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Tag: Fallon Silcox

  • Students at Saint Leo University make election predictions

    Students at Saint Leo University make election predictions

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    ST. LEO, Fla. — Political Science students at Saint Leo University have been working hard since the semester started in August to prepare their presidential election predictions for their campaigns and elections class.

    What You Need To Know

    • Students are making presidential election predictions for the campaigns and elections class at Saint Leo University

    • The class is only offered during election years, and the sole purpose is for students to make educated predictions

    • Each student is assigned a state, and a total of 21 states are covered this year

    • Spectrum Bay News 9 Voting Guide


    The class is only offered during election years, and the teacher says it goes beyond a lot of college classes because it teaches students things they will need to know in life regardless of what career paths they choose. Among those, Frank Orlando said it teaches them all about elections, polls and politics.

    And on Tuesday, the students will get to see how accurate their predictions were, as the country votes to elect former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris to the highest office in the country.

    Orlando teaches the campaigns and elections class and said, students spend the entire semester putting together predictions on who they think will win the presidential race.

    “Each student in the class is assigned a state, and they have to become the undisputed expert in that state,” he said. 

    Students take turns explaining key points in their respective states, which includes, of course, Florida.

    “I’ve been working on learning more about my home state of Florida,” said sophomore Hunter Compton.

    Compton said he has taken many factors into consideration when making his prediction.

    “Looking at demographics, voting trends historically, different polling resources from different media outlets, or seeing a candidate spend more time and more resources in an area, how could this effect this, things such as that,” he said.

    He thinks Trump will win Florida, but admits he could be wrong.

    “I did not expect there to be so many non-party affiliates in Florida,” he said. “Which, of course, means there are lots of votes up for grabs for both parties — which, like I said, could have a very big effect on who’s going to win the state.”

    Regardless of who wins the election, Orlando says his students learned valuable skills this semester that they’re nearly guaranteed to use in life.

    “With political science, beyond just majors, literally everyone is going to be practicing politics, everyone is a citizen and at some level, they have this duty to kind of be a part of the process. So I think that this is something that’s important for everyone,” Frank said.

    On Election Day, all of the students will meet at school after the polls have closed so they can watch all the results come in to see how their predictions went.

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  • Pinellas schools set to reopen Wednesday

    Pinellas schools set to reopen Wednesday

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    PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Pinellas County School’s Superintendent, Kevin Hendrick, held a press conference at Pinellas Park High School on Tuesday morning announcing the reopening of all schools, countywide, on Wednesday. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Pinellas County School’s Superintendent, Kevin Hendrick, held a press conference at Pinellas Park High School on Tuesday morning announcing the reopening of all schools, countywide, on Wednesday

    • Pinellas Park High School was the most severely damaged school during Hurricane Milton 

    •  Next week, Pinellas School Board will talk about make up days, Superintendent Hendrick says they’ll likely add one day in January, and one day in February


    Superintendent Hendrick says the district will be treating it like the first day of school, and says it’s important for families to get back into their routines.  On Tuesday, all teachers and staff returned to school, making final preparations for students. 

    School officials say Pinellas Park High School had the most damage where windows broke, and water got in.  Superintendent Hendrick says emergency restoration crews were already working at the two elementary schools severely damaged during Helene, and they rushed over on Friday to start stabilizing the high school.

    As of Tuesday morning, he says all schools’ power is restored, and between the districts’ maintenance crews and contractors, repairs are complete.

    Hendrick says he talked to the State Department of Education after Helene about waiving time missed, but the state didn’t approve it.  Now, he’s waiting to hear back on time missed due to Hurricane Milton.  He says students missed 10 days total between the two storms.

    “The school year is all about hours and minutes, not days, there’s not a magic number of days, it is about the number of minutes.  We’ll be sharing with our board next week a proposal that looks at adding some days that would have been off second semester that would now be on, and then adding some minutes to every day to catch up and exceed the number of minutes,” said Hendrick.

    Superintendent Hendrick says the plan is to add one day in January, and one day in February.  He says they will not be taking away from Thanksgiving break.  The board will take it up next week. 

    Superintendent Hendrick says if families are concerned about students not having school supplies to return to school, not to go out and purchase them.  The Pinellas Education Foundation did a donation drive after Helene and has plenty of school supplies for any students needing them.

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  • Hurricane Helene floods West Pasco Education Academy

    Hurricane Helene floods West Pasco Education Academy

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    HUDSON, Fla. — During Hurricane Helene, the West Pasco Education Academy in Hudson flooded so badly that the school had to shut down for an entire week to repair it enough for students to return.  

    Principal Travis Dewalt said crews have worked around the clock since Sept. 27, and the plan is to at least partially open the school back up to students on Monday, Oct. 7.

    What You Need To Know

    • West Pasco Education Academy had more than 30 inches of water in some classrooms after Hurricane Helene

    •  The school has been closed all week to make repairs and clean up

    •  School is expected to open back up to students on Oct. 7 

    • The Pasco Education Foundation is collecting donations to help families impacted by Hurricane Helene


    The West Pasco Education Academy is now a construction zone. 

    “They arrive when it’s dark, leave when it’s dark, we have teams working on top of each other on multiple pieces,” Dewalt said. “Some are doing drywall, some are doing paint — it’s the most incredible undertaking I’ve ever seen. I’m just amazed by it.”

    Dewalt shared photos showing how he found the school after Hurricane Helene, with visible water lines high up the classroom walls. In his 26 years with Pasco County Schools, he said the damage caused by Helene was a first.

    “I’ve never seen anything like this, and I typically work all of our storm shelters,” he said. “Administration, that’s what we do, and I always hear the stories, but this is my first time experiencing it.”

    The school is less than a mile from the Gulf of Mexico, and Dewalt said the water rose more than 30 inches in some areas of the school. Since then, he said it’s been a race to recover.

