Judge says Florida teacher fired over Charlie Kirk comments should be reinstated with back pay
A Lee County public school teacher’s suspension for a comment about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk should be ended and she should receive back pay, an administrative court judge has recommended. Division of Administrative Hearings Judge Andrew Manko found that a derisive remark comments about Kirk posted on Facebook by Mariah Roller, an educator at…
In runoff for Hillsborough school board, Daniela Simic will face Brittany Lyssy
For now, Hillsborough County’s School Board races are non-partisan. Party lines may play into voters’ decision-making this fall when it comes to the school board’s District 2 seat. Daniela Simic earned 39% of the vote in Tuesday’s election while Brittany Lyssy got 37%. The showing was good enough to earn both a spot in the…
Tampa Bay Democratic congressional candidates Overman, Kirschner and Gray win primaries
Florida held its primary election yesterday, and here are the candidates from around Tampa Bay who will advance to the general election on Nov. 3. The deadline to register for the general election ends Oct. 5. Early voting starts Oct. 19- Nov. 1 with election day on Nov. 3. Kimberly Overman District 12 Kimberly Overman…
Democrats Gwen Myers, Aileen Rodriguez, earn landslide victories in Hillsborough County Commission primaries
Voters face a huge decision about Hillsborough County’s future this fall, and we now know the politicians that’ll be trying to get their point across. Aileen Rodriguez and incumbent Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers won their Democratic primaries on Tuesday night by earning 62% and 69% of the vote, respectively. Rodriguez, a Republican-turned-Democrat will face…
Tampa’s Banksy art show is a conversation-starting tango of tension
The Banksy show at Tampa’s David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts is wholeheartedly Banksy, which could probably be taken as a compliment and as a critique. It’s self-aware, kind of annoying, and easy to talk about with anyone. Whether he’s a brazen political activist or a bullshit privileged asshole, Banksy would likely prefer…
St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch will defend his seat in November runoff against Charlie Crist
Despite being out fundraised four to one, incumbent St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch is headed to a runoff against Former Florida governor Charlie Crist. The runoff happens as part of this fall’s general election, which wraps on Election Day, Nov. 3. Crist—who’s come under fire for his connections to controversial figures and his time spent…
Republican Byron Donalds and alleged liberal David Jolly will compete to be Florida’s next governor
Florida voters will pick either U.S. Byron Donalds or former Rep. David Jolly as the state’s next governor after both men won their primaries Tuesday. Donalds took 48% of the vote in a crowded primary that included nine other Republicans. Jolly easily defeated five opponents in the Democratic primary, earning 61% of the vote. The…
Despite 16 to 1 fundraising gap, Florida Rep. Angie Nixon wins US Senate primary by double digits
Angie Nixon will run against incumbent Republican Ashley Moody for the U.S. Senate, Florida Democrats decided Tuesday by double-digit margin. Nixon’s victory concluded a primary that had some wondering whether progressive Democrats’ wins around the nation would carry into Florida. Nixon, carrying endorsements of several of Florida’s progressive Democratic legislators, enjoyed a significantly smaller campaign…
Former Florida Republican lawmaker Mike Caruso arrested on child sexual abuse charges
Palm Beach County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller Mike Caruso, a former Republican legislator, was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local police on child sexual abuse charges Tuesday. Attorney General James Uthmeier made the announcement on social media. “Early this morning, with substantial assistance from FDLE and local law enforcement,…
Outspent and outnumbered: At Ybor City rally, David Jolly makes his case for winning Florida
David Jolly likes his chances of becoming the first Democrat to win the governor’s race in Florida in more than three decades this November. You read that correctly. The 53-year-old former GOP Congressman and MSNBC pundit’s confidence appears off the charts even though there are 1.5 million more registered Republicans than Democrats in the state;…
![FloridaRama ‘LitFest’ book festival among best things to do in Tampa Bay [August 20-26]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Jesi-Cason-crop-photo-scaled.png?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
FloridaRama ‘LitFest’ book festival among best things to do in Tampa Bay [August 20-26]
