Hertz has made headlines this week - first announcing the purchase of 100,000 Teslas and then enlisting Tampa Bay Buccaneers star quarterback Tom Brady to promote the new fleet. On Monday, the Estero-based rental car company announced they are buying 100,000 of the electric vehicles it will then rent to customers, a deal valued at $4.2 billion. In conjunction, Hertz also announced the partnership with Brady. A commercial featuring Brady promoting the new fleet was recently released, garnering more buzz for a company that filed for bankruptcy last year. Uber also announced a partnership with Hertz Wednesday and will offer 50,000 of the Model 3 sedans that Hertz receives as rentals for the rideshare company’s drivers. Following the deal with Hertz, Tesla reached a $1 trillion market cap, becoming one of just a few companies to reach the mark.
The SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) program, under the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, is looking for volunteers to help seniors, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers free, unbiased counseling on Medicare, prescription drugs, and other health insurance matters. The SHINE SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) Program educates beneficiaries on how to protect, detect and report suspected Medicare fraud, waste and abuse. To learn more call, 727-217-8111 or visit www.floridashine.org, click the Join Our Team link at the top of the page, and complete an online application.
The Synapse Summit that brings the area's top innovators and tech firms together under one roof is coming back to Tampa next year. The Synapse Summit will return to Amalie Arena on Feb. 17. The summit will feature keynote speakers (which have yet to be announced), innovation awards and exhibitors.
On Sunday, Tom Brady became the first quarterback to throw for 600 touchdowns in NFL history. Unfortunately, wide receiver Mike Evans handed the ball to a fan in the stands without realizing the significance of the score. This led to a peculiar series of negotiations between the fan and a team official before he relinquished possession of the historical pigskin. In trade, the fan received two autographed Brady jerseys and a helmet, a signed Evans jersey and his game-worn cleats, a $1,000 credit to the team store, and two season tickets for this year and 2022. However, some estimates put the value of the ball as high as $500,000, and Brady joked that the fan should have held out for more. Brady, also a pitchman for the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, said Monday night he would also gift the fan one bitcoin, currently valued at around $60,000. The fan has also asked to play a round of golf with the NFL legend, but Brady has not yet said if he will grant the request.
Nelson Cruz of the Tampa Bay Rays has been named Major League Baseball’s 2021 Roberto Clemente Award winner. The award is given to those who best exemplifies sportsmanship and community involvement, along with the individual’s contribution to his team. Cruz, a seven-time All-Star, is recognized for his support and generosity in his native Dominican Republic through the Covid pandemic. Cruz helped support nearly 1,200 families affected by the pandemic and provided his hometown with a new fire engine, an ambulance, and 80 new firefighter uniforms, among many other contributions. Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. and the Clemente family will officially present Cruz with the award before tonight’s Game Two of the World Series.
The Pinellas County Parks & Conservation Resources department announced Monday that parking terminal upgrades are complete. Pinellas County park and boat ramp terminals are now cashless and feature 4G-LTE connectivity. The new terminals accept credit card payments only, and patrons will be required to enter their vehicle’s license plate number. Customers must display a receipt until a “mobile parking” feature is introduced next year. The county states the upgrades will improve transaction speeds and communication reliability.
Demolition began Tuesday afternoon on the old St. Petersburg Police Department HQ on Central Avenue. The site will become Orange Station at the Edge, a new mixed-use project.
The City of St. Petersburg has contracted to install an outdoor ice skating rink at the St. Pete Pier. Opening Nov. 20, the 4,000-square-foot rink will be part of "Winter Beach," a seasonal concept that includes holiday food and gift vendors, music, movies and more. Skating tickets (including skate rental) will cost $17 per person, through closing day, Jan. 17. Details are available here.
On Monday, the International Shuffleboard Association (ISA) announced that the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club will host the 40th ISA Championship. The championship will be held from Oct. 22 – 28, 2023. The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club was founded in 1924, and the event will kick off the club’s 100-year anniversary celebrations. The St. Pete club is the oldest and largest shuffleboard club in the world. The announcement comes after two ISA Championships were canceled due to the Covid pandemic
The Tampa Innovation Partnership is hosting its annual Innovation Gathering on Thursday, Oct. 28. Now in its seventh year, the Innovation Gathering will feature the Taste of Uptown, the Innovation Exhibition, and the Community Impact Awards. New for this year’s event will be the inaugural presentation of the Jack A. Kolosky Healthcare Innovator Award. The Innovation Gathering will be held a RITHM@Uptown in Tampa, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $10-50, and more information on the event can be found here.
Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) will have a new nonstop route to St. Petersburg from Akron, Ohio beginning March 4, 2022. To celebrate, the company is offering one-way fares on the new route as low as $59, Allegiant announced. “St. Pete-Clearwater is one of the most popular destinations in Allegiant’s network,” Drew Wells, Allegiant’s senior vice president of revenue and network planning, said in a release. “This new route will give our customers in Northeast Ohio an affordable, convenient travel option for their vacations to one of the hottest markets in Florida.” The new service would operate twice weekly.
As of Monday morning, drivers on Interstate I-275 near Tropicana Field can see a billboard paid by a Canadian nonprofit group reading, "Dear Rays, Montréal won’t pay for your new stadium. Sincerely, Taxpayers." The group behind the billboard is the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a federally incorporated, not-for-profit citizen’s group. The message is directed at the Rays, as the team has considered splitting future seasons between Tampa Bay and Montreal.
