The University of South Florida placed among the nation’s top public research universities for producing new utility patents for the 12th consecutive year. The National Academy of Inventors recently ranked USF 16th among public institutions and 26th overall after the school secured 82 new patents in 2024. “Research and innovation at the University of South Florida leads to finding breakthrough treatments for debilitating diseases, discovering cures to deadly illnesses and developing impactful new technologies,” said President Rhea Law.
Kentucky Fried Chicken's most requested discontinued item, seasoned potato wedges, has returned - but only to four Tampa Bay locations for a limited time. The KFC at 770 34th St. N. in St. Petersburg will carry the wedges, discontinued in 2020, until March 22 or while supplies last. Two restaurants in Tampa, one in Auburndale and one in Bartow will also carry the once-popular side. The return could become permanent if the Tampa Bay test launch exceeds expectations.
Southern Living has released its annual list of the “South’s Best Cities,” and St. Petersburg ranked No. 7 due its “world-class” art museums, nature preserves, craft breweries and surrounding beaches. The magazine noted that the city has “bounded back after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.” Tampa placed 18th, and Charleston, South Carolina, ranked first on the list.
Low-cost carrier Breeze Airways will offer a new nonstop flight from Tampa International Airport to Key West beginning June 12. The service will run on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. The airline also announced it would offer four rather than two weekly flights to Pensacola from Tampa starting June 5.
The University of South Florida announced Tuesday that it received a record-setting $40 million donation to establish the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. USF officials believe Arnie and Lauren Bellini’s gift will help directly address the nation’s cybersecurity workforce shortage and rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) threats. The college will open this fall.
Representatives from the Florida Strawberry Festival announced today that this year's event drew 651,647 attendees, setting a record for attendance in the annual festival's 90-year history. The 11-day celebration ran from Feb. 27 through March 9 in Plant City.
St. Petersburg now has $2.2 million available to assist residents, small business owners and city employees recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. State and federal grants and the We Are St. Pete Fun will support the various disaster relief programs. Applications are now open on a first-come, first-qualified basis. For more information, visit the website here.
The music industry publication Billboard has named Tampa-born rapper Doechii its 2025 Woman of the Year. Doechii (real name: Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon) won the Grammy for Best Rap Album last month, for Alligator Bites Never Heal. Previous winners of the Billboard honor include Madonna, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift (twice) and SZA.
Pinellas County Human Services is now accepting Social Action Funding Grant Program applications to help local nonprofits support residents. Organizations that provide food and nutrition, homeless prevention and support, healthcare and support services can apply for up to $150,000 in funding through April 4. The minimum grant is $10,000, and for more information, visit the website here.
St. Petersburg College’s Model United Nations (MUN) team recently won five awards during the school’s first trip to a prominent international conference. SPC faculty and students attended the 2025 MUN Italia summit held in Rome from Feb. 24 through 27 and received an honorable mention for their overall team, their Kazakhstan delegate, their Czech Republic Delegate and an “outstanding” award for their France delegate. They also earned a “Best Position Paper” designation for the Czech Republic (NATO).
Rob Lorei, the host of WEDU-TV's Florida This Week for 23 years, announced Friday that he had been diagnosed with cancer and was stepping down from the weekly program, effective immediately. He will continue with the PBS affiliate as host of a new interview series. A co-founder of WMNF-FM, Lorei was fired from the radio station in 2021 over what the then-station manager deemed an "ethnic slur." Lorei, who had been with WMNF for more than four decades, denied the allegation.
The Athletic reported Sunday that Major League Baseball’s commissioner and several owners have pressured Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg to sell the team. Joe Molloy, a Tampa-based former New York Yankees executive, told the Tampa Bay Times that he is leading a local effort to buy and keep the team in St. Petersburg. The Rays have until March 31 to continue moving forward with a deal to build a new $1.3 billion stadium at the Tropicana Field site as part of the Historic Gas Plant District’s $6.5 billion redevelopment.
