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Tag: florida

  • Clearwater’s Mercado the next step in Downtown Gateway revitalization

    Clearwater’s Mercado the next step in Downtown Gateway revitalization

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater residents had the chance to get a look at plans during a public meeting this week for a new park, known as the Mercado, planned for the corner of Cleveland Street and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard.

    What You Need To Know

    •  A public meeting was held in Clearwater to let residents get a look at plans for the Mercado

    •  The Mercado will be a park at the corner of Cleveland Street and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard with a grassy area, public art, and a large canopy

    •  The name — Mercado is Spanish for market — is meant to highlight the Hispanic population in the community
    • Construction is expected to wrap up in the fall

    “We’re very proud of it. This is a community-led project that started about a year ago, and it’s right there in the gateway leading straight into the downtown,” said Jesus Niño, executive director of Clearwater’s Redevelopment Agency.

    As of this week, the site is a fenced-off lot with construction equipment sitting on it.

    “It’s basically dirt right now,” Niño said.

    But by fall, it’s expected to be a place where people can come to relax, eat lunch or meet with friends.

    “It’s an urban space that will be basically a great investment by the CRA, and a community asset that’s going to have an impact for generations to come in that area,” Niño said.

    About a dozen residents came out to DeLukas restaurant for a public meeting about the project, which officials referred to as a “pocket park.” Some have been following talks to improve the area for a while.

    “So many years ago, I remember the first meeting we had,” Mary Bertsche said of when discussions about the project first began. “And oh, it was just — and then, we waited and waited.”

    Niño told those gathered that construction is expected to begin soon. Plans include walking paths, a grassy area, and a large canopy for shade. Money to make it happen is coming from increment funds generated by the CRA.

    The name — Mercado is Spanish for market — is meant to highlight the Hispanic population in the community.

    “I think it’s going to help kickstart the area,” said Dr. Gilbert Jannelli. “We’re all excited.”

    Jannelli is the landlord for DeLukas, which is right down the street from the future site of the Mercado. He and others said they hope the work doesn’t stop with this project.

    “The whole area is in need, from Highland down to Osceola,” he said.

    Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector said at the meeting that the future site of the Mercado is just one of those in the city in need of revitalization. He said it’s going to take some time to address all of those different areas, but an example of one recently completed project can be seen from the Mercado site.

    “We just completed, in December of 2023, a complete renovation of Cleveland Street,” Niño said. “It’s a beautiful street, beautiful asset, and now, basically, to complete the entire phase is to begin the Mercado project.”

    Janelli said he’s noticed a difference the work has had in the neighborhood.

    “The city is doing a wonderful job in marketing the area,” he said. “There’s lots of interest now. The business here is picking up since construction finished.”

    Niño said that’s part of the goal: supporting the businesses that are already in the area, as well as attracting new ones. He said once work on the Mercado wraps up in the fall, other efforts to beautify the area, like public art projects, will continue.

    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Disturbance in the Atlantic isn’t expected to develop

    Disturbance in the Atlantic isn’t expected to develop

    The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season doesn’t begin until June 1, but we’re already watching an area of low pressure in the eastern Atlantic.

    What You Need To Know

    • The system has low development odds

    • Upper-level winds will limit any future development

    • Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1

    The disturbance is about 900 miles northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. As this system moves southwestward, it will get torn apart by strong upper-level winds tonight and Thursday.

    No additional development is expected.

    Even though this system isn’t expected to develop, storms can always form before Atlantic hurricane season begins.

    The 2024 hurricane season outlook from Colorado State is calling for an extremely active season. You can read their seasonal outlook here. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    Spectrum News Staff

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  • David Beckham Fast Facts | CNN

    David Beckham Fast Facts | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    Here’s a look at the life of retired professional soccer player David Beckham.

    Birth date: May 2, 1975

    Birth place: London, England

    Birth name: David Robert Joseph Beckham

    Father: David Edward “Ted” Beckham, an appliance repairman

    Mother: Sandra (West) Beckham, a hairdresser

    Marriage: Victoria (Adams) Beckham (July 4, 1999-present)

    Children: Harper, Cruz, Romeo and Brooklyn

    Retired professional soccer (European football) player.

    Married to Spice Girl Victoria (Adams) Beckham, nicknamed “Posh Spice.”

    Midfielder known for his ability to “bend” his free kicks, curving the ball around or over defenders to score. The movie title “Bend it like Beckham” is a tribute to his kicking style.

    Won league titles in four different countries while playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain.

    Played 115 times for England between 1996 and 2009.

    Leadership Council Member of Malaria No More UK.

    1991 – At age 16, leaves home to play in Manchester United’s training league.

    April 2, 1995 – Premier League debut with Manchester United.

    1996 – Gains recognition when he scores a goal from the halfway line, a kick of almost 60 yards.

    September 1996 – Makes his international debut in the World Cup qualifier against Moldova. England wins 3-0.

    1998 – Is named to the English national team for 1998 World Cup.

    1998 – Beckham is given a red card and ejected from a second round World Cup match for kicking out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone, which contributed to England’s elimination.

    1999 – Leads Manchester United to a treble, winning the English Premier League, FA Cup and European Champions League trophies.

    November 15, 2000 – Is named captain of England’s national team.

    April 2002 – Breaks a bone in his foot but later competes in the World Cup finals in June. England ultimately loses to Brazil in the quarterfinals.

    May 2003 – Breaks his hand during a 2-1 win over South Africa in Durban.

    June-July 2003 – Traded by Manchester United to Real Madrid. He signs a four-year contract with Real Madrid for $40 million.

    November 27, 2003 – Receives an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Queen Elizabeth II.

    January 10, 2005 – Appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, with a focus on the program Sport for Development.

    August 3, 2005 – Is awarded libel damages from the tabloid, the People, that accused him of making hate calls to a former nanny.

