Paul Hodgkins of Tampa has pled guilty to a charge related to his participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Hodgkins, 38, admitted to breaching the Capitol and entering the Senate chamber, along with other supporters of former President Trump who attempted to disrupt the counting of electoral votes that would certify Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. Hodgkins pled guilty to one count of obstructing an official proceeding, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He could also be fined up to $250,000. Hodgkins will be sentenced on July 19.
St. Pete's emphasis on maintaining and preserving parklands and realted recreational activities has landed it the top spot in a state ranking. The The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit with a mission to "create parks and protect land for people," ranked St. Petersburg No. 1 in Florida and No. 14 nationally in this year's ParkScore index. The 2021 ParkScore index evaluates 100 of the largest U.S. cities using mapping technology and demographic date to determine how well each city is meeting the needs for parks. Each city was scored in five categories: access, acreage, amenities, equity and investment, according to the index. St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department earned a 78 out of 100 in investment and 78 out of 100 in equity. According to the ParkScore index, "75% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park" in St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay Wave is now accepting applications for the 2021 TechWomen Rising Accelerator program. The 90-day accelerator program is meant to help female-led tech startups connect with investors and connect with customers. The companies in the accelerator program will receive a mentor and one-on-one feedback with notable tech founders. There will also be pitch coaching and investment readiness programs. The program is funded by a $500,000 philanthropic commitment from JPMorgan Chase to Tampa Bay Wave and Embarc Collective. Those interested in applying can apply here.
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority's autonomous shuttle service will extend beyond Dunedin. PSTA recently launched its AVA (Autonomous Vehicle Advantage) shuttles in Dunedin along Douglas Avenue after having a successful run in St. Pete last year. During a Pinellas County meeting, PSTA CEO Brad Miller said its use will grow in Dunedin and eventually extend elsewhere. AVA will start operating on Main Street in Dunedin June 16. After several months in Dunedin, it will transition into Clearwater Beach, Miller said.
Bloomin’ Brands promoted Danielle Vona to senior vice president, chief marketing officer. She will also join the executive leadership team. As CMO, Vona will oversee marketing from brand strategy to implementation and will guide a team responsible for consumer insights, brand marketing, food and beverage development and field marketing. Vona previously held senior marketing positions at PepsiCo and Sonic. She returned to Bloomin’ Brands in 2019 as CMO for Outback Steakhouse; she earlier held the same position at Carrabba’s Italian Grill. Outback and Carrabba's, along with Bonefish Grill and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, are the brands that are part of Bloomin' Brands (Nasdaq: BLMN), a Tampa casual dining restaurant company,
Danielle Collins, St. Petersburg’s homegrown tennis star, easily won her second-round match at the French Open in Paris on Wednesday, defeating Ukraine’s Anhelina Kilinina 6-0, 6-2. Her third-round opponent could be the legendary Serena Williams, the No. 7 seed at Roland Garros, who faces Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu in a second-round match later on Wednesday.
St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman says he will not run for the open U.S. House seat in Pinellas County. "I am truly appreciative of the encouragement I’ve received to run, and given the appeal of such an opportunity, I strongly considered it," Kriseman said in a public message regarding running as a candidate to fill Charlie Crist's seat. Crist's seat became available as he plans to run for state governor in 2022. "I do not yet know what the future holds, except that I was reelected to serve a four year term, and I have seven full months left as mayor to get us closer to our vision of being a 'city of opportunity where the sun shines on all,'" Kriseman said. "We’ve come a long way, St. Pete. Let’s go even further and finish strong."
Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) is launching two new nonstops from the Tampa International Airport this November. The Florida-based airline will add daily flights from St. Louis to Tampa starting Nov. 17. It's also adding three-times weekly flights from Louisville, Kentucky to Tampa starting Nov. 18.
The second part of the collaborative art exhibit Skyway 20/21, featuring 18 area artists, opens Thursday at the Tampa Museum of Art, and will be on view through Oct. 10. The first part is now on exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art St. Petersburg (through Aug 22); the other participants are Sarasota’s Ringling Museum of Art (June 20-Sept. 26) and USF Contemporary Art Museum (June 14-Sept. 1). More information.
Patrick Kennedy, founder of the national mental health nonprofit, The Kennedy Forum, has joined Ascellus as a strategic advisor. Ascellus, which recently changed its name from IMCS Group, is a St. Petersburg-based behavioral health provider focused on helping injured workers restore their physical and emotional wellbeing. Kennedy is a former U.S. congressman who served 16 years in the House of Representatives, where he co-authored a federal parity law that requires insurers to cover treatment for mental health and substance use disorders no more restrictively than for illnesses of the body.
Pro tennis player Danielle Collins, a St. Petersburg native, has advanced to the second round of the French Open in Paris, defeating China’s Wang Xiyu 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 on Sunday, the first day of the red-clay Grand Slam. It was the first win since March for Collins, who recently underwent surgery to treat endometriosis, a condition that affects women’s ovaries and fallopian tubes and can cause severe pain and even infertility. The 50th-ranked Collins’ next opponent is Anhelina Kilinina of Ukraine, currently ranked No. 123 in the world.
Ali Holding, an Italian company with North American operations in Chicago, has offered $23 a share in cash to buy Welbilt, a commercial food equipment manufacturer in New Port Richey. Ali Holding is the second bidder for Welbilt. In April, Middleby Corp., an Elgin, Illinois food service equipment company, proposed an all-stock deal in which Welbilt shareholders would receive 0.1240 shares of Middleby common stock for each share of Welbilt common stock they own. Ali Holding said in a news release that its proposal represents a premium of about 13.9 percent to the implied value of the Middleby transaction as of May 24. The company said it has substantial cash on hand and has received a "highly confident letter" from Goldman Sachs International for new financing to fund the proposed transaction. Welbilt (NYSE: WBT) is one of the larger publicly traded companies headquartered in the area, with $1.15 billion in net sales in 2020.
