Hometown clout behind St. Petersburg pier design team

What's in a name? A chamber official likes St. Pete Design Group's idea.

Yzerman: Lightning won't trade just to trade

Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said the odds of a deal are "50-50."

Documentary could be latest Winston element for Bucs to consider

TAMPA Jameis Winston doesn't look good on film. That isn't something you could say until now, given the Florida State star performed so well by losing only one game in two seasons with the Seminoles.

GOP leaders struggle to assert control in Congress

WASHINGTON — Two months into full Republican control of Congress, GOP leaders are struggling to demonstrate they really are in charge.

Rays: Tributes to late Don Zimmer begin

Signs of a Zimmer tribute The absence of senior adviser Don Zimmer, who died in June, is felt regularly at Rays camp. Saturday, the team gathered before the first full-squad workout to unveil a way to remember him, naming the path he used to drive his golf cart onto the fields Don Zimmer Way. Baseball operations president Matt …

Apryl Foster remembered as energetic, loving at memorial service

TAMPA — Before she died, Apryl Foster told her boss she believed in signs from above. They talked about the meaning of the river that flows by Ulele, the restaurant where she worked, and how water represents life to her.

Florida Orchestra's Weilerstein conducts, Gomyo solos through Adès, Brahms, Mozart

TAMPA — The kids are in charge. And they surely know how to handle their elders.

Hernando deputies investigating fatal stabbing in Spring Hill

SPRING HILL — A 32-year-old man who was stabbed multiple times died from his injuries on Saturday, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

Hernando deputies investigating fatal stabbing in Spring Hill

SPRING HILL — A 32-year-old man who was stabbed multiple times died from his injuries on Saturday, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

#CookClub bonus: Strawberry Shortcake

When the strawberries come into season in Florida, the rest of the country is usually shivering cold.

Tampa Bay Times and USF sign sponsorship agreement

The Tampa Bay Times and the University of South Florida have signed a three-year agreement in which the newspaper will be the sole print media company to sponsor both athletic and academic events at USF.

Look at what restaurants Tampa International Airport might be getting

TAMPA — If the bay area's most refined palates held a fantasy foodie draft while locked in the wine cellar at Bern's Steak House, they might dream up something like this:

Look at what restaurants Tampa International Airport might be getting

TAMPA — If the bay area's most refined palates held a fantasy foodie draft while locked in the wine cellar at Bern's Steak House, they might dream up something like this:

Home destroyed, five people displaced by fire in Largo

LARGO — Five people were displaced and a home was destroyed by a large fire in Largo on Friday morning, authorities said.

Come to Conquer: Florida Strawberry Festival

If you've eating strawberries lately, odds are they came from Tampa Bay. Each year, the Florida Strawberry Festival takes over Plant City to celebrate our status as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the U.S.The 20 million flats of strawberries picked in Tampa Bay between December and April each year, if laid end to end, would reach from here to Seattle and back.

Here's your guide to conquering our celebration of All Things Strawberry.

THE APP

Download it. It'll make everything a whole lot easier.

RIDES

Hit the Belle City Midway for rides that spin and whirl and thrill and generally get the adrenaline pumping. Rides start running at noon weekdays, 10 a.m. weekends. Planning to make a day of the midway? Pick up a $20 wristband and ride most everything for one price. Wristbands are good for different times on different days. Check the midway schedule for the details.

CONCERTS

Who’s performing at the Florida Strawberry Festival? A better question might be who’s not performing at the Florida Strawberry Festival. Alabama and Bobby Vinton opened the festival on Thursday. Country legend Loretta Lynn takes the stage March 6 and Reba closes things out March 8. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to see R&B and soul singers like Boyz II Men and John Legend perform as well as the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Oak Ridge Boys and Ricky Skaggs. Check out the entertainment list for the full roster.

CELEBRITIES

The stages will be loaded with stars, but you’ll also have a chance to get up meet celebrities less known for their musical skills. Troy, Chase and Jacob Landry from History Channel’s “Swamp People” reality show will visit on the weekends to shake hands and sign autographs. Competitive eaters will take the stage on March 1 for a regional qualifying round of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. The final contest is held each July 4 on Coney Island, N.Y. Also on hand: Mr. Berry, official festival mascot, and Raymond, the mascot of the Tampa Bay Rays.

FOR THE KIDS

A family-friendly even like the Florida Strawberry Festival is loaded with things for the kids. You’ll find most of them at the Sunnybell Kiddie Korral. The minimum height runs between 30 and 36 inches for most rides. A few are for bigger kids. Adults with tickets or wristbands can ride along.

FOOD

There's shortcake, of course. Lots and lots of shortcake. Sign up for the Strawberry Shortcake Eating Contest and see if you can devour four pounds of shortcake with berrries and whipped cream in the allotted 10 minutes. Shortcake not your thing? Then try the Strawberry Spaghetti Eating Contest or the Strawberry Mashed Potato Pie Eating Contest. If strawberries aren't your thing, there's always the Corn Dog Eating Contest and Fried Corn on the Cob Eating Contest. If you like to consume your food at a more leisurely pace, there's plenty of time for that, too.

LIVESTOCK

Strawberries are the star of the show at this festival, but it's still a celebration in farm country. That means Future Farmers of America exhibits and animals: steers, beef cattle, dairy cows, pigs, lambs, poultry, and rabbits.

Olbermann's entertaining traits also infuriate

Tampa Bay Times sports columnist Tom Jones gives his Two Cents on the latest happenings in the world of sports. Media story of the week

US, Cuba restart embassy talks; breakthrough seems unlikely

WASHINGTON — The U.S. and Cuba held a second round of negotiations Friday on restoring diplomatic relations after a half-century interruption, although an immediate breakthrough appeared unlikely.

Top things to do in Tampa Bay for Saturday Feb. 28

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts: Some 300 artists in a wide variety of styles vie prize money, while shoppers can take in the adjacent chalk art show and kids get their own art collector's boutique and hands-on activties. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Curtis Hixon Park, 600 N Ashley Drive, Tampa. Free; …

Deputies search for suspects in shooting outside Snax Food Store in Tampa

TAMPA — Hillsborough Sheriff's deputies are searching for two men and a woman they say were involved in a shooting Thursday outside the Snax Food Store on Sligh Avenue.

You're Invited to Chimpanzee Patsy's 53rd Birthday!

Busch Gardens’ oldest chimpanzee, Patsy, will be turning 53 years old on March 1 and the animal care team is celebrating Mardi Gras-style! The celebration will begin at 1 p.m. at Myombe Reserve with presents, “cake” and other enrichment activities, including masks and fleur de les stuffed with treats. Plus, a birthday party isn’t complete without a birthday banner!

Patsy has been at Busch Gardens since 1964. She is the fourth oldest female chimpanzee in North America. In managed care, chimps can live into their 60s and 70s! The picture below is from her 50th birthday party.

Due to habitat loss and poaching, there are only four subspecies of chimpanzee left in the wild today. Busch Gardens is proud of its long-standing relationship with the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center at Emory University, the site of some of the most well-respected primate research programs in the world.

Busch Gardens has partnered with the Yerkes Center on several primate conservation research programs including the Tana River Primate Research Center in Southeast Kenya and in-park behavioral research.

The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund also supports the New Nature Foundation’s Kibale Fuel Wood Project and Kibale Eco-Char Initiative. Their project basically promotes eco-char or eco-briquettes, which are an environmental alternative for cooking instead of getting firewood from the park. The briquettes are made from various recyclable materials, including avocado pits, peanut shells, saw dust, or vegetable peels. In the past, the local communities have gone into the forest to cut down wood for cooking, thus leading to habitat loss for the animals in the park, including chimps.

Be sure to stop by Myombe Reserve and celebrate with us! Plus, we are always celebrating animal birthdays. Celebrate throughout the year with us with a Busch Gardens Fun Card! For a limited time, you’ll also get a FREE Adventure Island Fun Card.

