Chris Young, Author at Creative Loafing Tampa

A wide, street-level photograph of the Chillum Mushroom & Hemp Dispensary storefront in St. Petersburg, Florida. The building features a blue upper facade with large white block lettering that reads 'MUSHROOMS & HEMP.' The lower half of the storefront is composed of textured tan stone pillars and large glass windows. Signs in the windows advertise 'GLASS GALLERY' and list products like 'CBD/CBG,' 'NOOTROPICS,' and 'HEMP.' A potted plant sits on the sidewalk in front of the entrance under a bright, clear sky.

‘Legal mushroom dispensary’ in St. Pete closed last weekend

Chillum Mushroom & Hemp Dispensary offers hemp-derived cannabinoids, functional mushrooms, legal psychedelic-adjacent products, and harm-reduction education.

by Chris Young and WMNF News April 24, 2026April 27, 2026

A shop considered one of the first legal mushroom dispensaries in the U.S. closed its St. Petersburg location last weekend. The store closed Sunday, April 26. Chillum Mushroom & Hemp Dispensary offers hemp-derived cannabinoids, functional mushrooms, legal psychedelic-adjacent products, and harm-reduction education. Carlos Hermida is the store’s owner and founder. He cited a mix of […]

A wide-angle, slightly hazy daytime photograph looking across Old Tampa Bay toward the distant Downtown Tampa skyline. In the foreground, a multi-lane highway bridge is visible with several cars and a large truck traveling toward the city. Two tall, modern streetlights curve over the road from the left. The skyline is a soft grey silhouette against a pale, overcast sky, reflecting a typical humid afternoon in the Tampa Bay area.

Tampa Bay area ranks No. 100 out of 226 for ground-level ozone pollution, new report says

In Florida, a bill passed this legislative session that prohibits local governments from issuing policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

by Chris Young and WMNF News April 24, 2026April 24, 2026

A wide-angle aerial panoramic view of Fort De Soto Park and its surrounding islands. The image shows a winding white sand beach bordering crystal-clear, light-green and turquoise waters. Lush green mangroves and coastal vegetation cover the interior islands, which are separated by shallow sandbars and deep blue channels. The perspective looks out toward the horizon under a soft, hazy sky, emphasizing the vast, untouched coastal landscape.

After environmentalists push back, ‘A Land Remembered’ will no longer be filmed at Ft. DeSoto Park

St. Petersburg Audubon expressed concern about filming on fragile dunes and beaches, beach driving, and the use of cattle, pigs, and horses in the sensitive lands.

by Chris Young and WMNF News April 20, 2026April 20, 2026

Some candidates for Hillsborough School Board agree superintendent should not be an elected position

District 2 candidate Brittany Lyssy was not in attendance at Tampa Tiger Bay last Friday.

by Chris Young and WMNF News March 23, 2026March 23, 2026

A production still from 'First They Came For Our College' featuring a young woman with dark curly hair and white-rimmed sunglasses speaking at a wooden podium labeled 'SAVE NEW'. She holds a speech in her hand and smiles toward the audience. Behind her, a crowd of protesters holds diverse signs with slogans such as 'No Fascist Curriculum', 'Since when is science woke?', and 'Hey Bauerlein, the Pope called, he wants your confession'.

Arts & Entertainment

Film about New College’s conservative takeover screens at SXSW, and will show in Florida next month

An interview with filmmakers, who’ll bring ‘First They Came For My College’ to Florida Film Festival in April.

by Chris Young and WMNF News March 19, 2026March 19, 2026

A winding white crushed-shell multipurpose trail curving alongside a rustic wooden rail fence and a lush green windbreak at The Celery Fields in Sarasota, Florida. This regional stormwater facility and conservation area is a key stop on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail

Despite ‘escape clause’ concerns, lawmakers’ budgets defund ‘Florida Forever’ in favor of rural lands program

Florida Tax Watch says an ‘escape clause’ allows landowners to develop protected land.

by Chris Young and WMNF News March 9, 2026March 9, 2026

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch speaking at a podium during the Renter Utility Relief Program press conference in March 2024. The background features a "We Are St. Pete" branded backdrop.

St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch comes out against anti-DEI bills

House Bill 1001 and Senate Bill 1134 ban counties and municipalities from funding and promoting anything relating to DEI.

by Chris Young and WMNF News March 9, 2026March 9, 2026

A silver car rests heavily damaged after crashing into the storefront of a business named 'Bradley's' in Ybor City. Police and State Troopers are gathered at the scene, with a patrol car visible in the foreground.

Following fatal Ybor City police chase, Tampa proposes lowering speed limit on 7th Avenue

City officials plan to reduce the speed limit from 30 to 25 mph, install traffic barriers, and introduce additional street parking and bus stop lanes to narrow the street approaching Ybor.

by Chris Young and WMNF News February 24, 2026February 24, 2026

Florida State Representative Michael Owen speaking during a legislative committee meeting at the Florida House of Representatives.

