The Gasparilla Distance Classic Association announced Thursday that the 44th Running of the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic race weekend events, originally scheduled for Feb. 19-21, 2021, will be postponed to Mother's Day Weekend, May 7-9, 2021. Though race organizers had planned to hold the race in February based on a review of Covid numbers in October, the new higher positivity rates prompted them to reschedule. All participants who are currently registered for one or more of the 2021 events will be given the option of running in-person in May or, if they choose, converting their registration to run virtually.
Susana Weymouth, executive director of Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts (TBBCA), will join The Florida Orchestra in January as Chief Development Officer. Weymouth will lead a team responsible for creating and managing a comprehensive fundraising plan for TFO as it navigates the financial effects of the pandemic and beyond. The orchestra’s operating budget is $11.5 million in a typical year. Weymouth will remain in her role with TBBCA through the end of this year.
The boards of directors of Empath Health and Stratum Health System have approved the merger of the two organizations. The merger will create the largest not-for-profit health system focused on non-acute care and services in the United States, serving more than 6,000 patients a day, a news release said. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the two nonprofits have worked collaboratively to obtain personal protective equipment, share best practices, and strengthen their overall processes to support their patients and families. To read more about the deal in the Impact section of the St. Pete Catalyst, click here.
Major League Baseball has revamped its player development structure. Under the new system, 30 MLB franchises will extend invitations to four farm teams each, the Washington Post reported. The Tampa Bay Rays have invited the Durham (North Carolina) Bulls, the Montgomery (Alabama) Biscuits, the Bowling Green (Kentucky) Hot Rods and The Charleston (South Carolina) RiverDogs to join the Rays as affiliates under the new MLB system, a news release said. The Bulls, Biscuits and Hot Rods have been Rays' affiliates. The RiverDogs previously were Rays' affiliates but most recently were affiliated with the New York Yankees. The new MLB player development system begins in 2021.
Raymond James Financial has an agreement to acquire NWPS Holdings, a Seattle-based independent provider of retirement plan administration, consulting, actuarial and administration services. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year. NWPS, which also does business as Northwest Plan Services, will continue to operate under its current name and its 160 employees will remain at the firm's current locations. The deal is a good strategic fit for the long-term growth strategy at St. Petersburg-based Raymond James (NYSE: RJF), said Paul Reilly, chairman and CEO.
The Florida Department of Health reported 378 newly confirmed cases of Covid-19 and two additional deaths from the virus in Pinellas County and Wednesday. There is now a cumulative total of 35,883 cases of Covid-19 since March in Pinellas County and 941 people have died as result of the virus. The health department's latest report showed the positivity rate - or percent of people who took a Covid-19 test and received a positive result - was 9.2 percent on Tuesday. The positivity rate has averaged 6.3 percent over the past two weeks. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration said 213 people were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of Covid in Pinellas County hospitals as of Wednesday afternoon. That's up from 198 people hospitalized on Tuesday afternoon. While overall available hospital bed capacity in Pinellas County is 27 percent, three hospitals — St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater and Mease Countryside Hospital in Dunedin — have fewer than 10 percent of their beds available.
The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, with support from the Downtown Partnership and the City of St. Petersburg, is collecting and curating ideas for a strengthened arts community in the wake of Covid-19. The Comprehensive Arts Strategy (CAS) will develop strategic recommendations to grow St. Petersburg’s arts sector and improve overall community prosperity, with a goal of providing a five-year road map for future development. The public is invited to participate in a virtual (webinar) group meeting Tuesday, Dec. 15 from 1 to 2:15 p.m. Registration is here.
The St. Pete Store & Visitors Center, which showcases the works of more than 50 local artisans, recently launched an e-commerce site. Products for sale online include T-shirts, handmade glass, cutting boards, hats, candles and books written by St. Pete authors. The store is currently offering curbside pickup. For more information, email tourism@stpete.com or call (727) 388-0686.
The University of South Florida has received a $2 million gift to the USF Foundation that will benefit students and faculty in the College of Engineering. The estate gift from David Miga, owner and president of Electronic Design Specialists, will establish the David Miga Endowed Scholarship for Electrical Engineering and create the David T. Miga Innovation Facility Fund. The gift will ease the financial burden of college costs for students while supporting the operational needs of the College of Engineering for at least 10 years. Specifically, the college will receive funds for equipment, supplies and maintenance associated with an open use “maker space” for students. This will provide the critical, tangible tools needed to effectively teach the hands-on aspects of the engineering curriculum.
Maximo Park in south St. Petersburg got a spruce up as part of efforts by the National Football League, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Super Bowl LV Host Committee to leave a green legacy in cities where the championship football game is played. Keep Pinellas Beautiful, the City of St. Petersburg Parks Department and TREE Inc. joined community volunteers to remove invasive plants, remove litter from the park, and plant native shoreline trees, mangroves and a mixture of ground cover including beach sunflower and seagrasses to help stabilize the area and protect against shoreline erosion. Other parks in the greening project were Picnic Island, along the southwestern tip of Interbay Peninsula, and Mosaic Park on the Alafia River.
Nine additional deaths due to Covid-19 have been reported in Pinellas County. The death toll since March due to the virus stood at 939 as of Tuesday, a report from the Florida Department of Health said. There's been a cumulative total of 35,505 confirmed cases of Covid-19, an increase of 303 cases overnight. The positivity rate — or percent of people who took a Covid test and tested positive — was 8.46 percent for tests reported on Monday. The positivity rate has averaged 6.06 percent over the past two weeks. There were 198 people hospitalized in Pinellas County with a primary diagnosis of Covid-19 as of Tuesday afternoon, and 26.7 percent of the total hospital beds in the county are available, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration said.
After being rescheduled due to Hurricane Eta, the City of St. Petersburg will hold its seventh annual Veteran's Day celebration Wednesday (Dec. 9) at 8 a.m. at Williams Park Veterans Memorial. This year’s Honored Veteran Awards will be presented to the late Dr. Bill Heller, former dean at the University of South Florida's St. Petersburg campus and Army veteran and Jim Nixon, LGBTQ Liaison with the City of St. Petersburg who is a Navy veteran. Capacity at the event will be limited and attendees will be expected to maintain social distance and wear masks when within 6 feet of one another.