    March 9, 2006 – Settles a libel case against the British tabloid, News of the World, over a 2004 headline that read, “Posh and Becks on the Rocks.”

    January 2007 – Signs on with the Los Angeles Galaxy, an American Major League Soccer team.

    July 21, 2007 – Plays his first game with the LA Galaxy. It is initially reported he will receive an estimated $250 million over the life of his five-year contract, but later revealed that the Galaxy will pay him $32.5 million over five years.

    March 26, 2008 – Appears for the 100th time in an England uniform. During the England/France game Beckham receives a standing ovation from both sides as he leaves the field during a substitution.

    January 2009 – Loaned by the LA Galaxy team to the AC Milan club. He initially agrees to a three-month stint with the Milan team but the loan is extended to six months.

    December 2009 – Is loaned to AC Milan a second time until the end of the Italian season in May.

    March 14, 2010 – Tears an Achilles tendon during an AC Milan match and is unable to play in the World Cup.

    December 1, 2012 – Plays his final game with the LA Galaxy.

    January 31, 2013 – Announces that he has signed with Paris Saint-Germain for five months and will donate the pay to a children’s charity in Paris.

    May 16, 2013 – Announces that he will retire from professional soccer at the end of his season.

    February 5, 2014 – Announces he will establish a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami.

    February 9, 2015 – Launches 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund, a collaboration with UNICEF to help kids in danger zones around the world.

    January 29, 2018 – MLS announces that Miami has been awarded the league’s 25th franchise, about four years after Beckham first announced his intention to exercise his right to buy an MLS franchise in February 2014. The Beckham franchise will be backed by Cuban-American businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas, CEO of Sprint Corporation Marcelo Claure, entertainment producer Simon Fuller and the founder of Japanese telecommunications firm SoftBank, Masayoshi Son.

    September 5, 2018 – Beckham’s Miami expansion team announces it name, Club Internacional de Futbol Miami, Inter Miami for short.

    March 1, 2020 – Inter Miami plays its debut MLS game.

    October 2, 2020 – A company co-founded by Beckham, Guild Esports, lists on the London Stock Exchange, becoming the first esports franchise to go public on the LSE.

    March 20, 2022 – Beckham hands over control of his Instagram account to a doctor in Ukraine, in a bid to highlight the work of medical professionals caring for patients amid the Russian invasion of the country.

    October 4, 2023 – Netflix’s four-part documentary series titled “Beckham” is released.

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  • St. Pete Grand Prix winner Josef Newgarden disqualified, IndyCar says

    St. Pete Grand Prix winner Josef Newgarden disqualified, IndyCar says

    Josef Newgarden’s win in IndyCar’s season-opening race at St. Petersburg was disqualified Wednesday because Team Penske manipulated its push-to-pass system during the race, making Pato O’Ward the winner.

    What You Need To Know

    • Team Penske manipulated its push-to-pass system in St. Pete, IndyCar says in announcing disqualification

    • Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin, who finished third, was also disqualified

    • According to IndyCar rules, the use of the overtake isn’t available until the car reaches the alternate start-finish line

    • MARCH 10, 2024: Newgarden and Team Penske dominate IndyCar season opener

    O’Ward, who drives for McLaren, had originally finished second.

    Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin, who finished third, was also disqualified. Will Power, the third Penske driver, was docked 10 points. Additionally, all three entries have been fined $25,000 and will forfeit all prize money associated with the race.

    Roger Penske owns IndyCar.

    “The integrity of the IndyCar Series championship is critical to everything we do,” IndyCar President Jay Frye said. “While the violation went undetected at St. Petersburg, IndyCar discovered the manipulation during Sunday’s warmup in Long Beach and immediately addressed it ensuring all cars were compliant for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Beginning with this week’s race at Barber Motorsports Park, new technical inspection procedures will be in place to deter this violation.”

    Newgarden, a two-time IndyCar champion and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner who is in a contract year with Penske, fell from first in points to 11th with the disqualification.

    A review of the data from the St. Petersburg race showed that Team Penske manipulated the overtake system so the three Penske drivers could use push-to-pass on starts and restarts. According to IndyCar rules, the use of the overtake isn’t available until the car reaches the alternate start-finish line.

    “Unfortunately, the push-to-pass software was not removed as it should have been, following recently completed hybrid testing in the Team Penske Indy cars,” Team Penske President Tim Cindric said in a statement. “This software allowed for push-to-pass to be deployed during restarts at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix race, when it should not have been permitted. The No. 2 car driven by Josef Newgarden and the No. 3 car driven by Scott McLaughlin, both deployed push-to-pass on a restart, which violated IndyCar rules. Team Penske accepts the penalties applied by IndyCar.”

    Associated Press

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  • Tombolo Books celebrates National Independent Bookstore Day

    Tombolo Books celebrates National Independent Bookstore Day

    TAMPA, Fla. — Words on a page are small but mighty. And in the Grand Central District of St. Petersburg, they are being celebrated at Tombolo Books.

    What You Need To Know

    • National Independent Bookstore Day is Saturday, April 27

    • Tombolo Books in St. Pete’s Grand Central District celebrates with giveaways, readings, food and drinks

    • Tombolo Books opened in December 2019

    Alsace Walentine is looking ahead to National Independent Bookstore Day. It’s a chance to celebrate with more than a thousand indie bookstores across the country.

    Events will be spilling out in the bookseller’s courtyard, from music to readings.

    “There’s lots of fun for little kids through adults. There’s exclusive items we give away. We are all just really proud to be in this industry,” said Walentine.

    Walentine and her wife Candace Anderson opened Tombolo Books in December 2019, just months before the pandemic.

    “I’m just really glad we were able to stick it out, and the community supported us,” said Walentine.

