Latest news with #CoreyGivensJr.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
More possible graves found under Tropicana Field parking lots after expanded radar search
The Brief An expanded radar search at a Tropicana Field parking lot found more possible graves and areas of interest. Archaeologists performed radar searches last summer at the old Oaklawn Cemetery site, which was a segregated graveyard that closed in 1926. St. Pete city councilman Corey Givens Jr. is calling for expanded search areas, as there were three cemeteries that all neighbored each other. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - An expanded radar search at a Tropicana Field parking lot found more possible graves and areas of interest. Archaeologists with Stantec performed the radar searches in July 2024 at the old Oaklawn Cemetery site. The cemetery was a segregated graveyard that closed in 1926. PREVIOUS: Radar identifies three possible graves under Tropicana Field parking lots Dig deeper According to their results, Stantec found seven possible burials and three additional areas of interest. Adding that to what they found during a search in 2021, it brings the total number to 10 possible graves, 11 areas of interest and nine areas of disturbance. Those findings were published in a report in November. Local perspective St. Pete city councilman Corey Givens Jr. questioned why it was not made public. Givens has a personal connection to the site with his family, believing his great-grandfather may be among those lost graves. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube "I think one of the reasons that you bury someone in a cemetery is so that you can have a place to go back and to visit, pay your respects, pay your homage. And for families like myself to not have that, it's heartbreaking," said Givens. What's next Stantec recommended more testing be done in and around the site. Givens is also calling for expanded search areas, as there were three cemeteries that all neighbored each other. He said he wants to seek historic designation for the site he considers hallow ground, and there are questions about how that factors into development around Tropicana Field. "I'm all for redeveloping the Historic Gas Plant District, the 66 plus acres around Tropicana Field. But what I don't want to do is disrupt the peace of those folks who are buried underneath lots one and two of Tropicana Field," he said. Givens put it on the agenda to discuss with council next week. FOX 13 reached out to the city and St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch's office and have not received a response. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Bulldozing and erasing history': More unmarked graves detected at Tropicana Field
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — The uncertainty of Tropicana Field's future is now paired with new developments from the past. Some may not know unmarked burial sites have been discovered under the parking lot over recent years. WATCH: More than a dozen bystanders stop man trying to drive off with children, mother However, new findings are at the forefront of the conversation. The embattled Tropicana Field and its unknown fate in the future is at the forefront of conversation once again. Over the years, radar searches detected unmarked burial sites beneath the parking lot; however, new developments are coming to the surface. 'We know that the city has done further testing,' St. Petersburg Councilman Corey Givens Jr. said. 'We know that there have been some results that have proven that there are at least ten more bodies that have been identified underneath that parking lot at Tropicana Field.' Corey Givens Jr. is shedding light on challenging history under the lot and the survey discoveries of the last five years. 'For me this is personal,' Givens Jr. said. 'I have a great-great-grandfather who may or may not be buried underneath that parking lot. My grandmother passed away not knowing whether her grandfather had been reinterred at Lincoln Cemetery or if his body was buried underneath that parking lot.' Givens Jr. said there were once three cemeteries that existed under the lots. He believed more needs to be done to preserve history. 'Sometimes I wonder if the plans went under because we discovered there were bodies that existed underneath that parking lot,' Givens Jr. said. 'It's just like Indian burial grounds. It's sacred space. You don't want to disturb those bodies.' The St. Petersburg City Council is expected to discuss the recent developments in an upcoming meeting on May 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
St. Pete City Council commits to not 'going backwards' on plastic straw ban
The Brief A St. Pete city council member introduced an agenda item to look at lifting an ordinance that banned single-use plastic straws back in 2018. He cited concerns over the legality of the ordinance following President Trump's executive order that ended the "forced use of paper straws." The issue brought dozens of St. Pete residents to city hall, none of whom were in favor of changing the city's ban. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Many in the St. Petersburg community thought the paper vs. plastic straw debate ended in 2018, because that's when the city passed an ordinance banning single-use plastic straws. However, the issue reignited on Thursday during a council meeting. St. Pete Council Member Corey Givens Jr. introduced an agenda item to look at lifting that ban. He cited concerns with the legality of it, following President Donald Trump's executive order ending the "forced use of paper straws." READ: Mote Marine Laboratory's Coral Gene Bank works to preserve coral species Local perspective The issue brought dozens of St. Pete residents back to city hall. None of them were in favor of changing the city's ban. They all spoke in favor of what the city did seven years ago, and many characterized relitigating the issue as a "waste of time." "This is on the right side of how we need to take better care of this earth," said one neighbor. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Others pointed to the positive impact it has had on the business community and how non-plastic straw technology has evolved. They voiced concerns about a healthy and clean environment, sustainability and the threats microplastics pose to marine life and humans alike. "In the seven years that have passed, microplastics have become more of a public health crisis in Tampa Bay, we know that trillions of microplastics exist in the environment- working their way up the food chain," said one speaker. The other side During some tense exchanges between council members, Givens spoke about his intentions on the ordinance. "It's pointless to have an ordinance that infringes on individual rights and civil liberties without having the conversation with the entire community," he said. MORE: You can eat these 5 invasive animals to help population control, US Fish & Wildlife Service says Attorneys for the city said that, legally, the president's executive order against the "forced use of paper straws" has no impact on the city's ordinance. "It speaks to federal use for procurement practices," an attorney for the city explained. Dig deeper Several local environmental groups have tacked the impact they've seen since the ban, with a 700% reduction in plastic straws removed from local waterways. No one on council supported revisiting the ban on plastic straws. "I am not willing to go backwards. This is a policy that needs to stay on our books," said St. Pete Council Member Brandi Gabbard. In 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis left the use of plastic straws up to local governments, by vetoing a bill that sought to take that right from local municipalities. The Source The information in this story was gathered during a St. Pete city council meeting. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
