The Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is now part of a unique global network of zoos and sanctuaries that will continuously stream its animals on zoolife. CMA is the first aquarium to join the zoolife platform and the first facility to showcase dolphins. Viewers watch live feedings, training, enrichment sessions and animal rescues from CMA and dozens of zoos.
The St. Petersburg City Council passed a resolution supporting the State of Israel and condemning Hamas and Iran during their Oct. 12 meeting. Councilmember Ed Montanari introduced the measure. The council passed the resolution 6-1, with Councilmember Richie Floyd the lone “no” vote and Councilmember John Muhammad absent.
Treasure Island and Pinellas County officials are pleading for the public’s help in protecting a multi-million-dollar emergency sand dune restoration project in Sunset Beach. The area remains closed, yet people continue walking over the newly created dunes “and destroying them in the process.” Officials warn that trespassing in the designated construction zone - which should open Oct. 30 - is unlawful.
Blake Casper, co-owner of Tampa hospitality company Oxford Commons, has donated $1 million to Jesuit High School to go towards the private school's expansion and renovation plan. Casper is an alumnus of the all-male Catholic high school. Casper, and his sister, Allison Casper Adams, founded The Library restaurant in St. Petersburg, as well as the Oxford Exchange event venue, The Current Hotel and The Stovall House social club in Tampa.
The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce’s annual tasting tour of Pinellas County’s coastal restaurants began Oct. 7 and will end Sunday, Oct. 15. Tickets are still available, and sales benefit the PARC Center for Disabilities. Tickets are redeemable for a specialty meal at over 50 restaurants from Tierra Verde to Clearwater Beach. For more information, visit the website here.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) received myriad state and national recognition this week at the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and Florida Public Transportation Association’s (FPTA) annual conferences. Both organizations named PSTA as 2023's Outstanding Public Transportation System. The agency also won an APTA marketing award. Marcus Kincaide is FPTA’s Bus Operator of the Year, and Derrick Brown placed second for Technician of the Year.
For a third consecutive year, ZooTampa at Lowry Park broke its attendance record, welcoming 1,171,319 people this fiscal year. Zoo officials said they have amplified their leadership in wildlife preservation by sending staff to various countries to participate in field conservation and education projects. By next year, the zoo will be bringing new attractions and experiences to guests, including an expanded manatee care center, a new interactive stingray habitat and a reimagined "Australia" area of the zoo.
Copa Airlines is increasing its nonstop service from Tampa to Panama City, Panama, to six days a week. The service increase will be available starting Dec. 15. Copa Airlines first launched service to Panama from Tampa International Airport in late 2013.
University of Tampa professor Rebecca White, director of the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center in the Sykes College of Business, has earned the Legacy Award from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers during a conference held earlier this month in Dallas, Texas. White has led UT’s entrepreneurship program since 2009. At UT, she is responsible for curriculum development across several entrepreneurship degree programs and annually facilitates the academic engagement of over 450 students under the mentorship of a cohort, according to the university.
According to a new study by WalletHub, the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area has the nation's second-worst "inflation problem.” The personal finance platform compared 23 major metros across two key Consumer Price Index (CPI) metrics that measure inflation. The study found that Tampa Bay’s CPI increased 6.7% year-over-year, just below first-place Miami's 7.8%.
Pop music superstars Billy Joel and Sting will perform Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Tampa Sports Authority and Live Nation announced today that the two would appear separately and, most likely, together during the concert. Tickets will go on sale to the public Oct. 20 at this link.
Federal wildlife officials will consider whether the West Indian Manatee should be classified as an endangered species, pointing to issues such as a loss of seagrass that serves as a key food source for the animals. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a document saying the agency will conduct a review, and that shifting manatees from a threatened species to an endangered species “may be warranted.” Such a change could offer greater protections for manatees and would effectively reverse a 2017 decision that reclassified the animal from endangered to threatened.