    It’s allowed Walentine to continue the work she calls both gratifying and important.

    “For the community, for the authors, for writing, for ideas, for intellectual freedom,” said Walentine. “So I’m very proud of it.”

    Virginia Johnson

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  • Biden in Tampa: Fact-checks of his claims on abortion, Trump

    Biden in Tampa: Fact-checks of his claims on abortion, Trump

    Eight days before a six-week abortion ban takes effect in Florida, President Joe Biden spoke in Tampa to lay blame for restrictive measures nationwide on one person: former President Donald Trump.

    In a 12-minute address April 23 at Hillsborough Community College, Biden warned of “extreme” laws that restrict abortion access, and he blamed Trump, his predecessor and presumptive 2024 rival, for making those policies possible.

    Biden criticized Trump for bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade and paving the way for states to enact strict limits on abortion. Using that new power, Biden said, Arizona reinstated an 1864 total abortion ban and Florida instituted its six-week ban.

    Biden and his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, in recent days have made abortion key to their campaign message. Biden shouted his remarks at times, but some of his statements left out context. 

    Biden’s address comes as Florida voters are set to decide whether to expand abortion rights in a high-stakes abortion measure on the November ballot.

    Polls show that six-week abortion bans are unpopular both nationally and in Florida. For bans later in pregnancy, around 16 weeks, polling results are inconsistent. A national KFF poll from February 2024 found that 58% opposed federal ban on abortion at 16 weeks while 42% said they would support one. But an Economist/YouGov poll the same month found the opposite: 48% favoring a 16-week ban, 36% opposed and 16% not sure. Polling also shows wide support for first-trimester abortions, but far less for second-trimester abortions. 

    Here are fact-checks of four things Biden said.

    “Don’t think (Trump) is not making a deal right now with MAGA extremists to ban abortion nationwide in every state, because he’s making it.”

    Although we can’t know what goes on in private, Biden’s claim conflicts with Trump’s most recent public comments on abortion.

    On April 8, Trump released a video on his abortion position and later told reporters that he wouldn’t sign a nationwide ban if it came to his desk.

    In his video, Trump boasted about appointing three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that federally protected abortion access. Trump also said he thought that abortion regulation should be left to the states, and that he supports exceptions for rape, incest and the pregnant woman’s life.

    On the campaign trail, Trump has criticized some of the stricter abortion bans. He called Florida’s six-week law poised to take effect May 1 “a terrible mistake.” And he agreed that Arizona’s newly resurrected 1864 total abortion ban went too far.

    Before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Trump expressed more support for a federal abortion ban.

    In 1999, Trump described himself as “pro-choice.” He adopted an antiabortion stance around 2011, when he told a conservative committee that he was “pro-life.”

    When Trump was president in 2017, he endorsed a 20-week national abortion ban that failed to pass.

    In February, The New York Times reported that Trump floated a 16-week nationwide abortion ban in private discussions. In March, Trump indicated in a radio interview that he would back a 15-week ban. 

    Trump surrogates have discussed other executive actions Trump could use once in office, such as enforcing the Comstock Act — a 19th century law that bans the mailing of “obscene” material — that could outlaw abortion across the country by prohibiting sending materials such as medication and surgical equipment that could be used in abortions. Project 2025, a policy platform by a coalition of Trump-aligned groups for a second potential Trump presidency, also referred to the law in its online agenda.

    Trump hasn’t said he would enforce the law this way, but he hasn’t disavowed it either. 

    Trump “said, ‘There has to be punishment for women exercising their reproductive freedom.’” 

    This is misleading. In 2023, we rated a similar statement by Biden Mostly False. 

    Trump made a comment about punishing women in 2016 but quickly walked it back.

    During a March 2016 MSNBC town hall, an audience member asked Trump about his stance on women’s rights in reproductive health decisions. Trump said he was “pro-life,” with exceptions, but gave no further details. In a back-and-forth, host Chris Matthews asked Trump about legal penalties:

    Matthews: “Do you believe in punishment for abortion, yes or no, as a principle?”

    Trump: “The answer is that there has to be some form of punishment.”

    Matthews: “For the woman?”

    Trump: “Yeah, there has to be some form.”

    But Trump retracted the comment that same day after pro- and anti-abortion activists roundly criticized him. He issued a statement that said he meant that physicians should be held legally responsible, not women. It said:

    “If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman. The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb.”

    The next day, Trump told “Fox & Friends” hosts, “If, in fact, abortion was outlawed, the person performing the abortion, the doctor or whoever it may be that is really doing the act is responsible for the act, not the woman, is responsible.”

    “And today, MAGA Republicans refused to repeal that (1864) ban in Arizona. Trump has literally taken us back 160 years.”

    This leaves out that Trump has criticized Arizona’s recent legal action affecting abortion access.

    On April 9, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor of bringing back a Civil War-era law that would ban all abortions except when a pregnant woman’s life is endangered. Under the law, abortion providers could face two to five years in prison. Barring other legal or legislative action, the abortion measure could take effect as early as June.

    The law is part of Arizona’s Howell Code, nearly 500 pages of laws that governed the Arizona territory before the state’s official 1912 establishment.

    Following the court’s ruling, the Republican-led Arizona House blocked efforts to move forward on a repeal of the 1864 law. The state Senate launched a similar repeal effort.

    The Arizona court concluded that “absent the federal constitutional abortion right” the 1864 law is enforceable. Trump took credit for overturning that federal right.

    Following the ruling, Trump said April 10, “It’s all about state’s rights, and that’ll be straightened out. I’m sure that the governor and everybody else are going to bring it back into reason and that’ll be taken care of, I think, very quickly.”

    Trump was more specific on Truth Social two days later, stating that the Arizona court “went too far on their Abortion Ruling, enacting and approving an inappropriate Law from 1864.” He called on Arizona lawmakers to “remedy what has happened” and called for exceptions for rape, incest and the pregnant woman’s life.

