New: Tampa city fire inspectors are supposed to conduct 900 inspections a year.
But the firefighter union president did just 31 last year.
Still, he collects a six-figure fire inspector salary, on top of his union presidency pay.
tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

Update: Some have asked why the union prez wasn’t suspended until 12 days after his arrest.

Well, I’ve learnt the Mayor’s chief of staff knew about the arrest for over a week before the Tampa Fire Chief found out.

Three days after that, suspension began. tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

#Florida fire union head gets inspector’s salary but performs few inspections. Hmmmmm... tampabay.com/news/tampa/202… via Olivia George

Thank you, Lauren Groff, for keeping reading alive and well in Florida! Great story by Colette Bancroft tampabay.com/life-culture/a…

Thanks Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay for letting me chat about my fav things: local news, the power of storytelling & holding elected officials accountable!
One student said my loafers made me look “cool & strong.” Another wished Tampa had double-decker buses just like London.
The future is bright.

In Florida prisons, a package of ramen costs $1.06 — about three times more expensive than it costs on the outside, the The Appeal reports.

Our always working Colleen Wright with 2 more stories on #Rays stadium proposal:

* On how Democrat and Republican clubs agree on something
tampabay.com/news/st-peters…

* On if St. Pete can pay its share of the stadium and fund other projects
tampabay.com/news/st-peters…

Oh hey!! I know those people!!
Congrats to my superstar colleagues Sam Ogozalek, Helen Freund, Langston Taylor, Kirby Wilson, Hannah Critchfield, Rebecca Woolington Michelle Stark et al. 💓💓💓💓💓

I first saw this story via Stars & Stripes on Bluesky, popped over to see if anyone had a take. Didn't see it shared. Props to Olivia George for continuing to report on the unhoused from all angles.

tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

This is called family annihilation. It happens every 5 days in America.

I’ve tracked cases in the U.S. for the past four years and they keep going up. It’s heartbreaking.

indystar.com/story/news/inv…

Getting reports of a shooter near Tampa Armature Works. One of our staffers heard shots near Stones Throw and is now hiding. More on this here as it develops.

Providence friends please attend so I can live vicariously through you…
(also hyped to see lil Rhody featured on this Very Important List)

Nicole Travis, Tampa’s top official overseeing economic development, is leaving after 2yrs with Mayor Castor’s administration.

A central architect of the city’s housing agenda, she will surely be missed by many.

An excerpt from our interview last July...
tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

Excellent beat reporting: The email came a day after the Times detailed how the maneuver would have allowed him to access an annual pension payment worth at least $96,000 alongside a double-digit pay raise. via Olivia George tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

UPDATE: City officials have withdrawn this proposal from today’s agenda last minute.

The city attorney says this is to provide the City Council & the public “adequate time to have your concerns addressed,” per an email she sent yesterday at 8:29 p.m.

tampabay.com/news/tampa/202…

Thinking today about Pat Dore, the brain behind Florida’s privacy amendment. She saw it as an insurance policy for abortion access if Roe ever fell, and that’s how the court interpreted it for decades — until yesterday. tallahassee.com/story/news/loc…