Scaremaster Cody Meacham opens new ‘Radley Experience’ in St. Pete this weekend
Relics & Lore: A Radley Experience opens at FloridaRama in St. Petersburg on Oct. 3, and its creator, Cody Meacham talked to CLTV.
‘Where is Ashley Moody?’: Dems rip U.S. Senator for avoiding voters, role in Hope Florida scandal
Democratic leaders on Wednesday criticized U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody for avoiding constituents and for her involvement in the Hope Florida scandal. On the steps in front of the Old Capitol, behind a sign that asked “Where is Ashley Moody?” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and Rep. Gallop Franklin II, D-Tallahassee, accused Moody of dodging…
Florida Realtors are bankrolling the $18 million effort to pass property tax-cutting Amendment 3
A report shows that the campaign working to see Amendment 3 on the statewide ballot win approval in November is vastly outspending opponents of the measure. The campaign to fund the measure raised $18 million through Sept. 25. All of that financial support came from the Florida Association of Realtors. The two political committees opposing…
Byron Donalds says ‘its a fad,’ but Florida utilities are expanding solar
Despite the Trump administration’s hostility towards renewable energy, information released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that utility solar capacity — large scale projects that provide electricity to power grids — has increased 33% since 2025. That’s according to the SUN DAY campaign, which tracks renewable energy nationally. The president’s signature One Big Beautiful…
DeSantis administration removes child vaccine exemptions based on ‘moral or ethical beliefs’
The DeSantis administration is backing off its push to make it easier for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children by eliminating from a proposed rule change “sincerely held moral or ethical belief(s)” from the reasons a parent could object to required vaccinations for children to enter school. The administration announced the change Wednesday,…
Voter registration deadline for general election is October 5
The voter registration deadline for both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties is Oct. 5.
Dan Savage’s ‘Hump’ adult movie festival comes to Tampa this weekend
‘Hump!’ a long-running adult film festival, comes to Tampa’s Sun-Ray Cinema on Oct. 3.
Pinellas sheriff arrests two deputies after TCPalm reporter sends Flock inquires
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two deputies after identifying misuse of automated license plate readers (ALPRs). The agency didn’t catch it until a Florida reporter started asking questions.
No-cover ‘Diáspora’ dance party returns to St. Pete on Friday
Post-Physique curates another installment of their ‘Diáspora’ party, for an Oct. 2, 2026 party at The Bends in St. Petersburg, Florida.
‘Everyone is in their cars, and they don’t really ever socialize’: World Car Free Day takes over Tampa
World Car Free Day brought residents to four Tampa locations on Saturday, Sept. 26. Walk Bike Tampa organized the celebration with local partners, including onbikes and Sidewalk Stompers.
New restaurant Coco’s In the Heights plans October opening at Tampa’s old Nebraska Mini-Mart
On any given weekday morning at 4 a.m., Tampa’s working class queues up at Coco’s Sandwich Shop in Palmetto Beach, often decked out in reflective workwear, to fuel up for the day. A ten-minute drive away, more get in line around 6 a.m. at the Coco’s on 40th Street. Carlos Carrillo and Adam Hendricks think…
‘Redo’ art show, featuring Cuban artist Tatiana Mesa Paján’s dandelion Statue of Liberty, closes this month in Tampa
The ‘Redo: siempre/përsëri (always/again)’ art show closes at Tampa’s OXH Gallery on Oct. 16. Here are photos from a Sept. 24 salon conversation.
New calculator allows you to see how your local roads, libraries and more will be impacted if Florida’s Amendment 3 passes
The constitutional amendment that would reduce non-school homestead property taxes is the biggest policy proposal on the 2026 statewide ballot. Amendment 3 would raise the homestead exemption on non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. It would lower the annual assessment growth cap from 10% to 5% for non-homestead properties such as…
Tony Dungy to speak at Tampa’s controversial Life Surge seminar, which was recently accused of scamming attendees
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy will be among the many keynote speakers at an upcoming Tampa stop for Life Surge, a Christian-based financial seminar that recently came under fire for its high-pressure sales tactics, often resulting in attendees incurring tens of thousands of dollars in debt. According to a joint investigation published…
‘Keep popping him’: Before killing schizophrenic St. Pete man, officers repeatedly tased him as he appeared to comply
Bodycam footage shows an unarmed man, who had already attacked police, appearing to comply with instructions when he was inadvertently killed by officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the incident was an “excusable homicide.”
