Last October, seven live cownose stingrays were transferred from hurricane-ravaged Tropicana Field – where they’d been on display in a public touch tank – to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. This week, four actual Tropicana Field seats were installed at the aquarium’s Tampa Bay Rays-sponsored Stingray Beach exhibit, for Rays-inspired observation.
Pinellas County Urban Forestry will give away a variety of shade and accent trees from 9 a.m. until noon Saturday in celebration of National Arbor Day. Households can receive up to two free trees at 4550 126th Ave. N. in Clearwater. Available trees include bald cypresses, American elms, slash pines and Florida privets.
Pinellas County has extended its compliance deadline for property owners in unincorporated areas who received substantial damage notices following Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. While the new deadline is June 1, 2026, residents must submit a reassessment application by May 31. Officials encourage residents to work with insurance providers, licensed contractors and the county's Building and Development Review Services Department to ensure recovery plans remain on track.
Vernon Bryant, a longtime volunteer at Richard O. Jacobson Technical High School in Seminole, has received Florida's Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award. Just 24% of Pinellas County Schools' volunteers are male, and significantly fewer are Black. Bryant mentors students through the district's Lunch Pals and Take Stock in Children programs, serves on the School Advisory Council, helped package over 20,000 meals through the Rise Against Hunger campaign and led a project that built 50 beds for children. The district needs more mentors like Bryant, who can make a lasting difference in a student's life in just 30 minutes weekly.
St. Petersburg College will host its second annual Construction Expo at its Midtown Center from 9 a.m. until noon April 16. Industry experts will provide live demonstrations of drone technology, field surveying and AutoCAD systems. Attendees can learn about in-demand construction careers and apply to SPC for free at the event. The expo is at 1300 22nd St. S.
Starting April 15, the Pinellas County Jail will digitize all personal and legal mail through the Smart Communications platform. Inmates will then view all correspondence electronically, and senders should not mail documents or photos they do not want returned. According to the announcement, attorneys can still send privileged correspondence.
Largo-based SPCA Tampa Bay will feature prominently on an upcoming episode of "Extraordinary World with Jeff Corwin," hosted by the Emmy-winning conservationist. CBS will air the episode Saturday, April 29, at 6:30 a.m. It will also stream on Paramount+.
The City of St. Petersburg invites residents to attend its annual Budget Open House event Monday at City Hall. Officials will provide an overview of the fiscal year 2026 budgetary process, and residents will hear remarks from Mayor Ken Welch and the city council. Attendees can also offer feedback at the event, which begins at 6 p.m. in the city council's chambers.
Pinellas County and WK Preserve Group, Inc. each contributed $1.5 million to purchase the West Klosterman Preserve in Tarpon Springs for $3 million. The 14-acre site, previously owned by the Pinellas County School Board, borders the 76-acre Mariner's Point Management Area. Neighbors began raising money to protect the property from development in 2020.
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area's inflation rate increased .7% from January to March and 2.1% year-over-year. However, that represents a slight dip from February's 1.2% and 2.3% increases, respectively. Personal finance platform WalletHub now ranks Tampa No. 14, tied with Atlanta, among metros with the "biggest inflation problems."
The St. Petersburg Police Department welcomes community members to gather in front of the department's headquarters Thursday evening for a candlelight vigil that honors local lives lost to violence. Shannon Turner, who lost her son to a road rage incident, and Ellen Mullinex, a domestic violence survivor, will offer remarks. A Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Children Services representative will provide information on mental health services. The vigil begins at 7 p.m. at 1301 1st Ave. N.
Casey Phillips, a team reporter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will teach the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's first sports broadcasting class in the school's history. The "On-Camera Sports Reporting" course is now open to aspiring journalists. Phillips, who has been with the Bucs for 10 years, will teach students the ins and outs of live sports coverage, sideline reporting and how to ask the right questions and build relationships.
