Cold Shelters Open Sunday Night in South Pinellas

Officials say cold shelters will open at various locations around the county around 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 3. Guests will be accepted throughout the night.

Anticipated cold temperatures and high wind gusts over the weekend are prompting Pinellas County officials to open cold night shelters on Sunday, March 3. Temperatures are expected to drop to 48, and wind gusts may reach up to 20 mph. Officials say cold shelters will open at various locations around the county around 6 p.m. Guests will be accepted throughout the night. The shelters will close Monday morning at approximately 6 a.m. Shelter guests are provided a hot evening meal, a warm safe place to spend the night and breakfast the following morning, county officials say.  Families with children are placed in motels. To make arrangements for a family, call Sarah Snyder with the Homeless Leadership Board at 727-424-1355. Nearby locations …

• Photos (1)

Stalemate Continues Between St. Pete, Rays

A vote to further explore the possibility of allowing the Tampa Bay Rays to look for a stadium outside St. Petersburg failed Thursday.

A proposal that could have allowed the Tampa Bay Rays organization to look for stadium options outside St. Petersburg if they paid the city an annual exploration fee failed Thursday in a city council meeting. St. Pete council member Charlie Gerdes put forward the proposal to amend the use-agreement in hopes that it could end the stalemate and jumpstart communications between Rays owner Stuart Sternberg and the city.  "How do we break the stalemate," Gerdes asked. "In order to have a relationship, we got to be talking. We need a vibrant, engaged relationship where we are thinking about the future. "Not just to have the Rays here until 2027. Not to merely have them live up to the contractual agreement," Gerdes said. "To have the Rays be here…

• Photos (1)

What's Tampa Bay Saying?

What Should Happen to Tampa Bay's Mystery Monkey?

The monkey, spotted all over the Tampa Bay area in recent years, seems headed for life in captivity at an animal sanctuary. Is that the right move?

The mystery monkey that had been on the lam in the Tampa Bay area for years has been captured. The wild monkey, whom officials speculate had been cast out of a colony in Silver Springs, had previously been spotted everywhere from Pasco County to Temple Terrace, Town ‘N Country to Clearwater. He settled in southern Pinellas County before trappers finally caught up with him in a St. Petersburg neighborhood this week after he bit a woman. The rhesus macaque monkey was taken to a Safety Harbor animal hospital for examination and is to be placed in quarantine for 30 days at an area wildlife compound while he is tested for diseases, the Tampa Bay Times reports. From there, the monkey will likely go to a sanctuary in Florida to be with other …

•  21 Comments
• Videos (1)

Giant Eyeball Found on Florida Beach

A giant eyeball was found along the beach near Pompano Beach and it will be transported to St. Petersburg for study.

It's common to find things washing up on the shore, but a giant eyeball. A giant eyeball was found washed up near Pompano Beach and it will be transported to the Florida Wildlife Commission in St. Petersburg for study, according to My Fox Tampa Bay. The eyeball is around the size of a softball, and it has a bright blue coloring. There are thoughts that the eye may belong to a swordfish, according MSN.com. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg will receive the eyeball and will attempt to determine the creature it came from. What do you think it came from? Let us know in the comments.

• Photos (1)

Romney Will Get Us Back on Our Feet, Supporters Say

Supporters came from across Florida to see Mitt Romney speak in St. Petersburg October 5.

Supporters waited in line for hours to see Mitt Romney speak in St. Petersburg on Oct. 5, but the wait didn't diminish enthusiasm. From various spots in the line, supporters of Mitt Romney chanted his name loud and proud. "This is about change that is much needed," Steven Farris of Brandon said. Some of the supporters came out to express their dissatisfaction with the current president. "Four more years of Obama and this country will not survive," Marshall Adams of St. Petersburg said. To see what the supporters of Romney have to say, check out our video above.

•  4 Comments
• Videos (1)

Johnny

2:51 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012

Excuse me, how could Republicans have blocked anything when Democrats had a complete majority in Congress for Obama's first two years?   more ›

Cuban Immigrant Shows Colorful Support for Romney

Dressed in sparkling red, white and blue, Helena Rodriguez came out to see Romney speak and show her love for America.

Even admidst the sea of the supporters who came out to see Mitt Romney speak on October 5, it was hard to miss Helena Rodriguez, a resident of St. Petersburg. Decked out in sparkling red, white and blue clothes, American flag visor glasses, and an American flag on her shoulder, Rodriguez literally wore her patriotism all over. Rodriguez is a Cuban who immigrated to the U.S. in 1969 and is a die-hard supporter of Mitt Romney.  "He's a true patriot," Rodriguez said. Rodriguez  related that, within the past four years, America changed and no longer resembles the country she came to from Cuba. This nation is going forward, according to Obama, and it's not going any where safe," Rodriguez said. Check out Rodriguez, her outfit and her thoughts …

• Videos (1)

Living Well

Cholesterol Unchained: What's Your Number?

Read along as we learn the good, bad and ugly facts about cholesterol, the benefits of incorporating plant-based foods into your diet and reducing risk factors on the journey toward living well.

It’s widely known that coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death for American men and women. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one out of six adult Americans is at risk for heart disease, but many say the numbers may actually be higher. Experts also say that while genetics play a factor, a fatty diet and increasingly sedentary lifestyle also are culprits. The good news is that both are easily remedied, but commitment is key. “Obesity and cardiovascular disease will be an epidemic for the next generation,” said Jill Edwards, an exercise physiologist in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. What is cholesterol? While many patients can recite the numbers in their lipid profile, its …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (10)
• Documents (1)