Latest news with #IndianRocksBeach
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Airbnb cracks down on Memorial Day parties amid short-term rental battle in Indian Rocks Beach
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Airbnb is cracking down on parties. It's a topic that's sitting top of mind for many residents in Indian Rocks Beach with one of the following signs in their front yard. Indian Rocks Beach resident John Phanstiehl said, 'We see stuff every single weekend.' 'We don't even know how many neighbors have been forced out of their houses,' he said. 'We can go back to the commission meetings and watch those; it's just ruining their lives.' Thieves broke into 20 cars while Polk County residents were 'sleeping peacefully,' sheriff says But Airbnb is cracking down on parties with their anti-party technology. Airbnb spokesperson Emily Simons said the system will be tracking 100 different signals — all with the goal of deterring parties. 'A few examples are, the type of listing, if someone is trying to book an entire house vs just one room, the duration of their stay, if they're just trying to book a weekend,' she explained. Simons said guests who are blocked from booking a specific listing will be given alternative Airbnb options to choose from. The question remains: Will this technology work? 'In 2020, we introduced our global party ban policy,' Simons said. 'We have seen a 46% drop in reported parties since then.' Phanstiehl, on the other, hand has little faith. 'It's just another round of smoke and mirrors,' he said. 'Airbnb does this every now and then, they have some grand scheme that's supposedly going to cut down on the number of undesirables or number of party houses.' 'No slick computer program is going to have an effect on that,' Phanstiehl continued. His solution? 'No short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods,' he said. 'It's zoned residential, residential zoning means it's for residents.' Airbnb officials said, in 2024, fewer than approximately 0.06% of reservations on Airbnb in the U.S. resulted in a report of a party. Click here for a breakdown on what is and isn't allowed at Airbnb properties, as well as help for hosts and guests if a situation should arise. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Swimming 'not recommended' at popular Pinellas County beaches due to bacteria
The Brief Visitors to several popular Florida beaches were caught off guard this week by a public health advisory warning of high bacteria levels in the water. The Florida Department of Health issued an advisory for Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Indian Rocks Beach. Despite the advisory, many beach-goers were unaware of the situation, with only a few signs posted. CLEARWATER, Fla. - Visitors to several popular Florida beaches were caught off guard this week by a public health advisory warning of high bacteria levels in the water. The Florida Department of Health issued an advisory for Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Indian Rocks Beach, cautioning against swimming due to potential health risks. Local perspective Despite the advisory, many beach-goers were unaware of the situation, with only a few signs posted. READ:DeSantis signs sweeping farm bill with impacts on drinking water to drones in Dade City "I have a water bug as a kid, so that's just not in the cards for us. She will be upset, so we'll have to figure something else out," said Sydney Ralston. Ralston spent two hours packing for the beach with her family. They drove from Lakeland to Sand Key, only to learn about the high bacteria levels when they got there. "Instant infection if you have a cut or anything like that, so it's definitely not worth it," she said. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Luella Nelson from Tampa recounted her experience, saying, "We already swam. We were in the water for like an hour and then laid out for a bit. And then we walked back up, and we're rinsing off and then [a woman] told us about it." What they're saying The Department of Health said bacteria present as an indication of fecal pollution, which can result from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, or human sewage. Nicholas Yee, visiting from Michigan, was surprised by the lack of warning signs. "It was kind of shocking, you know, that there's no signs out here or nothing. So, I mean, kind of sucked," he said. He said he'll probably stay out of the water for the rest of the trip. MORE: Turning harmful algae into renewable energy in Lakeland "I mean you enjoy this nice weather, and then you want to go get a dip in the water and cool off, but you know it's got bacteria and stuff in there, so it's kind of a bummer," he said. Dig deeper For perspective, the last time Sand Key had a poor water quality advisory was in August 2023, lasting about four days. Clearwater Beach has not experienced such a warning in the past two years. The Health Department is actively monitoring the situation and has taken additional water samples. The advisory will be lifted once bacteria levels return to normal. 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