    “It was 24 hours after the storm we knew we were cared about,” Dewalt said. “Every district staff member you could imagine has toured my campus, day in and day out, checking on our progress, checking on the wellbeing of our people.”

    He said crews are making tremendous progress. With the rebuilding being handled, Dewalt said he’s focusing on his staff, students, and their families — some of whom lost everything.

    “It’s hard for us to have a bad attitude in lieu of the tragedy all around us,” he said. “So that’s the attitude we’re taking forward, and we’re just keeping everyone else in our thoughts and prayers.”

    Dewalt said the school district reached out to neighboring schools and everyone is pitching in to help get them back on their feet.

    “It redefines the team concept, because we all feel it,” he said. “So the big word for us is grace. Having grace with each other and grace for our students, because we don’t know what tragedy has struck them within the last couple weeks.”

    Dewalt said the school administration has a phased re-entry plan. They expect to bring back half of their students to the campus on Monday, and the other half will be at a school nearby. 

    He said they hope to have all students back on campus within a couple of weeks. 

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  • Hillsborough County Schools seeks to reassure parents after threats

    Hillsborough County Schools seeks to reassure parents after threats

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    TAMPA, Fla. — As Hillsborough County schools has received several school shooting threats recently, the district is seeking to reassure parents that there are security measures in place. 

    John Newman, the chief of security for Hillsborough County Schools, said he monitors the Centegix crisis alert system from his office every day, and he now knows the sounds of the different alerts by heart.

    What You Need To Know

    • Officials with Hillsborough County Schools say they are seeking to reassure parents that there are security measures in place after receiving several school shooting threats recently
    • The Hillsborough County School District implemented the Centegix crisis alert system five years ago

    • All school district employees have badges embedded with the alert system


    “That’s a teacher asking for help,” he said when the alarm sounded on his screen, noting that it wasn’t a major threat.

    “We’ve had this for such a long time, without me looking, I know that’s probably just a staff alert being handled at the school,” he said. “But when I start feeling, or hearing, the rhythm of the signal go off, you can usually tell if it’s something that’s getting elevated.”

    Hillsborough County Schools started using Centegix five years ago as a crisis alert system. Every employee wears a card around their neck, and by pushing the button embedded in the card, they can call for help — or put their school in a lockdown, if needed. That signal for help is sent to the district’s communications center.

    Newman described it as like the district’s 911 call center. Dispatchers monitor Centegix and send the appropriate response when something comes up. 

    Newman said his team walked every single school so they could update all the maps in the system so law enforcement can pinpoint where threats are in schools.

    “You don’t have to worry about wondering where the threat is — the locator tells you exactly where that person is asking for help,” he said. “So if you get a bunch of people in a row pressing the card asking for help, they know exactly where they are within one meter. So that’s huge — that’s a game changer right there, because our campuses are big.”

    Newman cameras at district schools will be integrated with Centagix software within the next few months, so he’ll instantly have eyes on the scene when situations arise. 

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  • Sail Future Academy graduate returns as a mentor

    Sail Future Academy graduate returns as a mentor

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For many kids who grow up in foster care, the odds are stacked against them. But one teenager in St. Pete is defeating all of them.

    What You Need To Know

    • Noah Grega recently graduated from the Sail Future Academy and now serves as a mentor for current students

    • He lived in the academy’s residential foster home since he was 16

    • Sail Future operates two group homes in St. Pete for boys ages 12 to 17

    • Part of the program is a 60-day sailing journey throughout the world, mental health counseling, practical job training and a hands-on technical high school

    Sail Future Academy operates two group homes in St. Pete for boys ages 12 to 17.  Part of the program is a 60-day sailing journey throughout the world, mental health counseling, practical job training and a hands-on technical high school. 

    Noah Grega first arrived at Sail Future Academy as a 16-year-old foster child and lived in the school’s group home. Having recently graduated, he has returned to the academy as a volunteer and mentor for the current students. 

    “I remember when I was here as a student, I wasn’t the best student. I would go on my phone, I would talk while the teachers were talking, I was doing all of that, but I’ve kind of learned that that’s just not the right thing to do,” said Grega.

    Grega has come a long way since those days. He reflects on his two years there, noting how much he learned – not just about sailing, but about life itself. 

    “When you have thoughts about I’m not good enough, or I can’t do this, that’s not necessary because those are all limitations you put on yourself,” Grega said. “The way I view a limit is an imaginary boundary you put on yourself and that holds you down, you can truly do anything, but the thing that holds you back the most is your own thoughts.”

    Noah not only volunteers and mentors students at Sail Future Academy, but he also teaches coding to middle schoolers through a partnership between Sail Future Academy, Career Source Hillsborough Pinellas and CodeBoxx.

    “He’s been such a leader on this campus and even after graduation he’s back on campus as a volunteer, so he’s taking all of the things he learned as a student here and helping lead, guide, and direct some of our younger students so they can reach the same level of success he has after graduation,” said Hunter Thompson, head of the school, and co-founder of Sail Future.

    Grega plans on raising the bar even higher. 

    “I want to be a billionaire one day, and to achieve that, I know I need to put in a tremendous amount of hard work and maintain a strong work ethic in everything I do,” he said. 

    With that mindset, no dream is beyond his grasp.

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  • Pinellas County Schools offers staff child care as part of strategic plan

    Pinellas County Schools offers staff child care as part of strategic plan

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    PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Pinellas County Schools has launched a new child care program for employees this school year.

    It’s available for all full-time employees and is part of the district’s strategic plan to attract and retain top faculty and staff.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pinellas County Schools launched a new child care program for all full-time employees as part of the district’s strategic plan to retain, and attract, top faculty and staff.

    • School district employees only pay between $75 and $135 per week for child care here, depending on their child’s age. 

    • The district is currently licensed for 87 children right now, and they’re already looking into expanding.

    • The child care is for 1, 2, and 3 year olds


    Caren Green is a child development associate, and teaches a class of one-year olds. The babies in her class have parents with something in common.