    “One in three women throughout the United States of America” live in a state with an abortion ban at six weeks or sooner.

    This is accurate. At six weeks, most women don’t yet know they are pregnant and haven’t had a chance to see a doctor. And the number of women in that statistic is poised to grow when Florida’s six-week abortion ban takes effect May 1. 

    If the 1864 Arizona law takes effect, it would ban all abortions except when a pregnant woman’s life is in danger. Barring other legal or legislative action, the abortion measure could be instated as early as June, Axios reported.

    Excluding Florida and Arizona, about 21.5 million women and girls of reproductive age currently live in states that ban abortions completely, or after six weeks of pregnancy, U.S. Census data shows. That’s about 29% of women ages 15 to 49. 

    When adding in states that ban abortion after 12 or 15 weeks of pregnancy, the number of affected women grows to about 25 million, or about 40%.

    RELATED: All of our fact-checks on abortion, including statements by former President Donald Trump.

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  • Cloud seeding explained

    Cloud seeding explained

    Widespread flooding in Dubai last week has people wondering if cloud seeding is to blame for the disaster. The short answer is no, but here, I explain why that is the case.

    What You Need To Know

    • Cloud seeding can enhance rainfall by a small amount

    • You cannot create a rainstorm by cloud seeding

    • Cloud seeding works with water already present in the air

    In order to understand cloud seeding, one must understand how rain develops.

    In order to make it rain, you need moisture, a lifting mechanism in the atmosphere, and something for the moisture to condense on to.

    That last part is what cloud seeding focuses on.

    Condensation nuclei is the term for tiny particles in the air in which water vapor can condense on to, which in turn creates a rain drop.

    There are plenty of naturally occurring condensation nuclei in the atmosphere.

    Some examples are dust, smoke, pollen, sea salt, and other naturally occurring particles.

    Humans have artificially added some of these particles to the air in an effort to enhance rainfall and we have been doing it for decades.

    This is known as cloud seeding.

    Silver iodide is the particular agent of choice for cloud seeding.

    In order for cloud seeding to be successful, it must be done in an existing storm. 

    As stated earlier, without moisture and atmospheric lift, condensation nuclei are useless in producing rain.

    In the case of cloud seeding, humans are attempting to make more raindrops in a given cloud.

    Artificially adding condensation nuclei to the air in an existing storm can increase rainfall by up to 20%, but this is under ideal conditions.

    So in the case of the Dubai flood, cloud seeding likely had little impact on its outcome.

    Even if rainfall amounts were 10 to 20 percent less, similar flooding would have still occurred.

    In any case, it’s hard to quantify how much, if any, of this rain was enhanced by cloud seeding. It likely was much less than 20 percent.

    Weather models, including the one below, were predicting widespread flooding in the Dubai area days ahead of the event.

    These models do not include the effects cloud seeding in their algorithms.

    The city of Al Ain recorded 10 inches of rain from the storm, with around 6 inches at the Dubai airport. This is twice the city’s annual average. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    Meteorologist Kyle Hanson

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  • Cloud seeding explained

    Cloud seeding explained

    Widespread flooding in Dubai last week has people wondering if cloud seeding is to blame for the disaster. The short answer is no, but here, I explain why that is the case.

    What You Need To Know

    • Cloud seeding can enhance rainfall by a small amount

    • You cannot create a rainstorm by cloud seeding

    • Cloud seeding works with water already present in the air

    In order to understand cloud seeding, one must understand how rain develops.

    In order to make it rain, you need moisture, a lifting mechanism in the atmosphere, and something for the moisture to condense on to.

    That last part is what cloud seeding focuses on.

    Condensation nuclei is the term for tiny particles in the air in which water vapor can condense on to, which in turn creates a rain drop.

    There are plenty of naturally occurring condensation nuclei in the atmosphere.

    Some examples are dust, smoke, pollen, sea salt, and other naturally occurring particles.

    Humans have artificially added some of these particles to the air in an effort to enhance rainfall and we have been doing it for decades.

    This is known as cloud seeding.

    Silver iodide is the particular agent of choice for cloud seeding.

    In order for cloud seeding to be successful, it must be done in an existing storm. 

    As stated earlier, without moisture and atmospheric lift, condensation nuclei are useless in producing rain.

    In the case of cloud seeding, humans are attempting to make more raindrops in a given cloud.

    Artificially adding condensation nuclei to the air in an existing storm can increase rainfall by up to 20%, but this is under ideal conditions.

    So in the case of the Dubai flood, cloud seeding likely had little impact on its outcome.

    Even if rainfall amounts were 10 to 20 percent less, similar flooding would have still occurred.

    In any case, it’s hard to quantify how much, if any, of this rain was enhanced by cloud seeding. It likely was much less than 20 percent.

    Weather models, including the one below, were predicting widespread flooding in the Dubai area days ahead of the event.

    These models do not include the effects cloud seeding in their algorithms.

    The city of Al Ain recorded 10 inches of rain from the storm, with around 6 inches at the Dubai airport. This is twice the city’s annual average. 

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    Meteorologist Kyle Hanson

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  • Rays place closer Pete Fairbanks on injured list with nerve-related issues

    Rays place closer Pete Fairbanks on injured list with nerve-related issues

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.  — The Tampa Bay Rays placed struggling closer Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day injured list with nerve-related issues before Monday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers.

    What You Need To Know

    • Tampa Bay closer Pete Fairbanks has periodically been experiencing numbness in his fingers

    • The Rays have added him to their 15-day injured list

    • Fairbanks has gone 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in eight games

    • Tampa Bay recalled reliever Kevin Kelly from Class AAA Durham to fill Fairbanks’ spot

    Fairbanks has experienced numbness in his fingers at times over the past few years, and the problem flared up again on Saturday and Sunday.

