Latest news with #Pinellas
Axios
25-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Pinellas seeks input for spending $813 million in storm recovery funds
Pinellas County is about to get $813 million in federal storm recovery funds and it wants the public's help deciding how to spend it. Why it matters: The county, which shouldered back-to-back hurricanes last year, is now getting the largest federal payout in the state, which can help rebuild homes and businesses and repair damaged infrastructure. Zoom in: The money comes from a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant to support long-term recovery from Hurricane Idalia in 2023, and hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024. The grant will serve residents in all cities countywide, except for St. Petersburg, which received its own allocation, per a press release. It can be used toward repairing damaged buildings, upgrading infrastructure to boost storm resilience and providing worker assistance. Driving the news: Pinellas has launched an online survey and will host public meetings in April and May to help shape its spending plan — a requirement from HUD.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pinellas commissioner: Rays are ‘lying to our residents'
A Pinellas commissioner once again is blasting Tampa Bay Rays team leaders for asserting the county has killed an agreement to build a new baseball stadium. Commissioner Chris Latvala said Thursday Rays presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld needed to 'get over themselves' for comments they made in a team-sponsored sports radio show that aired last week. In the segment, Silverman said the county's decision to delay a planned October vote on stadium financing 'effectively broke the deal' they reached for a stadium last summer. The team has said that decision and a subsequent delay pushed back the timeline for opening a new $1.3 billion stadium and drove up its costs beyond what the Rays can afford. Latvala said the October vote on approving bonds to finance its portion of the stadium was delayed because the county was dealing with back-to-back hurricanes. And the county was seeking information on where the team planned to play in the near term after Hurricane Milton ripped the roof from Tropicana Field earlier that month. Despite that, he noted that the Rays failed to send any representatives to the meeting, which they are now holding up as a pivotal moment. He said the team presidents and owner Stu Sternberg still refuse to back up claims that a delay has driven up costs. 'Matt, Stu and Brian are making things up,' Latvala said. 'I'm going to use their first names because they don't deserve anything more.' Pinellas staff, including County Administrator Barry Burton, were living at an emergency operations center in October, he said. 'Barry was more worried about our ... residents that had lost their homes during the hurricanes,' Latvala said. 'Had that October meeting been so important to the Rays, I would imagine they would've been here.' Burton said he supported 'correcting the record' about what has happened with the deal. In response to accusations that the timeline cost them money, Burton said it was the Rays' fault for having to reengage stakeholders after halting work on the project. 'It's an excuse, and it's a shame,' he said. The Rays have said they are facing a budget shortfall of $150 million because of the delay, but a consultant for Pinellas County said that was impossible. The Rays have yet to publicly say how much money they need to proceed. 'They are literally lying to our residents,' Latvala said. 'I welcome them to come to a meeting and show us that they have a $150 million shortfall that was the cause of a 21-day delay.' A spokesperson for the Tampa Bay Rays declined to comment. Other commissioners spoke up in support of Latvala and in shared opposition to the Rays' statements. 'They keep wanting to say the same thing over and over, thinking the story will change,' Commissioner Dave Eggers said. Latvala said the Rays are trying to profit off of the hurricanes and 'should be ashamed' for it. 'Brian Matt and Stu need to be reminded that the hurricane did not just hit the Trop,' Latvala said. 'It hit a bunch of other folks, and folks that are not millionaires and billionaires.'
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Story of ‘survival': Sea turtle found stranded a mile from the Gulf makes return home
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (WFLA) — A sea turtle that found itself stranded more than a mile from the ocean in November finally made its way back home. Beachgoers' cheers filled the air Wednesday as the turtle named Buckley made its return to the Gulf waters at Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs. 'Wicked' star Cynthia Erivo to perform 2 Pinellas shows with the Florida Orchestra Staff at The Florida Aquarium's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center said it was a long-awaited homecoming, and a celebration of 'survival, second chances, and the power of rehabilitation.' According to officials, a group of Good Samaritans knew Buckley was in trouble when they found the sea turtle on a dirt road in rural Dixie County back in November. Rescuers said Buckley was nowhere near the ocean, and it's unclear how the turtle got there. A call to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission set Buckley's rescue into motion, with the turtle eventually winding up at The Florida Aquarium's rehabilitation center in Apollo Beach. Staff at the aquarium named the turtle after Buck Creek, which is nearby where Buckley was found. While at the rehabilitation center, staff members worked to help the turtle regain weight, stabilize dangerously low blood sugar levels and heal scratches to the bottom of its shell, likely sustained from traversing through rough terrain. By February, the sea turtle was healthy enough to make its return home. 'This is why we do what we do — to see a once-struggling sea turtle like Buckley return home, stronger and healthier. It's heartwarming,' said Ashley Riese, The Florida Aquarium's Sea Turtle Conservation Program Director. 'Buckley's recovery is a testament to the incredible collaboration between rescuers, the aquarium's animal care team, veterinarians, and our entire community.' Buckley's sendoff on Wednesday, however, may not be the last time beachgoers interact with the turtle. A satellite tag was attached to the sea turtle's shell so that the community and biologists can continue to track Buckley's travels and gather conservation data. Each time Buckley surfaces to breathe, the tag will send a signal to a satellite. Staff said this will allow them to track feeding habits, migratory patterns, and environmental conditions like water temperature. The tracking feature will be live 24 hours to a week after Buckley's release. Click here to follow along with Buckley's journey. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