Hillsborough Republican sponsors bill critics call a ‘death knell’ for rural lands

‘This needs to be brought to the public, to the surrounding community, down in the little Manatee area, Wimauma, the Sundance area.’

by Chris Young and WMNF News February 24, 2026February 24, 2026

A legislator stands and smiles while speaking at a desk in a state House chamber, with colleagues seated nearby, microphones and small U.S. flags on desks, and a large mural visible in the background.

Florida Democrat files bill that could make speech therapy for stuttering a guaranteed benefit

HB 785 would require coverage for speech therapy for children and adults who stutter, whether treatment is delivered in person or via telehealth, and would prohibit arbitrary limits on visits, annual caps, or restrictive utilization requirements such as prior authorization.

by Chris Young and WMNF News January 7, 2026January 7, 2026

Exterior of Tampa Union Station, a historic red-brick building with tall white columns, arched windows, and a blue entrance door under a clear blue sky.

Tampa Union Station’s $6 million renovation should be mostly done by this time in 2027

Jerel McCants, author of ‘The Architecture of Segregation’ is overseeing the effort.

by Chris Young and WMNF News January 7, 2026January 7, 2026

A sunny beach scene with tropical greenery bordering the shore. The sand is bordered by a massive, deep brown layer of Sargassum seaweed, contrasting sharply with the clear turquoise water and bright blue sky.

USF researchers discover steep decline in some sargassum seaweed populations

Researchers say high temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico may be to blame.

by Chris Young and WMNF News December 9, 2025December 9, 2025

View of the Tampa Riverwalk showing people cycling and walking on the brick path alongside the water, with outdoor cafes and a raised drawbridge visible in the background.

Despite racial profiling concerns, Tampa City Council advances ordinance banning bike stunts on Riverwalk

The ordinance must pass a second reading during a December meeting.

by Chris Young and WMNF News December 1, 2025December 1, 2025

A medium-shot photo of a woman with short brown hair, wearing a cream textured blazer and bright red cropped pants, speaking into a green-topped microphone. She is seated next to a man in a navy suit, and a large pleated American flag is visible behind them

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor says people ‘are going to be angry’ about Trump’s plan to drill for oil off Florida coastline

Castor says loopholes and the nation’s reliance on fracked gas lead to higher electric costs for Floridians.

by Chris Young and WMNF News November 21, 2025November 21, 2025

A woman wearing a light-colored hijab and blazer stands at a wooden podium decorated with white roses, speaking into a microphone. She is flanked by a diverse group of men in various attire.

Muslim USF students speak out after recorded video shows them being harassed during prayer

A livestream, posted by Warriors for Christ, shows men using anti-Muslim slurs and waving bacon at students praying.

by Chris Young and WMNF News November 21, 2025November 21, 2025

Four people—a woman and three men, two of whom are wearing military fatigues—smile and hug each other closely in a celebratory group portrait taken indoors in Vietnam, circa 1968-69.

Arts & Entertainment

‘Soldier’s Lens’ photo exhibit opens in Ybor City

The show is on display at FMoPA through Dec. 7.

by Chris Young and WMNF News November 6, 2025November 6, 2025

Close-up portrait of Thomas Mantz, CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay, wearing headphones and glasses, speaking into a studio microphone while gesturing with his right hand.

Feeding Tampa Bay faces ‘extraordinary pressure’ amid government shutdown, CEO says

Thomas Mantz said that for every meal FTB provides, SNAP provides nine.

by Chris Young and WMNF News November 6, 2025November 6, 2025

View of the Tampa Electric (TECO) power plant in Apollo Beach, featuring three tall smokestacks releasing large plumes of white exhaust into a clear blue sky, with the industrial facility at the water's edge.

TECO rate hike approved, set to start in January

According to Food & Water Watch, the average TECO residential customer will pay $5.51 more each month.

by Chris Young and WMNF News November 6, 2025November 6, 2025

Underwater photo of bright yellow-orange elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata), extending upwards toward the blue water surface, with several small dark fish swimming above it.

New research shows 2023 heatwave left two Florida coral species extinct

The staghorn and elkhorn corals look like the antlers of stags and elks.

by Chris Young and WMNF News November 3, 2025November 3, 2025

Exterior view of a bright yellow and turquoise restaurant building named "JERK HUT," with tall palm trees lining the front patio and a blue sky overhead.

Owner of Tampa restaurant Jerk Hut is collecting items for hurricane-ravaged Jamaican

Andrew Ashmeade joined forces with CANDU and the Caribbean Cultural Association to accept donations at the Jerk Hut location on E Fowler Avenue.

by Chris Young and WMNF News November 3, 2025November 3, 2025