Tampa Bay

Staff ReportsDecember 3, 2017

Four days after accusations of extensive sexual harassment, a Tampa City Fire Marshal took retirement — as well as nearly $68,000 in final pay. Charles Wesley Owen III is a 54-year-old Tampa resident and a licensed real estate agent. Tara Crawford is an African-American woman who lives in Hillsborough County. On Feb. 28, After 21 […]

Mitch PerryDecember 1, 2017

More than 6,300 registered voters in Florida House District 58 special election have already cast a ballot through the mail ahead of the Dec. 19 special election. Republican Lawrence McClure, Democrat Jose Vazquez, Libertarian Bryan Zemina and non-party-affiliated Ahmad Saadaldin are the choices for the voters in the district, which encompasses Plant City, Temple Terrace, Dover, Mango, […]

Mitch PerryNovember 30, 2017

With the way U.S. congressional districts are apportioned, any representative who wins their seat by less than five points is considered to be in a swing-seat district. That makes them potentially vulnerable in a re-election bid. Other (sometimes unforeseen) variables also determine the political landscape in an electoral cycle, such as a “wave” election that […]

Drew WilsonNovember 30, 2017

The qualifying period for two St. Pete Beach City Commission seats opened Thursday and would-be commissioners have until Dec. 8 to put their name down for the March election. The Pinellas County town of 10,000 pays commissioners $5,400 a year to meet twice a month. Up for grabs are the District 1 seat held by […]

Mitch PerryNovember 30, 2017

Like his father, state Rep. Chris Latvala of Clearwater is a proud Republican who doesn’t always toe the GOP line – a contrarian streak which sometimes gets him into trouble. Not that Latvala, son of longtime state Sen. Jack Latvala, is that worried about that perception. “My grade with the NRA is a ‘D.’ And I’m proud of […]

Mitch PerryNovember 29, 2017

Updated Gov. Rick Scott came to Tampa early Wednesday to thank the officers involved in the arrest of 24-year-old Howell Emanuel Donaldson III, the man suspected of killing four people in Seminole Heights over the past six weeks. “To the families of Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Ronald Felton, my heart goes out to […]

Mitch PerryNovember 28, 2017

Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan is “optimistic” a man with a gun at a McDonald’s restaurant in Ybor City Tuesday afternoon could be linked to four recent killings in Seminole Heights. Dugan said his agency received a tip at 2:45 p.m. of a man was brandishing a gun at the McDonald’s on E. 13th Avenue. The […]

Mitch PerryNovember 28, 2017

At an anti-poverty conference, state Sen. Jeff Brandes said that, if possible, he thinks it could be beneficial for the Legislature to work on policies that encourage millennials to marry before having children, though he acknowledged that’s unlikely to occur. “The regulatory effects from that would be game-changing,” the St. Petersburg Republican said during the […]

Peter SchorschNovember 28, 2017

A word of warning for Florida Democrats in 2018; be cautious about eyeing Pinellas County Sen. Jeff Brandes’ District 24 seat. After the somewhat surprising success of Rick Kriseman, who edged out former mayor Rick Baker, Florida Democrats are starting to think a “blue wave” will give them a legitimate shot at Brandes, the incumbent […]

Mitch PerryNovember 27, 2017

Cynthia Oster, who has been serving as the in-house attorney for the soon-to-be dismantled Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission, has been named by Gov. Rick Scott to serve as a judge in Hillsborough County Court. The 47-year-old Oster’s official position, which she has held for the past 17 years, was Senior Assistant County Attorney in Hillsborough. […]

Tampa Bay

Lawsuit shows Tampa Fire Marshal retiring days after accusations of super-pervy behavior

Over 6,300 people already voted in HD 58 special election

Larry Sabato ‘Crystal Ball’ moves Charlie Crist seat to ‘likely Democratic’

Qualifying period begins for St. Pete Beach City Commission

Chris Latvala goes to class

Rick Scott visits Tampa Police following arrest of Seminole Heights killer

Tampa Police ‘optimistic’ on possible break in Seminole Heights murders

Jeff Brandes on how criminal justice reform can address generational poverty

A warning for Democrats eyeing Jeff Brandes’ SD 24 seat in 2018

Hillsborough PTC attorney Cindy Oster named to county court