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  • Bible Baptist Church on new mission as Suncoast extension impacts property

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    CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — Construction of the Suncoast Parkway extension is making headway.

    The project is now in Phase 3A of its plans, which include extending the parkway through parts of Crystal River. But as more of the new roadway is paved, construction is running through already developed areas like homes and businesses. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Construction of the Suncoast Parkway extension is now in Phase 3A, which includes extending the parkway through parts of Crystal River

    • As more road is paved, the Suncoast is running through already developed areas like homes and businesses
    • Bible Baptist Church is one of those impacted, with the Suncoast cutting through 1.75 acres of the church’s property
    • FDOT is compensating the church a little more than $4.5 million for the loss to the property, as they look to build a new congregation just down the road


    Outside Bible Baptist Church — which sits on property that will be affected by the construction — plans for the future are underway and in full view.

    “Our church is not dying,” said the Rev. Thomas Reaves. “We just continue to grow because we have younger people here.”

    He said the church’s plan has recently taken a new direction — the church will soon lose two of its three buildings as FDOT extends the Suncoast Parkway.

    Reaves said the news came as a shock.

    “I was a little ticked off, to tell you the truth, because I felt like we were being blindsided,” Reaves said. “I approve of the extension, I agree with the project. It was just a little devastating to find out that they’re going to do this when we thought they weren’t.”

    The path for the Suncoast’s extension cuts through 1.75 acres of the church’s property. Reaves said FDOT is compensating the church a little more than $4.5 million for the loss its property.

    “If a property loses access as a result of Phase 3 extension, the parcel owner will be fairly compensated by FDOT,” said Anil Sharma, project manager with FDOT Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise during a town hall meeting in March 2023.

    Auvis Cole, tourism director for Discover Crystal River, said its a price the community has to pay to have more traffic traveling through Citrus County.

    “From a tourism standpoint, we are excited about that growth,” Cole said. “But again, we always maintain the tourism standpoint: You want to make sure you grow the right way and, not only the right way, but the right way by the residents.”

    Reaves said losing the property is a blow, but it’s one that is not slowing the church down. They have until Nov. 1 to vacate both buildings, so he said they’ve been busy deconstructing areas and conserving what they can.

    Reaves said that whatever can be saved will be used in the construction of a new church they have planned just up the road.

    “We’re getting excited about what’s the next project,” Reaves said. “Once we had the 10 acres given to us, all of our folks got excited. You know, they were kind of down about it, but once we got the property, they got excited. And they’ve been excited ever since about what our next move will be.”

    Blueprints for the design and layout of a new space — which will have the capacity to hold up to 600 people — have already been drawn up. 

    It’s an ambitious plan, but Reaves said it is important for his church to carry on its mission — a mission he’s been on for 27 years and counting.

    “We want to continue to grow and continue to be an influence in the community — a positive influence in the community,” Reaves said. “Right now, we’re waiting on turtles to be taken off the property before we can build. So we’ve learned to wait on God and learn patience.”

    As the church waits on its new home, Reaves said the congregation will meet at the College of Central Florida’s campus. Construction of the new church is expected to take about 18 months.

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    Calvin Lewis

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  • Tour some spooky Halloween Homes around Central Florida and Tampa Bay

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    The Halloween season is here, and lots of homes are decked out with all sorts of spine-chilling decorations.

    Spectrum News got the chance to check out some of the best and scariest in Central Florida and around Tampa Bay.

    🔼 Check out the creepy compliation above! 

    And we’d love to see your home, too! Just fill out a form for Central Florida or Tampa Bay.

     

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • St. Pete Gets Taller: How the city’s skyline grew in last decade

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As recently as 2018, the tallest building in St. Petersburg stood 386 feet tall. It was Priatek Plaza, a 28-story skyscraper that opened in 1990 on Central Avenue.

    What You Need To Know

    • In just seven years, four new buildings in St. Pete have eclipsed what was once the city’s tallest building  

    • The tallest building in St. Pete now soars more than 500 feet tall 

    • There are plans for a building that stands even taller than the current tallest building (400 Central)  

    • City leaders say the downtown area is evolving in a way that involves not only “expansion” but also “innovation” 


    But in the seven years since, four new buildings in downtown St. Petersburg have eclipsed Priatek Plaza in height:

    The four new condo towers have transformed the St. Petersburg skyline, a change city leaders sought.

    In response to an inquiry from Bay News 9, a city spokesperson said the city was “dedicated to driving inclusive economic development that enhances the quality of life for all residents.” The spokesperson suggested the “city’s downtown is evolving in ways that demand not just expansion, but innovation.”

    That innovation includes building housing upward instead of just outward. With limited land options for housing development, the four new high-rise towers offer new places to live-and-work in the city.

    “We’ve seen the tallest building in St. Pete go from 380 feet to now close to 515 feet, and that ceiling will continue to increase as new buildings are completed,” said Anthony Close, founder of St. Pete Rising, a website that chronicles growth and development in St. Petersburg.

    This year, a development firm announced plans to build the Waldorf Astoria residences in St. Pete, with the intention of making it the tallest building in the city.