Legal challenge in the works to overturn DeSantis’ effort to classify groups as ‘terrorists’
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet on Tuesday voted to name more than 90 groups as terrorist organizations, and a legal challenge is already in the works to overturn the move. With little comment from the state panel and none taken from the public, the Cabinet voted to apply domestic or international terrorism labels to…
Tampa Bay’s best new concerts include spring 2027 gig from Dinosaur Jr.
By now, the neighbors around Jannus Live know there’s always going to be a loud show happening nearby. Dinosaur Jr. might push the limit. The ear-splitting rock trio has a new album, There Near, to share. It’s unclear if the album is Dinosaur Jr.’s ninth or 13th outing, but those details won’t matter to devotees…
Here are renderings of Matilde, a new Mexican steakhouse coming to downtown Tampa
A few months ago, local restaurant group Next Level Brands announced the coming of its latest concept to downtown Tampa, “an elevated coastal Mexican steakhouse,” called Matilde. This afternoon, the company behind popular local spots like Boulon Brasserie, Forbici Modern Italian, and Union New American, released a few renderings of what guests can expect before…
‘What a dream come true’: Cuban-born, former Tampa City Ballet dancer, Jhon Destrade is part of ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ national tour
The national tour of ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ comes to Tampa Oct. 6-11 and includes a former Tampa City Ballet dancer in its cast.
Pete’s Bagels will move into former Good Intentions space in St. Pete
It came as a bit of a shock last summer when St. Pete vegan restaurant Good Intentions announced it was closing after four years, but the space will soon have another popular tenant. On Sunday, Pete’s Bagels said it was clearing out of its current space at 2361 1st Ave. S, and moving four blocks…
Sunshine Comedy Cafe plans to to open in downtown St. Pete
If you thought Side Splitters was the only new comedy club coming to St. Petersburg, you’ve got another laugh coming. Comedian-turned-club owner Kenny Garcia already has two comedy venues in the Tampa Bay area, and soon he’ll be adding a third. “It’s pretty cool,” Garcia said about his new club opening in the downtown St.…
Majority of Florida residents refuse to believe state’s property insurance crisis is any better, says poll
A majority of Florida homeowners say that despite proclamations by lawmakers and rating agencies, they don’t believe the property insurance market is improving in the state, with more than a quarter asserting that the market is getting worse. A majority in that same poll say that, by far, tackling property insurance is more important than…
At St. Pete’s Crescent lake, Stewards of our Urban Lakes’ work goes far beyond plantings
Until it got SoUL, Crescent Lake in St. Petersburg was like most lakes and ponds in Florida. Its artificially steep edges were mowed monthly to keep it looking neat and clean although manicured shorelines didn’t welcome wildlife or help capture pollutants in stormwater. But like many lakes in Florida, that’s changing as volunteers, residents, and managers…
David Jolly: ‘I need the national Democratic Party to come into Florida and start spending money’
With more polls and election analysts suggesting David Jolly could become the first Democrat to win a governor’s race in Florida in more than three decades, the former GOP congressman is appealing for money to defeat Republican Byron Donalds. This week the national elections rating group Decision Desk HQ shifted the Florida governor’s race to a…
The DCF division Hope Florida was built on top of is failing by nearly every federal measure
Outside Florida’s Department of Children and Families office in Kendall, people stood in line for three to four hours in the South Florida heat, waiting to learn why their Medicaid or food assistance had been cut off and what they could do about it — something the letters the state mailed them often didn’t say. …
Hop State Brewing reimagines craft beer in Tampa
There’s a bold new player pouring flavor and personality into Tampa’s craft beer scene. Hop State Brewing has officially opened in the space formerly home to Six Ten Brewing, bringing a fresh vision, a chef-inspired approach to brewing, and Florida’s first build-your-own seltzer bar. The ownership trio — Ed Fitzpatrick (Food & Entertainment Director), Buddy…
‘Nothing was done improperly’: Pinellas sheriff responds to accusations of not disclosing immigrant detention policies to public safety council
Pro-immigrant activists are calling for more transparency from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office after a representative didn’t disclose information about immigrant detention policies. Records obtained by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay show that the Public Safety Coordinating Council, a lesser-known government body tasked with keeping jail populations down, was given inaccurate information when it asked the…
‘A dagger straight through the heart’: Former Safety Harbor commissioner argues against Florida’s Amendment 3
For the past 25 years, my wife and I have lived in the city of Safety Harbor, a quaint, yet vibrant, city that we share with 16,000 or so others on Old Tampa Bay. Safety Harbor is full of generous people and businesses who support all of the nonprofit work we do, and has provided…
Here’s a toolkit to help Florida residents combat large-scale AI data centers
Many Florida residents are up in arms over the rapid expansion of data centers. Suncoast Sierra Club has shared something of a coping mechanism. The group released its Florida citizen action toolkit at a public meeting on Aug. 13, for residents hoping to work with local governments to combat large-scale AI data center proposals. The…
Sierra Club gives TECO, Duke failing grades on clean energy
Tampa Bay’s electric utilities are facing a struggle familiar to those of us who were academic delinquents: a bad report card. The Sierra Club’s annual Dirty Truths report evaluates every American electric utility’s progress towards eliminating pollution-heavy energy production methods. Duke scored 7 out of 100. TECO scored 2 out of 100. Utilities were scored…
Who’s really to blame for the Bucs’ new levels of suck?
