Local soccer fans will have a rare opportunity to watch Premier League action in Tampa Bay Aug. 3 at Raymond James Stadium. London rivals West Ham United and Crystal Palace will face off in the inaugural Stateside Cup finale. The match begins at 7 p.m., and tickets are available here.
A recent Coworking Café study of “America’s Boomtowns” found that “picturesque St. Petersburg” is the nation’s fourth-best mid-size city for economic growth. According to the report, the number of business applications has soared by 81% since 2018. The city’s gross domestic product increased by 36% in the same period. Tampa placed seventh among mid-size cities.
The St. Pete Catalyst office will be closed Thursday and Friday, July 4 and 5, for the Independence Day holiday. We will resume publication Saturday, July 6.
The Tampa Rays have traded starting pitcher Aaron Civale to the Milwaukee Brewers for infield prospect Gregory Barrios. Civale struggled throughout the season, and the move clears space in what will soon be a crowded pitching rotation as Shane Baz and Jeffrey Springs return from injury. Barrios, 20, has shown promise in the minor leagues, and the Rays will save roughly $2.5 million by sending Civale to Milwaukee.
WalletHub recently compared the nation’s 100 largest cities across 18 metrics, including alcohol costs, firework display duration and weather forecasts, to rank the “Best & Worst Places for 4th of July Celebrations.” St. Petersburg placed 77th, 20 spots below Tampa. The personal finance platform ranked St. Pete 75th for overall celebrations and 49th in affordability.
Low-income seniors can now apply to the My Safe Florida Home program, which provides up to $10,000 for storm-hardening upgrades and could lower insurance costs. The deadline for those aged 60 and older is July 15, and other low-income homeowners can apply from July 16 through July 30. Moderate-income households can participate from July 31 through Aug. 15. For more information, visit the website here.
Those traveling to and from Florda’s panhandle can skip the drive as Breeze Airways now offers nonstop flights between Tampa and Pensacola International Airports. The biweekly service operates on Mondays and Fridays to accommodate weekenders.
Nominations are now open for St. Petersburg's City Beautification Awards. Residents, businesses and community members are encouraged to participate by submitting nominations for properties that exemplify the spirit of the City Beautification Awards. Nominations close Aug. 1. Visit stpete.org/CBC to submit.
The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) recently presented St. Petersburg-based Duke Energy with its Emergency Response Award. A panel of judges recognized Duke for its efforts before, during and after Hurricane Idalia, when widespread outages affected nearly 200,000 customers. The award, presented to the company at EEI’s annual meeting in June, followed an international nomination process.
Pinellas County officials are asking residents to participate in a new Community Flood Impact Survey as they assess local sea level rise and storm surge impacts. Evaluating unincorporated areas, like Lealman and Tierra Verde, beach communities and the City of Pinellas Park is a program priority. Survey results will help inform decision-making as officials address flooding consequences. To participate, visit the website here.
International accounting firm Ernst & Young has named a local banker, beverage industry executive and health care consultant as Florida’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Ken LaRoe, CEO of St. Petersburg-based Climate First Bank; Bill Lombardo, CEO of Clearwater beverage flavoring company Monin; and Eric Reimer, CEO of Tampa’s Healthmap Solutions care management platform, earned the distinction. The trio and six others from the state will now participate in the national Entrepreneur of the Year awards in November.
After 16 seasons, including 10 as a captain, Steven Stamkos is no longer a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stamkos officially became a free agent Monday after he and the team that drafted him in 2008 could not agree on a new contract. The Lightning’s all-time leading scorer (1,137 points) and back-to-back Stanley Cup champion has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $8 million contract with the Nashville Predators.
