Category: Government & Public Affairs

Midtown Moments: Black History Month

By Abigail Payne Black History Month in St. Petersburg had a productive start this 2017. For the second year in a row, Mayor Rick Kriseman rose the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum flag above City Hall. The event took place on Feb. 1, 2017, to jump start Black History Month. It represented… Continue reading Midtown Moments: Black History Month

Colorful cast vies for Gulfport Council seats

GULFPORT — When voters go to the polls on Tuesday, they will decide whether to reward two City Council incumbents with another two-year term. One incumbent has drawn token opposition. The other has drawn a crowd. Linda Bailey filed to run in Ward 2 in November, then essentially disappeared. She did not attend two candidate… Continue reading Colorful cast vies for Gulfport Council seats

Community Grant Program to Up Its Funding In 2017

CRA Grant Distribution

The city of St. Petersburg approved the CRA, a community redevelopment financing grant. Find out more about what this means for the Midtown community in the link below. Read the full article in The Weekly Challenger: http://theweeklychallenger.com/community-grant-program-to-up-its-funding-in-2017/

Where are the voices of Midtown in the Tropicana Field redevelopment?

Tropicana Field, known as “The Dome” to locals, rests on the bones of the Gas Plant community, which was torn down in the ’80s to make way for the Trop. Midtown residents have raised concerns about the decisions regarding the stadium’s redevelopment.

“Even though the construction of Tropicana Field did, in some ways, bring new life to the city according to some, the stadium was a catalyst for a lot of the rebirth of downtown St. Petersburg, but to many in Midtown it remains a point of contention.” Written by NNB student Erin Murphy, this article was… Continue reading Where are the voices of Midtown in the Tropicana Field redevelopment?

John Lewis talks to St. Petersburg

photo by Jonah King, John Lewis and Charlie Crist preparing to talk to the crowd

Lewis speaks on the importance of voting, optimism in the face of fear, and endorses Charlie Crist BY JONAH KING Neighborhood News Bureau Civil rights is a 9-word problem: “Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, I Have a Dream.” Those nine words are the universal American understanding of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. Another two… Continue reading John Lewis talks to St. Petersburg

Voting tomorrow? See how candidates address Midtown’s concerns

BY MOLLY CURLS Neighborhood News Bureau ST. PETERSBURG — As the unprecedented presidential election takes the nation by storm, coverage of local politics is suffering. On Tuesday’s ballot, several races will have profound and immediate effects on St. Petersburg’s Midtown community. This year, Republican incumbent Marco Rubio, who fell out of favor with Florida in… Continue reading Voting tomorrow? See how candidates address Midtown’s concerns

Centerpiece of Midtown loses its limelight

BY JASON SAAB NNB Reporter [Edited by Katie Callihan] MIDTOWN – The Manhattan Casino opened its doors in 1927 and was the centerpiece of Midtown St. Petersburg. It was founded by Elder Jordan, a Midtown community member and local entrepreneur. His ultimate goal for the casino was to create a space for the Midtown community… Continue reading Centerpiece of Midtown loses its limelight

Flag raised over City Hall commemorates 40 years of Black History Month

BY LAURA MULROONEY NNB Reporter ST. PETERSBURG – History was made February 1 at City Hall. Amid applause, whoops and laughter, Mayor Rick Kriseman raised a flag over City Hall commemorating 40 years of Black History Month. The flag featured the likeness of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an educator, author and historian who is known as… Continue reading Flag raised over City Hall commemorates 40 years of Black History Month

County launches new program for struggling schools

BY ANNA STEBBINS, IVY CEBALLO, DAVID STONER, JADE ISAACS AND KATIE CALLIHAN NNB Reporters MIDTOWN- Midtown schools are still undergoing the process of bringing in money for teacher training, in hopes for a better classroom atmosphere, but could the most important part be the passion of the teachers? After being deemed “Failure Factories” in 2015, Midtown… Continue reading County launches new program for struggling schools

Kriseman addresses gun violence, Midtown neighborhood problems in ‘State of City’ speech

BY SAMANTHA PUTTERMAN FOR THE CROW’S NEST: Mayor Rick Kriseman addressed issues of gun violence that claimed the lives of seven people and Midtown problems including the education gap and high unemployment during his annual State of the City speech Saturday, Jan. 23. “We are addressing the risk factors that affect our children and young… Continue reading Kriseman addresses gun violence, Midtown neighborhood problems in ‘State of City’ speech