Monday, May 20, 2013
Both the Pinellas County Commission and School Board have races in November 2014. Take a look at who's running so far.
Election Day 2014 is still a long way away, but that doesn’t mean competition for local seats isn’t starting to develop. With seats up for grabs on both the Pinellas County Commission and Pinellas School Board, Largo residents can anticipate some changes following the 2014 elections. Here’s a look at who’s filed for what races to date, according to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office: County Commission, District 2 (At Large) This at-large district, a seat currently held by Norm Roche, covers much of northwest Pinellas County. One candidate has filed to date: Hooper currently represents District 67, which includes much of Clearwater and Largo, in the Florida House, where he is up against term limits. The former Clearwater …
Pinellas County Animal Services will be closed May 21 for an in-service day. The shelter will be open regular hours May 22. Animal Services is located at12450 Ulmerton Road in Largo.
Friday, May 17, 2013
As news about possible abuses of power on the federal level continues to break, we’d like to get your take about what’s been going on Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay residents who keep up with the headlines coming out of Washington, D.C., have likely found themselves scratching their heads more than a few times this past week. Allegations of wrongdoing seem to be coming at the speed of light as the Obama Administration fends off bad press about inappropriate targeting of Tea Party organizations by the Internal Revenue Service and possible wrongdoing in the handling of a national security leak. The IRS’ targeting of Tea Party groups centers around hassles these groups report experiencing while trying to apply for tax-exempt status prior to the 2012 election. The controversy even hit home as Bay area groups are now reporting that they were targeted, according to The Tampa Tribune. The kerfuffle…
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The city of Sarasota just enacted a law aimed at getting motorists to turn down the volume. Now, other local governments are following suit. Should they?
Most of us have been in the car when a great tune comes on the radio. The urge to turn up that volume just a little bit is often too strong to resist. But, how loud is too loud? When is cranking it up going too far? When should authorities be able to step in and say enough is enough? Those are questions some local governments in the Tampa Bay area are now wrestling with. Since the Florida Legislature shot down a measure that would have regulated just how loud car stereos can be, some local authorities have decided to take matters into their own hands. The City of Sarasota just put its new ordinance into effect that makes it against the law for car stereos and portable electronic devices to emit sounds at a level that are considered “…
Friday, May 10, 2013
The interactive U.S. voting map shows who the Florida voters were in the 2012 presidential election. You may be surprised by the results.
There was a slightly greater percerntage of eligible Hispanic voters – 62.2 percent – who cast ballots in the 2012 presidential election in Florida than white, non-Hispanic voters. And more eligible female voters went to the polls than men. The results are among several demographic mesaurements released by the U.S. Census showing the make-up of voters in Florida and across the United States. Just click on Florida on the map above to see the results. Darker green states had a higher percentage of turnout. If you click on an individual state, you will see percentages of eligible U.S. citizens who voted in that state broken down by gender, race and ethnic group. This information was released from from the US Census Bureau on Wednesday, May 8…
The Florida House and Senate recently approved a measure that would make driving slow in the fast lane punishable by a fine. Do you think this is a good idea?
Can’t handle traveling at the Interstate’s 70 mph pace or a local four-lane road’s legal top speed? You might want to get in the practice of moving over. The Florida House and Senate recently approved a measure that makes it illegal to drive more than 10 mph under the speed limit if your vehicle is riding in the fast lane. The proposal will become the law of the land in Florida if Gov. Rick Scott signs on the dotted line. Dubbed the “road rage” bill, according to ABC News, the measure would give law enforcement the right to fine drivers $60 for moving at a snail’s pace in the far left lane of any road that has two or more lanes. That means slow drivers who refuse to move over – often causing other motorists to lose their cool – would be …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Largo city leaders unanimously approved designating the land where the Pinellas Heights affordable senior apartments is being built a brownfield at their meeting Tuesday.
The site was once a citrus field. Trains ran on the railroad tracks to the west. The groves are gone, the tracks paved over for the Pinellas Trail. Now, the 8.27-acre property near Ulmerton and Ridge roads is home to the Pinellas County Housing Authority and construction of the 153-unit Pinellas Heights affordable senior housing complex. Because of the site’s history and perception of environmental contamination, city leaders unanimously approved designating the area a brownfield site Tuesday. The designation allows certain tax incentives and credits to developers Norstar Development USA, LP and the Pinellas County Housing Authority. Brownfield sites typically are abandoned, idle, or underused industrial or commercial properties where …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The Largo City Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a development agreement for the Seminole Boulevard RV park, paving the way for an apartment complex to be built on the site.
Residents from the Briarwood Travel Villa came to Largo City Hall on Tuesday hoping the commission would sympathize with their plight and not approve an agreement that would ultimately demolish the RV park they call home. But despite a pre-meeting protest and numerous comments during the meeting, the commission voted unanimously to approve the development agreement between the city, the owners of the property and the developer. Promising to work with residents on relocation arrangements and costs, all six commissioners signed off on the agreement, which paves the way for a 260-unit apartment complex to be built on the site at 2098 Seminole Blvd. "I understand your plight. I understand your needs here," Commissioner Curtis Holmes told the …
27.89724
-82.7872
Briarwood Travel Villa
2098 Seminole Blvd, Largo, FL
/articles/briarwood-development-agreement-approved-by-commission
940042
/locations/9362890
More than a dozen residents of the Seminole Boulevard mobile home park met outside of Largo City Hall on Tuesday to send that message to city commissioners.
More than a dozen residents of Briarwood Travel Villa came together in the shadows of Largo City Hall to send a message to city commissioners who were scheduled to vote on the fate of their property Tuesday evening. The message the residents wanted to send was a simple one — don't let a developer build an apartment complex on the Seminole Boulevard property. "We've lived in Briarwood for three years," Jessica Emr said of herself and her husband, Peter. "We started in a tent, and we are currently living with my disabled veteran uncle. Our trailer cannot be moved, and we need the officials to save our home, otherwise we will be homeless." Other Briarwood residents who spoke out expressed similar sentiments. "I'm Pfc. Robert Russell, U.S. …
Drivers who want to appeal a ticket might have to pay up to $250 in additional fees if Gov. Rick Scott signs a new bill into law. Do you think that’s right?
Hate red light cameras? If so, you might hate them even more if Gov. Rick Scott signs a bill recently passed by the Florida Legislature into law. The bill sets a new process for appeals that enables local government bodies – cities and counties – to tack on an additional $250 in court fees for those who try to appeal tickets generated by red light cameras and fail. It also puts the new appeals process into the hands of those very same local governments that would benefit from the additional fees. That means motorists who appeal and lose will no longer be subject to just a $158 penalty – they might have to fork over $408. The new law, according to The Tampa Tribune, was designed to streamline the appeals process and put more control in the …
Patricia Houghtalen
11:45 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013
To Steve the Tea Party did not start after President Obama was elected , it was started when George Bush was in office and I know this for a fact. The Tea Party has been very confused and convoluted in what it wants. You have a good number of people who supported this movement to begin with who would say yes to anything if it said it would save them $1 in taxes. However what they did not realize … more ›