St. Petersburg Fire Rescue recently announced that the U.S. Secret Service formally recognized Lt. Bennet, Lt. Blinkey and Firefighter Paramedic Kmiotek. The first responders were awarded for their “exceptional assistance, coordination and medical coverage” during President Joe Biden’s visit to St. Petersburg in Hurricane Milton’s aftermath. The announcement states that the “prestigious recognition underscores the professionalism and dedication of our crews who consistently go above and beyond in service to both our community and our country.”
St. Petersburg city officials have temporarily extended the permitting office’s hours of operation due to an influx of applications following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The office at One 4th St. N. typically closes at noon on Wednesdays and will now remain open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday until further notice. Permitting officials have completed over 18,000 inspections and approved nearly 8,000 applications in the past three months.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Mike Alstott personally delivered Thanksgiving meals to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue personnel Saturday morning. He and Mike Alstott Family Foundation members provided the feasts for all 13 fire stations. Agency officials called the gesture “a meaningful holiday tradition for those who can’t be home with their loved ones” on Thanksgiving.
St. Petersburg College and Veterans Florida, a state-sponsored nonprofit, have partnered for a second consecutive year to offer the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program. The statewide initiative equips veterans with the skills and resources to transition from military service to business ownership. SPC’s will host the free, eight-week program in January, followed by the St. Pete Greenhouse in March.
The St. Petersburg-based Duke Energy Foundation announced Saturday that it donated an additional $350,000 to several Florida nonprofits as part of an ongoing response to Hurricane Milton. Local recipients include the We Are St. Pete Fund, the St. Petersburg College Foundation and Ready for Life Pinellas. Duke’s foundation donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross before the storm made landfall.
Pinellas County’s contracted hauler expects to complete its first pass of storm debris collection in unincorporated areas before Thanksgiving. Another contractor takes photos to ensure the roads have been cleared. A second and final pass should conclude by the end of December. The county has collected over a half-million cubic yards of storm debris.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) has reunited with three injured sea turtles forced to relocate in Hurricane Helene’s aftermath. The storm inundated the facility with nearly four feet of water and damaged life support systems in the sea turtle rehabilitation pools. CMA recently repaired the systems with emergency funding from the Sea Turtle Grants Program. However, the marine hospital still lacks vital storm-damaged equipment.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has named Thomas Jewsbury, executive director of St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), its 2024 Aviation Professional of the Year. Jewsbury has been with PIE for 30 years and spent the past nine serving as executive director. The airport served over 2.4 million passengers in 2023, and now offers 65 nonstop flights.
St. Petersburg City Council members voted 5-2 Thursday evening to postpone a bond issuance that would have financed the city’s contribution to a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium and the surrounding redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District. Councilmember Gina Driscoll, Richie Floyd, Lissett Hanewicz, John Muhammad and Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders approved the deferment. Councilmembers Copley Gerdes and Brandi Gabbard dissented.
St. Petersburg City Council members approved dedicating $23.73 million to repair Tropicana Field’s roof in a 4-3 vote Thursday afternoon. City administrators said they were obligated to begin the work under the current use agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays. Councilmembers Gina Driscoll, Brandi Gabbard, Copley Gerdes and Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders approved the design-build agreement with Hennessy Construction. Councilmembers Richie Floyd, Lisset Hanewicz and John Muhammad dissented.
St. Petersburg College will launch two new artificial intelligence (AI) certificate programs in the spring to help prepare students for jobs in a rapidly growing sector. A nine-credit Artificial Intelligence Responsible Use Certificate will cover AI theories and applications, and how to use the technology ethically and responsibly. An 18-credit Artificial Intelligence Responsible Use Practitioner Certificate will focus on practical skills in machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision and data analysis.
TradeWinds Resort announced Thursday that its Island Grand hotel has officially reopened after suffering damage in Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The sprawling resort reopened its RumFish Beach hotel earlier this month. TradeWinds officials also announced that their three-story High Tide Slide, a permanent fixture on St. Pete Beach, is again welcoming guests “as a symbol of the area’s recovery.”