    “This is not a typical daycare, this is for Pinellas county school employees,” Green said.

    Pinellas County Schools started the child care program for 1-, 2-, and 3-year olds. It currently serves about 80 families and like any Pinellas County classroom, everyone is focused on the curriculum, even the one-year olds.

    “We have been working on where they’re at developmentally, and getting to know them, and kind of just really nurturing them and learning what they would like to do in the environment,” said Green.

    While Green teaches the one-year olds, her daughter Reese is across the hall in the 2-year old class.

    “Her teacher welcomed her with open arms and she immediately took to her. They bonded very well. I can already tell she’s learning a lot in the classroom with the curriculum they have been providing. She is coming home and telling me letter sounds, and what she’s doing during the day, and she’s very happy every time I go see her. It’s been going very well,” she said.

    This job is also going very well for Green. She is also pursuing her degree in early childhood education, which the district helps her pay for as an employee benefit, and Reese’s child care is greatly reduced from what it would cost at another daycare.

    “We did our market research and we are able to offer it at a discounted rate compared to a lot of the community providers that families would otherwise be going to,” said Jessica Wagner, the program coordinator.

    Wagner says school district employees only pay between $75 and $135 per week for child care here, depending on their child’s age. They’re currently licensed for 87 children right now, and she says the district is already looking into expanding.

    “The response is overwhelming.  We have a waitlist of children waiting to get in, even for next year. We have a waitlist of kids for next year for the one year old program,” said Wagner.

    At the end of the day, Caren and Reese are  both getting a head start on their futures with Pinellas County Schools. 

    The district is seeking suggestions from the community to rename the child care facility in Pinellas Park. 

    They’re accepting names through Sept. 30.

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  • New Law Requires Locked Doors at Schools

    New Law Requires Locked Doors at Schools

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    PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Within the first month of this school year, some teachers say a new state law aimed at keeping students safe is causing issues. 

    The law states all schools must keep classroom, building and campus entrances and exits closed and locked when students are present.

    What You Need To Know

    • A new law states all schools must keep classroom, building and campus entrances and exits closed and locked when students are present.

    • One Pinellas County elementary school teacher says while she understands the intent of the new law, it’s just not practical and taking away from students’ learning time.  She feels the only way to truly keep students safe is to reform gun laws. 

    • Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri helped write the law.  He says statewide audits revealed some schools weren’t complying with safety guidelines and that led to these changes.


    One Pinellas County elementary school teacher says while she understands the intent of the new law, it’s just not practical and taking away from students’ learning time.

    Tracey McConnell is a third-grade teacher at Pinellas Central Elementary School.  

    She’s also the Vice President of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, so she’s well versed in the newest state law aimed at keeping students safe.

    “Once kids are inside in the morning, all doors have to be locked, and if a door is open, somebody has to actually be manning that door,” said McConnell.

    While the law seems simple enough, McConnell said there are additional issues.

    “When kids would come in in the morning, if I had struggling readers, I could leave my door unlocked,” she said. “Or leave something propping the door, and as kids came in, they could eat their breakfast, get on the computer, and I could pull a small group and work with them. 

    “Now, because of the law, in effect, I can no longer pull that group. I have 30 minutes in the morning that the only thing I can do is stand and hold the door.”

    When asked about the law, and if they intended to reach out to lawmakers about it, the Pinellas County School District provided a statement saying: “At this time, two weeks into the new school year, Pinellas County Schools remains committed to following the law and keeping our kids safe.”

    In the meantime, teachers like McConnell are left trying to make the best of it. 

    “Everybody has good intentions,” she said. “They want kids to be safe at school, teachers want kids to be safe, our legislators want kids to be safe, our big problem is the people creating the laws, didn’t stop to ask teachers what we really needed in schools to keep kids safe.”

    McConnell said she feels stricter gun laws need to be in place, but even without any changes to those laws, she says keeping all doors at schools locked only protects student, and staff, from outside threats.

    “We’re safe inside from anybody who could possibly come by the school, they would have to go through multiple barriers to get to the students, but the law doesn’t take into any consideration that kids can come to school with weapons,” she said.

    McConnell says teachers in Pinellas County will be abiding by the law and keeping their doors locked.

    She said she just hopes lawmakers will hear some teacher’s complaints and everyone can work together when it comes to keeping students safe. 

    Several school boards in the state say they are adding the issue to their legislative platforms to ask for clarifications or adjustments to the law.

    Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri helped write the law. 

    He says statewide audits revealed some schools weren’t complying with safety guidelines and that led to these changes.

    “This isn’t some onerous standard,” Gualtieri said. “This isn’t something that’s over the top. This is real simple stuff to meet the expectation of parents that when their kids go to school in the morning that we are going to return them safe in the afternoon.

    “That’s all this is about.” 

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  • Florida Polytechnic University celebrates record enrollment

    Florida Polytechnic University celebrates record enrollment

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — Florida Polytechnic University is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a public university focused solely on STEM degrees, and this year, they have record enrollment.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida Polytechnic University welcomed over 600 new students in the fall semester

    • Florida Poly is starting the school year with almost 1,800 students, which is a 9% increase from last year.

    • The university set a goal to have 3,000 students by the year 2030. 


    Angeleena Figueroa is one of over 600 new students at Florida Polytechnic University. She said she actually saw the school before she’d ever heard of it when she was on a trip from New Jersey visiting her brother.

    “I just saw this huge building that we’re in right now called the ITS, and I was like, what is that? He’s like oh it’s a school, and I was like, really??? I want to go there! So I went home, looked it up, and I was like this is exactly what I wanted because I always wanted to be an engineer,” said Figueroa.

    While the unique, futuristic design of the school is a big appeal for a lot of students, the university is also the only state university dedicated exclusively to STEM, and since it’s public, it’s affordable.

    “I looked at a few other schools in jersey as well, like NJIT, Rutgers, but I have to say this school is the one that offered me the most financial aid, they definitely have a good financial aid program that helps students get here,” she said.