    These new buildings, though, offer luxury condos with a high-rise view. They do not solve the issue of affordable housing, which remains a need in Pinellas County.

    The Shimberg Center for Housing Studies at the University of Florida just released its 2025 Rental Market study.

    It shows 29 percent of all renters in Pinellas County are low-income, cost-burdened renters. That means those renters are at or below 60 percent of the area’s median income level (low-income) but also spending 40 percent of their income on rent including utility bills (cost-burdened).

    A spokesperson for the city of St. Petersburg noted that, in addition to the new condo towers, the city brought 281 affordable units online in 2024. During Mayor Ken Welch’s term, the spokesperson said the city brought 855 affordable and workforce housing units online.

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    Jeff Butera

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  • Nurse Karla Pedersen recognized for her volunteer work

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    PALM HARBOR, Fla. — A Pinellas County nurse’s sense of compassion makes her great at her job at HCA Florida Northside Hospital.

    It’s also the reason the hospital recognized Karla Pedersen for her volunteer work away from the hospital.

    What You Need To Know

    • Karla Pedersen works weekend overnights at HCA Florida Northside hospital in Pinellas County

    • The hospital recognized her for donating the most volunteer hours to the community

    • Pedersen grooms and walks horses and other animals at the A.R.K. in Palm Harbor

    • The organization provides animal therapy to special needs children


    Pedersen works weekend overnights in the neuro ICU at the hospital. She mostly cares for stroke and brain injury patients.

    “We get them where they are at the worst moment of their lives,” she said. “I’ve had bad moments in my life and I’m able to give back some of the compassion that’s been given to me.”

    The hospital recently recognized Pedersen for her volunteer work. She had donated the most hours to the community of any staff member.

    Pedersen volunteers a couple of mornings a week at the A.R.K-Animals Reaching Kids outreach at Live Oaks Bible Church in Palm Harbor. The organization has horses, donkeys, miniature horses and even a cow. They provide animal therapy for special needs children.

    She spends most of her time grooming animals, like a horse named Gabel.

    “We groom all the large animals the same way,” she said. “It keeps them healthy. It keeps them clean.” 

    The grooming also keeps them calm.

    “Some of these special needs kids, when they see a large animal, it makes them nervous, so we need to teach these guys to be calm.”

    Pederson usually comes to A.R.K. early in the morning after she has worked all night at the hospital. It’s a great stress reliever.

    “But then I come here on Monday mornings and it’s my decompress time,” said Pederson, who added that her decompression time includes taking the horses for a walk along a wooded trail.

    She started volunteering at A.R.K. as a project for her homeschooled teenage son.

    “It’s something that I do with my teenager. It gives us common ground. It gives us a place to do something that gives us something that we both enjoy.”

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    Rick Elmhorst

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  • Clearwater nonprofit helps houseless get resources

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health estimates this year that nearly 30,000 people are houseless in Florida.

    That number has slightly decreased from last year.

    What You Need To Know

    • Hydrate the Homeless helps the houseless with food and water



    • It serves meals at The Refuge in Clearwater on Tuesdays and Fridays



    • The nonprofit started with two neighbors and a wish to help



    • According to the 2025 Point in Time Count, more than 1,800 people are houseless in Pinellas County




    The Pinellas County Point in Time Count has shown a similar trend.

    Hydrate the Homeless, a nonprofit, is helping to make sure people in need are cared for.

    “It’s always a struggle trying to figure out how many people we’re going to have coming,” said Carla Mogan, president and founder of Hydrate the Homeless.

    The effort began three years ago when Mogan and her neighbor, Mel Swartout, were looking for a way to give back. They started by walking around Largo Central Park, where they found people in need. 

    “I took out my cooler and I started yelling, ‘Lemonade, ice cold lemonade!’ And they all started coming over,” Mogan said.

    Years later, the nonprofit is serving warm meals and distributing clothes and hygiene products with the help of about 15 volunteers.

    “I love it. It’s as much for me as it is for them,” Mogan said. “I’m not going to lie. I get a lot out of it.”

    And the need in Pinellas County is there. According to the 2025 Point in Time Count, which tracks the number of people experiencing homelessness, more than 1,800 people are houseless. That’s the lowest for the county since the count began, but Mogan thinks that total is miscalculated.

    “Now I know for a fact we didn’t count all of them, because I know where some of them where that didn’t get counted. So I think you could almost double that number,” she said.

    With three different outreach events every week, Mogan said they serve more than 200 people.

    Janet Muharay was houseless for two years and is now giving back to the nonprofit that helped her. 

    “A lot of them want that chance to take a shower, to get food, clothing. We need to have more places like this for that, because I was there, I know what it felt like,” Muhary said.

    Mogan said she wants to see Hydrate the Homeless continue to grow and expand to every city in the county.

    “It’s nice to be able to come together and just have time when we’re just people and people enjoying each other’s company,” Mogan said.

    Hydrate the Homeless has three different outreach events every week.

    They serve meals at The Refuge in Clearwater on Tuesdays and Fridays.

    On Wednesdays, they make and deliver sandwiches for distribution at the Crossroads Church in Largo.