Are the Bucs the worst team in football? Are they back to being the Yucks? I don’t know if that last one is quite true. It’s still early, but so far this season they’ve been one of the worst teams in professional football for sure. There’s plenty of blame to go around, and a lot…
Tampa Bay’s Congressional District 16 could be a lot less red than everyone thought
As Donald Trump’s poll numbers continue to erode, some Republicans, even in Florida, are slightly backing away from being linked to the president. Sydney Gruters is not one of them. The 44-year-old Sarasota resident is running against Democrat Kelly Kirschner and NPA candidate Mark Davis to succeed longtime Republican incumbent Vern Buchanan in Florida’s 16th…
Florida Judge appointed by DeSantis faces reprimand for saying he’d like to see trial lawyers shot in his courtroom
A Second Judicial Circuit judge who made “intemperate and caustic comments” and lamented that he’d like to tell his deputy “to pull his gun and shoot” a trio of attorneys is being ordered to appear before the Florida Supreme Court for a public reprimand. Released Thursday, the Supreme Court disciplinary ruling tracks the Judicial Qualifying Commission’s…
‘Reeks of voter intimidation’: 40 days before the midterm elections, DeSantis says he found 20 people who committed voter fraud
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier told reporters Thursday in Palm Beach County that state agents have arrested 20 people for voter fraud in Florida. Sixteen of them, they said, were non-citizens who claimed U.S. citizenship and four others had felony convictions but registered and voted while still on probation. The announcement came…
Oracle of Ybor: My friend just had a devastating loss, and I need to get her through it
Dear Oracle, A friend of mine just experienced a devastating loss. Her heart is completely shattered. So is mine. I want to be able to support her in this unbearable grief but I’m at a loss of what to do. It’s such a worst-case scenario that everything I can think of to help just seems…
Hillsborough County declares state of emergency over dengue fever
This afternoon, Hillsborough County officials declared a state of emergency due to rising cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever. The order, which was signed by Hillsborough County administrator Bonnie Wise, allows the county to take emergency measures and opens up the possibility of federal reimbursement for certain expenses. The order takes effect immediately and lasts for…
The Tampa Edition will soon debut an Ammortal Chamber
The Tampa Edition (stylized “EDITION”) now has an Ammortal Chamber, a $160,000 vibrating light table that looks like it belongs in a Dune movie, and it will debut to the public this weekend. The human-sized rotisserie chicken table combines “non-invasive technologies,” including photobiomodulation, pulsed electromagnetic frequency, molecular hydrogen, guided meditation, and vibroacoustic therapies into a…
Queer Expression, Tampa Bay’s only active, trans-led grassroots LGBTQ+ community center, needs donations
Even safe spaces need their rent paid. Queer Expression St. Pete’s youth programming creates a nonjudgemental environment for kids who don’t want their identities politicized or scrutinized. For the first few years, QE’s events bounced around local businesses. In 2024, the group started a lease on a new community center they lovingly call the Nest.…
Photos: After powerful city council presentation, Tampa City Ballet raises funds at black-tie gala
Tampa City Ballet’s roots go all the way back to 2002 when founder Paula Nuñez and her husband opened her dance studio in New Tampa with just three students. On Sept. 17 at city hall, Nuñez, a Venezuelan immigrant who’s been in the Bay area for 24 years, was at Tampa City Council presenting her…
St. Pete’s Friends of Strays closes ‘Love Unleashed’ fundraiser with flurry of events this weekend
With nearly half-a-century of service, Friends of Strays is a trusted Tampa Bay animal shelter that started as a cat rescue and now houses dogs, too. Helping more than 4,000 animals annually isn’t cheap and the nonprofit looks to close its “Love Unleashed” 30-day awareness fundraiser out strong. “We are entirely reliant on our community…
Tampa Bay’s best live music happening September 24-October 1
Rocktober is here, and there’s a big weekend in live music across Tampa Bay. The most serious to-do is Beats on the Street, the big one-day, no-cover music festival happening in the Water Street neighborhood on Saturday (La Lucha, pictured is part of the lineup stacked with homegrown artists and a visit from Chromeo). But…