Finding Fletcher: A man's search for what became of his troubled childhood best friend

CLEARWATER A single spotlight illuminated one end of an otherwise dark room at the Pinellas-Pasco County Medical Examiner's office. William Pellan sat behind a computer, eyes fixed to the image of a dead man. Everything I needed to know was on that screen, glowing on his face. But Florida law forbids non-family inspection of autopsy …

How Tampa Bay became a "foodie" paradise

Do the words "locally sourced produce" make your pulse quicken? Is your Instagram page chockful of sexy snaps of you shopping for dry-aged beef in the hippest, selfie-coolest new market? Did you fake a sick day at work to celebrate the joyous arrival of a Trader Joe's to your city?

Warren Elly, in the fight of his life against cancer

Editor's note: Warren Elly, who retired from WTVT-Ch. 13 in 2011, was diagnosed with cancer late last year and has spent every day since then chronicling his life in his blog, "The Way Forward." Elly granted the Tampa Bay Times permission to publish excerpts from his blog, and wrote this introduction:

5 Ways to Unlock Tampa Bay this weekend

Florida Strawberry Festival (Feb. 26-March 8)

Things you didn’t know about Tampa Bay: It is the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. Those luscious red fruits (don't they look delicious?) ripen on farms throughout the Tampa Bay area from October through March. Celebrate the harvest at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. If you love strawberries, you’ll find them here. Same with carnival rides. It’s also a music lover’s dream. This year’s line-up includes: country music legends Loretta Lynn, Alabama, and the Oak Ridge Boys; R&B crooner John Legend and Boys II Men; and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

Zoominations: Chinese Lantern Festival (Feb. 28-May 31)

Ring in the Year of the Goat with a Sichuan-style Chinese Lantern Festival at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. Zoominations fills the zoos plazas and pathways with lighted sculptures hand-crafted by an army of artisans directly from Sichuan, the home of lantern festivals for 2,000 years. Visitors to the evening show will walk among dragons and rhinos and other beasts captured in steel, silk and light. A replica of the Beijing Temple of Heaven will dominate the entrance to the zoo.

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts (Feb. 28-March 1)

The 45th Annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts continues Tampa Bay’s two-month Gasparilla Season with one of the country’s most highly rated outdoor fine-art and craft shows. Hundreds of artists from across the country will display their work in downtown’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. A nationally respected art juror will judge the works and choose the best for Saturday’s award ceremony. Tampa Museum of Art will host Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts' Chalk Walk, when 10 artists create large chalk drawings on the plaza under the museum’s eaves.

Florida Aquarium 20th anniversary (March 1)

The Florida Aquarium celebrates its 20th birthday in March. To celebrate, the aquarium is launching a new dive show: “Secret Sea Life Superheroes.” More events are planned throughout the year.

Bay Area Renaissance Festival (weekends through March 29)

The sound of “zounds!” abounds on the grounds of MOSI, the Museum of Science and Industry as the Bay Area Renaissance Festival continues its run. For sooth, ‘tis the time to see jousting, juggling and just about anything you can imagine from the sunnier side of the centuries between Chaucer and Shakespeare.

Things to Do on the North Suncoast, Feb. 27

Art events Art on display: The Pasco Fine Arts Council's "Members Only Show" is currently on display at 5744 Moog Road, Holiday. There will be a reception for the show from 4 to 6 p.m. March 6, during which awards will be presented to artists. Refreshments will be served. The council also needs artists to submit poems and …

17 Reasons to visit Tampa Bay in March

There’s so much to discover in March in Tampa Bay! We’re in the middle of our eight-week Gasparilla Season, so from the first day to the last, March is packed with treasures waiting to be unlocked: art, culture, sports, movies, music.

Don’t just visit Tampa Bay in March; take over!

Florida Strawberry Festival (Feb. 26-March 8)

Things you didn’t know about Tampa Bay: It is the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. Those luscious red fruits ripen on farms throughout the Tampa Bay area from October through March. Celebrate the harvest at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. If you love strawberries, you’ll find them here. Same with carnival rides. It’s also a music lover’s dream. This year’s line-up includes: country music legends Loretta Lynn, Alabama, and the Oak Ridge Boys; R&B crooner John Legend and Boys II Men; and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

Zoominations: A Chinese Lantern Festival (Feb. 28-May 31)

Ring in the Year of the Goat with a Sichuan-style Chinese Lantern Festival at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. Zoominations fills the zoo’s plazas and pathways with lighted sculptures hand-crafted by an army of artisans directly from Sichuan, the home of lantern festivals for 2,000 years.

Visitors to the evening show will walk among dragons and rhinos and other beasts captured in steel, silk and light. A replica of the Beijing Temple of Heaven will dominate the entrance to the zoo.

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts (Feb. 28-March 1)

The 45th Annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts continues Tampa Bay’s two-month Gasparilla Season with one of the country’s most highly rated outdoor fine-art and craft shows. Hundreds of artists from across the country will display their work in downtown’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. A nationally respected art juror will judge the works and choose the best for Saturday’s award ceremony.

Florida Aquarium 20th anniversary (March 1)

The Florida Aquarium celebrates its 20th birthday in March. To celebrate, the aquarium is launching a new dive show: “Secret Sea Life Superheroes.” Visitors will participate to learn about the amazing sea life that calls our oceans home. More events are planned throughout the year.

New York Yankees Spring Training (March 4-April 3)

Pitchers and catchers reported Feb. 20. Spring Training officially gets going in Tampa Bay March 4 when the Yankees take on the Phillies at Tampa Bay’s Steinbrenner Field. Now’s your chance to see how the season’s shaping up before Opening Day in April.

Gasparilla Music Festival (March 7-8)

Seattle indie rock band Modest Mouse headlines Tampa Bay’s biggest music festival in downtown’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Kyle Gardens. The festival's four stages will fill downtown with the sounds of rock, jazz, acoustic and gospel music. Get your tickets now.

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival (weekends through April)

Busch Gardens Tampa’s first food and wine festival will fill the park with delectable delicacies, local libations and major-league musical acts – all part of regular admission. Visitors can sample Tampa Bay’s growing reputation as a foodie and craft beer destination. Musical acts include country legend Kenny Rogers, Kool & the Gang and Gavin DeGraw.

Bay Area Renaissance Festival (weekends through March 29)

The sound of “zounds!” abounds on the grounds of MOSI, the Museum of Science and Industry as the Bay Area Renaissance Festival continues its run. For sooth, ‘tis the time to see jousting, juggling and just about anything you can imagine from the sunnier side of the centuries between Chaucer and Shakespeare.

American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell (March 7-May 31)

Few artists are as closely associated with the virtues of American society quite as closely as Norman Rockwell. His covers of the Saturday Evening Post and his landmark paintings known as the Four Freedoms earned him a place in America’s cultural pantheon. The Tampa Museum of Art celebrates Rockwell when American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell goes on display for two months.

Peking Acrobats (March 8)

Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts will host breath-taking feats of balance and agility when the Peking Acrobats take the stage. You’ll find out how many acrobats will fit on a single bicycle and just how tightly a human being can fold herself to fit into a tiny space.

Madame Butterfly (March 13-15)

Opera Tampa celebrates its 20th anniversary by bringing Puccini’s masterpiece to life at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts’ Morsani Hall. Set in early 20th Century Japan, the opera tells the story of American Navy Lt. Pinkerton, the geisha he marries and the tragedy that ensues. Soprano Yunah Lee debuts as the title character. The performance is in Italian with English superscripts.

River O’ Green (March 14)

The luck of the Irish takes over downtown with a St. Patrick’s Day festival in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. The beer will be green. So will the Hillsborough River.

PGA Valspar Championship (March 12-15)

The Copperhead course at Tampa Bay’s Innisbrook Resort will once again host the PGA Valspar Championship. The total purse for the tournament is $5.9 million with the winner taking home just over $1 million. Last year’s winner, John Senden, made the Valspar his second career victory after conquering the “Snake Pit.”