    Florida Poly is starting the school year with almost 1,800 students, which is a 9% increase from last year. The school is building a third facility on campus that will be an engineering building, focusing on research and labs. They also opened the third residence hall for students this school year.

    Lydia Guzman, Director of Communications, says the growth here has been dramatic. “That just shows you that what we offer, the university, in terms of the quality of the stem degrees that we offer and the affordability, making it accessible, is really what’s increasing the demand for our university.”

    The plans for the future include more growth, but Guzman says Florida Poly isn’t meant to be a big university like USF, UF, or UCF, but instead, to continue on their own path, with a specific type of student, like Figueroa, who is passionate about her path in the STEM field.

    “I’ve wanted to be an engineer since I was a kid, but I’m not the kind of person who just sits down and waits for things to happen, I want to do things, and that’s what engineers do, they get to things done,” said Figueroa.

    And while her days at Florida Poly are just beginning, Figueroa says she’s excited to see the growth in herself, and her school, years from now.

    Florida Polytechnic University set a goal to have 3,000 students by the year 2030.

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  • Open Door Grant provides scholarships for hundreds of students

    Open Door Grant provides scholarships for hundreds of students

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Open Door Scholarship is quite literally opening doors for students at St. Petersburg College (SPC). The state’s Department of Education awarded SPC $1.3 million this school year for the Open Door Grant, which provides scholarships for workforce programs.

    What You Need To Know

    • The state’s Department of Education awarded St. Petersburg College $1.3 million this school year for the Open Door Grant

    • College officials say it will potentially help close to 400 students receive the certification they need for their career

    • The main requirement for the Open Door Scholarship is Florida residency — other than that, students must be enrolled in an approved workforce program

    College officials say this is a unique scholarship that will potentially help close to 400 students receive the certification they need for their career.

    “It serves a population that’s really in need. A lot of these programs we’ve chosen to highlight are ones that don’t usually get financial aid because they’re short term, because you don’t get a college degree at the end, you still get a credential of value, so for those students who may be in need but aren’t able to apply for aid, this is a perfect example for them,” said St. Petersburg College Project Director Marie Couch.

    Zach Blankem is enrolled in SPC’s Fire Training Program, and he received the Open Door Grant to pay for it.

    “What really appealed to me about the fire service is on top of keeping you active, every day is different, it’s in the medical field, you can walk into it with no idea of what you’re doing, no experience, and if you work really hard, within one calendar year, you can meet the requirements to get hired with a department,” said Blankem.

    Paul Govoni, who is also in the Firefighting Academy, agrees, and says after working for himself as a business broker, he decided it was time for a career change. “I am 32 years old. I am self-employed. I have a daughter and a wife, and I was looking for something to do that would fulfill me a little more than just the pursuit of money, so really, I thought public service is something that could do that for me.”

    Both Govoni and Blankem are there thanks to the Open Door Scholarship. It’s funding from the state that covers all the tuition for students pursuing career and technical education, like the firefighting academy.

    “To put it simply, I wouldn’t be here without it. The biggest roadblock to anyone improving themselves is typically financial, and I can understand that because I was working full time, and working paycheck to paycheck like most people, so the idea of going no employment, no income, it was terrifying, but we need more firefighters, we need more EMTs, we need more paramedics and grants like Open Door opens more opportunities for people like me to better ourselves,” said Blankem.

    Typical scholarships don’t cover short-term programs, which can hold people back from pursuing these careers, even though the director of SPC’s fire training center says these types of jobs are always in demand.

    “Lately, everybody in the state of Florida is hiring, just about every fire department in the state is hiring. The opportunity for these students when they’re finished with our program, as long as they pass everything, they’re certified firefighters and they can be hired,” said Steven Marfongelli, the Director of Fire Training Center at SPC.

    That is the main goal, and the Open Door Scholarship allows these students to pursue an important career in public service. “The men and women who decide to go through the academy, not only are they selflessly choosing to serve their community, but now they’re also having to pay for it, and go on their own, so it’s very hard,” said Govoni.

    The main requirement for the Open Door Scholarship is Florida residency — other than that, students must be enrolled in an approved workforce program.

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  • Pasco County parent says son’s school bus late every day

    Pasco County parent says son’s school bus late every day

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    ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — Getting to and from school safely, and on time, each day is important for student success, but one Pasco County mother says the school bus is preventing her son from doing both of those things.

    What You Need To Know

    • Thelma Chavarria says the school bus has been late more than it has been on time

    • She also says its drop off location is dangerous for her 8-year old son 

    • Pasco County School officials said the bus drops off on the opposite side of the road for efficiency, and it would add 20 minutes to the route if it dropped Isaiah off where it picks him up


    Thelma Chavarria says the school bus has been late more than it has been on time, and its drop off location is dangerous for her 8-year-old son.

    “Two point two miles away so it’s nowhere near here yet,” Chavarria said Friday as she tracked her son’s school bus on the app. That’s how she says she spends her mornings and afternoons, even when she’s at work, closely monitoring Isaiah’s school bus.

    “Since he’s started school, it’s been late every day to pick up and drop off,” she said. 

    On Friday morning, she received a text at 5:59 a.m. saying his school bus would be 30 minutes later, a message she receives almost daily. The bus is supposed to pick Isaiah up at 9:34 a.m. in front of their home on Chancey and Kalman Drive. School starts at 9:35 a.m., and while it is a short drive, Chavarria says the bus has yet to show up on time.

    “I call, call, call, they tell me it’s documented in my notes, someone will call me back, but I haven’t gotten a call or email, nothing, I told the school, they told me to tell the bus transportation because that’s their responsibility, and I’ve heard nothing,” she said.

    As she waited for the bus on Friday morning, Thelma said the late pickups and drop offs are actually the least of her concerns. What she is more worried about is the drop off spot, on the other side of Chancey Road, which is cut through for traffic to I-4.