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    Tyler O’Neill

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  • Foul sewer odor has lingered for months, Haines City residents say

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    HAINES CITY, Fla. — Some Haines City residents say a strong, sewage-like odor has been hanging over their neighborhood, and they’ve been smelling it for months.

    Neighbors living near the lift station at Patterson Road and Tenth Street say the stench has gotten worse, especially on hot afternoons.

    What You Need To Know

    • Some Haines City residents say a strong, sewage-like odor has been hanging over their neighborhood and they’ve been smelling it for months



    • Neighbors living near the lift station at Patterson Road and Tenth Street say the stench has gotten worse, especially on hot afternoons



    • City officials confirm the smell is coming from the nearby wastewater lift station, and it’s being pushed to its limits by the city’s rapid population growth



    • To address the odor, the Haines City Utilities Department is installing a magnesia drip system upstream of the lift station. The chemical system helps neutralize hydrogen sulfide gas — the source of the “rotten egg” smell — before it reaches the neighborhood




    Standing in his driveway washing his car, Yoabon Bermudez says it’s become a daily nuisance.

    “It’s really bad, the smell. It’s worse than a porta-potty,” Bermudez said. “We live right next to it, and this smell goes about a mile or two. That’s how far it travels. Hopefully, they take care of it.”

    Another resident, Justin Hubbert, has lived in the area for five years and says the odor isn’t just unpleasant — it’s affecting property values.

    “It seems to be heavier in the afternoons,” Hubbert said. “We’re trying to sell our house, and if people come to look and it stinks like a sewer, it’s not really a great selling point.”

    City officials confirm the smell is coming from the nearby wastewater lift station — and it’s being pushed to its limits by the city’s rapid population growth.

    Deputy City Manager James Keene said the facility was built in 2017 when Haines City had about 23,000 residents. Today, the population has nearly doubled to over 44,000.

    “Additional flows in the area have caused some odor issues in the system,” Keene said. “We are working to upgrade for capacity and install new odor control systems.”

    Keene said the city commission has dedicated new funding to improve Haines City’s aging sewer infrastructure.

    “Our city commission has dedicated all the resources to strengthen the city’s infrastructure — not only to catch up to this growth, but to get ahead of it,” Keene said.

    To address the odor, the Haines City Utilities Department is installing a magnesia drip system upstream of the lift station. The chemical system helps neutralize hydrogen sulfide gas — the source of the “rotten egg” smell — before it reaches the neighborhood.

    The project will also include a new gravity line and manhole, aimed at improving flow and capacity.

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    Fadia Patterson

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  • Troll hunting: Danish artist brings installation to the Tar Heel State

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — The City of Raleigh is promoting sustainability, imagination and the power of public art.  

    This fall, Danish artist Thomas Dambo is bringing his giant troll art installation to Dix Park. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Danish artist Thomas Dambo is bringing his largest U.S. art installation to Raleigh

    • Seven trolls can be found in the state 

    • Five trolls are in the Oak City, one is in High Point and the other in Charlotte


    Five giant trolls made up of recyclables are being built and spread throughout the park.

    Parts of Dix Park have looked like a construction zone for the last couple of weeks.

    All for two words — giant trolls. 

    One of the trolls being erected at Dix Park in Raleigh by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. (Spectrum News 1/Jatrissa Wooten)

    “I knew what a troll was. I just didn’t know how we were going to build it,” said Habitat for Humanity volunteer Tim Woods.

    Dambo, an artist from Denmark, uses recyclables and nature’s gifts to create masterpieces all over the world.  

    He built the five giant trolls with the help of volunteers from near and far. 

    “Some of my trolls are really tall, so maybe they’re 30 feet tall,” Dambo said.

    The group also created a tail that spans more than 600 feet and will run through the park’s forest.

    “The tail is the most extraordinary thing out here,” said Woods.

    Woods said he’s been working for hours each day for about two weeks.

    Although he isn’t building a home, Woods said trolls are just as fulfilling.

    “I have eight grandkids. So, I can bring them out here and show it to them, explain it to them and tell them, ‘I helped,’” Woods said.

    These installations in other cities have drawn thousands of visitors daily and boosted tourism.

    Raleigh leaders and volunteers believe the same will happen here. 

    “I think it’s going to be a nice tour. An area. It would also allow people to understand and see what a life of a troll is about,” Woods said.

    Dambo said it will take at least an hour to find all five trolls in the park, and that’s all part of the fun behind “troll hunting.”

    These trolls in the Oak City are part of a larger family of seven coming to the Tar Heel state, one in High Point and the other in Charlotte.

    Together, Dambo said this will create his largest U.S. installation to date.

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    Jatrissa Wooten

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  • ‘Colectivo Arbol’ helps immigrant families reunite with loved ones

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    TAMPA, Fla. — More than 11 million immigrants have arrived in the U.S. since 2020, according to the Pew Research Center.

    The move can also mean leaving behind family — sometimes, for many years. A Tampa Bay nonprofit is helping educate immigrants on a path toward reunification.

