St. Petersburg recently ranked among the “Happiest Cities in America;” however, it placed 80th, 18 spots below Tampa and one spot behind Pittsburgh. Personal finance platform WalletHub compiled its annual list by analyzing 180 of the largest U.S. cities across 29 metrics, including depression rates, income growth and average daily leisure time. St. Pete placed No. 78 for emotional and physical well-being, No. 53 for income and employment and No. 90 in the community & environment rankings.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies have entered a partnership with WTOG TampaBay44 that will allow fans to watch all but one home match over the airwaves. According to the announcement, WTOG’s north-to-south reach spans from Hernando to Charlotte County and east to Orange County. The Rowdies’ April 27 matchup against New Mexico United will air exclusively on CBS Sports Network.
St. Petersburg-based Lonestar Data Holdings successfully transmitted data to and from the Moon, despite Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander, Odysseus, tipping on its side as it reached the surface. The local startup completed its three data transmission tests on its first mission - in space, in cislunar orbit and from the Moon’s surface. Odysseus powered down Thursday, one week after it became the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the Moon since 1972.
The Florida Aquarium is changing how it sells tickets following a record-breaking year that welcomed 1.1 million guests. Starting March 9, visitors must purchase tickets in advance through the Tampa facility’s website. Aquarium officials believe the one-million annual guest trend will continue and said the changes were “designed with our guests’ best interests at heart.”
Season 5 of the HGTV series Rock the Block debuts Monday (March 4) at 9 p.m. This season focuses on competitive home renovations in Treasure Island. Each of four design teams will have six weeks and a budget of $250,000 to renovate attached waterfront homes, each featuring a pool, a boat dock and views of Boca Ciega Bay. Other HGTV shows that have filmed in the St. Pete/Clearwater area include 100-Day Dream Home, Beachfront Bargain Hunt, Beachfront Bargain Hunt: Renovation, House Hunters, House Hunters: All-Stars and House Hunters International.
The St. Petersburg Village Inn on 4th Street has a new look – and something stronger than coffee on the menu. Nine Village Inn franchises throughout Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Counties recently underwent renovations, giving the well-known chain restaurants a fresh, modern look and an updated menu that includes alcohol. March 2-4, a grand reopening celebration will be held at 9107 4th Street N.
County Commissioner Charlie Justice and St. Petersburg City Councilmember Lisset Hanewicz are among the local dignitaries participating in Keep Pinellas Beautiful’s “Leaders Against Litter” event Friday at South Gandy Beach. The event begins at 8 a.m. at 13090 Gandy Blvd N. and will launch the 2024 Great American Cleanup initiative to raise awareness about how pervasive litter affects communities. For more information, visit the website here.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked 24th out of 32 teams in the Nation Football League’s Player’s Association’s (NFLPA) second-annual report card. Players described the locker room as “unclean” and “smelly” and cited a persistent problem with bugs in the showers. The Bucs also received an “F” grade for family treatment, as the team does not offer free gameday childcare. However, players thought highly of the team’s strength coaches and training staff.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a Family Self-Sufficiency Program grant in the amount of $104,546 to the St. Petersburg Housing Authority; the largest amount of all the new grantees in Florida. The grant enables coaching, training and savings accounts to build assets and economic independence for participants in SPHA’s Family Self-Sufficiency program.
Personal finance platform WalletHub recently compared America's 100 largest cities across nine metrics, including average credit score and bankruptcy filings, to determine those with the most people in "financial distress." Tampa ranked 22nd overall and 4th for the average number of overdrawn bank accounts. St. Petersburg did not place among the top 100 cities.
St. Petersburg’s first Whole Foods Market opened Wednesday morning at 201 38th Ave. N. The 41,100-square-foot store will feature several locally made products, like Mother Kombucha and Green Bench Brewing beverages. The St. Pete supermarket is the Austin-based company’s 537th store.
The Tampa-based United Soccer League (USL) has announced new broadcasting agreements with ESPN and CBS that will also benefit the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The USL now boasts 35 nationally televised matches, including its first over-the-air network TV broadcast on CBS. The CBS Sports Network will showcase the Rowdies on April 27 and Sept. 11.
