News & Public Affairs
The Pier; and Tampa Bay Times controversial story of a woman who ended up killing herself
12/06/12 Mitch PerryLast Call Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: The Lens, the Pier, Leslie Curran, Peter Schorsch, Tampa Bay Times, media, St. Pete
Shortly after the St. Pete City Council voted to support funding to continue the design and pre-construction work on the new design for the Pier called the Lens, Council Chair Leslie Curran spoke to us about the recent design changes made by L.A. based architect Michael Maltzan's firm.
Later in the show local political blogger Peter Schorsch (stpetersblog 2.0) came on the program to defend himself from the recent criticism he received after he criticized the "Tampa Bay Times" and their sto...
Be the first to commentProposed second St. Pete baseball stadium has a price, but no funding plans released yet listen
10/01/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays, Tampa Bay Rays, taxes, St. Pete, Bill Foster, Tropicana Field
A local developer is trying to stimulate conversation about how to keep the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg. A group released plans last Friday for a new baseball stadium in the mid-Pinellas Carillon area that includes a retractable roof and a price tag, but no known way to pay for it.
Owners of the Tampa Bay Rays aren’t happy in their current home at Tropicana Field where many seats are often empty on game days. Speculation of moving the team across the Bay to Tampa prompted St. Peters...
Be the first to commentSt. Pete set to vote on new budget
09/26/12 Seán KinaneLast Call Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: St. Petersburg City Council, Wengay Newton, Bill Foster, St. Petersburg, St. Pete, Peoples' Budget Review, Aaron Dietrich
Two weeks ago the St. Petersburg City Council rebuffed Mayor Bill Foster's calls to raise revenue through a fire fee for all properties. Instead the city voted to increase its property tax millage rate for the first time in two decades. If the budget passes its second vote, city services won't be cut and a lot can be attributed to public outcry.
The final budget hearing and vote is Thursday at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Recently an effort called the Peo...
Be the first to commentSt. Pete kills fire fee; poised to raise property tax rate buoyed by residents' calls to maintain services listen
09/14/12 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: St. Petersburg City Council, Wengay Newton, Bill Foster, St. Petersburg, St. Pete, Peoples' Budget Review
Late Thursday night the St. Petersburg City Council rebuffed the Mayor's calls to raise revenue through a fire fee for all properties; instead the city increased its property tax millage rate for the first time in 2 decades.
City services won't be cut and a lot can be attributed to public outcry.
Recently an effort called the Peoples’ Budget Review has surveyed city residents and found they prefer tax increases to cuts in services. WMNF interviewed Rick Smith, who has been involved in ...
Be the first to commentHillsborough Commission invites Tampa Bay Rays to public meeting to talk about their future listen
08/02/12 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa, St. Pete, Hillsborough County, Tropicana Field, Hillsborough County Commission, Ken Hagan
Hillsborough County Commissioners voted Thursday to invite the Tampa Bay Rays to a public meeting to talk about their long term plans. The major league baseball team has made it clear they want to move to a new stadium, despite being under contract with the City of St. Petersburg to play at Tropicana Field for another decade and a half. Some politicians in Tampa and Hillsborough County, like Commissioner Ken Hagan, want to consider the possibilities of luring the Rays across the Bay.
The v...
Be the first to commentSt. Pete City Council denies referendum on Pier despite 23,000 signatures listen
08/02/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: The Pier, inverted pyramid, The Lens, Michael Maltzan Architecture, St. Pete, Wengay Newton, Karl Nurse
Thursday the St. Petersburg city council rejected petitions from 23,000 residents who want to save the iconic waterfront pier at their meeting today. Leaders of the massive petition drive say they aren’t going to stop the fight.
The 6-2 City council vote was a blow to Tom Lambdon who chairs the group VoteonthePier.com. He has been one of the loudest voices opposing plans to build the Lens. Instead he wants the existing structure and its approach ref...
2 commentsHillsborough attorney suggests ways county could talk with Rays
07/31/12 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa, St. Pete, Hillsborough County, Tropicana Field
Thursday the Hillsborough County Commission will hear from their legal team whether they can can talk with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Major League team is under a long-term contract with the city of St. Petersburg to rent Tropicana Field, but some politicians in Tampa and Hillsborough County haven’t been shy about their desire to lure the team across the Bay. In April, Commissioner Ken Hagan requested legal guidance from the county attorney whether they could talk with the Rays “about their futu...
Be the first to commentPier demolition permit filed in St. Pete before decision on referendum listen
07/31/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: The Pier, inverted pyramid, The Lens, Michael Maltzan Architecture, St. Pete, Steve Kornell
The City of St. Petersburg has applied for a demolition permit for the iconic and possibly doomed Pier. The move comes as City Council members are considering putting a referendum on the ballot asking voters whether they even want the inverted pyramid destroyed. But Rick Dunn, a building official with the city said a permit can’t be approved until all utilities are turned off.
Be the first to comment“And in this case, the Pier itself is not planned, scheduled to close until at least the Spring so, we would no...
St. Pete RNC Coalition questions public spending on Republican gala at the Trop
07/27/12 Lisa MarzilliLast Call Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: RNC, St. Pete RNC Coalition, Republican convention, St. Pete
On today's Last Call we were joined by two members of the newly formed St. Pete RNC Coalition. As you know, the Republican National Convention will be descending on the Tampa Bay area one month from now. The Coalition has some real concerns about the size and legitimacy of St. Pete's recently announced Event Zone. They're also questioning why the city is ...
Be the first to commentLaw enforcement agencies release list of road closures for Republican Convention in Tampa
07/23/12 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: RNC, Tampa, roads, transportation, St. Pete
Late Monday law enforcement agencies released a list of roads that will be closed and other transportation limitations in Tampa and St. Petersburg during August's Republican National Convention.
According to the document (which can be found below) many downtown Tampa roads, including the Selmon Expressway, will be closed for a week. Pedestrians will be restricted south of Brorein St.
Across the bay in St. Pete, many roads will be closed for several blocks around Tropicana Field for part...
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