    What You Need To Know

    • Colectivo Arbol is a nonprofit that focuses on helping immigrants in agriculture

    • Its program helps reunite loved ones through visitor visas

    • The visas are usually granted for 10 years and requires the help from lawyers and the country from which the person arrived from to be processed


    As Carmen Lugo will tell you, tending to her animals is her favorite part of the day. The animals remind her of her home country of Mexico.

    Lugo is a permanent resident and has been living in the U.S. for almost four years.

    While she misses her country, she says she’ll never forget the moment she arrived.

    “Beautiful, because I got here to see all my brothers, my sister and all my children,” she said.

    It’s that joy that she wanted for her cousin as well. Thanks to the nonprofit Colectivo Arbol, she reunited with her cousin in March of this year, through a 10-year visitor visa.

    “I felt relief to have been able to do this for her, because it was a dream that seemed impossible for her,” Lugo said. “Because it was impossible for her because of the lack of support.”

    Lugo said her cousin was struggling day-to-day to make ends meet, so she wanted her to feel supported and loved by bringing her here.

    With the help they received, her cousin’s daughter also obtained a visa. While they recently returned to Mexico, Lugo said they’ll be back again soon.

    She said the process to obtain the visa took about four months to complete before she arrived. That’s the case for many families the nonprofit serves.

    The nonprofit’s founder Isaret Jeffers said many of the families they help are older adults who haven’t seen loved one for more than 20 years.

    She said it’s not just about helping, but educating immigrants on this pathway.

    “Many of them didn’t even get the chance to see their parents anymore, because many of them have passed away,” Jeffers said. “So imagine the pain you feel when you immigrate here and never see your parents again.”

    Jeffers said it’s a big effort to keep the reunification program going. Volunteers help move the older adults through airports in Mexico and pick them up when they arrive here in the U.S.

    For Lugo, it has kept her family together, and she believes it will do the same for others.

    “They should have faith more than anything and have the confidence that they will receive this help,” she said.

    Lugo said Colectivo Arbol has helped reunite about 100 families so far this year.

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    Lizbeth Gutierrez

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  • Sarasota County to begin dredging Phillippi Creek this fall

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    SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — A dredging project to alleviate flooding will soon begin along a Sarasota creek.

    What You Need To Know

    • Sarasota County officials say they have received approval to start removing thousands of yards of material from the creek between U.S. 41 and Beneva Road

    • Phillippi Creek overflow has frequently inundated homes — most recently last year due to Hurricane Debby’s rain

    • Officials say the dredging is likely to begin this fall

    The county recently received approval for the project along Phillippi Creek, where overflow has frequently inundated homes — most recently last year due to Hurricane Debby’s rain.

    Sometimes, new homeowners don’t anticipate everything they need to know about their new house. That was the case for Nadia Bowen.

    “When we moved in, I thought it was such a beautiful location. I never in a million years thought that, you know, the water would come this high — we’re 16 feet up,” she said.

    Bowen moved into the Southgate neighborhood in Sarasota in 2021. For three years, she said there were no overflow issues from Phillippi Creek. But Debby was a wake-up call.

    “It was flooded all the way up to here. It was close to coming to our pool, basically,” she said.

    She said that while her home wasn’t flooded, others in the neighborhood were. She watched her neighbors experience the turmoil and is now worried her home could be next.

    “Hurricane Debby really, really scarred our community. We have many people in our community that are still not back in their homes,” she said.

    Bowen started a dredging subcommittee in the Southgate Community Association. The group advocates for dredging along Phillippi Creek. Sarasota County has received approval to start removing thousands of yards of material from the creek between U.S. 41 and Beneva Road.

    Bowen lives between those two roads, but her home backs up to a secondary branch of the creek, not the primary waterway.

    “I don’t know if they’re actually going to dredge this. We’re not sure. We know they’re going to dredge the main canal. We’re really happy about that,” she said.

    Sarasota County Stormwater Director Ben Quartermaine said the dredging process will likely begin sometime this fall.

    “Sedimentation in the creek has been building up over time, and projects and storms like Debby have reminded us that it’s imperative to ensure that the creek is operating at max capacity,” he said.

    Those who live near the creek are awaiting the change.

    “During storm times, it’s scary. It’s scary that there’s nowhere for the water to go,” she said.

    With the county focused on improving Phillippi Creek, Bowen is hopeful the dredging provides protection for residents.

    Earlier this year, Sarasota County submitted an emergency application for dredging along Phillippi Creek. That application was denied — according to county officials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined a standard application was appropriate, due to several factors including the size of the dredging project and the location.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • Cedar Key Historical Society Museum reopens a year after Helene

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    CEDAR KEY, Fla. — Cedar Key is a piece of old Florida. Home to spectacular sunsets and resilient residents like Anna White Hodges. 

    This is what recovery looks like one year after Hurricane Helene’s arrival.

    “With Helene it was so serious,” said White Hodges, Executive Director of the Cedar Key Historical Society Museum.

    As the storm moved north through the Gulf into the Big Bend region in late September 2024, waves covered the island.

    “Outside the building — eight feet,” said White Hodges.

    The reinforced historical building took in four.