Journey & Steve Miller (March 14)

Whether you can fly like an eagle or have to ride a jet airliner, you should take the money and run to Tampa Bay’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre with two of the most celebrated bands of the 1970s and 1980s share the stage. Don’t stop believin’ that this show will be done any way you want it.

Gasparilla Criterium and Cycling Festival (March 21)

For one day, the streets of downtown turn into a race course for 600 of the country’s best road cyclists. Line the sidewalks along the route to watch the racers swoop through tight turns and blaze down straightaways.

Gasparilla International Film Festival (March 24-29)

Sean Astin, star of the 1980s classic Goonies and the stalwart Sam Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings film series, will open the 2015 Gasparilla International Film Festival on March 24 with a screening of his film “The Surface” at the Tampa Theatre. Afterward, the festival will move its 100 feature films, documentaries and shorts to Channelside Cinemas at Channelside Bay Plaza. NOTE: Site goes live March 2.

Tampa Pride Festival (March 28)

Tampa Bay’s LGBT community knows how to throw a party. They’re throwing a big one to celebrate, among other things, the arrival of same-sex marriage in Florida. The family- and pet-friendly festival will include a parade down Seventh Avenue through the heart of Ybor City and a street fair on Eighth Avenue.

Muslim group: 'Jihadi John' resembles man who grew up in UK

LONDON — A British-accented militant who has appeared in beheading videos released by the Islamic State group in Syria bears "striking similarities" to a man who grew up in London, a Muslim lobbying group said Thursday.

Pasco sheriff to announce arrest in 1992 cold case

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office on Thursday plans to announce an arrest in a 1992 cold case.

Sheriff Chris Nocco will discuss an update to the case at 12:30 p.m. in New Port Richey, according to the Sheriff's Office.

No further details were immediately available. Stay with tampabay.com for updates.

Country music, shortcake and carnival rides: Florida Strawberry Festival arrives today

PLANT CITY — Big-time musical acts and southern charm, flavored, of course, by a heaping of strawberries, are among the attractions to be found today as the annual Florida Strawberry Festival kicks off at 10 a.m.

Mote Marine founding director Eugenie Clark dies at 92

Eugenie Clark, whose childhood rapture with fish in a New York City aquarium led to a life of scholarly adventure in the littorals and depths of the Seven Seas and to a global reputation as a marine biologist and expert on sharks, died Wednesday at her home in Sarasota, Florida. She was 92.

Mote Marine founding director Eugenie Clark dies at 92

Eugenie Clark, whose childhood rapture with fish in a New York City aquarium led to a life of scholarly adventure in the littorals and depths of the Seven Seas and to a global reputation as a marine biologist and expert on sharks, died Wednesday at her home in Sarasota, Florida. She was 92.

Reports: Josh Hamilton has drug relapse

TEMPE, Ariz. — Angels leftfielder Josh Hamilton, who has had drug and alcohol problems, met with Major League Baseball officials about a binge that involved cocaine a few months ago, cbssports.com reported Wednesday.

Navigating Special Needs Laws

When your child is in need of a special learning plan, it can be intimidating. The terms 504 and IEP are used constantly but what do …

The post Navigating Special Needs Laws appeared first on Tampa Bay Parenting.

Post-beetles, a new tree planted in memory of Beatles' George Harrison

LOS ANGELES — George Harrison was quoting ancient spiritual wisdom when he titled his 1970 solo album All Things Must Pass, never suspecting that the proverb would one day apply to the fate of a pine tree planted in his memory in Los Angeles' Griffith Park.

Nude paintings are part of Gasparilla Festival of the Arts history

Nude paintings, among other works, are part of the art show's 45-year history.

Upgrades coming to Pinellas County jail facilities

LARGO — The County Commission approved a project Tuesday that will renovate parts of the Pinellas County jail.

Tennessee authorities investigating cause of Dade City Dr. Daniel McBath's death

Times Staff Writer A Dade City doctor, accused by Florida health officials of misconduct, died this week at his sister's house in Sevier County, Tenn., his brother said.

Busch Gardens: Meet the baby cheetahs

The Squee! meter just hit the red zone.

Say hello to baby cheetahs Thabo ("Joy") and Tendai ("Thankful"), Busch Gardens Tampa's newest animal additions.

They're 3 months old and could not possibly be any cuter.

I can feel my blood sugar rising just looking at them.

You can look at them for now at Edge of Africa exhibit or by taking a behind the scenes tour of the park's Animal Care Center.

Eventually, the cubs will join the rest of Busch Gardens Tampa's cheetahs in the exhibit associated with the Cheetah Hunt rollercoaster. The coaster, launched in 2011, spends most of this time running horizontally, weaving and turning with the speed and agility of its namesake. Three launchers along the route keep the cars powering along.

The cheetahs were born in November. When they're mature, they may become part of Busch Gardens' breeding program aimed at preserving the cats, which are shrinking in numbers in their home on the Serengeti Plain of Africa.

Cheetahs are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and as a threatened species by the US Endangered Species Act.

Thabo and Tendai were born as part of Busch Gardens' role in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan, which manages threatened or endangered species populations within AZA-accredited facilities.

Tampa police look to stem rash of food delivery robberies

TAMPA — Tampa police want local businesses to be aware of a rash of robberies that have targeted food delivery drivers in recent months throughout the city.

From Salade Nicoise to mussels, recipes for one

The biggest food change when the nest is empty? It's rather simple.

Pedal-powered tour of Tampa Bay

Plenty of people paddle their way around Tampa Bay's sparkling waterfront. Now they can do it by pedal.

Tampa Water Bike Co., the newest addition to Tampa Bay's growing waterfront, is featured today in 83 Degrees, our local online magazine.

Owners Dan and Amanda Fleischbein rent water bikes -- pontoon-mounted bikes with a pedal-powered propeller -- and biyaks -- kayaks riders pedal rather than paddle. The company works from the public docks outside the Tampa Convention Center and Sail Pavilion, 333 S. Franklin St.

The water bikes cruise along at 5 mph and are so stable your dog can ride shotgun!

From the saddle of your water bike or from the seat of your biyak, you get a few of downtown's skyline that few people get to see.

Water bikes and biyaks can travel east along Garrison Channel as far as the edge of the Port of Tampa's secure zone, south down Seddon Channel between Davis Islands and Harbour Island, or north up the Hillsborough River as far as your legs can power you.

Wave to the land-lubbers strolling the Tampa Riverwalk as you pedal by.

In the evening, watch from the water as downtown's bridge and the Tampa Museum of Art come to life with shifting colored lights.

Busch Gardens Welcomes Two Baby Cheetahs!

Busch Gardens Tampa has welcomed two new adorable additions – three-month-old cheetah cubs. The Busch Gardens animal care team is providing 24-hour-care as the cubs continue to get stronger and explore their new home.

The cubs were born on Nov. 22, 2014 and weigh approximately 12 pounds. Their names, which were given by the Busch Gardens animal care team, are Tendai, meaning “thankful,” and Thabo, meaning “joy.”

Busch Gardenszoo curator, Laura Wittish, shares some insight on the cheetah cubs and their cute personalities.

“Tendai has the tendency to be the first one to explore new things and areas and is more curious than his brother,” she says, “Thabo is more watchful from a distance and then jumps in once he sees that Tendai is having fun.”

Once the cubs are old enough, they will start their own coalition as part of Cheetah Run, the innovative cheetah habitat that opened alongside Busch Gardens’ triple-launch coaster, Cheetah Hunt, in 2011. Until then, guests can see the cubs at various times throughout the day in the Edge of Africa area of the park, or by taking an Animal Care Center Behind The Scenes tour.

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Cheetahs are included on both the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list of vulnerable species as well as on the US Endangered Species Act list of threatened species. Upon reaching maturity, the cubs may also become an important part of Busch Gardens’ cheetah breeding program that will help boost the cheetah population.

