News & Public Affairs
Study: Channelside needs arts director listen
06/12/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Channelside District, Arts
A New York City consultant who has reviewed the potential for the Channelside Arts District in Tampa received a mixed response from the Tampa City Council today.
Leith ter Muelen, from LandAir Project Resources, is in town to give presentations about her study over the next two days.
She said her original charge – to review the existing arts assets in the District - has changed over the course of this year due to the fallout from the housing and credit crisis and the reduction in prop...
10 commentsHillsborough eyes communications department budget
06/11/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Hillsborough County, Budget, Taxes, Media
Members of the Hillsborough County Commission today proposed eliminating the Government Television station.
The board is looking at ways to offset $87 million in lost revenue from property tax changes and a slowing economy. The idea of dismantling or severely diminishing the county’s Communications Department, which currently has a budget slightly less than $4 million, was first on the workshop agenda.
Commissioner Mark Sharpe said he wanted the county’s television station to be more dy...
Be the first to commentNew free clinic opens in Brooksville
06/11/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Today in Brooksville, a group of Muslim leaders announced the launch of a new community medical clinic that will provide free health care to the under-served and uninsured in that county.
Ahmed Bedier is a spokesman for the Crescent Community Clinic, and the co-host of WMNF’s True Talk program heard every Friday.
Be the first to commentRFK's last campaign documented in book listen
06/11/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
It was 40 years ago last week that Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles, the night after he won the California Democratic primary.
The bullets ended his life ended at age 42 and his amazing but short campaign for the Democratic nomination for president.
Thurston Clarke has written a new book, The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America. WMNF spoke with Clarke yesterday and began by asking the author, who was 22 in 1968, what he was doing during ...
1 commentsClinton supporters urged to get behind Obama
06/11/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Election, Politics, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain
In the aftermath of the divisive battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, many Clinton supporters - women in particular - have expressed anger at the media, the Democratic Party and the rules which allowed Barack Obama to gain more delegates though he did not win most of the big states.
But that’s not reflected in a new gallup poll, which shows Obama has moved into a double digit lead over John McCain among women since Clinton conceded last week.
Today, a couple of major Clint...
3 commentsRays ask tourism board for $100 million listen
06/11/08 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays stadium, tourism, hotel bed tax, Tropicana Field, taxes
The financial plan for the new waterfront stadium proposed by the Tampa Bay Rays hinges on the extension of two taxes, including Pinellas County’s tourist development tax. Today in Clearwater, the county’s Tourist Development Council (TDC) heard the Rays’ request for $100 million.
TDC members were briefed by Assistant County Attorney Dennis Long about the Rays' request to use funds from Pinellas County’s 5 percent tourist development tax, also known as the hotel bed tax.
“The first two ...
Be the first to commentPETA activist sheds clothes in protest listen
06/10/08 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Today on the St. Petersburg Pier, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held an eye-catching demonstration against the use of exotic animal skins. A nearly naked woman painted to look like a spotted yellow and black snake lay on the sidewalk. Her fully-clothed counterpart, Cassandra Curbelo, works with PETA’s International Grassroots Campaigns Department.
Fred Snook owns The Hideout, a shop in the Pier that sells products made from animal skins that was a target of the PETA p...
Be the first to commentFlorida to sell $625 million in bonds listen
06/10/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Hurricane Wilma, Hurricane Catastrophe Fund
Gov. Charlie Crist and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink today approved the sale of up to $625 million in bonds to pay claims from Hurricane Wilma.
That means Floridians will pay surcharges on their car, boat, home and business insurance for two additional years to pay off the bond holders.
Crist and Sink approved the sale of the bonds to keep the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund from running out of money.
According to the director of the State Board of Administration, Bob Millig...
Be the first to commentSt Pete Police demand fair negotiations with city listen
06/10/08 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: unions, labor, St. Petersburg Police
On the steps of the St. Petersburg City Hall, the Pinellas County Police Benevolent Association (PBA), today protested what they said was the city’s lack of action on contract negotiations.
Jim Spearing, campaign coordinator for the state PBA in Tallahassee, said there was "frustration" that the St. Pete police have not had any offers on an employment agreement from the city since last October. Spearing said “the turnover rate in this city is appalling.”
With about 30 police officers ...
Be the first to comment33 years later: Vietnam, U.S. have bond
06/10/08 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Tuesday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Vietnam
Thirty-three years ago Americans evacuated the U.S. Embassy in South Vietnam, and one of the most controversial wars in U.S. history was finally over. The North Vietnamese took over the country, thousands of people fled as refugees, and Vietnam was no longer at the center of the debate in U.S. foreign policy.
Since 1975, Vietnam has come to symbolize for many people an example of pointless U.S. meddling in the internal affairs of another country at huge expense to both Americans and the pe...
Be the first to commentAnnual festival makes a little noise listen
06/09/08 Dawn MorganWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Noise, Experimental Music
This past weekend, more than 30 bands came to Tampa from all over the country for a free three-day how to promote noise. WMNF’s Dawn Morgan has more.
In an industrial area on East Columbus Drive, the Skate Park of Tampa is home to a small performance space called Transitions Art Gallery. Transitions is one of few all-ages venues in Tampa Bay, and for the last two years has been home to the Tampa Noise Fest, a free show with dozens of touring and local acts.
Josh Sherman is a St. Peter...
Be the first to commentTeen shot, killed by St. Pete Police listen
06/09/08 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Javon Dawson, police violence, Uhurus, African American, St. Petersburg Police
On Saturday night in St. Petersburg, a teenage boy was shot and killed by a St. Petersburg Police officer during a high school graduation celebration. The police say 17-year old Javon Dawson fired a gun outside the Shining Light Masonic Lodge where several hundred teenagers had gathered, but there are others who say the police murdered an unarmed teen.
Nyabinga Dzinbahwe is a member of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement, also known as the Uhurus. Dzinbahwe said witnesses ...
9 commentsSarasota Democrats launch campaign listen
06/09/08 Virginia HoffmanWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: 2008 election, Barack Obama, Democratic Party, Sarasota
The Sarasota County Democratic Party held a press conference on Friday to officially launch a coordinated campaign effort for 2008. A slate of 20 Democrats vying for 18 local races was introduced.
A crowd of approximately 60 people gathered at Five Points Park in downtown Sarasota. It has been decades since this county known as a Republican stronghold has seen such competitive activity from Democrats.
Sarasota vice Mayor Ken Shelin introduced Rita Ferrandino, chair of the Democratic Ex...
Be the first to commentDemocrats hold art sale fundraiser listen
06/09/08 Mark AndersonWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: 2008 election, Democratic Party, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, kathy castor, Barack Obama
The Hillsborough County Democratic Party hosted a fund raising event yesterday in Tampa’s Channel District. The event was an art sale, open to all interested residents, co-sponsored by U.S. Congressman Cathy Castor and City Council Member Mary Mulhearn.
Around 300 bay area democratic supporters were in attendance at the “Art of Politics” art sale. This was the first party event since Sen. Hillary Clinton suspended her campaign and announced her commitment to the campaign of Sen. Barack Ob...
1 commentsHillsborough schools consider stricter cell phone policy listen
06/06/08 Seán Kinane and Kamala ChettyWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Hillsborough County Schools, Candy Olsen, education
This morning the Hillsborough County School Board held a workshop with principals from seven schools regarding student discipline issues, including the use of cell phones at school.
The School Board got input from two elementary, two middle and three high school principals on what they feel the district’s mobile phone policy should be.
Assistant Superintendent for Administration Lewis Brinson will give their recommendations to the superintendent who will present them to the Board during...
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