    Volunteers moved the artifacts but lost everything else.

    In their recovery, they found new ways to share the story of the island.

    The museum shows remnants of the people who fished the island shores before colonizers arrived.

    And it tells the Civil War story with a model of the USS Fort Henry, part of the Union’s naval blockade off Cedar Key.

    “The union was going after blockade runners. And that’s when they got too close to the shoreline. And that’s when the militia, the southern militia, they shot at them,” said White Hodges.

    A wooden tombstone marked the grave of a Union soldier from the gunboat.

    Today, the peaceful waters are the subject of aquaculture at the museum, where the town stands now.

    The residents of this small island rebuilt this space.

    And, in turn, have become part of its history.

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    Virginia Johnson

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  • Greek Orthodox Church breaks records with number of new young male members

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    PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The Greek Orthodox Church is known for its traditions and rich history dating back to the apostles. It’s not the kind of thing leaders in the church have known to be a huge draw for the younger generation who didn’t grow up in the church, but lately it has been.

    Is it the gold-plated dome, the beauty inside covering the walls or the traditions that are bringing young people like David Guerrero to the Greek Orthodox church?


    In his case, not quite.

    “The YouTube algorithm started sending me all of these Orthodox videos. So, I just kept learning and learning, and I came to the conclusion that this is God’s church, and I stepped foot in this church Aug. 18 of last year on my birthday and I never left since,” Guerrero said.

    That’s what brought him to The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Clearwater, but what he felt when he got there is what keeps him coming back.

    “Videos can only take you so far. It’s something you have to experience with all your five senses. The touch, the feel, what you see around you. It is truly something that is not of this world,” he said.

    Guerrero is a 29-year-old military veteran. He’s one of dozens of young men who have joined the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church this year.

    “I think they want reality. I don’t think they want bells and whistles anymore,” said Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church priest Father Jim Paris. “You get so much of that on TV.”

    Father Paris said new membership went from four to five new members a year, to 30 to 35 this year alone. And he said almost all of those new members have something in common.

    “We’re finding a lot of young people coming. That’s very impressive, and a lot of young men, which it’s usually the women in faith. I’m not putting the men down. I’m admiring the women for that, but now the men are coming. And young men at that. Young men from the military,” he said.

    The increase in membership is happening in Greek Orthodox churches all over the Bay area according to Father Paris. A Pew Research poll shows a slight increase for men in Greek Orthodox men and even more with evangelical Christians.

    No matter the denomination, experts like St. Leo Theology professor Randall Woodard say the trends are surprising.

    “In the United States, the fastest growing faith for the last little while has been the nones. Like none. People that would click I have no official tradition or affiliation. It would just be like none of the above,” Woodard said.

    Woodard said the details, discipline and order of the Orthodox Church may be a draw for younger men and military veterans, but he says trends show it’s more than that. It usually leads back to someone’s political ideologies mirroring a particular faith.

    “A lot of times we’re all guilty of that,” he said. “It’s, I want to find a group that’s going to reinforce my already existing ideas and of course I want to seek that community and I want to seek somebody who’s gonna push me and ask me to grow as a human being.”

    He says social media algorithms and influencers also play a critical role.

    “A lot of those influencers, they have this underlying framework where they’re pushing young men to start to really step things up. Take personal responsibility, don’t be a victim, don’t blame your problems on someone else. You are the future of this country, your family, church and marriage,” he said.

    Woodard believes overall, an increase of young men coming to a place of worship is a good thing. Something Guerrero agrees with.

    “At the very least, it can put something in your soul, in your spirit, that can be a positive influence in your life,” Guerrero said.

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    Saundra Weathers

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  • Wesley Chapel community celebrates life of middle school teacher

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    WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Dozens of people spent Wednesday evening at John Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel to celebrate the life of a teacher and coach, Damon Zassenbraker. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Many in the community celebrated the life of Damon Zassenbraker Wednesday evening

    • Zassenbraker coached multiple sports at John Long Middle School

    • Zassenbraker was 52 years old


    According to his sister, Yvette Rhoads, Zassenbraker died unexpectedly in late September. 

    “He was a lot to everybody, she said. “It’s been a hard loss.” 

    From teaching history to hundreds of students over the years to his love of sports, his friends and family hope people remember him for his passions and his love of teaching. 

    For his niece, Riley Rhoads, she remembers the times he’d dress up for a history lesson or how he would share stories from the teams he coached. 

    “He loves the football team, and he coached girls’ soccer, track and girls’ basketball,” she said. “He coached everything, and he loved to tell everyone all about it.” 

    His friend and co-worker, Jay Frenchko, said he misses Zassenbraker dearly. 

    The pair coached together, and Frenchko said that while Zassenbraker loved helping the students grow in sports, he knew what needed to come first. 

    “He always said we’re a student athlete,” he said. “Students come first, athlete comes second. So grades and everything, always first.” 

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    Matt Lackritz

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  • Palladium Theater awarded $2.5M from Pinellas bed tax fund

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Palladium Theater was recently awarded $2.5 million from Pinellas County’s tourist development tax fund, when the capital project request was unanimously approved by commissioners, allowing the St. Petersburg venue to move forward with major renovations.