    “Felt like he had a little bit of a zinger in his hand just playing catch,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “Got treatment the entire day on Saturday. We were still optimistic that he was going to be good to go on Sunday, but it repeated itself Sunday before the game.”

    Fairbanks has had tests on his shoulder and arm, with additional testing to be done.

    “We’ll continue to kind of check boxes to see if we can narrow it down,” Cash said. “Not sure where it’s going to go, but felt like it was time to rest and run some imaging from his neck to shoulder all the way down to the fingers to see if we can see anything.”

    Fairbanks has had a frustrating season, going 0-2 with a 9.00 earned run average in eight games. The right-hander has allowed eight runs — seven earned — over seven innings.

    The Rays recalled reliever Kevin Kelly from Class AAA Durham to take Fairbanks’ spot on the roster.

    Cash plans to fill the closer role by looking at matchups, with Colin Poche, Jason Adam, Shawn Armstrong and Garrett Cleavinger all expected to get chances.

    Spectrum Sports Staff

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  • Inverness teacher inspires students and fellow teachers

    Inverness teacher inspires students and fellow teachers

    INVERNESS, Fla. — Holli Herndon has a passion for training other teachers and helping her students succeed.

    She is the Behavior Specialist at Pleasant Grove Elementary School.

    What You Need To Know

    • Holli Herndon is this week’s A+ Teacher

    • Herndon is the Behavior Specialist at Pleasant Grove Elementary School

    • Do you know an amazing teacher? Nominate them to be our next A+ Teacher

    “Most of the kids that I work with, they just need somebody in their corner. Sometimes they haven’t had that person rooting for them to help them get through the things that they need to get through or to learn strategies that they need to be successful,” said Herndon. 

    She’s been at the school for two years and already won Teacher of the Year. In her role, she meets with students in groups and one on one. She also meets with teachers to come up with plans for individual students.

    “We’re helping not just to build academic skills but we’re also building character for students and we’re setting examples as role models of who they can be and it’s our job to set the bar high and help them achieve what they didn’t even know was possible,” said Herndon.

    Herndon started her career in education in 2008. She is focused on helping not only students thrive but also teachers.

    “There’s some teachers who don’t even know how incredible they are yet and I take that as something that I need to do to light their spark and keep them going,” said Herndon. She went on to say, “I feel like it’s important for me to go be the voice of Citrus County to stand up for my teachers.”

    Herndon visited Tallahassee this year to speak with lawmakers about statewide education initiatives and learn why certain policies are in place.

    “I just want to move education forward so by going and meeting people and understanding why they make the decisions they make, I might be able to give them a piece of information they don’t have,” said Herndon.

    She says her goal is to improve education overall and part of that mission includes training teachers.

    “We have all chosen this because this is a job of the heart so when I’m walking around working with teachers, we all have the same goal and that is to impact students. And we’re here for each other and it creates a community and a network. And that’s no matter what school you go into you’re going to find that,” said Herndon.

    Everything she does within education comes down to helping students thrive.

    “I want to empower them. I want them to know that there is no age limit to how successful they can be in anything. A child is never too young to do great things,” said Herndon.

    Herndon is currently finishing up her dissertation in educational leadership.

    Do you have an incredible educator in your life? Nominate them to be featured as an A+ Teacher by filling out this form.

    Jorja Roman

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  • Judge pumps brakes on FSU lawsuit against ACC

    Judge pumps brakes on FSU lawsuit against ACC

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Leon County judge is pumping the brakes on Florida State University’s lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference, ruling that the university must amend its lawsuit within a week before the case moves forward in court, if at all.

    What You Need To Know

    • A judge on Monday ordered the pair into mediation and gave FSU a week to refile its lawsuit

    • FSU is suing to exit the ACC without fees, though the court must first determine its jurisdiction

    • The ACC believe it’s home state of North Carolina is the proper forum

    • The judge reminded attendees the case is “not over”

    Second Judicial Circuit Judge John Cooper made the bench ruling Monday in Tallahassee while weighing the conference’s effort to dismiss the lawsuit. 

    The judge’s order will require the two parties to attend a mediation within 120 days. The order also stipulates that FSU must refile its complaint with “clear language” in seven days, excluding weekends and holidays.

    “I want to make sure everyone understands this case is still going on,” said Cooper. “It’s not over.”

    Hanging in the balance is a multi-million-dollar media rights deal between FSU and ACC, plus $130 million in exit fees the university may owe the ACC if they split. 

    The total exit price, per FSU: roughly $572 million. FSU sued the conference in January, calling the fees “draconian” and the existing media deal “weak.” 

    “The ACC has negotiated itself into a self-described ‘existential crisis,’ rendered itself fiscally unstable and substantially undermined its members’ capacity to compete at the elite level,” the lawsuit reads. “In doing so, the ACC violated the contractual, fiduciary and legal duties it owed its members.”

    They’re accusing the ACC of breach of contract, trade restraint and failure to perform, accusations that underscore the university’s frustrations over their media earnings through the ACC.

    “It wasn’t until Florida State read that other conferences may be getting more money for media rights agreements… that they started to complain,” said Amber Nunnally, an attorney representing the ACC. 

    The judge’s refile request comes as the court is trying to determine whether it’s got jurisdiction over the case, as the ACC is based in North Carolina. North Carolina is also where the conference preemptively filed a lawsuit against FSU, just a day after the university’s board voted to sue the ACC.

    Lawyers for FSU, however, argue otherwise. Peter Rush, an attorney representing FSU, described Florida State University and University of Miami as “citizens” of Florida. He also accused the ACC of drawing “daggers.”

    “That’s hardly the harbinger of happy future family gatherings,” Rush told the judge.

