The Tampa Bay Rays have announced single-game Spring Training tickets for home games at Charlotte Sports Park go on sale Monday, Jan. 24. Tickets are available exclusively through RaysBaseball.com and the MLB Ballpark app. Season tickets for the 15-game home schedule in Port Charlotte start at $299 and include discounts on concessions and merchandise. Additionally, the Rays host the Philadelphia Phillies for an exhibition game at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, March 29. The game begins at 12:35 p.m., and general admission tickets are $15 in the lower level.
The Florida Holocaust Museum honors the memory of those who died in the Holocaust. Founded by Walter P. Loebenberg, the museum teaches community members of all races and cultures the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides. The Impact Council looks forward to sharing ideas and furthering the organization's mission.
The Florida Orchestra has announced a change in this weekend's concerts. Violinist Karen Gomyo has canceled her appearance, citing illness. Her place will be taken by Simone Porter, who will guest on Beethoven’s Violin Concerto (Gormyo was to perform a piece by Brahms). The remainder of the program remains unchanged. Information is available here.
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg has reported seeing a major spike of Covid-19 cases. As a comparison, the hospital saw 17 Covid-19 cases in November, those numbers spiked to 55 cases in December, and its experts have now diagnosed over 500 Covid-19 cases in just the first two weeks of January. The hospital also reported seeing flu cases-- 25 cases in November and a jump to 123 patients testing positive for flu in December. "While many children are diagnosed in the emergency center with both viruses and discharged to manage symptoms at home, some of the children we see in our hospital (particularly for Covid-19) are cared for in the ICU – and it’s been a mix of both healthy children and those with underlying conditions admitted for Covid-19. Almost all the children being hospitalized for this disease at our hospital are not able to be vaccinated since they are under five, and therefore not eligible to receive a vaccine," the hospital reported. The hospital is encouraging those five years old and older to get vaccinated.
St. Petersburg-based First Home Bank has opened a new loan production office (LPO) and financial resource center in the Newtown community of North Sarasota. The LOP is in a building shared with the Sarasota Police Department at 1782 Dr. Martin Luther King Way. The LPO is the first of its kind in the community, providing personal and commercial loans as well as financial education, programs and additional resources to community members and business owners, according to First Home Bank. The bank recently broke ground on its second banking center in Sarasota located at 2075 S. Tamiami Trail, which will become the community bank’s eighth banking center in the Tampa Bay area.
The Valspar Championship returns to the Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor on Thursday, March 17 through Sunday, March 20. The tournament was postponed from its usual mid-March date until April 29 last year due to Covid concerns. In a recent virtual media session, Valspar Tournament Director Tracy West said there would be no attendance restrictions, mask mandates or vaccine requirements for the 2022 championship. Additionally, West announced the return of the popular Valspar Live Concert Series featuring country music singers Chris Young and Big & Rich. Some of golf’s biggest names have committed to the event, including Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and defending champion Sam Burns. For more information on the 2022 Valspar Championship, visit the website here.
Bill Crown, The Florida Aquarium's founding member, has died. “Bill was one of the driving forces behind opening The Florida Aquarium more than 25-years ago. It was his vision to create a conservation-based aquarium that would inspire, educate and captivate children and adults alike. He worked tirelessly to gather the financial backing for the Aquarium, along the way always encouraging others to protect Florida’s precious natural environment. While we have lost a great ambassador and friend, Bill’s presence will forever be felt at The Florida Aquarium," Roger Germann, The Florida Aquarium President and CEO, said in a news release on Friday. Crown was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He died on Jan 12. Crown's full obituary can be read here.
After taking 2021 off for pandemic reasons, the John's Pass Seafood Festival returns this weekend (Jan. 20-22) with four days of continuous live music, arts and crafts and opportunities to purchase fresh seafood. Hours are 3-9 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Parking: The John's Pass Beach lot and 130th Ave lot will be $25 event parking.; additionally, a free shuttle will run from the Madeira Beach Fundamental School with stops at Madeira Beach City Hall, Archibald Park, County Park, and will wrap up at John's Pass Park. The address is 12902 Village Blvd, Madeira Beach 33708.
The City of St. Petersburg is hosting several events to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this weekend. The MLK Dream Big Weekend kicked off today with the MLK Music Festival and Family Fun Day - 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Albert Whitted Park. On Sunday, the MLK Community Gospel Choir Showcase takes place at the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. The MLK Band Showcase is Sunday from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Campbell Park Football Complex. Closing out the festivities is the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, beginning at 11 a.m. Monday. The parade celebrating the late civil rights icon is the longest-running in America.
Pinellas County Animal Services (PCAS) is waiving all adoption fees for the remainder of January. All pet adoptions include sterilization, registered microchips, age-appropriate vaccines and parasite prevention. According to a social media post Friday, PCAS made the announcement to honor celebrated actress Betty White’s recent death. White was a staunch supporter of animal adoption and funding rescue shelters, and the #BettyWhiteChallenge to support those causes is trending across social media. White passed away on New Year's Eve, a day before her 100th birthday.
The City of St. Petersburg is one of the sponsors of the St. Petersburg Seafood & Music Festival, planned for Jan. 28-30 in Williams Park. Among the performers will be blues guitarists Pat Travers, Selwyn Birchwood and Albert Castiglia; Saturday night ends with a set from 1970s hitmakers Atlanta Rhythm Section. For more information, click here.
The 2022 State of the Region Community Luncheon, originally scheduled for Jan. 21, is postponed due to a surge in Covid cases stemming from the highly contagious Omicron variant. The makeup date is April 13, and those wishing to attend will need to re-register. The State of the Region is held in the University Student Center Ballroom at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. For more information and to re-register, visit the website here.