    “That was the last money we needed to really start this project,” said Paul Wilborn, Palladium Theater executive director. “So it’s very exciting.” 

    What You Need To Know

    • Palladium Theater awarded $2.5M from Pinellas bed tax fund on Oct. 7

    • The capital project request was unanimously approved by Pinellas commissioners 

    • The Palladium has raised $10.8 million to begin renovations next year  

    • All 815 seats will be replaced, sightlines will improve and a new acoustic ceiling will be installed


    Wilborn said money granted from Pinellas County on Oct. 7, combined with grants from the State of Florida, the city of St. Petersburg and private donations, total $10.8 million for the renovation project, which is expected to begin in late summer next year.

    “We’ve raised over $7 million, almost $8 million, in private donations. So we’ve got more still to come,” he said. “I think it just shows that we’ve stayed with our mission of being this community-focused venue that really works with local people in our community. And that’s paid off for us.”

    The renovations include completely replacing all 815 seats, which will have a new configuration to improve sightlines, re-raking the balcony and removing the plaster ceiling for better acoustics.

    “We’re dropping in an acoustic ceiling,” said Wilborn. “There’s 12 feet of attic above the current ceiling, and that’s going to let sound rise up in there and have some curtains that we’re able to drop when we’re doing amplified music.”

    Due to rising costs, Wilborn said they had to remove a few items from the renovation list, which include an orchestra shell and raising the performance stage. He hopes to raise more money in the future to complete those projects.

    “We still think there’s going to be things we want to do additionally,” said Wilborn. “So we’ve got more still to come.”

    The Palladium was built in 1925 as a Christian Science church and is on the Register of Historic Places. Since 2007, the theater has been owned and operated by St. Petersburg College.

    Wilborn said he expects the renovations to begin next August and the Palladium will go dark for about one year until the work is complete.

    “We very likely will close the whole theater for eight to 12 months,” he said. “We might do some satellite projects. We’re still debating that.”

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    Josh Rojas

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  • Julie Taylor loves to serve others in her hometown of Mulberry

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    MULBERRY, Fla. — A Mulberry woman has become a beloved figure in her city. Julie Taylor is involved in many good causes in Mulberry.

    On a recent evening, Taylor was at the Studio 37 community center in Mulberry, making sure the volunteers at the Save Our Youth program had everything set up for the children who were coming for the after-school program also known as SOY.

    “What about the sign-in sheets? Are all of those checked?” said Taylor to the volunteers. The snacks for the children included juice packs, and chips were ready too.

    “So, we are just getting set up so when they come in they can just sit out here. So, when the bell rings they won’t have to worry about it. Just go right on in,” she said. The children got their snacks outside while they sat on chairs under the former bank building’s drive-through area.

    Taylor started the SOY program years ago so children could get some extra academic help and wholesome activities.

    “We want our young people to be good citizens. We also want our young people to be educated,” said Taylor. “That’s one of the main goals, that they get a good quality education. If you have a good education, there is nothing that can stop you from doing what you want to do.”

    Taylor said she has many faithful volunteers for the program. “We could not have a good SOY program without the children and the parents. They want to learn, and that’s the main thing.”

    Taylor is also known for giving monthly community updates to city commissioners at their meeting.

    “Well, Ms. Taylor is our ace in the hole,” said Commissioner Neil Devine. “She’s very politically active, and she really doesn’t know it. Ms. Taylor is known everywhere in the city of Mulberry.”

    Taylor is also president of the Concerned Citizens of Mulberry organization. It helps run community cultural events and big back to school events to provide children with school supplies.

    Taylor loves her city. “Everybody knows everybody,” she said. “I went to school here. Go to church here. We go to Walmart together. Everybody knows everybody. It’s a small town, but it does great things. And the people here love each other.”

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    Rick Elmhorst

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  • Florida’s top K9 units gather in Brooksville for statewide K9 tracking event

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    BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — K9 units from across the state of Florida recently gathered at Brooksville’s Chinsegut Hill for a unique competition: the 2025 Statewide K9 Tracking and Training Event.

    The Florida Department of Corrections hosted the event on Oct. 13 to showcase the abilities of the top-qualifying K9 tracking teams from across the state.

    What You Need To Know

    • Chinsegut Hill recently served as the host of the 2025 Statewide K9 Tracking and Training Event
    • Top-qualifying K9 tracking teams from across the state competed to come out as the top team in Florida
    • Cross City Correctional Institution came away with the top prize in this year’s competition 


    Public funding is helping these units make a difference.

    “It was a really good competition,” said Cross City Correctional Institution K9 Sgt. Mitch Osteen. “People here we were competing against are some of the best in the state — it is the best in the state.”

    Gathered Chinsegut Hill were Florida’s top K9 units. Coming out on top this year was Osteen and Cross City Correctional Institution.

    “These competition tracks, they lay them a mile and a half through the woods with two 90s,” said Osteen. “They drop four flags and we wait two hours to start them and run them. This year we ran a 16:30 and a 21:00 on both of our tracks.”