    The ACC, meanwhile, maintains that North Carolina is the proper forum. They’re accusing FSU of trying to score an “advisory opinion” through the lawsuit, given that they’ve yet to exit the conference and that a ruling in the case would likely impact their decision to stay or go.

    “Florida State is now asking you to invalidate the contract they believe no longer serves them,” said an ACC attorney. 

    There are no scheduled hearings between FSU and the ACC as of Monday. The ACC is contracted to hold FSU’s media rights till 2036.

    Jason Delgado

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  • Florida hemp industry could face an uncertain future

    Florida hemp industry could face an uncertain future

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis could soon sign SB 1698 into law.

    It caps the potency of THC in hemp products, prohibits businesses from manufacturing or selling products that contain more than .3% Delta-9 and places limits on other cannabinoids. 

    State Rep. Tommy Gregory is one of the bill sponsors and says it’s about safety.

    “I think that the overall limit, in terms of per container, is based on that logic to say ‘if you took everyone in this container and you were an adult who didn’t normally use Delta-9 THC, marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids,’” Gregory said. “That would get you to a place you probably don’t want to go beyond.”

    What You Need To Know

    • Gov. Ron DeSantis could soon sign a SB-1698 into law; it caps the potency of THC in hemp products

    • State Representative Tommy Gregory is one of the bill sponsors and says it’s about safety

    • Matt Wetzel, who runs a hemp shop in Clearwater Beach, said his son’s condition was helped by hemp

    One hemp shop owner, Matt Wetzel, has a store in Clearwater Beach.

    He isn’t just worried about the future of his hemp shop, but about the entire industry in the state and how the bill would limit CBD products for people who use them for health issues. His own son uses CBD without THC for a very rare medical condition.

    Matt, Emma Wentzel and their son Jameson, who uses CBD without THC for a very rare medical condition. (Wentzel family)

    Wetzel’s son Jameson Wetzel had a rough start in life. When he was a baby, he would overheat to the point of having seizures and even stopped breathing. His mother, Emma Wetzel, recalled how terrifying it was.

    “He got really warm, lethargic when I went to put him in bed,” Emma Wetzel said. “He curled up in a ball and then he breathed really loud and let the breath out and he stopped breathing.”

    Eventually, they would learn that the boy was suffering from Febrile Status Epilepticus. It’s a condition where seizures caused by a fever last 30 minutes or longer. He also had a hard time regulating his body heat. His parents say he has had fevers as high as 105 degrees.

    One day, Matt Wetzel heard a news report about CBD, made from a cannabis plant, but it’s not psychoactive, meaning it doesn’t make you high.

    It was being used to help people with seizures. The family lived in Wisconsin then, where it wasn’t legal, but in Colorado it was. The parents made the desperate move to help their son. Eventually, they started giving him CBD.

    “After a couple of days, we saw an immediate transformation,” Matt Wetzel said. “It was like…he was running, he was chasing birds, he was our little boy again.”

    They eventually moved to Florida and now worry about the new legislation and that it might destroy hemp shop owners across the state.

    “Gov. DeSantis needs to make a decision. Is he going to let something like this from happening again to another family because we are going to go right back to when Jameson was 1-year-old?” Matt said.

    The parents say CBD is the reason their son is here today, flourishing and living life to the fullest.

    Wetzel said if the legislation goes into effect in October, they might have to move to a more CBD friendly state like Georgia.

    Jeff Van Sant

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  • Weather Explained: Earth Day

    Weather Explained: Earth Day

    Earth Day marks the birth of the modern environment movement in 1970.

    It falls on the same calendar day each year, April 22.

    Its popularity has grown around the globe with more than 1 billion participants each year. Not only is Earth Day a day where people pick up trash around the world, but its ideas also led to policy changes within governments to push toward a cleaner environment.

    Watch the video above to see how Earth Day got its start.

    Meteorologist Nick Merianos

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  • Florida Farm Finder group connects people with local farms around the state

    Florida Farm Finder group connects people with local farms around the state

    BARTOW, Fla. — A woman in Polk County is helping connect people across the state with local farms in their area.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida Farm Finder is a Facebook group that connects people with local farms in the state

    • One of its users, S&S Micro Farm, says they’ve been able to extend their reach, in part, because of Florida Farm Finder

    • As a result of using the group, farms have been able to save money on marketing and let people know of the different events they have going on

    It’s all on a Facebook group called Florida Farm Finder, and farmers say the page has brought tons of business to them, saving them loads of money in marketing.

    Sam Longster’s farm, S&S Micro Farm in Bartow, has rows of fresh blueberries with many of them ripe for the picking.

    “I like the sort of big fat round ones. The dark blue makes some really sweet,” Longster said. “I just really, really enjoy this time of the season. Just being out here and meeting people.”

    But when she and her husband, Scott, first bought this farm, this time of year wasn’t always kind.

    They purchased the land in August 2019 and blueberries bloom in February and March.

    So, right as they were about to sell their berries in 2020, things took a turn.

    “The first week of us realizing we were ready to go, and we had all these blueberries, the whole planet shut down,” Longster said.

    Rather than sticking with wholesale markets, she and Scott converted the farm to a “u-pick” model, where people can come to the farm in person to pick their own berries.

    “We really had to pivot quickly or else we were going to go broke,” Longster said.

    But getting the message out to the public wasn’t easy until Jillian Childs came into the picture.

    “It just kind of clicked that there was this huge disconnect,” Childs said.

    According to Childs, she saw during the height of the pandemic in 2020 that fresh produce was tough to come by, especially since millions of pounds of things like blueberries are imported from other countries, like Peru.

    So, she started Florida Farm Finder to let people know about local farms in the state where they can pick their own fruits and vegetables.