These births are part of Busch Gardens’ participation in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP). The mission of the SSP is to cooperatively manage specific, and typically threatened or endangered, species populations within AZA-accredited facilities. Busch Gardens’ participation helps create genetically diverse, self-sustaining populations to guarantee the long-term future of these animals.

Busch Gardens is owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment™, one of the world’s foremost zoological organizations and a worldwide leader in animal welfare, training, husbandry and veterinary care. The company cares for one of the largest animal collections in North America and has helped lead advances in the care of species in zoological facilities and in the conservation of wild populations.

Visit the cubs throughout the year and watch them grow with a Busch Gardens Fun Card. And for a limited time, you can get a FREE Adventure Island Fun Card!

Stay connected with the cubs' progress on Busch Gardens' Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, where we will be posting more photos, videos and blogs about Tendai and Thabo.

Photo gallery: Palm Harbor veterinarian cares for bald eagle that collided with car

PALM HARBOR — The female bald eagle was likely trying to land near some road kill when it collided with the car that broke its right wing, the vet says.

Hottest restaurant newcomers at Sundial in St. Petersburg off to ambitious start

The highly anticipated FarmTable Kitchen, Sea Salt and Ruth's Chris Steak House are now open. Each brings something a little different to the table.

The Palladim Chamber Players kick off 2015 season

Classical music is always so grand, magnificent and moving when performed by a full orchestra. But music can be just as powerful on a more intimate scale.

2 Beard nominations for Tampa Bay

Greg Baker, executive chef and owner of The Refinery and Fodder & Shine, has scored another nomination for the prestigious James Beard Award.

Baker was nominated as a semifinalist in the Best Chef: South category.He's competing against 19 other chefs, seven others from Florida.

The awards are presented by the James Beard Foundation. Tampa Bay chefs and restaurants are regularly named as nominees.

Tampa Bay's other nominee was Bern's Steakhouse. The Tampa Bay institution, home to the world's largest wine cellar, is one of 20 restaurants from across the country nominated in the Outstanding Wine Program category.

Baker operates The Refinery and Fodder & Shine in Tampa Bay's hipster haven, the Seminole Height neighborhood.

He opened Fodder & Shine in December to celebrate Florida's historic "Cracker" cuisine -- the food eaten by Florida's cattle-ranching American settlers between the Civil War and World War II. The settlers were called Crackers because of the same their whips made as they rounded up cattle in the state's swamps and palmetto thickets.

This is Baker's fourth nomination by the Beard Foundation.

Andrei Vasilevskiy's work ethic sets him apart

TAMPA — Nobody was blaming rookie goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Avalanche.

Home sales booming in Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay's housing market started the new year with a bang as year-over-year sales of single-family homes rose in January.

Drivers urged to use caution as dense fog sets into Tampa Bay

Thick fog cloaked Tampa Bay early Monday, dropping visibility on roadways across the region.

'Birdman' soars at 87th Academy Awards (w/video)

An avant-garde film claims the top award as the best picture.

Columba Bush backs Jeb Bush, but is wary of public life

A wary Columba Bush supports her husband Jeb's presidential bid.

Matt Hagan extends NHRA Funny Car winning streak to three

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Matt Hagan earned his second consecutive Funny Car victory of the season Sunday in the Carquest NHRA Nationals.

PunditFact: Why Obama won't label ISIS 'Islamic' extremists

Something as simple as how to define the enemy in the United States' current fight in the Middle East has become a focal point in recent days.

The underwear that's no-see-um

When Hollywood walked the red carpet Sunday night for the Oscars, one label was worn surreptitiously by many of the A-list stars. But it was not a secret couture line or, heaven forbid, something from the local mall.

Elegant White, Black and Gold Renaissance Vinoy Wedding | St. Pete, FL

Elegant White, Black and Gold Renaissance Vinoy Wedding Kari and Trip’s elegant St. Petersburg wedding featured long feasting tables, gold chiavari chairs and calla lily centerpieces. The Navy bride and groom incorporated a variety of personal touches such as a globe guest book, ornament escort cards (handmade by the groom’s mother) and an elaborate groom’s cake […]

The post Elegant White, Black and Gold Renaissance Vinoy Wedding | St. Pete, FL appeared first on Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Blog.

Big tobacco companies fight public admission they lied about smoking (w/video)

WASHINGTON — Never underestimate the staying power of big tobacco.

Wrong way driver in Hillsborough nearly collides with USF police cruiser

TAMPA — A driver who turned into the wrong lane on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard early Saturday and nearly collided head-on with a University of South Florida police cruiser was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Corey Allen scores 28 in USF's loss to East Carolina

GREENVILLE, N.C. — A sloppy first half and a poor-shooting second were too much to overcome for USF in a 73-60 loss to East Carolina on Saturday.

Holiday man arrested for bank robbery

HOLIDAY — A man who robbed a Bank of America last week and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash was arrested by Pasco County sheriff's deputies Friday afternoon.

Florida Orchestra presents a joyful, sparkling night of Beethoven

TAMPA — Everyone wants to hear Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. It's the one everyone knows, the one that transcends space and time. Beethoven was confronting his worsening deafness in the Fifth, and it's tinged with doom and madness, and finally, victory!

Can It Be OCD?

We all have thoughts or habits that nag at us. Some people feel that they have to butter their toast a certain way, or that they …

The post Can It Be OCD? appeared first on Tampa Bay Parenting.

Poll finds widespread misperceptions about the Common Core standards

WASHINGTON — Many Americans are confused about the Common Core State Standards, according to a new poll that finds widespread misperceptions that the academic standards, which cover only math and reading, extend to topics such as sex education, evolution, global warming and the American Revolution.

Readers comment on business news

Florida adds jobs, but … Feb. 12

Ex-Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell sentenced to 1 year (w/video)

RICHMOND, Va. — Former Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell was sentenced Friday to one year and 1 day in prison for her role in a bribery scheme that destroyed her husband's political career.

Jeb Bush's private investments in fracking dovetail with public advocacy

In the summer of 2013, well before he became an all-but-declared presidential candidate, Jeb Bush spoke to conservatives gathered in New York. He talked up the promise of education reform, immigration and policies to boost America's economy — standard lecture circuit talk for which the former Florida governor often commanded $40,000 a …

Jeb Bush's private investments in fracking dovetail with public advocacy

In the summer of 2013, well before he became an all-but-declared presidential candidate, Jeb Bush spoke to conservatives gathered in New York. He talked up the promise of education reform, immigration and policies to boost America's economy — standard lecture circuit talk for which the former Florida governor often commanded $40,000 a …

Come to Conquer: Lights on Tampa

Chicago-based artist Nick Cave brings his “Heard” dance performance to Tampa Bay on Feb. 20-21 during that weekend’s Lights on Tampa art festival.

Cave will headline the festival, which will feature a variety of art installations using light as their medium as they take over downtown’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Kiley Gardens on Friday and Saturday evenings. The festival is free and family-friendly.

Lights on Tampa’s organizers commissioned Nick Cave to present “Heard” at this year’s festival. Cave is famous for making “sound suits” – almost Seussian inventions that stimulate the senses as well as the imagination. In the case of “Heard,” the sound mimics wind through the grass-covered plains. It’s embodied by dancers paired off as 30 horses with flowing, multicolored grass coats that gallop and trot around the stage. Cave has presented the performance piece around the world, including at Grand Central Station in New York and at the University of North Texas. Tampa Bay’s Straz Center for the Performing Arts, the largest performing arts center in the Southeast, and the Tampa Museum of Art are partners in the performance. The performance will be on the Great Lawn in the center of Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.

Lights on Tampa started in 2006 and returns to downtown every few years with new installations that change the way residents and visitors interact with some of the city’s most prominent landmarks. This year is the first that the festival includes dance, music and poetry along with the visual arts.

“Lights on Tampa creates a unique opportunity for visitors to get to know Tampa in an entirely new way,” said Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, the lead tourism company for Hillsborough County. “Each time Lights on Tampa takes place, it leaves a legacy for future residents and visitors to enjoy.”