    Osteen has been on Cross City’s K9 team for 18 years — serving as K9 sergeant for the last 15 years and overseeing the growth and development of K9s throughout the years.

    “We got K9 Thunder over here on this side,” Osteen said, pointing to one of his team’s dogs. “He’s 7 years old. We’ve got K9 Cy right here — he’s won three competitions in a row. He’s 3 years old. So we got some really good dogs. We train them from puppies right on up to dogs.”

    It’s a job made possible thanks to both state and public funding.

    “We do get a lot of donations from Corrections Foundation and other things,” said Danny Rummel, special teams coordinator for the Florida Department of Corrections. “There is a lot of equipment — GPS tracking collars and just all the equipment they use to keep them safe in the woods and to help them track down children, women, elderly or suspects if necessary.”

    While the actual tracking during the event may only take minutes, Osteen said it takes countless hours of patience to prepare.

    “We train on eight hours a day,” says Osteen. “I mean, I love my job. I love working with the dogs out in the woods, training. I just love it.”

    He said the training is important, because when a situation arises, whether it be tracking escaped inmates or lost individuals, the K9 crew is ready to handle the job.

    “It’s the best job in the world,” Osteen said. “I love my job with the K9. I started out inside for seven years and promoted up out to K9 sergeant, and it’s just amazing. Best job there is.”

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    Calvin Lewis

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  • Pinellas County makes big strides in 1st month of beach renourishment

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Pinellas County is now one month into its massive beach renourishment project that will bring 2.5 million cubic yards of sand onto a 9-mile stretch of eroded coastline.

    To date, the county has completed work in Redington Shores and Indian Shores. Work is taking place this week along a stretch of Sand Key in Clearwater. The coming weeks will focus on popular beach access spots, including Upham Beach in St. Pete Beach and parts of Treasure Island.

    Work will also begin later this fall in Indian Rocks Beach, which is a stretch with more than 30 unsigned easements.

    What You Need To Know

    •  A Pinellas County beach renourishment project is complete in much of Redigton Shores, Indian Shores, and a southern section of Indian Rocks Beach

    •  Work on Upham Beach in St. Pete Beach and Sunset Beach in Treasure Island is expected to start late this month 

    •  County officials say they are currently missing more than 30 easements in Indian Rocks Beach

    • INTERACTIVE MAP: What areas are coming up next 


    At the properties that Pinellas County does not have easements for, the county is only placing sand from the edge of the private property to the waterline. That means, some properties will have dips behind their homes, making them potentially vulnerable during future storms.

    In past renourishment cycles, the Army Corps of Engineers paid for more than half the project.

    For the past 10 years, the agency has been at a standstill with Pinellas County over newly required easements from beachfront homeowners.


    Fearing the beaches had reached a critical level, the county turned to using $114 million in tourist development tax dollars to pay for the renourishment. The additional $11 million came from state grants.

    “Because we have a strong reserve of tourist development tax, the county commission prioritized utilizing those to reinvest in this sand,” explained Brian Lowack, with Visit St. Pete Clearwater. “This is just another example of how visitors give back to our community.”

    The sand replacement project is taking place 24 hours a day, and at times, on multiple sections of the beach at the same time. County officials say they are hoping to have the renourishment work completed by late January 2026.

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    Angie Angers

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  • Community steps in after alleged Riverview restaurant burglary

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    RIVERVIEW, Fla. — About a month after a Riverview restaurant was allegedly burglarized, the community is helping the business owner get back to normal.

    Eggs Up Grill lost thousands of dollars in cash and equipment during the Labor Day weekend. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Eggs Up Grill said it was burglarized over Labor Day weekend

    • Owner Priscilla Conyers said it lost its safe with a couple thousand dollars, and thousands of dollars in equipment 

    • Conyers said the incident took morale out of her staff

    • On Friday, her alma mater hosted an event to drum up support and business 


    When the owner’s alma mater, Florida A&M University, heard about the incident, they knew they wanted to help.

    On Friday night, it hosted a mixer to help drum up business and bring morale back to the restaurant. 

    Along with a healthy portion of eggs, the restaurant is serving up positivity.

    “We want to be your happy place. We want us to make you smile. So that’s a part of our DNA. That’s our mantra,” said Priscilla Conyers, owner of Eggs Up Grill Riverview.

    Conyers said some of that positivity was lost. In her surveillance video, a person can be seen taking a safe from the office, and then equipment from the dining room. 

    “We were devastated. We felt like it was definitely an invasion of our privacy,” Conyers said.

    She said two server handheld devices — worth $2,000 each — are now gone, and there was a couple thousand dollars in the safe. 

    “My front of the house staff, my back of the house staff, we all worked extremely hard to be here to provide for the community. So, for something like that to happen to us, it just kind of took us out,” she said.

    Friday night’s mixer helped to promote the restaurant and bring back some positivity to the staff.

    “We’re hoping to basically patronize, drum up business to help fill the gap where the burglary may have caused some hardship from a financial standpoint,” said Laketra Claiborne, president of Florida A&M University Alumni Association’s Tampa Chapter.

