News & Public Affairs
Uhuru activists want St. Pete Police out of their neighborhoods for good listen
05/03/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Uhuru, African rights, African-Americans, St. Petersburg, civil rights, human rights, St. Pete Police
Activists from the Uhuru are demanding that St. Pete Police officers remove themselves from black communities. During a protest in front of the police station today, nine people spoke out against the agency for what they call terrorizing black neighborhoods.
“The street crimes unit is a special unit of the police department that act as armed thugs in the African community.”
That’s Chimerenga Waller with the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement. Waller led the group in ch...
Be the first to commentMayoral candidate Kriseman calls for early voting in St. Pete municipal election listen
05/01/13 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rick Kriseman, St. Petersburg, Bill Foster, mayor's race, election, Kathleen Ford, NAACP, early voting
The City of St. Petersburg will hold an election for Mayor and City Council this year.
The primary is in August, but unlike the 2012 presidential election, there aren’t plans to allow early voting.
That’s gotten groups, like the NAACP, and candidates, like Mayoral hopeful Rick Kriseman, hoping to change the policy.
Be the first to comment"First off, my office only recently became aware that the city didn't have early voting for this coming municipal election. I mean, I think that in general the public, ...
St. Petersburg residents want say in budget planning listen
04/01/13 Lauren MisaWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: St. Petersburg, budget. People's Budget Review
On Thursday, residents of St. Petersburg will meet to discuss what they think the city’s budget priorities should be. It's year 2 of what’s called the People’s Budget Review.
The proposed budget will reflect what the residents want their city to look like and what is most important to the community. Aaron Dietrich is an organizer for People’s Budget Review.
Be the first to comment"We've seen in past years that the city was holding public budgets from us and we were not getting a lot of resident participation...
Arrested activist claims St. Pete Police harass people without homes in Williams Park listen
03/28/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Bruce Wright, poverty, St. Pete Police, homeless, homelessness, Bill Foster, St. Petersburg, Williams Park
A longtime homeless activist in St. Petersburg is claiming that police officers hurt him while he was trying to defend a homeless man in Williams Park Wednesday. Bruce Wright was arrested and charged with obstruction after another man being arrested got away. According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, officers had an arrest warrant for a man in the park. That report quoted Wright as saying “stop harassing that man” and then asking what he had done wrong.
Be the first to comment“You stiffen up a bit...
Problems in Africa kick off two day conference on international affairs listen
03/28/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Africa, USF, St. Pete, militarization, Nigeria, St. Petersburg, oil, South Africa
Many countries in Africa are facing famine, poverty and civil war. A panel of experts dove into the issues facing African nations during the first day of USF St. Petersburg’s Conference on International Affairs.
Countries like Mali and Libya face fierce fighting between groups in power and opposition forces. The issue has left a divide among people who think the U.S. should provide military intervention and those who think the militarization of nations should be avoided. Bill Felice, is...
Be the first to commentLens critics grill local architect about new St. Pete pier plans listen
03/26/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Pier, St. Petersburg, Tiger Bay, the Lens
An architect working on the new St. Pete pier design dispelled what she calls myths about the $50 million project. More than 100 people crowded a Suncoast Tiger Bay meeting Tuesday to ask Lisa Wannemacher questions about the Lens.
“It is not a sidewalk to nowhere. The pier is a promenade to a place.”
But critics have continued to lambaste city officials and architects over the project. After the design was chosen in 2011, a group called [Concerned Citizens of St. Petersburg](http://s...
1 commentsSt. Pete for Peace celebrates "10 years of resistance" listen
03/08/13 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: St. Pete for Peace, peace, St. Petersburg, war, Iraq War
One of the most active anti-war groups in the Tampa Bay area is celebrating ten years of resistance Saturday.
We spoke with Chris Ernesto, a co-founder of St. Pete for Peace, about what they've done since 2003 and what's to come for the anti-war and social justice group.
At the anniversary celebration hey will debut a film about their ten years of activism.
It's at 7 p.m. Saturday March 9 at L-Train, 900 Central Ave. in St. Pete.
Be the first to comment"Ten years ago befor...
Florida Senate committee puts domestic partner registry bill on hold listen
02/19/13 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Florida Senate, domestic partners, domestic partnership registry, LGBT, marriage equality, Steve Kornell, Tampa, St. Petersburg
A bill to extend some rights to domestic partners was put on hold Tuesday in the Florida Senate Children and Families Committee.
During public comment, St. Petersburg City Council member Steve Kornell asked senators to support it.
Some of the Republicans who oppose the domestic partnership registry bill said they support expanding rights, but this bill goes too far and is too similar to marriage.
The bill’s sponsor Senator Elanor Sobel, a Democrat from Hollywood, said she would brin...
Be the first to commentSt. Pete City Council member Steve Kornell opposed red light cameras
02/15/13 Janelle IrwinLast Call Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: red light cameras, Steve Kornell, St. Petersburg, Florida legislature
They snap pictures of cars who may be running a light with a tell tale flash. They're red light cameras.
The idea was to eliminate potentially fatal intersection collisions, but the issue has sparked debate across party lines. Some argue it is a violation of privacy – others that the tickets issued aren’t accurate.
As legislation to overturn a state law that allows the cameras to be used is making its way through Tallahassee, St. Petersburg officials are facing their own backlash over ...
1 commentsRick Kriseman talks about why wants to be the next Mayor of St. Petersburg
02/14/13 Mitch PerryLast Call Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rick Kriseman, St. Petersburg, Bill Foster, mayor's race, election
Rick Kriseman has served on the St. Pete City Council and in Tallahassee as a state Representative. On Monday, February 11, he announced he would be a candidate for mayor in St. Petersburg. On our show, he talked about why he's the better choice for the city than incumbent Bill Foster moving forward.
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