Tampa’s no-cover TECO Streetcar concert returns on Friday—here’s the full fall 2026-27 schedule
Fall is here on the calendar, and that means the return of Tampa’s famous concert on the streetcar. Launched eight years ago with a show by Have Gun, Will Travel, the rolling concert series programmed by the Gasparilla Music Foundation puts homegrown artists on a TECO Streetcar that runs between Centennial Park in Ybor City…
Peli Gene will build ‘Dream Estate’ during October’s no-cover Rock the Park Tampa concert
Last April at the Sparkman Wharf stage, Peli Gene made its Gasparilla Music Festival debut with anthemic, bouncy indie-rock that sounds like the feeling of pulling off a sweatshirt on a cold day turned perfectly-sunny. The Tampa-based band headlines Rock the Park in support of an April release, Dream Estate. Songwriter Sunde returns to the…
Once again, Absolution Fest is bringing some of the world’s favorite EBM acts to Tampa
Festivals, especially those with international artists on the lineup, are really hard to pull off. Absolution Fest organizers don’t seem to care. The EBM and industrial-electro centric get together has booked American-Austrian outfit Aesthetic Perfection playing an “old-school” set meaning songs released before 2011 when the band took a turn towards pop. The outfit closes…
Oakland hardcore band brings ‘Fire Is Beautiful’ LP to Tampa concert on Tuesday
Naturally, hardcore bands are on every corner of Bandcamp, but the 2025 outing from Starsdontmeananything stands out. From the opening (“Controlled Burn”) to the in between (“Knowing How To Leave,” “Stainless Steel,” the title track), the Oakland outfit works quiet, experimental moments into Fire Is Beautiful, a record that’s chock full of tough riffs and…
With new live album in tow, Bonnie Prince Billy plays St. Pete on Sunday
A decade-and-a-half after playing Tampa’s Mojo Books (with freaking Angel Olsen opening), Bonnie Prince Billy still possesses one of the most arresting live shows in indie-rock. Ghosts Of American Psychonauts is proof. The new live album from the 56-year-old songwriter also known as Will Oldham was recorded last year over two Valentine’s weekend shows in…
Seminole Heights’ Far Forest hosts another intimate Tampa concert this weekend
When the Far Forest books a show, you buy a ticket. In a world craving intimacy, the Seminole Heights shop offers a living room experience unlike any other in the Bay area, and this weekend welcomes one of the region’s finest songwriters. Fresh off two 2026 singles, Biishop The Artist headlines with support from Glass…
Fresh off new ‘Uncut’ album, Afro-Cuban jazz legend Chucho Valdés plays Tampa this weekend
At 85 years old, Chucho Valdés is still releasing new music. His latest, Uncut (InnerJazz) (stylized “UNCUT”), includes eight tracks of solo piano all cut in one continuous session, no edits, or second takes. The Afro-Cuban jazz icon brings a quartet that includes bassist Armando, drummer Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, and percussionist Roberto Jr. Vizcaino…
Chuck Owen, Tampa jazz composer nominated for seven Grammys, celebrates 30 years of Jazz Surge big band this weekend
Based on Grammy-credentials alone (he’s been nominated seven times), Chuck Owen is easily one of the most famous artists Tampa Bay has ever produced. This weekend, the jazz composer and former University of South Florida professor celebrates the 30th anniversary of his big band, Jazz Surge. And instead of looking back during a four-night run…
Australian house DJ Anthony Pappa comes to St. Pete on Friday
Anthony Pappa’s been working in clubs since he was 13 years old and won the Australian DMC championship at the ripe old age of 15, but that was probably no surprise to anyone (his dad wanted him to be a pro drummer). Often playing on three decks, Pappa can scratch, play house and has even…
Preserving Brandon to hold archive workshop on Sunday
Unincorporated, but census-designated, Brandon is a part of Hillsborough County. It’s been around forever, too, with the railroad arriving around the same time Tampa was incorporated in the late-1800s. The Brandon Regional Library, part of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HPLC), is home to many historic photos of the neighborhood and surrounding areas in…
‘Kidical Mass Bike Ride’ is part of Tampa’s World Car-Free Day this weekend
To walk or ride a bike in Tampa Bay is a gamble. Last summer, Florida Phoenix reported on a new Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition study that ranks the Bay area as the eighth most dangerous metro area in the country and the most dangerous in Florida (there were 516 pedestrian…