The Mermaid Star Motel at St. Petersburg’s FloridaRama (stylized “FloridaRAMA”) would be a nice place to just sit and read for a few hours. Bookworms might get away with it this weekend. For one day only, the warehouse district’s immersive art museum hosts a literary festival with close to three dozen authors doing talks every…
‘Wearable Art’ celebrates 20 years of transcending fashion in Dunedin
Monsters made of balloons. A dress made of meat (long before Lady Gaga). Full metal corsets, a headdress that shot glitter, a bra that shot Silly String, and a skirt made of ping pong balls. Those are just a few of the eye-popping creations (by artists Mark Byrne, Rogerio Martins and Frank Strunk III, respectively)…
Face Dancer, an agro grunge band from Duval County, plays St. Pete arcade show this month
The door might blow off The Potion Portal next Thursday. The arcade show features a rare appearance from Tampa hardcore band Meatwound, which is joined by two neighbors from the north: Duval County agro-grunge-rock trio Face Dancer and Gainesville sex-Mex venue destroyer Future Forms. Tickets to see Meatwound, Face Dancer, Future Forms, and Headless State…
Interview: Devo’s Gerald Casale talks Tampa fronton gig, farewell tours, before Clearwater debut
If you would have asked me what my favorite band was when I was 13 years old, I would have unequivocally answered immediately by saying it was a tie between Blondie and Devo. Several (and I mean several) decades later, that answer hasn’t changed a whole lot. On a personal level, Devo was like nothing…
Corporations and Trump love Byron Donalds, but do Florida Republican voters feel the same way?
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is the clear choice of the business and political establishment in Tallahassee going into Tuesday’s primary election for the Republican nomination for governor. Now the question is whether Republican voters will follow suit. The 47-year-old Naples Republican has received the backing of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Retail Federation and,…
‘Get politics out of our classrooms’: Groups look to remove Moms For Liberty school board candidates in Tampa Bay
Two organizations say they’re investing a quarter of a million dollars to support “pro-equality, pro-academic freedom” school board candidates this election season. The Equality Florida Political Action Committee and Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund announced Friday morning that the $250,000 will go toward 300,000 pieces of mail to reach more than 200,000 voters. The…
Rest in peace, Temple Terrace Winn-Dixie
It’s a sad day in Temple Terrace. After months of rumors, a popular Temple Terrace Winn-Dixie location will officially close next month to eventually make way for an Aldi. Employees at the 8837 N 56th St. Winn Dixie told Creative Loafing Tampa that the store will indeed close sometime in mid-September, depending on how quickly…
Nickelback, Jason Aldean, coming to Tampa for February’s ‘Hondo Rodeo’
Butt-rock, back the blue, and bulls all come together in Tampa next spring—all for the Hondo Rodeo. The series places elite rodeo athletes in stadiums across three cities over the next few months—Phoenix (November), Tampa (February) and New Orleans (April)—as they compete for their slice of a $1 million purse. Each stop also includes a…
St. Pete City Council rejects proposal to buy paper products made using prison labor
The St. Pete City Council meeting held on Aug. 6, 2026 was packed with items. It included updates on U.S. House of Urban Development funds, as well as a presentation previewing an increase in utility rates for next fiscal year that would impact water costs in the city. Additionally, the bulk of the meeting was…
Photos: St. Pete City Councilman Richie Floyd helps rally DSA candidates at ‘Chomp The Oligarchy’ event in South Florida
Tuesday marks the end of Florida’s 2026 Primary Election, and three DSA candidates were finally able to hold their “Chomp The Oligarchy” rally in South Florida despite being forced to change venues twice. The gathering was in support of three candidates: substitute teacher Elijah Manley, Florida Rep. Angie Nixon, and union organizer Oliver Larkin. Nixon…
Pinellas gets a Buddy Brew, a Michelin-Bib earning chef heads to Ybor City, and more Tampa Bay food news
OPENINGS/CLOSINGS Tampa Bay is getting the country’s first combination Buffalo Wild Wings and Jimmy John’s We all know the struggle. You pick up an order of bone-in Mango Habanero wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. You get back in your car. You haul ass to Jimmy John’s – shove the wings into a spread open, fully dressed…
Dunedin Fine Arts Center celebrates wearable ART 20: Platinum
Dunedin Fine Arts Center is celebrating 20 years of Wearable Art, Tampa Bay’s most eccentric fashion show. As is the custom, this year’s “Wearable Art 20: Platinum” will bring together dozens of local designers to break down the intersection of fine art and wearable design. “This milestone year offers a chance to celebrate the remarkable…