    “When I call the bus transportation, they tell me that it’s not going to change, it’s a new route and he’s going to be dropped off there, and I’m to trust the bus driver. Which I trust the driver but not the road, the drivers. It’s unsafe for him to cross this road. All you see are semi-trucks, for instance. Right now, it’s a busy, busy road and my concern is his safety, my safety, and my kids safety,” she said.

    By the time the bus finally arrived today at 10:28 a.m., nearly an hour after school started, she had already given up and took Isaiah to school herself, but she says with all the time he’s missing in the classroom, and the time she’s missing at work, taking the school bus is taking a toll on everyone. 

    Pasco County School officials said the bus drops off on the opposite side of the road for efficiency, and it would add 20 minutes to the route if it dropped Isaiah off where it picks him up.

    School officials say the driver deploys the stop signs to stop traffic until students safely make it across. They say they’re currently looking into the route to see if they can make it more efficient.

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  • Bay area residents, governments cope with flooding after recent storms

    Bay area residents, governments cope with flooding after recent storms

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Areas across Tampa Bay are dealing with the aftermath of flooding from recent storms, including Wednesday night.


    Pasco County, for example, is working around the clock to clean up residential areas.

    In Zephyrhills, those at the Silverado Golf and Country Club have seen a significant amount of rainfall this week — rainfall that has turned into flooding. Yards of drainage lines and orange traffic barrels greeted visitors Thursday.

    It was a sight that Silver Oaks resident Carleen Heim had to see for herself.

    “It’s the engineering. It’s poorly planned,” Heim said. “They’ve got to get back to the drawing board and get it figured out.”

    After past flooding events, the county built Geiger Pond as a mitigation measure. But residents there say more needs to be done.

    Heim says she hopes these flood levels don’t get any higher.


    “Being in the middle of peak hurricane season, I mean obviously things are kind of quiet right now for the next week,” she said. “But if we get a major hurricane or tons of rain more, I mean, it’s not going to be a pretty picture.”

    A spokesperson with the city of Zephyrhills says they are working with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Pasco County emergency management and Pasco County government to manage the current flooding.

    Public works has placed a water pump extending to Twin Bridges Road to alleviate flooding in the Silverado golf course and Silver Oaks area.


    ABOVE: Spectrum Bay News 9’s Fallon Silcox reports on flooding in Hillsborough County

    FLOODED ROADS IN ST. PETE

    In St. Petersburg, city officials said they have stormwater maintenance teams inspecting facilities to handle any additional rainfall, and police and fire will be out shutting down roads when they flood.

    Near the intersection of 8th Avenue and 63rd Street North, the water rose so high it made the road nearly impassable. By Thursday afternoon, however, most of the water had receded from Carol Lachance’s home, but the aftermath remains.


    Her backyard still has standing water, and water remains in the street as well.

    “Yesterday, it was really the highest it has ever been in our neighborhood here in several years, even with a hurricane coming through,” she said.

    Thanks to a cell phone video from her neighbor across the street, she got a good look at a driver who decided to try and avoid the flooding by driving through her property. He eventually had to stop.

    Near the intersection of 13th Avenue North and 65th Street North in St. Pete, John Liubscher says he was dealing with high water as well.

    “Water rose across the pond very quickly,” he said. “It was like, within two hours it was up to the top and starting to come over.”

    Drivers attempt to navigate flooded roads Thursday in Hillsborough County. (Spectrum Bay News 9)

    He’s lived in his home for 10 years and says he’s never seen flooding come so close to his home. The only time he remembers water rising from the pond at all is from the recent Hurricane Debby.

    Residents are hopeful that they won’t have to deal with any additional flooding, but with more rain in the forecast, they’ll be ready for whatever comes.

    St. Pete city officials say there are no plans to design systems that can handle additional rain because of the high price.

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  • Pasco County Schools has new Private Instruction Personnel policy

    Pasco County Schools has new Private Instruction Personnel policy

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    ODESSA, Fla. — Pasco County parents pushed for changes to the school district’s PIP, or Private Instruction Personnel policy, last school year after some revisions in January raised concerns.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pasco County’s updated PIP Policy allows for therapy during instructional, and non-instructional time at school

    • The PIP, or Private Instruction Personnel policy, allows for outside therapists to come into the school to work with children who may have special needs

    • More Spectrum Bay News 9 Back to School headlines


    Now, after meeting with district officials and working together throughout the summer, they say there’s a new PIP policy in place that will make it much easier to get children the therapy they may need during school.

    Spectrum Bay News 9 first introduced you to Jessica Silber, and her son, Elliot, last March.  At the time, she was worried about changes Pasco County Schools made to its PIP policy.

    “A PIP policy is a private instruction personnel policy.  It allows a parent to hire a private person to come into the school district to provide services for their child, so it could be occupational therapy, speech therapy, a private duty nurse, but most commonly, the most controversial one, is an ABA therapist,” Silber said.

    Elliot, who is now five and will be entering kindergarten, is diagnosed with autism. Silber says the old PIP policy may have prevented him from receiving his ABA therapy in the classroom, and she wasn’t alone with her concerns.

    “We went to the school board, we had news articles, they seemed to be very receptive. And at the beginning of this summer they pulled together some work groups,” she said.

    Silber says the school district was receptive, and after taking all of the feedback, students will have the opportunity to receive ABA therapy in the classroom, not just during “non-instructional” time, should they need it.

    “They drafted a new policy, which really seems to put more of the responsibility on meeting with the school based team to determine where the best place to provide that is,” said Silber.

    While the plan for Elliot doesn’t include having his ABA therapist in class with him, Silber says knowing the option is there should he ever need it gives her peace of mind.

    “What was important to me, is that if we need to bring it in, I didn’t want to jump through 10 hoops. I wanted to be able to implement it immediately and by having this policy, we’re able to see that turnaround is happening very quickly,” she said.

