a central goal of Gas Worx – to bring more people to live and work in Ybor – and I am excited to see the progress get underway," Developer Daryl Shaw, working with Kettler in a joint venture, said in an announcement. At full completion, Gas Worx will include nearly 5,000 new residences, over 500,000 square feet of office space and more than 140,000 square feet of new retail. The first 317-unit apartment development within Gas Worx is scheduled to be completed in 2024.
The Tampa Bay Rays will sell at least 1,000 $10 tickets to all home games this season. Fans can reserve their seats in the Party Deck area above left field and select lower-level areas through the MLB Ballpark app and raysbaseball.com starting at 10 a.m. Friday. The tickets are non-transferable, and the announcement coincides with the team’s promotional schedule.