As voters cast ballots, Florida election advocates push to open state’s closed primary system
More than 1 million people have already voted ahead of Florida’s Aug. 18 primaries but, in the marquee races for governor and senator, millions registered as No Party Affiliation (NPA) won’t be able to participate because of the state’s closed primary election system. And that’s not right, says Villa Johnson of the League of Women Voters of…
Florida’s roundest house is back on the market
Arguably Florida’s most globular home is once again for sale. Located at 634 Silvershore Dr. in Pensacola, this Monolithic home was built in 2007 by Bill Magenheimer and his wife Margo after their previous home was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan. “We got married after Hurricane Ivan and we went to dome school for our honeymoon,” said Bill…
Florida attorney general rewrites property tax cut amendment language after lawsuit
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has submitted for judicial review a rewritten version of the title and ballot summary for Amendment 3. Circuit Judge David Frank in Leon County ordered the AG’s office to rewrite the far-reaching property tax amendment’s ballot language after ruling the original title, “Save our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes,” was “akin to…
![A new production of ‘The Last Unicorn’ is now open at Ybor City’s Fringe Theatre [PHOTOS]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-Last-Unicorn-5-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
A new production of ‘The Last Unicorn’ is now open at Ybor City’s Fringe Theatre [PHOTOS]
“Real magic can never be made,” but unicorns live forever. A new theatrical production in Ybor City proves it. “The Last Unicorn” opened last night at The Fringe Theatre in Ybor City and runs for two weekends this month. The fantastical play explores the loneliness of an immortal unicorn who tries to find the other…
Retired Tampa newscaster Jeff Patterson is running for city council
Voters in the 2027 Tampa municipal election could see a very familiar face on the ballot next spring. For 38 years at WFLA, Jeff Patterson asked questions on behalf of viewers. Now it’s his turn to go under the microscope as he makes a run for the District 4 City Council Seat. Currently, two other…
‘This is pretty bad’: Judges grill DeSantis administration over Medicaid termination letters
A trio of federal judges Wednesday grilled an attorney representing the DeSantis administration over how the state terminated people from Florida’s Medicaid program in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida was first sued three years ago over how it disenrolled people from the safety net health care program — a process known as an…
Tampa Bay’s best live music happening August 13-20
Tampa Bay’s live music weekend is here, and it’s heavy in the club and also watching movies like Jack Johnson’s new “Surfilmmusic” which will be a big part of a Wednesday concert from the North Shore-dwelling songwriter. This listing of Tampa Bay’s best concerts and live music happening Aug. 13-20 is compiled by Creative Loafing…
Florida Gov. DeSantis takes aim at AOC, says it’s not time to let Dems off the hook for ‘Woke 1’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has joined the chorus of conservatives taking exception to a prominent Democratic lawmaker’s weekend comment regarding policy positions taken by progressives in 2020 that are now seen as out of the political mainstream. Speaking on ABC’s This Week, New York Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended her previous advocacy for “defunding the…
Appeals court approves Florida plan for radioactive roads made from toxic waste
The Center for Biological Diversity’s challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of radioactive road material in Polk County proved unsuccessful before a federal appellate court. The case involved Mosaic Fertilizer’s use of phosphogypsum, a radioactive byproduct of fertilizer production, in experimental road construction on the company’s private land. Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the…
Catalan world-pop giant Gipsy Kings plays St. Petersburg on this weekend
For nearly 50 years, international musical stalwarts Gipsy Kings have been taking their sonically adventurous show on the road — introducing audiences to the intersectional joys of rumba, flamenco, folk, rock and sundry hip-centric sounds. The success of the mission speaks for itself in the form of Grammys, millions of records sold, spots on soundtracks…
St. Pete’s ‘Tunnel Vision’ series pays tribute to Detroit’s famed nightclub The Motor Lounge