    Now, the Silber’s plan on enjoying what’s left of summer, knowing they’re ready to confidently conquer kindergarten. 

    The policy in Pasco County is very similar to the policy in place in Hillsborough County Schools. If your child may need some sort of outside therapy during the school day, Silber says your first step is to contact the principal at their school, then a meeting will be scheduled to review an adequate plan.

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  • Pinellas commissioners discuss Rays stadium ahead of vote

    Pinellas commissioners discuss Rays stadium ahead of vote

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Pinellas County commissioners met to discuss the $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays stadium in a workshop on Thursday ahead of vote scheduled for July 30. 

    The county was asked to spend $312.5 million from the Tourist Development Tax fund to help pay for the new stadium.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pinellas County Commissioners held workshop Thursday to discuss the $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays stadium ahead of vote scheduled for July 30

    • The county was asked to spend $312.5 million from the tourist development tax fund to help pay for the new stadium

    • Commissioners only spent about three hours asking questions and going over plans for the stadium


    Commissioners only spent about three hours asking questions and going over plans for the stadium, which was something that Commission Chair, Kathleen Peters said was surprising. But during that time, some crucial questions came up that still need to be answered before some commissioners said they would feel comfortable voting in favor of the plan.

    “We currently have a stadium, an old stadium, and a parking lot, but this would be a $6.5 billion — probably the largest economic development project ever built in Pinellas County,” said  Pinellas County Administrator Barry Burton, as he opened the discussion at Thursday’s County Commission workshop.

    With nearly $312.5 million potentially coming from Pinellas County, it’s a decision commissioners said the weren’t taking lightly. 

    “If I felt rushed today for this vote on Tuesday, I’m a no,” said Commissioner Dave Eggers.

    Eggers said even after Thursday’s meeting, he still had concerns about the county using its bed-tax money for the stadium, and how the expenditure would impact other projects, like beach renourishment.

    “It is enough for me to truly vote no on it,” he said. “I think there’s a real issue here with opportunity availability for use of the funds we’re putting into the project. I understand the benefits of the project — I’ve heard them, I’ve gone through them, but we have a different responsibility to make sure it’s fair.”

    St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said he understood commissioners having questions about the project, because it was a lengthy process for city council members to get to the point they were ready to vote. But ultimately, he said he’s not worried.

    “The first time we had a committee of the whole, there were a ton of questions,” Welch said. “We took those questions one by one — you saw a lot of those end up in the ultimate agreements. I foresee the same process happening here.”

    Pinellas County commissioners are set to take the $312.5 million vote on July 30, with four of the seven required to vote in favor of it for the measure to pass.

    Eggers said that while he’s just one vote, he needs more information before he can vote to approve the plan.

    “If I feel like this is being pushed through on Tuesday, I’ll vote no,” he said. “Even if I might be in favor of it, let’s not rush this deal. On the other hand, if we come together on Tuesday and have the questions answered that we have asked, and have opportunity to have further dialog, um, yeah we can probably have a vote on Tuesday.”

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  • ‘Safe Stop’ cameras to be added on all Polk County school buses

    ‘Safe Stop’ cameras to be added on all Polk County school buses

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    WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — After an unprecedented number of student fatalities last school year due to vehicular and pedestrian accidents, Polk County Public Schools partnered with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on a new initiative aimed at keeping students safer on their way to and from school.

    What You Need To Know

    • Polk County schools partnered with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to start the “Safe Stop” initiative, which is aimed at keeping students safer on their way to and from school
    • All 511 Polk County school buses will be equipped with cameras to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped buses

    • First offense citations are $198

    • Cameras will be operational starting on Aug. 12, which is the first day of school, but no citations will be issued until Sept. 24


    Superintendent Frederick Heid says Polk County is one of the fastest growing communities in the nation, which means there’s more traffic than ever before. 

    He says the “Safe Stop” initiative can help ensure students’ safety.

    “Last year, as we collected data for this proposal, we had over 400 instances where bus drivers, our bus drivers, reported someone had unsafely passed a school bus after it stopped,” said Heid.

    That number was just on one day, which is why he went to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, to partner and bring the Safe Stop initiative to Polk County.

    “The reality is we love you all. We don’t want to give you a traffic citation, just stop for the school bus, but as much as we love you, we love the safety of those children more,” said Judd.

    All 511 Polk County school buses are now equipped with safety cameras. Once the stop arm is extended, they start rolling, capturing cars that illegally pass to be reviewed and sent a citation.

    “This is going to be a system where if you get a notice in the mail that you have this citation and you go, ‘I don’t remember running that,’ you can click the link and watch that and go, ‘Whoa there’s no doubt about this,’” said Judd.

    For first offenders, the citation is $198, and Judd says a deputy will review every video before issuing the fine. 

    Heid says last school year, one Polk County student was hit by a driver who illegally passed a school bus, and 21 other students were killed in accidents involving cars. He says if these cameras save even one student’s life, they’re well worth it.

    “The number of funerals and viewings we’ve attended this last year is unprecedented and unacceptable. Our students should not be put in that position,” said Heid.

    The Hillsborough County School District will be using Safe Stop cameras on its buses this school year, too. 

    School bus safety cameras in Polk County will be operational starting on Aug. 12 — the first day of school, but Judd says they extended the required education period from 30 to 60 days, so no citations will be issued until Sept. 24.

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  • Clearwater students get behind the scenes look at law enforcement

    Clearwater students get behind the scenes look at law enforcement

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Clearwater Police Department has launched its first Teen Citizen Academy for students ages 14-18.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Clearwater Police Department has launched its first Teen Citizen Academy
    • Each week, students aged 14-18 focused on something new, from defensive tactics to the K9 unit
    •  
    • The teens met once each week for six weeks, and received a unique behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement

    The teens met once each week for six weeks, and received a unique behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement.

    “We started the Teen Academy, which was requested by the community, to have our teens come in and see more of hands-on, intimate interaction of how us as police operate,” said officer Lauren Josey-Filer.

