Officials with P1 Offshore have unveiled their 2024 powerboat racing calendar, and the Monster Energy St. Pete Grand Prix will now serve as the season finale. Events will take place around the St. Petersburg Pier starting Oct. 18, and P1 will crown its champion Oct. 20. Brian Lowack, CEO of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, said the race will draw spectators “from near and far to our beautiful destination” and showcase the city’s “spectacular” downtown waterfront and “award-winning pier” to a global TV audience.
Online real estate platform Zillow recently placed Tampa Bay among the nation's “hottest housing markets of 2024.” Buffalo, New York, took the top spot, while the Orlando metro area finished one spot ahead of Tampa Bay. Zillow based its rankings on expected price growth, “inventory and velocity,” demographics and several other metrics.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is offering free transportation options Jan. 15 for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. PSTA will offer free service on routes 5, SunRunner and Central Avenue Trolley for those interested in going to the MLK Dream Big parade. PSTA will also be debuting a newly wrapped bus in the parade featuring Dr. King.
Florida’s Business Damage Assessment Survey is now open for Florida business owners to self-report physical and economic damage caused by this week's severe weather event. The survey can be accessed here.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Superstars Bianca Belair and Montez Ford will serve as grand marshals for the Jan. 20 Children’s Gasparilla Parade. Event organizers also named Tampa native and New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso this year’s Chick-fil-A Tampa Bay Community hero. WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair will serve as the Feb. 10 Knight Parade’s grand marshal.
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco no longer stands accused of commercial and sexual exploitation and money laundering. He now faces allegations of sexual and psychological abuse, according to court documents obtained by the Associated Press. The initial charges carried a prison sentence of up to 30, 10 and 20 years, respectively. He now faces a two-to-five-year prison sentence if formally charged and convicted.
A new report from WalletHub, a personal finance company, ranked 180 cities based on 31 metrics. Tampa ranked second for job opportunities in 2024, coming in behind Scottsdale, Arizona. Both cities are experiencing high job growth, according to the report.
St. Petersburg’s Al Lang Stadium will host a friendly match between Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union and Club de Regatas do Flamengo - a Brazilian professional soccer powerhouse founded in 1895. Flamengo, a seven-time national champion, last competed in the U.S. five years ago. Tickets for the Jan. 21 friendly are limited as 2,000 youth academy players will attend the match.
Fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor’s eight million listings receive “Best of the Best” recognition, and St. Petersburg nearly topped this year’s rankings of the Travelers’ Choice Trending Destinations. The platform credited the Sunshine City’s weather, proximity to Ft. De Soto Park, Pinellas Trail access, Tampa Bay Rays baseball and Sunken Gardens for the high ranking. Napa, California, was named 2024’s top trending destination.
University of South Florida Health has received a $14 million grant from the Florida Legislature to conduct a traumatic brain injury research study. Researchers at the Morsani College of Medicine will conduct a five-year clinical research study to help determine if hyperbaric oxygen therapy can ease the symptoms of traumatic brain injury in Florida’s veteran, active duty and reserve service members. The initial phase of the clinical trial is underway.
Bayfront Health St. Petersburg officials recently awarded over $200,000 in community grants for the 2024 cycle. Recipients include EPIC’s Food and Personal Needs Pantry, the Healthy Start Coalition of Pinellas County, Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay, and several other organizations and initiatives. The Bayfront Health Community Grant Program’s priorities are supporting access to care, behavioral health and physical and nutritional wellness.
The National Weather Service recently reported that Tampa’s 76.6-degree average temperature in 2023 was the hottest recorded since 1890. The previous benchmark, 76.4 degrees, occurred in 2023. St. Petersburg’s 76.5-degree average was also the warmest since official records began in 2014.
