News & Public Affairs
St. Pete City Council member Newton told to leave Pier discussion listen
01/07/13 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: the Pier, Tom Lambdon, the Lens, Wengay Newton, St. Pete City Council
More than 20,000 St. Petersburg residents signed a petition to stop city council members from demolishing the iconic downtown pier. Those petitioners want voters to decide what happens to the inverted pyramid and city council member Wengay Newton is one of them. At a press conference Monday he said city legal staff kicked him out of a closed door discussion about the Pier.
Be the first to comment“Well, I’m going to ask them, and hopefully request the transcript and recording of that meeting because I was sup...
Supporters and critics of The Lens jab as city council approves multi-million dollar appropriation for new pier design listen
12/06/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: inverted pyramid, the Pier, the Lens, St. Pete City Council
St. Pete City Council approved spending almost $5 million to move forward with plans to build a new pier during a meeting packed with concerned residents today. Council member Wengay Newton was the only no vote. Supporters of the new pier design equaled opponents who said they’re not giving up.
“If you close the Pier down and you try to demolish it, I will be there standing in front of the equipment and you will be arresting me every time I get back out of jail.”
Tyler Mitchell hates...
Be the first to commentLate night drink spots in St. Pete now need permits listen
12/06/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Push Ultra Lounge, St. Pete City Council, permits, bars
St. Pete officials are trying to clean up the city’s bar scene by requiring special permits for bars and restaurants serving alcohol past midnight. City council members approved a citywide ordinance this morning during their meeting.
Only a few bar owners showed up to complain about the issue, but most were more concerned about the possibility that council could later consider requiring high volume bars to hire off duty police officers for security. Matt Donahue owns Push Ultra Lounge i...
Be the first to commentSt. Pete's new armored surveillance vehicle has cameras, not guns listen
11/08/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: St. Pete Police, security cameras, police state, St. Pete City Council, Chuck Harmon
The St. Petersburg Police Department unveiled the newest addition to their crime stopping fleet this morning – it’s an armored surveillance vehicle. The mobile monitoring device can record activity in a 360-degree radius during the day or night. The former Brinks cash truck won’t be manned by a police officer. But that doesn’t mean no one is watching the area around it. It will instead by monitored remotely by officers on an as-needed basis. St. Pete Police Chief Chuck Harmon said the idea ...
Be the first to commentListening to residents, St. Pete raises property taxe rate for first time in more than two decades listen
09/28/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: The People's Budget Review, St. Pete City Council, Fire Readiness Fee, property tax, millage rate, St. Petersburg, Rays, stadium
St. Petersburg City Council has approved a budget that doesn’t include the controversial Fire Readiness Fee. After hearing from impassioned public comment, council members increased the city’s millage rate in a final vote Thursday night.
Winding up the 2012 fiscal year, St. Pete officials found themselves having to dig into reserves to cover a more than $5 million shortfall. To cover that, city officials proposed a flat tax on all properties regardless of their value. The [Fire Readines...
Be the first to commentSt. Pete has $10 million budget gap, may charge fire service fee to close it listen
07/11/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Steve Kornell, St. Pete City Council, St. Pete Fire Department, Darden Rice, People's Budget Review, regressive tax, fire readiness fee
St. Pete City Council is considering whether to impose a fee on properties to pay for the city’s fire services. On Thursday, council will vote on whether to implement the suggestion proposed by Mayor Bill Foster in order to avoid cutting city services. City Council member Steve Kornell voted against the measure on first reading in June, but it advanced anyway.
Be the first to comment“It bothered me – especially as a social worker – that now we’re going to say this is a fair way to do it because grandma who li...
Pinellas County school board members decline request for new reading curriculum, called out for accepting status quo listen
03/20/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Pinellas County Schools, Pinellas County School Board, Pinellas County Sheriff, Bob Gualtieri, Robin Wikle, Linda Lerner, Janet Clark, Glen Gilzean, Jeff Danner, Charlie Gerdes, Karl Nurse, St. Pete City Council, FAST, Nehemia Action Assembly
Last night, 3,000 members of churches and other religious institutions in Pinellas County put some elected officials in the hot seat. Committees from the group Faith and Action for Strength Together forced yes or no answers about proposed policies from school board members, St. Pete City Council members, and the Pinellas County Sheriff. Only one proposal was declined. Several school board members rejected a program that Joe Magri, co-chair of FAST’s education committee, said has been desig...
1 commentsSt. Pete to hold workshop to examine Tampa Bay Rays' Trop lease listen
08/19/11 Josh HoltonWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay Rays, Tropicana Field, Bill Foster, Leslie Curran, Rays stadium, St. Pete City Council
St. Petersburg’s major league baseball team has threatened to leave the area. WMNF’s Josh Holton reports, yesterday the St. Pete City Council decided to schedule a workshop to overview the existing lease with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays are under contract to play at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg until 2027. As of 2008, the Rays had received an annual11 milli...
Be the first to commentPlastic flamingos, St. Pete officials unite to fight proposed pro-fertilizer industry law listen
04/07/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: fertilizer ordinance, Tallahassee, nutrients, waterway health, pollution, 2011 Legislative session, St. Pete City Council, St. Petersburg
In recent years, cities throughout Florida have been banning use of certain fertilizers with the hope of curbing water pollution. Now, the state legislature is pushing through a law that would limit local control over fertilizer use. Today St. Petersburg became the latest city to pass a resolution opposing that bill.
The front lawn at St. Petersburg City Hall went kitsch this morning ahead of the City Council meeting. Dozens of pink plastic flamingos covered the small rectangle of grass. I...
Be the first to commentSt. Pete City Council rejects curfew for minors listen
04/07/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: St. Pete City Council, Karl Nurse, Steve Kornell, curfew, youth
Today the St. Petersburg City Council voted down a proposal to explore a curfew for minors. Council member Karl Nurse brought up the idea, which would have required youths aged 16 and under to be home between 11pm and 6am during the school week. Police would have taken those caught in public during those hours home or to a so-called curfew center. Nurse’s rationale was that it would help kids get a healthy amount of sleep while keeping them out of trouble. The recent shooting of Officer David...
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