This year’s legacy project will be “River Lights,” an underwater installation along the Tampa Riverwalk that will light from within the river that flows through the heart of the city. Motion detectors installed along the Riverwalk will trigger the lights to shift colors as walkers and cyclists pass by, making the artwork truly interactive. The underwater lights will also attract fish and other wildlife, which will cast shadows on the surface other water, revealing the life that thrives just below the water’s surface. The installation will remain after Lights on Tampa closes.

Lights on Tampa’s interactive components also include “Sky Striker,” an installation inspired by the classic carnival Test-of-Strength game. As with those games, visitors will swing a hammer and propel a weight toward the bell at the top of the scale. “Sky Striker” expands on that idea by registering the results of the game in lights ringing Rivergate Tower, downtown’s iconic cylindrical skyscraper. Ring the bell, and each of the tower’s 31 floors lights up one after another.

“Urban Pixels” and “Recurrence” will fill Kiley Gardens at the base of Rivergate Tower with two very difference light projects.

“Urban Pixels” scatters lighted four-sided pyramids that can be assembled in a range of shaped to create new designs. The project was designed by Tampa-based Urban Conga, which installed a public ping-pong table in a downtown Tampa park and has invented a xylophone-like musical bench now in use in Guam.

“Recurrence” will create a field of lighted rods standing vertically amid the plaza’s grid of grass squares and concrete paths. The lights will change and shift in height and intensity to mimic the tidal flow of the Hilllsborough River just a few yards away.

Tampa Bay poet Silvia Curbelo provided the wording for “Uplit,” a lighted billboard-style sign that will tower over the events of Lights on Tampa for the weekend. Curbelo’s simple poem was chosen from a number of submissions by writers and poets from around the area.

The final installation, “Shadow Plays,” is a returning project that combines light, music and dance that projects back-light images on enormous screens mounted in the park.

Lights on Tampa is the latest iteration of Tampa Bay’s growing number of light-based art installations. Current installations include: “Sky (Tampa),” which turns the Tampa Museum of Art’s 14,000-square-foot perforated metal façade into a shifting palette of colors; and “Agua Luces,” which lights the city’s five downtown bridges in colors that reflect off the surface of the river below them. Lights also turn the façade of the Aloft Tampa Downtown into a glowing art installation in its own right.

Florida lawmakers punt on stadium funding decision

TALLAHASSEE — A much-anticipated decision about divvying up sales-tax dollars to sports-stadium projects was handed-off to the full Legislature on Thursday.

Tampa International rises in rankings

Travelers passing through Tampa International Airport continue to pile praise upon Tampa Bay's gateway to the world.

As the Tampa Bay Business Journal reports, that TIA rose a notch in the latest Airport Council International's Air Service Quality Award, reaching No. 2 in 2014 just behind Indianapolis and ahead of Jacksonville. TIA was No. 3 on the list in 2013.

TIA was ranked against 43 U.S. airports and 200 internationally.

Internationally, TIA ranks No. 5 in the world behind airports in China, Korea and Cancun, Mexico. It's the only American airport to reach that high on the survey in 2014.

The survey is an international benchmark for airports. It tracks 34 key areas of airport service across eight categories, including access, check-in, security, facilities, dining, shopping and more. All airports are compared using the same set of questions presented to travelers using the airports.

The awards will be presented this year in Dead Sea, Jordan.

Airports Council International is a 24-year-old trade association of airports across the world.

The council made its announcement just a few weeks after TIA embarked on a $1 billion set of improvements that will expand the terminal, add new shopping and outdoor dining, a new car-rental station and a people-mover to get travelers there.

TIA will add its newest international airline in September when German carrier Lufthansa begins direct service to Frankfurt.

Tampa Bay approaches record low temperatures

It appeared early Friday that multiple areas in Tampa Bay may have surpassed or tied record low temperatures as bitter cold set into the region overnight, said Bay News 9 meteorologist Juli Marquez.

Tampa Bay approaches record low temperatures

It appeared early Friday that multiple areas in Tampa Bay may have surpassed or tied record low temperatures as bitter cold set into the region overnight, said Bay News 9 meteorologist Juli Marquez.

Florida's surging construction industry faces worker shortage

TAMPA — Since joining his father's construction crew when he was 16, Casey Ellison has ridden 21 years of Florida building booms and busts.

Florida's surging construction industry faces worker shortage

TAMPA — Since joining his father's construction crew when he was 16, Casey Ellison has ridden 21 years of Florida building booms and busts.

Two escape from burning mobile home in Largo

LARGO — More than two dozen firefighters extinguished a blaze that heavily damaged a mobile home Thursday afternoon, Largo Fire Rescue said.

Orthotics Are Important for Foot and Ankle Pain

Is foot pain normal? Are the Dr. Scholl inserts good enough? Are Happy Feet orthotics custom? The answer to all three questions is a resounding NO! Any foot pain is not normal and you should seek a podiatrist to help … Continue reading →

The post Orthotics Are Important for Foot and Ankle Pain appeared first on Advanced Podiatry.

Two escape from burning mobile home in Largo

LARGO — More than two dozen firefighters extinguished a blaze that heavily damaged a mobile home Thursday afternoon, Largo Fire Rescue said.

Kentucky town has had enough of cold, issues warrant for Elsa of 'Frozen' (w/video)

HARLAN, Ky. — The cold might not bother Disney's Queen Elsa, but it's wreaking enough havoc in Kentucky that a police department announced a joke warrant for the popular Frozen character's arrest.

More details emerge of Warren Sapp's prostitution arrest (w/ video)

Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Warren Sapp told authorities he paid two women $300 each to perform sex acts before his arrest earlier this month in Phoenix, according to a …

Three candidates compete for two Belleair commission seats

A commissioner and the deputy mayor face a former colleague.

FSU rallies to beat Boston College

TALLAHASSEE — Junior guard Devon Bookert scored 18 and freshman forward Phil Cofer added 13 points and nine rebounds to lead Florida State to its sixth win in nine games, 69-60 over Boston College on Wednesday night.

Hofbrauhaus St. Petersburg hopes for June opening at former Tramor Cafeteria

In downtown's world of flavors, the Hofbrauhaus is a newcomer.

Lantern festival lights Lowry Park

An ancient Chinese tradition takes over Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo starting Feb. 28 when Zoominations comes to Tampa Bay.

Workers from the Sechuan province of China, home to the lantern festival, arrived earlier this month to begin building their illuminated sculptures throughout the zoo.

The festival will run for three months. It's the first festival of its kind in the Southeast U.S.

The enormous lighted dragons, elephants and scenes are made from from steel wire, silk and satin. They'll will be lit with LED lights.

When it opens, Zoominations will feature 30 displays spread across Lowry Park's 26 acres. The art will cover traditional Chinese themes from nature and folk lore, along with larger-than-life zoo animals such as elephants and rhinos.

A key feature of the exhibit will be a reproduction of the 600-year-old Beijing Temple of Heaven.

Lantern festivals have part of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations for 2,000 years. Celebrations run from mid-February through early March in China. New Year falls on March 5 this year.

The festival at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo will include Chinese acrobats and a market with handmade crafts. You can find out more at the Zoominations Facebook page.

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). It has been rated No. 1 by Parents magazine, “10 Best Zoos,” (2009) and Child magazine, "The 10 Best Zoos for Kids" (2004).

The Zoo is located at 1101 W. Sligh Avenue in Tampa, one mile west of I-275 (exit 48) and is open seven days a week, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Parking is free.

How to Sell Like Cookie on Fox’s Empire Show

Millions of viewers tune into Fox’s new show Empire created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong. Each week, people are glued to the set. Some watch it for the relatable family drama or… Continue reading →

Review: Annie at the Straz is a work of classic cuteness

TAMPA — If you're taking in a performance of Annie, leave your cold, crusty, cynical hearts back in the meat locker. It's about to get real cute.

Longtime Dunedin baseball coach sees positives at Palm Harbor University High

Tom Hilbert sees positives at Palm Harbor University.

