Latest news with #LuisViera
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Memorial Park Cemetery cleaned up for Memorial Day weekend
The Brief The Memorial Park Cemetery was cleaned up ahead of Memorial Day weekend. Earlier this month, the group cleaned off headstones. Saturday, they returned to the property to plant nearly 500 American flags. TAMPA - Volunteers banded together to clean up and beautify a previously neglected East Tampa cemetery ahead of Memorial Day. Memorial Park Cemetery on E Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd is a predominately African American site for hundreds of veterans and their families. The backstory Some served dating back to World War I. Others served while Jim Crow Laws were in place. Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera said, "I have to think that the people who served during that time who were African American, wanted to gain respect at home for folks like them." The property was in shambles up until last year. Many burial sites were unintelligible. He said, "Having this cemetery the way it was a few years ago was a disgrace to Tampa, it was a disgrace to our values." It was then mistakenly sold in a land auction. "The city of Tampa was preparing to buy it but apparently someone else purchased it so we as a city had to go back and purchase it from that owner," he added. READ: 28th annual Memorial Day Observance ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park & Museum The city has since given the cemetery a historic designation and used ground-penetrating radar to identify gravesites. Viera said upkeep of the cemetery is a top priority for a host of organizations. What they're saying "Every year we come out here, the firefighters, the Cemetery Society, the Veterans Treatment Court Mentors, Vietnam Veterans of America, different organizations and everyday volunteers come out here in Memorial Day month to clean up this cemetery," he added, "As a way of just making sure we honor those American heroes, those who died of natural causes and those killed in action." Earlier this month, the group cleaned off headstones. Saturday, they returned to the property to plant nearly 500 American flags. "People should, Memorial Day Weekend, Memorial Day do something for our fallen soldiers and our Gold Star families," he said, "We're home to a lot of heroes. Pay tribute to those heroes." CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis. 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
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tampa's Racial Reconciliation Committee looking for more support from city officials
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa's Racial Reconciliation Committee has been making strides over the last six months, but they say a holdup in effective progress is due to a lack of responsiveness from city officials. Tampa's Racial Reconciliation Committee was formed after a commitment from Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera on WFLA's Rooted in Progress Black History Month Special. Ultimately, 13 community members were recommended and all city council members supported the RRC's efforts. The RCC is an effort to confront the history and legacy of racial injustice and inequality. The committee is tasked with reviewing Tampa's past, studying injustices and making recommendations to Tampa's Mayor and City Council. They are focusing on the five designated areas: Affordable and accessible housing Economic development, empowerment, and entrepreneurship, including training/apprenticeships, capital access, and municipal contracting Opportunity for youth Ignored history and efforts to create a public discussion on the same Citizens returning to society after completing sentences and restoration of rights Committee meetings began in December. Upon meeting, committee members began requesting missing data, subject matter experts, content experts and more. The committee said they have not heard back from the Mayor or her administration. 'In the age that we are in now, where you can clearly see when someone is passionate and committed, you know what it feels like when they're all in,' said Pastor Christopher Harris, Vice Chairman of the RCC. 'A part of what the committee has said is that we have not gotten the sense that the executive branch of our city government has been all in on what we have been working toward. All we are asking is for the mayor and the administration to be all in. This wasn't an aim. This was us waving the flag, saying we're over here. You all put resources, money, statements together to advocate for these issues. Let us do our jobs, but we need your help to do our job.' Tuesday night, the committee held what was supposed to be their second-to-last meeting before preparing a report to give to the Mayor and City Council. City staff, the Mayor's Chief of Staff and community members attended. John Bennett, Tampa's Chief of Staff, said the Mayor did follow up, but there may have been some miscommunication. 'The Mayor did approve the Ad-Hoc committee, which is her executive power to do so, and she did,' Bennett explained. 'The Mayor supplied to logistics and the facility and opened her arms to any of the data you needed. Our expectations were to see motions come from that data, but that may have been a misunderstanding. I would have been happy to be here every single meeting and help shape some of those testimonials to actionable analysis data and we are still willing to do that, whether it's housing, or economic opportunity, workforce, etc.' Tuesday's meeting analyzed the city's past. They discussed ways the city can learn from its historical mistakes, but also educate future generations. There was also a recommendation for the city to allocate 25% of its $1.9 billion budget to the Black community. The RCC is still gathering data and filling in gaps, they say they are missing in order to create a complete and effective report. With the delay in receiving information, the RCC may request an extension. Their next meeting is on June 17 at the City Center on Hanna Avenue. The public is welcome to attend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Forest Hills community still recovering from Hurricane Milton 4 months later
