Mio’s Grill & Café at 119 2nd St. N. in St. Petersburg ranked 12th nationally in Yelp’s recently released “Top 100 Place to Eat” list. Reviewers credited the Mediterranean eatery’s “absolute fire baba ganoush, “smooth and garlicky hummus, “moist and flavorful falafel and “hands down the best Greek salad in town.” Bayshore Mediterranean Grill in Tampa placed 75th, while Oldmar’s Shaker & Peel came in at No. 80.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) served 2.49 million passengers in 2023, a new record. The facility also set new monthly benchmarks in January, June, July, September, October and November. July 2023 was PIE’s busiest month in its history with 279,622 passengers.
The Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County is celebrating Florida's Literacy Week, an annual initiative to inspire children and their families to make reading part of their daily routines. Literacy week also falls during the open enrollment period for the state-funded Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program (VPK).
Tickets go on sale Friday for performances by Bob Dylan March 5 and 6 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Dylan, 82, is on his "Rough and Rowdy Ways" tour. Tickets will be $67.25, $97.25 and $147.
Several World Wrestling Entertainment superstars will visit St. Petersburg’s Lakewood High School Saturday before the Royal Rumble event at Tropicana Field. The athletes, led by Tampa Bay native Titus O’Neil, will recognize students who have improved their grades and behavior through “perseverance, grit and resilience.” In addition to awards, the superstars will also present a surprise donation to the school.
The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg and Bayfront Health will announce their 2023 and 2024 funded partners Wednesday, to whom they are jointly awarding $4.8 million in combined funding through a partnership announced last summer. Grant amounts range from $10,000 to $500,000 and fund work in the three zip codes of the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area in the priority focus areas of Mental Health and Wellness for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and Economic Equity and Justice.
Officials with Duke Energy recently announced a $50,000 donation to St. Petersburg College’s (SPC) Promise Scholarship program that provides graduates from eight Pinellas County high schools with free tuition and books. SPC launched the pilot program in 2023 for graduates of five local schools with the highest poverty rates. Over 460 students received the scholarship last year. For more information, visit the website here.
YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg has announced its expanding early childhood education services at area YMCA Preschool Academies, including a 5,000 sq. ft. expansion at Speer YMCA Preschool Academy to create multiple new infant and toddler classrooms. Funding will be allocated from the sale of Harbordale YMCA.
The Detroit Lions advanced to their first NFC Championship Game since 1991 with a 31-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday. Wide receiver Mike Evans, who caught eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Baker Mayfield, who completed 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, helped keep the game close for the Bucs. The Lions will now face the San Francisco 49ers with a Super Bowl berth on the line, while Tampa Bay will begin contract negotiations with Evans, Mayfield and other impending free agents.
Personal finance platform WalletHub recently released its 2024 rankings of the “Best & Worst Metro Areas for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Professionals,” and Tampa Bay placed 16th. However, the region’s quality of life outranked its STEM-Friendliness and Professional Opportunities scores. Austin placed first, and Tampa Bay finished just ahead of Washington, D.C.
The governor’s office recently announced it will provide a $35 million Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant to bolster Florida’s semiconductor manufacturing industry. Pinellas County Schools is among six regional districts that will share the funding. While the specific allocations remain unannounced, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Highlands Counties will also split the grant dollars.
The Florida Aquarium has partnered with Junior Achievement Tampa Bay to teach fifth-grade students how to run a business, manage a simulated economy and allow them to explore professional roles. Aquarium officials will open its JA BizTown storefront with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting Tuesday, Jan. 23. Students will serve as CEO for a day, act as veterinarians, participate in environmental services, manage the gift shop and perform marketing and outreach activities.
