The Pinellas Park Police Department has arrested Marc Eliot Grace, 56, for robbing the Wells Fargo bank Saturday at 7100 U.S. Hwy. 19. N. Officers took Grace, a Pinellas Park resident, into custody Monday morning without incident. Grace passed a note to a bank teller that implied he was armed and demanded money. He received an "undisclosed amount of cash" before fleeing the scene.
Pinellas County opened applications Monday for its People First Recovery Programs, an $813 million initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. People First programs encompass home reconstruction, repair reimbursements, homebuyer assistance, disaster relief payments and support for landlords who rent units as affordable housing. Officials will prioritze the most vulnerable and lowest-income residents. Applications are open to everyone outside of the City of St. Petersburg, which is launching its initiative in November.
The University of South Florida football program moved up one spot in the AP Poll, to No. 18, after beating Florida Atlantic 48-13 Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium. USF (6-1, 3-0 American Conference) is now bowl eligible and can secure an automatic berth in the College Football Playoff if it wins out. Bulls coach Alex Golesh was named to the Paul Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Watch List following the homecoming week victory.
The family of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin, 36, announced Sunday that he has died. Their statement noted that his "cause of death is currently unconfirmed." The Bucs drafted Martin, known as the "muscle hamster" for short stature and bruising running style, No. 31 in the 2012 NFL draft. He rushed for 1,454 and 11 touchdowns as a rookie, while adding another 472 receiving yards, and quickly became a fan favorite. Martin spent six years in Tampa Bay, some marred by injuries and off-field struggles, and finished his NFL career with the Oakland Raiders in 2018.
Pinellas County's planning agency has received a $400,000 U.S. Department of Transportation grant. Forward Pinellas will use the funding to update its Safe Streets Pinellas Action Plan, first adopted in 2021. The 18-month update will incorporate new crash data and technological advances to refine safety strategies. Forward Pinellas will begin hosting community workshops in the spring of 2026 to gather stakeholder feedback.
Dr. Thomas W. Smith, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, will succeed Christian Hardigree as interim regional chancellor of the campus. Smith is a political science professor and has been a fixture at USF St. Petersburg for 25 years. He will assume his new role Nov. 4, a day after Hardigree leaves the campus to become president of Texas A&M University-Victoria.
Pinellas County Schools has turned a decommissioned bus into a state-of-the-art mobile laboratory designed to bring hands-on, immersive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) education directly to students. The Innovation Lab will travel to every middle school in the district this year and provide a "field trip" experience for all seventh-graders. Five winning students from across the district created the mobile lab's artwork, and 11 PCS departments contributed to transforming the former school bus.
One of the most popular players in WNBA history will headline The Annika, a pro-am tournament at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair. Caitlan Clark, whose second season as a pro ended early due to a series of injuries, also participated in the penultimate tournament on the LPGA schedule in 2024. The event is Nov. 13-16 at 1501 Indian Rocks Rd. and televised on the Golf Channel.
St. Petersburg College has launched a Financial Technology Specialist Certificate Program to prepare students for high-demand careers in the rapidly growing industry. Courses count toward SPC's A.S. degree in Business Administration, and students will gain practical skills for careers as a financial analyst, data analyst or cybersecurity specialist. "The FinTech sector is transforming how we think about finance, and our new certificate program is designed to equip students with the tools they need to lead in this innovative space," said Dr. Emmanuel Hernandez-Agosto, dean of the College of Business at SPC.
for its visionary work on Sprowls Horizon Sports Park, the City of Pinellas Park was given the Roy F. Kennedy Award, in the Creative Project Funding and Development Partnership category, at the Florida Redevelopment Association (FRA) awards banquet in West Palm Beach. The city's regional sports complex is scheduled to open in February, with six youth baseball turf fields modeled after Major League Baseball Spring Training stadiums (Braves, Cardinals, Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox and Yankees), a multipurpose turf field, outdoor hockey rink and playground.
The SkyBeach Resort, in South St. Petersburg at the edge of Tampa Bay and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, will debut an upscale Mediterranean dining concept in December. Luma will be elevated in the resort's main lobby, joining the two-story Skybar & Grille, and Paradeco Coffee Roasters.