Last May, the Tunnel Vision crew paid homage to the house that Peter Gatien built. For its next installation the series exploring the culture at some of dance music’s most iconic addresses turns its gaze to The Motor Lounge, a Detroit hotspot that brought techno into its adolescence after the city birthed it in the…
British house producer John Graham brings Quivver project to St. Pete this weekend
John Graham has many monikers (Skanna, Stoneproof and Space Manoeuvres) and has even worked with progressive house favorites like Mick Park and Nic Britton (Tilt) and Mike and Charlotte Truman of Hybrid. This weekend he’s in town under the Quivver banner. The occasion, naturally, is a set with the Serious Soul crew, which has carved…
With 63 days until big festival, Clearwater Jazz Foundation stages Saturday summer jam concert
There are just 63 days until Clearwater Jazz Holiday returns to Coachman Park where Shelia E., Chris Botti, Larkin Poe, Wood Brothers and Dumpstaphunk are among the headliners. Organizers, in the meantime, are keeping themselves extremely busy with shows around the calendar including this summer jam with heavy hitters of the scene from Kool Reflections…
Art-rock band The Tilt headlines Tampa concert supporting immigrant rights
There might not be a better art-rock band working in the Tampa Bay area right now. On its latest single, “Standing in the Street, Staring at the Stars,” Sarasota quartet The Tilt Orchestra channels the energy of a David Byrne show into two chaotically-joyful minutes that harkens back to the golden age of pre-algorithmic indie-pop…
‘South of the South’ songwriter David Dondero plays Tampa house concert on Friday
On the title track from his 2005 album South of the South, songwriter David Dondero laments the changes happening in Ybor City, which at the time was welcoming big box stores like Urban Outfitters and Victoria’s Secret along with a movie theater. The 57-year-old is skipping that part of town altogether for his latest local…
Coastal Film Lab of Tampa and Central Florida Photo Club will lead a photowalk through Tarpon Springs
Film is back, and this month brings fans of analog photography an excuse to blow through a roll of film in one day. Coastal Film Lab of Tampa and Central Florida Photo Club have partnered up to guide hobby photographers through Tarpon Springs on Aug. 30. The morning meetup starts at Craig Park on Spring…
‘The Odyssey’ is cool, but this Tampa actress is doing a one-woman musical from Penelope’s perspective
Guys everywhere are getting hard for Matt Damon in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” but this is a chance to grab a drink and get a woman’s perspective on Homer’s epic in the flesh. To close its 27th season, Jobsite Theater has tapped Colleen Cherry for a folk-pop, one-woman musical, where Penelope—wife of Odysseus, mom to…
Tampa’s ‘King of the B Movies’ screens ‘Beast Mode’ at Sun-Ray Cinema this month
Joel D. Wynkoop is widely known as Tampa’s “King of the B Movies,” and the 65 years old producer, writer, actor and host of public television’s “No Budget Cinema” can claim credits in nearly 300 of them. “I like to say that I’ve done everything but porn,” Wynkoop told Paul Guzzo in 2023. His latest…
Tampa’s Sacred Heart Catholic Church rebuilds bicycles and is about to give away its 3,000th ride
A church’s highest function is often reflected in how much help it can offer the most vulnerable in its community. Downtown Tampa’s 121-year-old Sacred Heart Catholic Church has long understood that, and its “Bikes from the Heart” ministry is a good example of that ideal. Led by lay volunteers (as in non-ordained people), and in…
Democratic hopefuls for Tampa Bay’s District 13 congressional seat weigh in on affordability and national defense
Republican incumbent Anna Paulina Luna and NPA candidate Tony D’Arrigo will soon learn which Democrat they’ll face in their race for congress. Pinellas County Teacher Brandt Robinson, Brig. Gen. Leela Gray, and activist John Liccione are the final contenders to the Democratic primary for District 13 Congress in Pinellas County—which also covers a small portion…
The Ybor Arts Tour returns this fall
Four years after its founding, the Ybor Arts Tour is going strong and making plans for its fall excursion. A press release says the no-cover, self-guided public tour will happen in October, highlighting the district’s galleries, along with visual artists, live performers and literary scene. Last spring, the biannual tour included 20 locations. So far,…
MFA St. Pete’s new exhibit brings the masks of four African artists to Beach Drive
We all wear masks, metaphorically speaking, and MFA St. Pete wants to explore that. St. Petersburg’s art museum goes global this summer and welcomes the work of four artists from central and west Africa to Beach Drive. “New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations” opens this weekend, and is on view just past New Years…