    “At that time,” Childs said, “I was like, ‘yeah, this is great for emergencies.’ And we thought, you know, it would die down and slow down, but it never really did.”

    Four years later, they have 70,000 members and 500 farmers regularly participating on the page, including Longster.

    “We really wouldn’t have the confidence to do only, you know, commercial if it wasn’t for Jillian’s site,” Longster said.

    Especially with inflation doubling the cost of fertilizer and diesel fuel, she said having thousands of people see the latest events and activities at S&S has been beneficial.

    “Jillian really helped us connect with the public on that. So, she was a great help,” Longster said.

    It’s a partnership that’s proven to be fruitful.

    Nick Popham

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  • Florida village takes unique approach to dealing with its pesky peacock population

    Florida village takes unique approach to dealing with its pesky peacock population

    Florida village takes unique approach to dealing with its pesky peacock population – CBS News


    Watch CBS News



    Pinecrest, Florida, was overrun by peacocks. So the village came together and came up with a novel idea for a pesky predicament: peacock vasectomies. Cristian Benavides reports.

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  • Bartow softball going for two-peat with help from their senior catcher

    Bartow softball going for two-peat with help from their senior catcher

    BARTOW, Fla. — When you think about the views on a softball diamond, McKenzie Gibson has one of the best.

    This Bartow High School senior catcher gets to see it all, albeit from behind her mask.

    What You Need To Know

    •  The Bartow Yellow Jackets won the Class 6A state championship last season

    •  It was the softball program’s ninth state title — only one other high school in the state has more
    •  Senior catcher McKenzie Gibson is working to help her team win it’s 10th

    She says there’s no other place she’d rather be, because she likes the responsibilities that come with being a catcher.

    “Everything is just a big challenge, and every game is different,” McKenzie said.

    If you ever need to locate McKenzie, chances are, you’ll find her on the softball field. She takes great pride in her work ethic and knows what it takes to help produce the results Bartow has enjoyed these past few seasons.

    Only one other team in the state has won more titles than the Yellow Jackets. So be the best, McKenzie said you have to prepare like the best.

    “You have to be a team player and you have to work really hard,” she said. “And you can’t always show your emotions and everything because you can show, but there’s a point where you just need to know it’s a team and not a you sport.”

    That teamwork was never more evident than when McKenzie and her teammates won the Class 6A State Championship last season. For a program known for its numerous titles, last year’s ninth championship ended a seven-year drought, marking Bartow’s return to powerhouse status.

    “We know that everyone has the target on our back and that we have to do what we did last year and become better people and know we have to work hard at everything we do,” McKenzie said.

    Given the history of the program and all that’s at stake every time they take the field, McKenzie said she wears her Bartow uniform with great pride. And accepts the responsibility that comes with being a Yellow Jacket.

    “It’s just knowing that someone is there for you and that they are there to help you and pick you up,” she said. “It’s just one of the best things about us.”

    Katherine Smith

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  • Basil harvest celebrated at organic Tampa farm with Pesto Festo

    Basil harvest celebrated at organic Tampa farm with Pesto Festo

    TAMPA, Fla. — It’s part food, part party and all organic.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pesto Festo is Saturday, April 20

    • It’s located at Sweetwater Organic Community Farm in Tampa

    • The hours are 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. 

    We’re talking about the celebration, Pesto Festo.

    It’s happening Saturday at Sweetwater Organic Community Farm.

    That’s where we find we met Eric Lieb, one of the urban farmers on this six-acre plot of land in Tampa.

    He showed off the Genovese basil — one of pesto’s main ingredients.

    The celebration offers food, drink, music and dance. It’s been a major fundraiser for 30 years.

    Lieb says events like Pesto Festo, along with their weekly farmers markets, are a chance for a communion of sorts.

    “The most important thing is coming together,” said Lieb, “centering around something that’s a staple in our society, which is food. So when you celebrate food, celebrating together, can’t beat that.”

    Virginia Johnson

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  • Let the playoffs begin: Lightning and Panthers drop puck Sunday

    Let the playoffs begin: Lightning and Panthers drop puck Sunday

    TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning will be on the road to start the first round of the NHL playoffs, but they won’t have to go far.

    The Bolts will begin their quest for a fourth Stanley Cup crown Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at the Florida Panthers. 

    The full schedule for the series has not been announced yet.

    What You Need To Know

    • NHL 1st round playoffs: Tampa Bay Lightning to face Florida Panthers 

    • Game 1: Tampa Bay at Florida, Sunday, 12:30 p.m. 
    • NHL Playoffs begin Saturday 

    The Bolts swept the Panthers just two years ago in the 2nd round of the playoffs. This post-season meeting between in-state foes will be the third meeting in the past four seasons. 

    Tampa Bay and Florida are playing each other in the postseason for the third time with the Lightning having won both previous series (2021 First Round, 4-2 Bolts and 2022 Eastern Conference Second Round, 4-0 Bolts).

    The Lightning finished as the first wild card in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers are the Atlantic Division champion.

    Florida and Tampa Bay played three times in the regular season, with the Panthers winning the first two, 3-2 on Dec. 27 and 9-2 on Feb. 17. The Lightning won 5-3 on March 16.

    Last season, Florida lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the Stanley Cup Final.

    The Lightning was defeated by the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in the first round.

    Spectrum News Staff

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  • St. Pete museum offers comprehensive look at 20th Century American movement

    St. Pete museum offers comprehensive look at 20th Century American movement

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Imagine being part of a museum as it begins. That’s how it happened for Andrea Morgan, the Director of Operations at the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement is at 355 4th St. N., St. Petersburg

    • Nearly 1,000 works are on display

    The Clearwater native traveled through half a dozen states before her studies and career landed her teaching Tampa Bay residents about decorative art.