    Conyers said the community support has turned an unfortunate situation into a positive one. 

    “The community has really had our back. We absolutely love being in the Tampa Bay community, and we are here to stay. That situation will not hurt us anymore,” Conyers said.

    The dining room was filled with FAMU’s colors and smiles once again.

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    Tyler O’Neill

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  • Morton’s Siesta Market recalls Hurricane Milton 1 year later

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    MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — It has been one year since Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on Oct. 9, 2024.

    What You Need To Know

    • It’s been one year since Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key
    • The market’s managers said Hurricane Helene’s storm surge sent about two feet of water into the building, destroying equipment
    • Then it was Milton’s winds that blew away their awning and left the store without power for four days

    Many businesses, including Morton’s Siesta Market, still haven’t fully recovered yet.

    Morton’s Siesta Market deli manager Dana Benton feels right at home at the beach market, which is less than half a mile from the Gulf.

    “It’s always a joy when I come in here, to be honest with you. Like, I feel like they are 100% my family,” she said.

    She says the business has become like a family to her — it’s supported her, and she’s been there for it, too, especially in the aftermath of last year’s hurricanes.

    “I came to help with the cleanup in the deli and the store,” she said. “Last year was the first time since I’ve lived in Florida I’ve experienced a bad hurricane,” she said.

    The market’s managers said Hurricane Helene’s storm surge sent about two feet of water into the building, destroying equipment. Then it was Milton’s winds that blew away their awning and left the store without power for four days.

    Benton says the effects of the storm are still being felt to this day.

    “This year has been kind of slow, and I think it’s because of the hurricane. A lot of people are not wanting to come down. I think in fear that the hurricane is going to come again, or another one’s going to come during this time of year — because it was this time last year,” she said.

    Benton says last year’s storms were scary, and while the store still has work to do to recover, she’s thankful she’s found a second home at Morton’s Siesta Market.

    “They have helped me grow. They have helped me learn to be productive again. They have helped me learn to love myself,” she said.

    The store manager says they are going to wait to make the renovations they haven’t completed — like installing a new awning — until this hurricane season is over.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • Pumpkin patches around the Tampa Bay area

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    TAMPA, Fla. — With fall in full swing, many pumpkin patches have opened back up in the Tampa Bay area for the season. Whether you are looking to pick the perfect pumpkin, meet farm animals or go on a hayride, there are plenty of locations to visit that offer a wide range of themed activities.

    View a Google Maps listing of Tampa Bay area pumpkin patch locations and details below:
    (To submit a pumpkin patch location not on the map, please use our submission form at the bottom of the page)


     

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • New census report shows Pasco County among Florida’s fastest growing communities

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    PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A new census report shows a significant population increase in Pasco County.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pasco County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state of Florida

    • A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Pasco County has seen a more than 15% increase in population within the last five years
    • New housing, such as apartments and homes, are evidence of the growing population trend as well as new traffic patterns around areas like Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills
    • This year, the city of Zephyrhills has seen a population of just under 20,000 people, which is a near 3,000 increase from just five years ago


    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Pasco County has seen a more than 15% increase in population within the last five years, making it one of the fastest growing counties in the state of Florida.

    “We’re attracting young professionals,” Hope Kennedy, President & CEO of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, said. “We’re attracting start-ups, innovation, life sciences. We’ve got it all here in Pasco.”

    Along State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel, you’ll find an assortment of housing. From new apartments to new homes, this is part of the population boom in Pasco County.

    “We’ve seen extreme growth over the last three to five years,” Kennedy said. “The census reports are coming out with that information- I believe it was around 15%. But what’s more important is that we’re growing in quality, just not in quantity of people.”

    She has witnessed first-hand the increase in traffic throughout Pasco County, both on the road and in housing, Kennedy said.

    “There’s a lot of factors attracting people here to Pasco,” she said. “It’s the geography where we’re at proximity, but it’s also that we’ve built a quality community here in this area. And I say it’s the secret sauce. It’s a very diverse community. It’s where people want to live, work and invest their money.”

    Just about 20 miles away, a similar view can be seen in Zephyrhills.

    “We’re coming in for the estimates for 2025 just shy of 20,000 people,” Rodney Corriveau, principal planner for the City of Zephyrhills., said. “Now rewind five years ago, we were around 17,000 people. So that’s an astronomically high rate of people to be moving into our city.”

    Two years ago, a moratorium was put in place, putting a pause on all new housing developments throughout the city. While that may still be in effect, proper planning for growth has not stopped under city staff like Corriveau.

    “The challenge is to make sure we fit and accommodate all the people moving here, the residential component with the industrial component and making sure that those don’t conflict,” Corriveau said. “We want to make sure that people, when they’re living adjacent to some of the commercial and industrial areas, that we buffer those for sound and visual effects and things like that.”

    This is crucial to maintaining growth, Kennedy said.

    “We’re at 650,000 now. We’re most certainly going to be at a million,” she said. “It’s really important that as the chamber and the business community together, we’re thinking ten years down the road so that when we’re making decisions and we’re planning our future, we have growth in mind.”

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    Calvin Lewis

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