Postcard Inn sold as St. Pete Beach development agreement inches forward

A lawyer says St. Pete Beach's comprehensive plan agreement hurts the hotel's owners.

Lights on Tampa will leave a legacy

River Lights

This weekend's Lights on Tampa festival will fill downtown's Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Kiley Gardens with drumming, dance and interactive art installations that will turn the city itself into a canvas after night falls.

The festival is free and family-friendly.

After the festival ends on Sunday morning, one art piece will find a permanent home downtown.

"River Lights" will be Lights on Tampa's addition to Tampa Bay's growing collection of public art that uses light as its palette and the city as its canvas.

"River Lights," by Wannamacher Jensen Architects is an underwater installation along the Tampa Riverwalk that will light from within the Hillsborough River as it flows through the heart of the city.

Motion detectors installed along the Riverwalk will trigger the lights to shift colors as walkers and cyclists pass by, making the artwork truly interactive.

The underwater lights will also attractive fish and other wildlife, which will cast shadows on the surface other water, revealing the life that thrives just below the water’s surface.

Chicago artist Nick Cave and his “Heard” dance performance will headline the festival. This is the first year the festival has added a performance component.

"Heard" will run at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on a stage built in the center of the park.

Lights on Tampa’s organizers commissioned Nick Cave to present “Heard” at this year’s festival. Cave is famous for making “sound suits” – almost Seussian inventions that stimulate the senses as well as the imagination. In the case of “Heard,” the sound mimics wind through the grass-covered plains. It’s embodied by dancers paired off as 30 horses with flowing, multicolored grass coats that gallop and trot around the stage.

Cave has presented "Heard" around the world, including at Grand Central Station in New York and at the University of North Texas (shown in the video above). Tampa Bay’s Straz Center for the Performing Arts, the largest performing arts center in the Southeast, and the Tampa Museum of Art are partners in the performance. The performance will be on the Great Lawn in the center of Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.

The rest of this year's Lights on Tampa projects include:

Sky Striker

Ever tried one of those ring-the-bell strongman carnival games? "Sky Striker" takes that up a notch using one of downtown's most iconic buildings -- the 31 story Rivergate Tower. Visitors will swing a hammer and propel a weight toward the bell at the top of the scale and see the results rendered in rings of light wrapped around the cylindrical skyscraper. No pressure.

Urban Pixels, Recurrence

“Urban Pixels” and “Recurrence” will fill Kiley Gardens at the base of Rivergate Tower with two very difference light projects.
“Urban Pixels” scatters lighted four-sided pyramids that can be assembled in a range of shaped to create new designs. The project was designed by Tampa-based Urban Conga, which installed a public ping-pong table in a downtown Tampa park and has invented a xylophone-like musical bench now in use in Guam.
“Recurrence” will create a field of lighted rods standing vertically amid the plaza’s grid of grass squares and concrete paths. The lights will change and shift in height and intensity to mimic the tidal flow of the Hilllsborough River just a few yards away.

Uplit

Tampa Bay poet Silvia Curbelo provided the wording for “Uplit,” a lighted billboard-style sign that will tower over the events of Lights on Tampa for the weekend. Curbelo’s simple poem was chosen from a number of submissions by writers and poets from around the area.

Shadows

The final installation, “Shadow Plays,” is a returning project that combines light, music and dance that projects back-light images on enormous screens mounted in the park.

Lights on Tampa is the latest iteration of Tampa Bay’s growing number of light-based art installations. Current installations include: “Sky (Tampa),” which turns the Tampa Museum of Art’s 14,000-square-foot perforated metal façade into a shifting palette of colors; and “Agua Luces,” which lights the city’s five downtown bridges in colors that reflect off the surface of the river below them. Lights also turn the façade of the Aloft Tampa Downtown into a glowing art installation in its own right.

Meet new Tampa Bay Times food editor Michelle Stark (w/video)

My passion for food runs deep, whether it's my love for cooking nearly everything I eat from scratch or the fact that I always have a spare banana in my purse. Quite simply, I love food — making it, eating it, reading about it. As the new Tampa Bay Times food editor, I bring that passion to the Times' food content, in these …

Distance Classic race roster hits a record

If you're one of those folks who were planning to register late for this weekend's Gasparilla Distance Classic, time is running out.

About 1,000 spaces remain for Saturday's 5K run, walk and stroller roll that starts at the corner of Franklin and Brorein streets near the Tampa Convention Center.

Go here to register while there's still time.

Be warned: you'll be joined by 14,000 of your closest friends, so wear your steel-toes running shoes.

Tampa Bay's premier running event has signed up 30,000 racers this year -- a record. Registration is closed for the 8K, 15K, and half-marathon.

The prize purse offers $8,000 for the first American-born winner (eligible to represent the USA in future races).

If, like some of us (ahem), you only when you're being chased -- and then only by a bear or a really angry bee -- come on out to Bayshore Boulevard and cheer on the people who are doing all the work.

Races start around 9 a.m. The 5K and 15K races will run on Saturday; 8K and half-marathon race on Sunday.

The Gasparilla Distance Classic is the latest installment of the eight-week roster of festivals, parties and events we in Tampa Bay call Gasparilla Season.

Next up: Gasparilla Festival of the Arts Feb. 28 through March 1.

Brace for a snark attack: 'Sharknado 3' is filming in Orlando this week

The makers of Sharknado 3 and swarms of B-list celebrities are in the Sunshine State this week because apparently we can't get enough of these logic-defying disaster movies about a swirling cloud of killer sharks that are so bad they're gold.

Distance Classic draws record number of racers

If you're one of those folks who were planning to register late for this weekend's Gasparilla Distance Classic, time is running out.

About 1,000 spaces remain for Saturday's 5K run, walk and stroller roll that starts at the corner of Franklin and Brorein streets near the Tampa Convention Center.

Go here to register while there's still time.

Be warned: you'll be joined by 14,000 of your closest friends, so wear your steel-toes running shoes.

Tampa Bay's premier running event has signed up 30,000 racers this year -- a record. Registration is closed for the 8K, 15K, and half-marathon.

The prize purse offers $8,000 for the first American-born winner (eligible to represent the USA in future races).

If, like some of us (ahem), you only when you're being chased -- and then only by a bear or a really angry bee -- come on out to Bayshore Boulevard and cheer on the people who are doing all the work.

Races start around 9 a.m. The 5K and 15K races will run on Saturday; 8K and half-marathon race on Sunday.

The Gasparilla Distance Classic is the latest installment of the eight-week roster of festivals, parties and events we in Tampa Bay call Gasparilla Season.

Next up: Gasparilla Festival of the Arts Feb. 28 through March 1.

Michelle Stark is the Tampa Bay Times' new food editor

My passion for food runs deep, whether it's my love for cooking nearly everything I eat from scratch or the fact that I always have a spare banana in my purse. Quite simply, I love food — making it, eating it, reading about it. As the new Tampa Bay Times food editor, I bring that passion to the Times' food content, in these …

Hernando School Board puts off discussion of redrawing school boundaries

BROOKSVILLE — The Hernando County School Board took up the always-controversial task of redrawing school zones on Tuesday and, after hearing from angry parents, decided to put it off for a while.

Immigration Q&A: What happens now in the legal fight over Obama's plans?

WASHINGTON — The court fight over President Barack Obama's plan to shield as many as 5 million immigrants from deportation involves a number of complex legal issues. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen in Texas issued an order late Monday at least temporarily blocking the program from going forward.

Immigration Q&A: What happens now in the legal fight over Obama's plans?

WASHINGTON — The court fight over President Barack Obama's plan to shield as many as 5 million immigrants from deportation involves a number of complex legal issues. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen in Texas issued an order late Monday at least temporarily blocking the program from going forward.