    “So the Arts and Crafts Movement comes at the rise of the Industrial Revolution as an answer to not only factory made mass-produced objects, but also as an answer to highly ornate Victorian objects,” Morgan said.

    It was to be simplified designs inspired by nature and one-of-a-kind objects — functional as well as beautiful.

    “And so you can see that they have been used, whether it’s some staining on the top of a table or on top of the sideboard over here,” said Morgan. “And that really just shows that these pieces had a life before they came here with us.”

    Morgan says her return to town is framed by the continuing rise of the arts in St. Pete.

    “And to be part of this museum, which really is one of a kind. We are the only museum in the world dedicated to the American Arts and Crafts movement,” said Morgan. “So to be part of that, I think is really special.”

    Nearly 1,000 works are on display to honor this turn of the 20th Century American movement.

    Virginia Johnson

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  • “Game changer” – asthma drug provides new option for people with food allergies

    “Game changer” – asthma drug provides new option for people with food allergies

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For 33 million Americans, going out to eat, grocery shopping, and even school lunch time can be a source of anxiety.

    According to the group Food Allergy and Research Education (FARE), that’s how many people in the U.S. have food allergies.

    A study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine found a drug used to treat allergic asthma can offer relief.

    It’s called Xolair, and the principal investigator said stage one of a three-stage study found 67% of people who got regular injections were able to tolerate a fairly large amount of peanut, compared to seven percent in a placebo group. More than half could tolerate other foods that caused reactions.

    What You Need To Know

    • The FDA recently approved Xolair, a medicine used to treat allergic asthma, for use to reduce the risk of severe reactions in people with food allergies

    • A study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine showed a significant amount of participants who received Xolair injections were able to tolerate a fairly large amount of their allergen

    • Doctors say this offers an exciting alternative for patients whose main options have been avoiding certain foods and carrying EpiPen  
    • The parents of an eight-year-old Wesley Chapel girl who recently began injections say they’re hopeful their daughter will be able to enjoy the same activities as other kids once she builds tolerance 

    “Going from what we did before, which was primarily just tell patients they had to avoid what they were allergic to and carry their epinephrine in case they had an accidental exposure, to where we are now with this drug, it really is a potentially life changing medicine for many, many patients,” said Dr. Robert Wood, director of the Pediatric Immunology and Rheumatology Division of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore.

    Wood said the first stage of the study was specifically designed to bring back to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to potentially approve Xolair for use to treat food allergies. The FDA did just that in February, making it the first medication to get approval to help reduce allergic reactions to a number of foods after accidental exposure.

    Accidental exposure is something Layan Alabsi’s family has worked to prevent for almost her whole life. Her parents said she was diagnosed with a severe dairy allergy when she was a year old.

    “It’s been seven years since then. It’s been hard,” said Layan’s father, Humam Alabsi. “It did limit our social interaction. We’re not able to eat in restaurants. It’s hard for us eating, and she’s not enjoying it. It limited us going to parks or other places because of cross contamination.”

    Alabsi said Layan has needed to use an EpiPen three times in her life, and two of those happened last year. In one instance, he said she nearly died after trying her little sister’s ice-cream.

    “She already stopped breathing. She lost consciousness,” he said. “Thank God, she stayed with us, but I cried a lot that day.”

    The other time, just touching an eraser used by a classmate who’d eaten snacks with dairy in them was enough to trigger a reaction and land Layan in the hospital once again.

    “It’s hard for me as a mom, especially in the kitchen,” said Layan’s mother, Dania Alhyasat. “It’s like, when I want to eat something dairy, it’s like I will always clean my hand, brush my teeth, wipe the surface with Clorox wipes.”

    Twice a month, Layan and her family make the hour and a half to two-hour drive from their home in Wesley Chapel to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Her parents said she’s getting oral immunotherapy for her allergies there and recently got her first injection of Xolair.

    “This is such a game changer. We were waiting for years for something to happen in this field, something that we can use as a treatment to lessen the severity of the reaction or to prevent food allergy from developing,” said Dr. Panida Sriaroon, medical director for All Children’s Food Allergy Clinic.

    While that last part hasn’t happened yet, she said patients are excited about this new option. 

    According to the FDA, Xolair was originally approved in 2003 to treat allergic asthma. Wood said that’s also when a study involving a similar drug showed promise in treating food allergies. He said his team and others have done smaller studies through the years signaling this medicine could prevent food reactions. Wood said Xolair’s original use is not so different from its new one.

    “The way that it works is that when you develop an allergy, your immune system develops something called IGE antibodies, and this drug is specifically called ‘anti-IGE’. So, it literally blocks, it sops up the IGE that’s in your bloodstream so that it can no longer interact with the food if you’ve had, say, an accidental exposure that would normally lead to an allergic reaction,” Wood said.

    Sriaroon said injections are given every two-to-four weeks to patients with life-threatening allergies.

    “It’s not a cure,” she said. “So, Xolair will only increase the threshold of someone developing a reaction. In other words, they have a less chance of having severe reactions in case of accidental exposure.”

    For families like Layan’s, that’s huge. 

    “I’m not greedy,” said Alabsi. “I’m not hoping that she’ll consume dairy like other kids. I’m just hoping that it would be safe for her to enjoy life like other kids.”

    “I see taking my daughter to a birthday party,” said Alhyasat of where she envisions her daughter to be a year from now. “She can celebrate her best friend’s birthday party, eat a cake with her sitting with her friends in the cafeteria, living her normal life as a child.”

    That’s something Layan said she looks forward to, as well.

    “When me and my best friend went to Urban Air, I can’t even eat anything or, like, eat pizza,” she said. “It’s kind of hard because I really want to be with friends and not be alone.”

    Wood said stages two and three of the study are ongoing, and the next step for Xolair is working through the process of insurance approvals.

    Sarah Blazonis

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