Just as yesterday's Tampa City Council meeting was to begin came the news across the transom down at City Hall – Warren Buffett's company had just bought most of Media General's newspapers for $142 million.
Still left on the market was our own Tampa Tribune and a few smaller papers in the region.
What does that mean for the Trib and it's readers? The press release announcing the news said that Media General's Tampa properties were being considered by another company, with speculation centering around Halifax Media, which recently purchased a slew of papers in the state, such as the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the Gainesville Sun and the Lakeland Ledger.
Speaking of local media, WMNF radio – my former employer for over 9 years back in the aughts, has finally hired a new station manager .
And in still more media news, ABC 28's intense reporter Don Germaise is calling it a career after next week.
Tampa City Council members yesterday approved Bob Buckhorn's Event Zone ordinance for protesters at this summer's Republican National Convention, but aren't giving up the fight to ban guns from that aforementioned part of town where tensions could be high. Councilwoman Mary Mulhern led that charge.
Later in the day the Council talked homelessness, with a couple of members expressing their displeasure at being shut out of any public-private group attempting to deal with the issue led by Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman.
And check out our feature this week on the concept of bringing bike-sharing to Tampa and St. Pete.
This article appears in May 17-23, 2012.