A Pinellas County Jail inmate died from an apparent fentanyl overdose Saturday night, and two remain hospitalized in stable condition. A nurse, three detention deputies, a Largo Fire Department paramedic and two other inmates were also treated for non-life-threatening symptoms. According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, an inmate swallowed small baggies of fentanyl before his arrest and later disbursed the drug throughout C-Barracks.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught a 16-yard touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII Sunday night to give the Kansas City Chiefs a 13-10 lead over the San Francisco 49ers late in the third quarter. The St. Pete native and Lakewood High School standout wide receiver’s touchdown reception was also the first time a former University of South Florida Bull has scored in the Super Bowl. Valdes-Scantling and the Chiefs went on to win their second consecutive championship 25-22 in overtime.
Paragon Festivals' annual St. Petersburg Seafood & Music Festival has been announced for Friday through Sunday, Feb. 23-25 at Vinoy Park. It's an outdoor art show, with food prepared by local restaurants, and live music from Greg Billings & the Stay Up Lates, Damon Fowler, 22N, Black Honkeys Band, K-Luv and others. Find information here.
St. Petersburg motorists can expect road closures and traffic delays around 22nd Ave. N. between 22nd St. and 25th St. starting Monday, Feb. 12, at 4 a.m. until Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 5 p.m. CSX railroad track maintenance will cause the closures. City officials urge drivers to use alternate routes.
Tampa Bay Rays president Matt Silverman announced at a Suncoast Tiger Bay Club event Friday that a popular promotion will return for a second season in 2024. Section 141 in left field will again transform into “RandyLand” for Friday night games at Tropicana Field. The team dedicated the area to All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena’s fervent fans. Ticketholders receive t-shirts, signs, interactions with Arozarena and free beer, soda or water for every home run he hits during the game.
Officials with the Southern Poverty Law Center, a national civil-rights organization, announced that they are supporting Faith in Florida, a social justice nonprofit, in its bid to stop St. Petersburg’s redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District. According to a Feb. 2 blog post, the SPLC is investigating how the city first acquired the land, the use of eminent domain and how local officials “failed to produce sustainable employment or affordable housing.” The post adds that the SPLC “is looking into whether there is a way to stop a city that acquired a valuable swarth of property from profiting again … on promises it didn’t keep the first time.”
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies rescued a wayward kangaroo trapped in a Tampa apartment complex’s pool area Thursday. The agency returned the marsupial to its owner after verifying ownership documents. The complex, off of Fowler Avenue and 56th Street, is near the University of South Florida campus.
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash and Erik Neander, president of baseball operations, have received long-term contract extensions. While details remain unannounced, the contracts ensure the duo stays in St. Petersburg beyond 2028, when the team plans to move into a new ballpark. Cash, a Tampa native, and Neander have guided the Rays to five straight playoff appearances and won more games than all but three teams during that span.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch and City Councilmember Brandi Gabbard are hosting a public forum Tuesday, Feb.13, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. to discuss the city’s increasing flooding issues. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is hosting the Resilience and Community Listening Session at its Research and Education Building at 600 5th St. S. City, state and federal officials will participate. To register, visit the website here.
St. Petersburg Science Festival and MarineQuest organizers expect over 15,000 people to attend the dual events Saturday around the USF St. Petersburg waterfront and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s adjacent Research Institute. The free joint festival, which runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., connects scientists, environmental organizations and cultural institutions with the public through hands-on demonstrations. New activities include a mobile aquarium, seagrass maze and “shark show utilizing virtual reality.”
The Charlotte Sports Park complex in Port Charlotte will host the Tampa Bay Rays for the first time since Hurricane Ian decimated Southwest Florida on Sept. 28, 2022. The team will return to the area starting Feb. 13. The Rays have called Port Charlotte - about 87 miles south of St. Petersburg - their spring home since 2009.
Jimmy Buffett’s cruise line, Margaritaville at Sea, will offer its “Heroes Sail Free” program in Tampa starting in June. The program allows teachers, first responders and military personnel to sail for free with a paying guest. Participants can cruise as often as they like and receive an amenity Express Pass and other benefits. For more information, visit the website here.
