All articles tagged with #tampa
Florida is experiencing its largest dengue outbreak in decades, with over 250 locally acquired cases reported in 2026. Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties have declared states of emergency to fund aggressive mosquito control. While most infections are mild, the surge includes one death and highlights the expanding reach of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in the US.
Gay Small, an 80-year-old woman from Tampa, died on Sept. 4 at Tampa General Hospital from dengue fever—Florida's first dengue-related fatality in nearly a century—as locally transmitted cases rise in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Health officials urge residents to use insect repellent, drain standing water, and wear protective clothing to reduce risk from the mosquitoes that spread dengue.
Ken Greene, a 9/11 survivor and former Port Authority aviation official who helped evacuate hundreds from the World Trade Center, now lives in Tampa, where he keeps a photo of fallen colleagues and continues sharing his experience—teaching airport management, reflecting on security changes, and urging younger generations to remember the day as the 25th anniversary approaches.
Facing a dengue uptick in the Tampa Bay area, Hillsborough and Pasco counties are deploying nighttime ULV helicopter spraying to target Aedes aegypti, with at least 59 Hillsborough cases this year and spread to Pinellas, Pasco, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. The operation, conducted via cross-county collaboration and aided by multiple counties, aims to interrupt the mosquito life cycle over several weeks, while officials stress safety measures like staying indoors during spraying, closing windows, and removing standing water to reduce breeding.
WalletHub’s 2026 study names Orlando, Miami and Tampa as the top three places to retire in the US, with Fort Lauderdale at eighth. The ranking compares 182 cities across affordability, activities, quality of life and health care; Florida cities dominate the Top 10, with Miami excelling in retirees’ activities and volunteer opportunities that boost its score.
WalletHub's 2026 Best and Worst Places to Retire ranks Florida cities at the top, with Orlando, Miami and Tampa leading due to low taxes, favorable cost of living and strong senior amenities like healthcare and recreational opportunities; Scottsdale and Casper follow for quality of life and affordability, while the bottom five retiree spots are Stockton, San Bernardino, Newark, Fresno and Rancho Cucamonga in California. The report emphasizes balancing taxes and expenses with opportunities for paid work or volunteering, plus political considerations around Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Deadline reports that Hooters: The Movie, an independent film about the chicken-wing chain’s origins, is in the works with Hooters’ founding partners producing and Jon Rosenbaum directing; Ed Droste, Phil Olson and Chuck Melcher wrote the screenplay, with casting underway and filming eyed for November in the Tampa/Clearwater area, detailing how Ted and Lenny started a national empire and the first Hooters Girl.
Tampa City Council approved the Rays’ stadium funding package (roughly $876 million in public money toward a $2.3 billion project), with the team providing about $1.4 billion in private funds and handling cost overruns; construction could start soon if Hillsborough County approves its share, aiming for Opening Day 2029 near the Dale Mabry Campus in Tampa.
Tampa Bay weighs a Rays stadium financed with public funds, anchored by Hillsborough College land and nearby development. Proponents argue it could spur revenue and community improvements, while risks include uncertain tax receipts, fast-tracked milestones, possible attendance shortfalls, and legal questions—making it far from a slam dunk.
The Tampa Bay Rays released a Community Benefits Agreement detailing long-term goals (transit planning, affordable housing, anti-displacement, workforce development, minority- and women-owned business participation) tied to a proposed Tampa stadium, with 65% of benefits to Hillsborough County and 35% to Tampa, and plans for annual implementation updates and a public annual Community Report Card as votes approach.
The Tampa Bay Rays have reached a near-final financing agreement with Tampa and Hillsborough County for a new stadium, with final documents due next week and votes anticipated on Aug. 27 (city) and Aug. 28 (county). The package revises the prior plan by adjusting the city’s share, maintains a $976 million public contribution, and contemplates an $80 million city loan plus a possible $100 million Rays loan to be repaid from future property tax revenues tied to a surrounding mixed-use development; several commissioners and council members have raised questions, signaling a tight, closely watched approval process and potential last-minute changes.
A five-year-old in South Tampa, Laine Nipper, suffers severe brain inflammation from an autoimmune encephalitis caused by MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). After emergency surgery and a prolonged hospital stay, she enters months of intensive rehabilitation across locations, backed by a community that launched and sustained a “Pray for Laine” campaign with signs, fundraisers, and billboard support. Through music, speech, and other therapies—and with an eye-tracking device to aid communication—Laine shows progress while doctors manage ongoing IVIG treatments and the unpredictable trajectory of her recovery. The family remains hopeful, cherishing small milestones as they navigate an uncertain but determined road ahead.
Victoria Zardoya, 20, Milania Giudice's childhood best friend, died from injuries after a fall at the Fort Dade ruins on Egmont Key near Tampa, Florida. The group was exploring the ruins when Zardoya reportedly fell on stairs; she was transported to a hospital by medical helicopter and died two days later.
The Tampa Bay Rays released renderings for a privately funded, $8 billion mixed-use district surrounding its proposed Hillsborough College/Dale Mabry stadium site, planned to include office space, retail, dining and hospitality across more than 100 acres. The project aims to create a walkable neighborhood around the ballpark, with additional renderings, including a revamped Hillsborough College portion, to be released soon. Rays CEO Ken Babby says the development is about more than baseball and has attracted Fortune 500 interest, though financing details have not been shared.
Tampa’s City Council, acting as the CRA Board, again delayed a vote on the Rays’ proposed stadium after removing the Aug. 20 agenda item amid concerns the CRA hasn’t been adequately consulted; the current draft envisions roughly $976 million in public funding, including $180 million from the city, $100 million from the CRA and $80 million from the Community Investment Tax, with terms unclear if city money is excluded and Rays officials signaling the CRA may be left out of the final deal.