Rhea Law officially became the University of South Florida’s eighth president Wednesday after the Florida Board of Governors unanimously gave its approval during a meeting in Jacksonville. The USF Board of trustees unanimously selected Law for the full-time position last week. Law has served as the school’s interim president since replacing Steve Currall in August. Law, a USF Alum, will earn between $764,311 and $1.1 million annually over a three-year contract. Her base salary is $655,000, with an additional $131,000 in deferred compensation through each year of the agreement. She can also earn up to $300,000 in annual performance bonuses. In an email to students, Law wrote, “this is an extremely meaningful moment for me, and it signals the Board’s confidence in our university’s tremendous momentum.”
On Wednesday, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority board approved significant pay increases for Service Employees International Union employees thanks to $11 million in federal Covid-19 relief funds. The hourly salaries for drivers will increase from $16 to $18. Technicians will see a boost from $18.50 to $20.50. Hourly wages for veteran drivers, who currently earn $25.84, will be paid $27.60 hourly. The new deal comes after union members voiced concern about wage increases for PSTA's administrative staff.
William Shatner will beam down to the Tampa Bay Comic Con July 29-31, at the Tampa Bay Convention Center. The "Star Trek" legend, 91, will join featured guests Gates McFadden ("Star Trek: The Next Generation"), James David Frank (“Power Rangers”), James “Murr” Murray (“Impractical Jokers”) and Elizabeth Maxwell (“Attack on Titan,” “My Hero Academia”). Tickets for the event are now on sale at the Comic Con website.
St. Petersburg-based Raymond James Financial announced it is acquiring SumRidge Partners LLC, a New Jersey-based, tech-driven fixed income market maker. SumRidge, specializing in investment-grade and high-yield corporate bonds, municipal bonds and institutional preferred securities, will join Raymond James’ Fixed Income Capital Markets division. “SumRidge is an exciting combination of a strong team and advanced technology that will only enhance Raymond James’ position in a rapidly evolving fixed income and trading technology marketplace,” Horace Carter, Raymond James’ executive vice president and president of fixed income, said in a statement. The monetary amount of the acquisition was not disclosed. The SumRidge organization has about 45 employees.
Verizon customers in St. Petersburg may experience interruptions to their phone service Tuesday, as a company statement said a portion of fiber cable is damaged. The cable connects to several service sites in the city, leading to missed calls or texts and causing some customers to lose service entirely. It is not clear when Verizon will resolve the issue, although connecting cell phones to Wi-Fi and enabling the Wi-Fi calling feature may offer a solution.
2D Café, a two-dimensional café, will open in St. Pete's Grand Central District on April 8th. The 2D Café will create a two-dimensional experience in real life by having bold black lines outline the white chairs, tables, plates and floors inside the space. The monochrome black-and-white design creates a comic book-like flat illustration. The immersive cafe will open at 2105 Central Ave., one of the former locations of swah-rey. The grand opening will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
It is again time to increase water conservation efforts in Pinellas County, as seasonal water restrictions begin on Friday, April 1. The restrictions run through Thursday, June 30, and water schedules differ for north and south county customers. According to the press release, the county is intensifying enforcement of watering restrictions to encourage responsible use of reclaimed water. The county prohibits irrigation entirely on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and the north county system will shut down on those days. For reclaimed watering schedules, visit the website here.
According to a migration analysis from Redfin, Tampa ranked as No.3 on metros within the United States where homebuyers were searching for homes. The latest migration analysis is based on a sample of about two million Redfin.com users who searched for homes across 111 metro areas in January and February, according to Redfin. Tampa followed behind Phoenix, which ranked second, and Miami, which ranked first.
Following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Visit St. Pete Clearwater is once again hosting the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival. Located adjacent to Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach, the festival runs from April 8-24. This year’s theme is “SANDimals-An Animal Adventure” and features dozens of artists creating intricate sculptures of wildlife out of beach sand. Attendees can also take sculpting classes from a master sculptor. Additional activities include a Ferris Wheel and daily interactions with animals from the Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center.
The smallest home for sale in the entire Tampa Bay region is currently on the market for $475,000. The one-bedroom, one-bathroom house in Madeira Beach offers just 570 square feet of living space. While roughly the size of a two-car garage, the cottage is near the beach and sits on a 4,000 square-foot lot. With demand for housing continuing to outpace supply, the average listing price for homes in Pinellas County is just over $400,000.
Tampa-based startup Vū Technologies, which claims to be North America’s fastest-growing network of virtual production studios for the film, announced plans for its fourth and newest studio in Orlando. The 32,000-square-foot studio will host the largest LED volume in the Vū studio within the network with three on-site stages. Vū Technologies uses LED, robotics and camera tracking technology that allows filmmakers to shoot photo-realistic virtual environments in the studio instead of traveling on location, saving both cost and time. Vu’s new Orlando studio location is just miles away from Disney and Universal Studios, which are two of the region’s largest producers of film and video content. Vū Technologies recently opened its 16,000-square-foot studio in Nashville. In late February, it opened a 40,000-square-foot Las Vegas campus. By the end of the year, the company plans to add campuses in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and other metros. The startup company recently raised $17 million in a seed round through investments from ADX Labs, Topmark Partners, and Angel investment syndicates from Orlando, Tampa and Texas.
The Pinellas County Utilities department is hosting a career fair on March 30, from 3-7 p.m., at the Lealman Exchange Community Center at 5175 45th St. in St. Petersburg. The county is seeking electrical and mechanical technicians, maintenance workers and specialists and wastewater plant operators. Entry-level positions with no experience requirements are also available. Staff will provide computers and assistance with online applications, and candidates can discuss education and training opportunities with representatives from Pinellas Technical College. For more information, visit the website here.