The Brief Elected leaders discussed continued recovery for a Tampa community hit hard by Hurricane Milton. In the days after the storm, pump stations failed, causing several feet of water and sewage to flood dozens of homes in Forest Hills. Many of those families are still out of their homes and some will never be able to return. TAMPA, Fla. - Members of a Tampa community hit hard by flooding following Hurricane Milton joined a pair of elected leaders Friday to mark four months since the storm and discuss how to continue their recovery. Big picture view During a news conference in the Forest Hills area, Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera and Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen updated neighbors on efforts to respond to the issues that contributed to flooding. READ: Tropicana Field repairs: St. Pete approves $950K in funds for next preconstruction phase "They're still living with the pain and the anguish of what they've gone through in Milton," said Viera. The backstory In the days after Milton, pump stations failed, causing several feet of water and sewage to flood dozens of homes in Forest Hills. A community leader told council members this week she counted at least 60 houses impacted by floods. Many of those families are still out of their homes and some will never be able to return, including Gwendolyn Torres, who had to move into a new home despite her financial struggles due to the storm. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube What they're saying "There was nothing salvageable. I lost my car. I lost my home, all our belongings," said Torres, who said FEMA provided her $6,000 to help with her recovery and other families are in similar situations. "The need is so great in this area, so it's a waiting game and then even what they do offer doesn't touch what we lost. Six grand is what got me into my [new] place, so it didn't pay for furniture, didn't pay for anything else. So battling [FEMA] and just trying to rebuild." What's next Cohen said he hopes a report ordered by the county will address neighbors' concerns, including potential upgrades to pump stations, stormwater systems and canals. He also said the federal government promised to make more than $700 million available to the county to help with post-storm upgrades. "Things that we can do to either help individuals or organizations or our own infrastructure to withstand these types of events in the future," Cohen explained, adding the report should be finished in the coming months. Viera said the city hopes to make funding available to impacted families as well. The Source The information in this story was gathered during a news conference held Friday with Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera amid Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen. 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
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tampa makes $3.2 million fund available to those impacted by hurricanes
City officials unanimously approved using $3.2 million to make up to $20,000 in grants available to income-eligible households impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton. The funds come through a partnership with the State Housing Initiatives Partnership and the private company ICF, and are expected to reach anywhere from 160-642 impacted residents. Residents will soon be able to apply for up to $20,000 for home repair reimbursement, including debris removal; up to $10,000 for insurance deductible assistance; and up to $5,000 for mortgage or utility assistance for those who were displaced or lost work. Thirty percent of the funds will be set aside for those earning 50% or less than the annual median income. Another 30% will be set aside for residents earning 80% or less than the annual median income, while the remainder will go to those earning at or below 140% of the annual median income. For a single person, 50% of the median would be an annual income of $33,450, 80% would be $53,500 and 140% would $93,660. Residents are urged to collect pay stubs or income statements, receipts for repair work and other proof of financial hardship. Abbye Feeley, the city's Development and Economic Opportunity administrator, said a public-facing portal where residents can apply would be open no later than April 1. 'I don't want to put out something that's half-baked because that's not fair to our residents,' she said. Council member Luis Viera reminded the council that he raised the idea of making additional funds available to residents the week after Hurricane Milton. He said the funds are a good start but that more is needed. 'This should really just be the beginning of our commitment that we're going to have to this area to assist them again,' he said. Council member Bill Carlson also called the funds a good 'symbolic gesture,' but said they weren't enough. 'It's barely going to touch anybody,' he said. '...Even if we pay to renovate people's homes, the floods are going to come right back. We've got to fix the underlying problems.' Carlson said the city should look to start securing other sources of funding. Council member Lynn Hurtak said at a future workshop, the council planned to examine unused funds from the past budget year and hoped to be able to contribute more to this effort.
