News & Public Affairs

Shorter yellow lights may lead to more red light camera citations

05/17/13 Janelle Irwin
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Tags: red light cameras, St. Pete, Matt Florell

Good Afternoon, welcome to the Last Call, I’m your host, Janelle Irwin. Alvaro Montealegre is our engineer. We’ll be opening up the phone lines to take your calls. Today we’ll be talking about Red Light Cameras.

An investigative report released this week by Noah Pransky of Channel 10 news shows that the Florida Department of Transportation changed its rules on yellow light intervals in 2011 to be less than federal recommendations. Just a half second reduction in the length of time a lig...

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St. Pete residents weigh city budget options listen

04/25/13 Janelle Irwin
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Tags: St. Pete, budget, Bill Foster, the People's Budget Review

St. Pete officials are taking input from residents on how to manage the city’s money. During the first of three budget summits last night in Northeast St. Pete, residents weighed in on what services and projects they think officials should prioritize. Lou Brown III has worked on a project called the people’s budget review that surveyed more than 500 residents.

“Ten percent responded with ending racism, segregation and enhancing the southside. Nine percent of responses were Pier related...

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Some blind people could be cured if medical research continues; foundation simulates blindness to raise funds listen

04/23/13 Janelle Irwin
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Tags: blindness, blind, St. Pete

Blindness caused by degenerative eye diseases can be slowed or even reversed thanks to breakthroughs in medical research. That’s why the Foundation Fighting Blindness set out to raise funds for clinical trials this month by simulating what it’s like to eat what you can’t see. Foundation spokesperson and Mrs. World April Lufriu said guests of Dining in the Dark at the Vinoy in downtown St. Pete wore a foam and plastic mask for thirty minutes while they tried to enjoy their entrees.

“Your ...

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St. Pete groups ready to lobby officials for improved curbside recycling program listen

04/16/13 Janelle Irwin
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Tags: recycling, St. Pete, League of Women Voters, environment, sustainability, Sierra Club, St. Pete Chamber of Commerce

The city of St. Petersburg doesn’t offer free curbside recycling to residents; some community-based groups are pulling together to change that. The League of Women Voters of St. Petersburg has hired a consultant to look into the feasibility of universal curbside recycling in the city. The group’s president, Karen Coale, announced the results during a press conference in front of City Hall Tuesday morning.

“Curbside recycling is the norm throughout all of the other 49 populated cities i...

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Pinellas begins its domestic partnership registry listen

04/16/13 Samuel Johnson
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Tags: domestic partership registry, LGBT, Pinellas County, St. Pete, equality, human rights

Monday non-married couples in Pinellas were able to sign up for the county’s new domestic partner registry. The four different branches of the Clerk of Courts were prepared for a large influx of registrations, but the rush didn’t occur.

By the end of yesterday, fewer than ten couples had signed up on the first day of countywide registration. Rod Tabler, manager of the Saint Petersburg branch office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, said he wasn’t surprised ...

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Problems in Africa kick off two day conference on international affairs listen

03/28/13 Janelle Irwin
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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...

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St. Pete group wants city to offer free curbside recycling listen

03/25/13 Janelle Irwin
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Tags: recycling, St. Pete, League of Women Voters, environment, sustainability, Studio@620

St. Petersburg residents have to pay $45 a year if they want their recyclables picked up curbside. The League of Women Voters of St. Petersburg wants to change that. Karen Coale, the chapter’s president, will kick off an effort called the People’s Trash Monday night at Studio@620 in downtown.

"It is a new campaign for this year that's kicking off tonight. The League of Women Voter's is probably most known for our voter registration and voter education but we also look at issues; natio...

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St. Pete conservative activist wants city to limit surveillance drones listen

02/08/13 Janelle Irwin
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Tags: David McKalip, drones, St. Pete, surveillance

A conservative St. Petersburg activist and blogger wants the city to ban the use of drones except in certain situations. David McKalip, a St. Pete neurosurgeon wants to limit the use of surveillance drones.

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Former state Rep. Rick Kriseman is "seriously considering" a bid for St. Pete mayor listen

01/31/13 Janelle Irwin
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Tags: Rick Kriseman, Bill Foster, Ken Welch, Kathleen Ford, St. Pete

Former state Representative Rick Kriseman’s lips have been sealed about speculation that he may run for mayor of St. Pete this year. But now Kriseman says he is "seriously considering" it.

When Kriseman, a Democrat, announced that he wouldn’t be seeking another term in the Florida House, he said it was because he was fed up with the Republican-controlled legislature. According to state campaign finance reports, Kriseman donated all of his campaign funds to var...

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