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Pinellas homebuyers can now receive $75,000 for down payments

Pinellas County’s Down Payment Assistance program now provides between $50,000 and $75,000, depending on a homebuyer's income. Those earning less than $73,080 may qualify for the increased assistance. The zero-interest, deferred loans are available to residents in unincorporated Pinellas and most cities, excluding Largo, Clearwater and St. Petersburg, which have other programs. For more information, visit the website here.

Florida Poly prepares for new engineering building

Florida Polytechnic University will begin construction next spring on its $15 million Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building, a 40,000-square-foot academic facility. It will house research and development labs for a variety of engineering disciplines, staff and faculty offices, collaboration spaces and a conference room. The facility will also feature an open courtyard on the exterior, which will connect to the Barnett Applied Research Center, providing additional recreation space. Florida Poly is also building a third student residence hall, which will come online by fall 2024, and Fortune 500 company IFF will open its new citrus innovation center next spring. 

Navy’s newest warship arrives in Port Tampa

The USS Jack H. Lucas has docked at Port Tampa ahead of its commissioning ceremony Saturday at 10 a.m. The ship is a state-of-the-art guided-missile destroyer named after a military legend. At 17, Lucas became the youngest U.S. Marine to earn the Medal of Honor for jumping on two live grenades at the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. He later survived a parachute malfunction during a teaching exercise with the U.S. Army’s Airborne division.

Canadian wildfires cause local air quality concerns

Pinellas County officials issued an Air Pollution Advisory Tuesday due to elevated fine particulate matter pollution. The culprit is wind-carried smoke from over 300 wildfires burning uncontrollably throughout Canada. Local air quality experts advise people with lung diseases, elderly adults and children to reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion until conditions improve.

Mayor, Rays officials to hoist team flag at City Hall

St. Petersburg city officials welcome the public to help celebrate the Tampa Bay Rays’ fifth straight postseason appearance at a City Hall flag-raising ceremony today. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. at 175 5th St. N. Speakers include Mayor Ken Welch, City Council Vice Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders, County Commission Chair Janet Long and Brian Auld or Matt Silverman, Rays co-presidents.

Local nonprofit can double a donation with online votes

Hope Villages of America recently received a $5,000 donation from Solace Insurance that will increase to $10,000 if the local nonprofit receives at least 500 votes and comments. The funding is part of Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance’s 2023 Make More Happen campaign. The official website opened today, and those interested can vote or comment here.

Rays announce three events to gather stadium feedback

The Tampa Bay Rays want fans to help inform plans for a new $1.3 billion ballpark. Team officials will gather feedback at three events. The first is Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in Tampa’s Westshore area. The others are Oct. 12 at 5:30 p.m. and Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in downtown St. Petersburg. For more information and to register, click on the hyperlinks. “The Rays are focused on designing a state-of-the-art ballpark that will provide our fans with an experience unlike any other in Major League Baseball,” wrote team leadership in an email to fans.

New details emerge about Tampa’s Tesla ride-share program

The Tampa Downtown Partnership business-led not-for-profit organization has revealed new details about the upcoming launch of the DASH (Downtown Area Shared Hubs) program that will enable passengers to hail rides via a mobile app from drivers who will help link them to other parts of the city in Tesla Model Y vehicles. The service will launch in October and will be available Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. The app will pair up to four passengers to share each hub-to-hub trip, priced at $2 per person. 

Aerosmith, Black Crowes’ bay area concert dates canceled

Aerosmith has "postponed" all scheduled dates on its fall 2023 farewell tour, including a planned Oct. 11 show at Tampa's Amalie Arena; the band announced that vocalist Steven Tyler had suffered an injury to his vocal cords and larynx. The dates will be rescheduled. The Black Crowes were scheduled to open the Tampa concert. A listing for a separate Oct. 12  Black Crowes concert at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg has been removed from the theater's website.

Citizens could drop 300,000 policyholders

Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Florida’s state-backed “insurer of last resort,” recently notified over 300,000 homeowners that their policies might be dropped in October and transferred to private companies. Those receiving the notices have until Oct. 10 to reply. Policyholders can stay with the citizens if the private company’s renewal premium is 20% more expensive than the Citizens' quote.

The Hippie Shack to open in previous Sea Hags space

The new Hippie Shack restaurant will open at 9555 Blind Pass Road, a waterfront commercial space in St. Pete Beach formerly occupied by Sea Hags Bar and Grill. According to social media posts, it will be "an eatin’, drinkin’ and dancin’ kind of joint." Businessman Steve Gianfilippo, who founded the Cordova Inn and Station House in St. Pete, purchased the property in 2021 and previously planned to create a houseboat resort.

St. Pete defense contractor wins national award

California-based technology magazine CIO Review recently named Pole Star Defense its 2023 Most Promising Defense Tech Solutions Provider. Pole Star headquarters at St. Petersburg’s Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. The company is leading the U.S. Coast Guard’s efforts to modernize its technological infrastructure, in addition to its maritime safety, surveillance and regulatory compliance operations.

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