    One of the first things the teens learned was basic defensive tactics officers use when responding to calls.

    “I’m going to contour the back of his head. My forearms are across his collarbone. I’m going to drive the knee into the surface,” said officer Eric Mitchell, as he demonstrated one of the defensive moves.

    Students studied a variety of topics during the academy. (Spectrum Bay News 9/Fallon Silcox)

    Romeros Becknel will be a senior this year at Clearwater High School. Normally, you’d find him on the basketball court or in JROTC, but on this particular evening, he’s learning something brand new, and says the Teen Citizen Academy will ultimately help him decide his career — military, or law enforcement.

    “It helps the community, and I like the idea of protecting people,” Becknel said.

    Each week, the students focused on something new, and after defensive tactics came the K9 unit. Sgt. Robert Main, with the K9 unit, said he can relate to Becknel.

    Graduates of the police academy pose for a photo. (Spectrum Bay News 9/Fallon Silcox)

    Graduates of the police academy pose for a photo. (Spectrum Bay News 9/Fallon Silcox)

    “I always had an interest in it throughout high school, it’s what I wanted to do,” Main said. “I got a four-year college degree and then as soon as I was done I was ready to get into law enforcement.”

    After doing some demonstrations with the bite sleeve, he showed the students how K9 officers track down suspects.

    “He was just explaining how the dogs track and what we release off our body for the dog to track and we just chased him around with the dog to find the person,” said Becknel.

    Becknel said he could see himself in Main’s shoes one day, and thanks to this Teen Citizen Academy, he has a whole new appreciation for law enforcement, and the work he aspires to do.

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  • Inaugural Bay area law enforcement class graduates mental health certification

    Inaugural Bay area law enforcement class graduates mental health certification

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg College recently celebrated its first cohort of students completing the Applied Mental Health Certification program. The the course is only for first responders, and organizers said it’s the first in the nation.

    What You Need To Know

    • St. Petersburg College recently celebrated its first cohort of students from the Applied Mental Health Certification program 

    • The course is only for first responders, and it’s the first in the nation

    • For the last 11 months, this group of local first responders has come together as students at St. Petersburg College, with Dr. Meredith Moran as their teacher

    • SPC will start its next course for first responders in the fall


    The inaugural class includes 14 law enforcement officers from St. Pete, Gulfport, Tampa and Clearwater police departments.  First responders who graduate from the program will go on to be mental health liaisons at their agencies, with the training and knowledge to help their coworkers.

    For the last 11 months, this group of local first responders has come together as students at St. Petersburg College, with Dr. Meredith Moran as their teacher.

    “As a former first responder myself, I remember back in the early 90s, we didn’t have culturally competent counselors,” Moran said. “We didn’t have — there was this culture where you didn’t talk about what’s going on in your life and because of that, it’s kind of been a continuous problem.”

    She said the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association recognized that it’s a problem that needs to be fixed, and came to the college requesting a course for first responders on mental health.

    “Because we have the badge, often time people think we’re just so strong that we’re not weak in any form, and that’s not true,” said St. Pete Police Officer Dianeka Jones. “We all go through things and I think this class gives us the insight, what to look for in our own officers, our peers.”

    Jones said this type of training is crucial in her career. The course covers a little bit of everything — from assessment and diagnosis, to police suicide. This particular class was on all the mental health resources available to first responders, like Gilbert, a fully certified law enforcement therapy K9.

    Moran said while most agencies offer peer support and critical incident stress management, or CISM, there’s currently no type of proactive support, which is what officials hope the St. Petersburg College certification will provide.

    “A lot of that is reactionary, though, so something happens and we call out the CISM team,” Moran said. “These guys are designed to be more proactive as mental health liaisons and go to their coworkers and say, ‘Hey, something seems to be off, can we talk about it, how can we help you?”

    And that type of support is something Jones feels can help.

    “For a while, our mental health and issues we have, have just been swept under the rug,” she said. “It’s like, ‘You’ll be alright, you’ll get through it, tomorrow you’ll be fine.’ And I think more and more we’re seeing that’s not helping, it’s a problem and I’m glad we’re able to see it and that the awareness we’re getting now, it’s a big thing.”

    The first cohort graduated on Monday. The program was free for students thanks to some state funding and the Pepin Family Foundation. SPC will start its next course for first responders in the fall. 

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  • Collegiate high school seniors in St. Pete all receive associate’s degree

    Collegiate high school seniors in St. Pete all receive associate’s degree

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg Collegiate High School North Pinellas celebrated and unprecedented first: 100 percent of its graduating seniors also earned their associate’s degree.

    With the rising cost of tuition, this program helps a lor of students save money on higher education, and they say that working together to achieve the same goal keeps them focused.

    “Being in a program like this that was everyone’s goal, everyone was working towards it, so it was nice to do that with people who also cared about doing it at the same time as me,” said senior Alexandra Hooker. “It’s nice that it relieves a little bit of a financial burden of course.”

    St. Petersburg Collegiate High School North Pinellas is a charter school that’s partnered with St. Petersburg College and allows students to earn their high school diplomas while simultaneously earning an associate’s degree and a Bright Futures scholarship — all for free.

     

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  • Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation’s M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program helping kids succeed

    Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation’s M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program helping kids succeed

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to closing the achievement gap for students living in South St. Pete. They offer after-school programs for children and teens of all ages, and over the summer months, one of their programs focuses on middle and high school students — the High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation’s High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program is for middle and high school students who live in South St. Pete

    • The goal is to close the achievement gap, and increrase graduation rates

    • Students explore trade school career options, learn interview & communication skills, study black history, and learn financial literacy

    The purpose is to expose teens to different college and career options, while teaching them valuable skills so they can set goals for their own futures, keeping them focused through these formative years.

    The High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program students took their weekly black history lesson out of the classroom and into a place where the history itself happened.