Ahead of heavy rains, Coast Guard searches for fishermen missing off Pasco

UPDATE (11:39 a.m.): A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer found 17-year-old William Coffey eight miles offshore. He was in a debris field west of Hudson Beach, clinging to a life jacket and suffering from hypothermia, according to the Coast Guard. Rescuers flew him to Tampa General Hospital. Anthony Coffey is still …

Fat Friday? Dunedin cancels Mardis Gras parade, reschedules it during Lent

Dunedin canceled Tuesday's annual celebration of Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, "due to the forecast of inclement weather," the city announced on its website this morning. It was rescheduled as the Tardy Mardi Party, from 4–11 p.m. Friday, with a 7:30 p.m. parade, vendors and entertainment.

Ahead of heavy rains, U.S. Coast Guard searches for fishermen missing off Pasco coast

UPDATE (11:39 a.m.): A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer located one of the men near Hudson Beach. He was wearing a life jacket. No further information was immediately available. *****

$10 million donation creates Lynn Pippenger School of Accounting at USF

Retired Raymond James Financial executive Lynn Pippenger has donated $10 million to a University of South Florida School of Accounting that will bear her name.

Pippenger said she comes from a long line of bookkeepers. "I am very, very honored and excited to have my name on the school," she said.

"Heard" gallops into Tampa Bay

Chicago artist Nick Cave brings his “Heard” dance performance to Tampa Bay this weekend during the Lights on Tampa art festival.

Cave will headline the festival, which will feature a variety of art installations using light as their medium as they take over downtown’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Kiley Gardens on Friday and Saturday evenings. This is the first year the festival has added a performance component.

The festival is free and family-friendly.

Lights on Tampa started in 2006 and returns to downtown every few years with new installations that change the way residents and visitors interact with some of the city’s most prominent landmarks. This year is the first that the festival includes dance, music and poetry along with the visual arts.

Lights on Tampa’s organizers commissioned Nick Cave to present “Heard” at this year’s festival. Cave is famous for making “sound suits” – almost Seussian inventions that stimulate the senses as well as the imagination. In the case of “Heard,” the sound mimics wind through the grass-covered plains. It’s embodied by dancers paired off as 30 horses with flowing, multicolored grass coats that gallop and trot around the stage.

Cave described his mindset in an interview late last year with the Chicago Tribune as "fearlessness."

"Being bold is being basically louder. Being fearless, I think, allows you to be subtle and effective. I think there is a difference. Boldness is in your face. In a sense, boldness, creatively, is a horn. But fearlessness, that is about taking charge, finding your ground. Fearlessness is a different action altogether from boldness. Dress, for instance: Someone could come in here and be dressed in big, bright colors and just kind of...[pop]. But someone could come in here dressed in all black, too. One will be louder. And they are both bold, in a sense. But one is also subtle. The person in black doesn't necessarily have anything to prove."

Cave has presented "Heard" around the world, including at Grand Central Station in New York and at the University of North Texas (shown in the video above). Tampa Bay’s Straz Center for the Performing Arts, the largest performing arts center in the Southeast, and the Tampa Museum of Art are partners in the performance. The performance will be on the Great Lawn in the center of Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.

The rest of this year's Lights on Tampa projects include:

River Lights

This year’s legacy project will be an underwater installation along the Tampa Riverwalk that will light from within the river that flows through the heart of the city. Motion detectors installed along the Riverwalk will trigger the lights to shift colors as walkers and cyclists pass by, making the artwork truly interactive. The underwater lights will also attractive fish and other wildlife, which will cast shadows on the surface other water, revealing the life that thrives just below the water’s surface. The installation will remain after Lights on Tampa closes.

Sky Striker

Ever tried one of those ring-the-bell strongman carnival games? "Sky Striker" takes that up a notch using one of downtown's most iconic buildings -- the 31 story Rivergate Tower. Visitors will swing a hammer and propel a weight toward the bell at the top of the scale and see the results rendered in rings of light wrapped around the cylindrical skyscraper. No pressure.

Urban Pixels, Recurrence

“Urban Pixels” and “Recurrence” will fill Kiley Gardens at the base of Rivergate Tower with two very difference light projects.
“Urban Pixels” scatters lighted four-sided pyramids that can be assembled in a range of shaped to create new designs. The project was designed by Tampa-based Urban Conga, which installed a public ping-pong table in a downtown Tampa park and has invented a xylophone-like musical bench now in use in Guam.
“Recurrence” will create a field of lighted rods standing vertically amid the plaza’s grid of grass squares and concrete paths. The lights will change and shift in height and intensity to mimic the tidal flow of the Hilllsborough River just a few yards away.

Uplit

Tampa Bay poet Silvia Curbelo provided the wording for “Uplit,” a lighted billboard-style sign that will tower over the events of Lights on Tampa for the weekend. Curbelo’s simple poem was chosen from a number of submissions by writers and poets from around the area.

Shadows

The final installation, “Shadow Plays,” is a returning project that combines light, music and dance that projects back-light images on enormous screens mounted in the park.

Lights on Tampa is the latest iteration of Tampa Bay’s growing number of light-based art installations. Current installations include: “Sky (Tampa),” which turns the Tampa Museum of Art’s 14,000-square-foot perforated metal façade into a shifting palette of colors; and “Agua Luces,” which lights the city’s five downtown bridges in colors that reflect off the surface of the river below them. Lights also turn the façade of the Aloft Tampa Downtown into a glowing art installation in its own right.

Police investigating Busch Boulevard murder

TAMPA - Tampa Police are investigating a homicide after a man calling 911 at 2 a.m. reported a body in a pool of blood in a parking lot at 4139 E Busch Boulevard. There authorities found a male victim who had "upper body trauma," police said. Detectives found an abandoned vehicle at the corner of N 27th Street and Busch Boulevard and have …

Fat Friday? Dunedin cancels Mardis Gras parade today, looking for new date

Dunedin's annual Mardi Gras celebration has been canceled for today, also known as Fat Tuesday, "due to the forecast of inclement weather," the city announced on its website this morning

Texas judge stalls Obama's executive action on immigration

HOUSTON — A federal judge in South Texas has temporarily blocked President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration, giving a coalition of 26 states time to pursue a lawsuit that aims to permanently stop the orders.

SWAT team dispatched to report of a hostage situation in St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG — Police responded to a report of a hostage situation in a home at 58th Avenue N and 13th Street just before 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Police looking for man accused of exposing himself to girl getting off school bus in Tampa

TAMPA — Police are looking for a man suspected of exposing himself to a young girl after she got off her school bus Monday afternoon.

Lower gas prices pump up snack sales at convenience marts

Higher spending on snacks pumps up stores' bottom lines.

New Homes in Riverview Florida 33569/33578/33579

Search all the Riverview FL homes for sale here in list view or below. Riverview has fast become one Tampa Bay’s hottest community and a great place to call home. Did you know Riverview was voted for CNN’s top smallest communities in America? We love our Riverview community and would the opportunity to help you […]

Senate President Andy Gardiner wants review of services after Phoebe Jonchuck's death

TALLAHASSEE — Senate President Andy Gardiner wants the state to focus more on mental-health issues after the child-welfare system was stunned by the death of a 5-year-old Phoebe Jonchuck whose father is accused of dropping her into Tampa Bay.

Judge issues no-contact order against NASCAR's Kurt Busch

DOVER, Del. — NASCAR driver Kurt Busch was ordered by a judge to stay away from his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll and not communicate with her.

Busch Gardens Welcomes Newest Baby Gorilla!

Busch Gardens® Tampa has welcomed another endangered western lowland gorilla. The one-week-old female gorilla was born on Feb. 6 at 8:30 p.m. and is being cared for by 27-year-old mother Mary. This birth brings the gorilla troop to seven.

Get a first look at the baby here:

“The first month will be the critical period as the mother, Mary, and the infant begin to integrate into the current gorilla troop, so the Busch Gardens animal care team will be monitoring their progress closely,” said Jeff Andrews, vice president of zoological operations for Busch Gardens.