    “This space that you’re in was a segregated grocery store, and so my uncles, my parents, my grandparents could not set foot in this building as it was erected,” said Marcus Brooks, Executive Director for the Foundation for a Healthy St. Peterburg’s Center for Healthy Equity.

    The Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation partnered with the Foundation for a Healthy St. Peterburg, which intentionally re-wrote the purpose of the building to advance equity, and now, Pinellas County’s civil rights history lines the walls with pictures and descriptions of events.

    “We were learning and talking about black history and more black history in St. Pete and the origins of some of the places we see every day,” said Torri Gammage, who is going into 7th-grade at Thurgood Marshall Middle School.

    Torri has been in the M.A.S.T.R. Program for four years, and says she’s found the black history lessons to be very important. 

    “So that we don’t make the same mistakes over again and we can know why certain things happened and how it affects us, and how we should react to it,” she said.

    Which is exactly why the Foundation includes black history in its High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program.

    “What we’ve discovered is that if the kids can get some exposure to African American history, they’re typically very grounded in who they are, why they are here, what are their unique strengths,” said Bridgette Heller, Co-Founder and CEO of the Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation.

    Heller says the confidence it builds is key. The Foundation first focused on just closing the achievement gap for reading and math, but then realized, even when students were at grade level, their graduation rates were still lower than other populations, so they created this program.

    “We interviewed people in the community to find out what were some of the barriers and the key was that our kids weren’t really prepared. They didn’t really know or understand what kinds of careers were out there, or what those careers meant or how high school connected to careers, and so we set out to try to do that for them,” said Heller. 

    Through field trips like this, and a partnership with Pinellas Technical College, Heller says the gap is closing because these teenagers now have goals.

    “If you can stay focused on the goal and why you’re there, it makes all the difference,” she said. 

    Torri’s goal is to become a cosmetologist, and she says through the friends she’s made here, there’s nothing that can stop her.

    “You don’t find a lot of people like that at school and stuff. If they’re in the program, then they’re learning a lot of the same stuff you are and you can talk to them about that kind of stuff,” said Torri.

    Students in the High School M.A.S.T.R. Plan Program are exposed to eight different career trades at Pinellas Technical College, and also learn how to interview and communicate, as well as financial literacy.

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  • NOAA hurricane hunters fly into Beryl

    NOAA hurricane hunters fly into Beryl

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — NOAA hurricane hunters on Friday flew into Tropical Storm Beryl.  The crew collected important data to send back to the hurricane center, which will be used to update models.

    The flight crew is made up of NOAA meteorologists and scientists. They fly through the eyewall of hurricanes using one of three planes. On Friday, they took “Kermit,” a Lockheed WP-3D Orion four-engine turboprop aircraft, and even though Beryl is now a tropical storm, Kerri Englert, the flight director, says it can still be a bumpy ride.

    “It can feel like a roller coaster, but that’s not necessarily guaranteed. It might be a rather intense storm, but we might not get rocked around too much,” said Englert.

    While on board, the crew monitors wind, pressure change, humidity and temperature, all of which provides a detailed look at the structure of the storm, and its intensity.

    “The data we’re collecting, what it does is it essentially gets assimilated into models twice a day. And so that is working not only for this hurricane but it also is allowing researchers and modelers to use that information and adjust the algorithms, adjust the models,” said Englert.

    She says the data collected flying into these storms has helped tremendously in tracking accuracy and intensity, ultimately helping keep you safer.

    “What we do is to best serve the people so that they get the most accurate information and that they really pay attention to those forecasts that are coming out and those warnings, because they’re put out for their safety,” she said.

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  • Camp Early Bird helps Polk County students prepare for kindergarten

    Camp Early Bird helps Polk County students prepare for kindergarten

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — You’ve heard the saying “the early bird gets the worm,” and in a summer camp offered by Polk County Schools, the “worm” is confident, capable kindergarteners. 

    The district offers “Camp Early Bird” over the summer to children who will be starting kindergarten in the fall, and the goal is to get campers on the same level and ready to begin “real” school.

    What You Need To Know

    • Camp Early Bird is offered by Polk County Schools to incoming kindergartners

    • Campers learn letters, numbers and work on social-emotional skills

    • Camp Early Bird is free, and registration opens every April


    According to the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center for Learning, 40% of children walk into kindergarten one to three years behind, and those students struggle to catch up.  

    According to the center’s research, most never catch up, which is why Polk County Schools say Camp Early Bird is so important.

    It looks like it’s all fun and games, but the children in Camp Early Bird are actually hard at work, going through a kindergarten crash course.

    “We try to provide enrichment for kids who’ve already been exposed to our VPK (voluntary prekindergarten) curriculum, but some of our kids have not had any exposure,” said Dr. Ben Henry, a regional superintendent for Polk County Schools. “We provide them certain intervention to really get ready for Day 1.”

    Henry said the district started Camp Early Bird three years ago, and it’s grown every year. Students work on learning the basics while having fun. 

    “We do certain things with language for learning, which really gets kids some of the language acquisition skills they need to be ready for the first day of school. We do some number sense activities,” Henry said.

    Social-emotional skills are also very important for incoming kindergartners, and he said a puppet named “Al” helps teachers with those lessons.

    “Al teaches our kids how to really get ready for the first day of school and be able to express some of the emotions they feel so they can have that first day of school and first adventure in big school to be something they’re excited about,” Henry said.

    Getting students excited about learning is most important, Henry said.

    All kindergarteners are given a readiness test, and there’s a direct correlation between those who score well on it, and their future academic success, according to Henry.

    “When we start looking at our kindergarten rate of success and getting them ready for kindergarten, in a couple years we look at third grade reading scores, and we want kids to be ready, so we can really start all kids on the right path starting in kindergarten by third grade. They’ll be ready to read and be successful for everything moving forward,” he said.

    With a head start, students are set for success. 

    The school district accepts open registration for Camp Early Bird every April. The camp is free, and students also receive free breakfast and lunch. 

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