This is Busch Gardens’ third successful gorilla birth. Bolingo, the suspected sire, was the park’s first gorilla birth in 2005. The mother, Mary, came to Busch Gardens in February 2010 from Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas with daughter Pele, who just gave birth this past December to baby Enzi.

This birth is part of Busch Gardens’ participation in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP). The mission of the SSP is to cooperatively manage specific, and typically threatened or endangered, species populations within AZA-accredited facilities. Busch Gardens’ participation helps create genetically diverse, self-sustaining populations to guarantee the long-term future of these animals.

There are only five subspecies of gorillas left in the wild due to habitat loss and poaching. The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is committed to sustaining their populations by supporting various initiatives, including the Mbeli Bai Gorilla Study in Northern Congo.

Learn more about western lowland goriallas on your next visit to the Myombe Reserve habitat at Busch Gardens. Plus, in the coming days the baby gorilla will be seen there along with the rest of the gorilla troop. Also, be sure to stay connected for updates on the baby gorilla and more on Busch Gardens' Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Two injured in Palm Harbor three-vehicle crash

PALM HARBOR — Two people were hurt Monday afternoon in a traffic crash on Alt. U.S. 19, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Two injured in Palm Harbor three-vehicle crash

PALM HARBOR — Two people were hurt Monday afternoon in a traffic crash on Alt. U.S. 19, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Winter storm slams the South; bitter cold freezes Northeast

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Snow swirled sideways in Kentucky and the typically bustling state capital of Frankfort came to frozen halt Monday as a storm walloped parts of the South, which unlike the Northeast, had been mostly spared this winter.

Gov trumpets tourism in Tampa Bay

Florida owes the country and the world 97.3 million Thank You's.

Gov. Rick Scott announced that Florida had hosted 97.3 million tourism in 2014, a record number.

He made his announcement this morning with Tampa International Airport's $1 billion expansion as his backdrop.

Every one of those 97.3 million visitors meant jobs for people in Florida. They also gave rise to projects like the TIA expansion, which will create even more jobs over the next several years, the governor said.

For Tampa Bay, 2014 was a record year, with new hotels like Aloft, Le Meridien and the Epicurean, renovations to existing hotels, new restaurants like Ulele, Fodder and Shine, and Ava, new attractions like Busch Gardens' Falcon's Fury ride and major events like the International Indian Film Academy's four-day awards festival.

"Florida is hot and Hillsborough is on fire," Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrada told the crowd.

Tampa Bay continues to grow as a tourism destination. After adding several international flights via Copa Airlines and Edeweiss Air in the past few years, our international reach will grow again in September when Lufthansa starts flying direct between Tampa and Frankfurt, Germany. We're also going to be a port of call for German cruise line AIDA for the next two years.

Editorial cartoons for Feb. 14-16

These cartoons are from various Times wire services.

Behind the Scenes of our February Cover Shoot

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at a photo-shoot? Check out this peek behind the curtain of our photo shoot with cover kid Raigan …

The post Behind the Scenes of our February Cover Shoot appeared first on Tampa Bay Parenting.

5 ways to cook with strawberries: Jam, salsa, Brie and chocolate grilled cheese

Don't limit these seasonal delights to shortcakes and smoothies. They work deliciously in sangria, salsa, even grilled cheese.

Investigators offer timeline leading up to Brandon woman's disappearance

TAMPA — Police on Monday offered a timeline of the hours leading up to a 33-year-old Brandon woman's disappearance in Ybor City last Thursday.

Top things to do in Tampa Bay for Feb. 17

Dunedin Mardi Gras: Today is Fat Tuesday and this big street party and parade features colorful floats, local celebrities, beads and plenty of beer, wine and food for sale. A free concert begins at approximately 5:30 p.m. The "mermaids and mermen" inspired parade steps off from the Florida Auto Exchange Stadium at 7:30 p.m. There will …

Food fight: Here's the right way to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

In this series we acknowledge there's just something about certain foods or ways of preparing dishes that people can be simply insufferable about. There is no debate; this is how it should be done. We're going to put ourselves out there and declare how certain things should be done — and release the hounds of debate. Feel free …

#CookClub bonus recipe: Turkey Tetrazzini

The history of well-known recipes is always interesting to me.

#CookClub bonus recipe: Turkey Tetrazzini

The history of well-known recipes is always interesting to me.

Surveyors determine new height for Washington Monument that lops off 10 inches

WASHINGTON — Government surveyors have determined a new height for the Washington Monument that's nearly 10 inches shorter than what has been thought for more than 130 years, officials will announce Monday.

Officials believe fire in Pasco storage facility was arson

Pasco fire officials early Monday were investigating a two-alarm blaze in a storage facility in Holiday as suspected arson, a county spokesman said.

Surprise Downtown Tampa Wedding Proposal

Surprise Downtown Tampa, FL Wedding Proposal Coming off Valentine’s Day weekend, I thought it only appropriate to publish a surprise Tampa wedding engagement. Getting engaged is such a special moment in your life, yet we rarely have pictures of it. However, this Tampa groom-to-be didn’t just ask a passerby to take a few snapshots of his proposal at […]

The post Surprise Downtown Tampa Wedding Proposal appeared first on Marry Me Tampa Bay Wedding Blog.

Tom Jones' Shooting from the Lip

tom jones' two cents



Tampa Bay Times sports columnist Tom Jones looks back at the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports. Most disappointing news

Is Tampa Bay 'Ritz-y' enough for a five-star hotel?

Tampa Bay isn't able to launch itself into the 5-star stratosphere in hotel ratings. Building a top-tier resort is quite costly, and some say not worth it for this market.

Brandt Snedeker wins Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Brandt Snedeker broke a scoring record he set and won the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am for the second time in three years Sunday.

Ready-New-Homes – 33569/33578/33579 – Riverview Florida

Search all the Riverview FL homes for sale here in list view or below. Riverview has fast become one Tampa Bay’s hottest community and a great place to call home. Did you know Riverview was voted for CNN’s top smallest communities in America? We love our Riverview community and would the opportunity to help you […]

Captain's Corner: Inshore fishing is great

The first half of February has been phenomenal for inshore fishing. That being said, the cold front that pushed through this weekend may put a damper on things for three or four days. Luckily, the bite has been better in the afternoon. This will allow the water and air temperatures to warm a bit. The bite on the incoming tide has been the best. …

Jeff Gordon earns Daytona 500 pole under controversial format

DAYTONA BEACH — Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson outsmarted the field Sunday to sweep the front row for the Daytona 500, with Gordon earning the pole in what will be his final start in "The Great American Race."

Jeff Gordon earns Daytona 500 pole under controversial format

DAYTONA BEACH — Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson outsmarted the field Sunday to sweep the front row for the Daytona 500, with Gordon earning the pole in what will be his final start in "The Great American Race."

USF women lose to East Carolina to end first week in Top 25

GREENVILLE, N.C. — The No. 25 South Florida women nearly erased a 15-point deficit but came up just short, falling to East Carolina 65-64 on Sunday to end its first week ever in the AP poll.

Trooper arrests two for DUI, driving wrong-way in Tampa

A Florida Highway Patrol trooper arrested two people in Tampa on charges of driving the wrong way and under the influence in separate incidents Saturday evening and early Sunday morning.

Brandon man arrested on arson charges

A Brandon man was arrested on arson charges after his house caught fire early Sunday morning, authorities said.

Baseball: Seminole takes Georgiadis title

SEMINOLE — It is only February but Seminole sent out an early message: there's no quit in the Warhawks this year.

Sunnis may exit Iraq parliament after sheik's slaying

BAGHDAD — The brazen kidnapping and slaying of a Sunni sheik and eight members of his entourage in the Iraqi capital was met with outrage by Sunni politicians Saturday, deepening sectarian distrust and threatening to tear apart the fragile government.

Revelry, floats light up Ybor at annual Knight Parade

TAMPA — Revelers hooted and danced. They jumped with outstretched arms.

Count on Bucs to count on a QB at No. 1

TAMPA — Almost every day, expect to read another story about which way the Bucs are leaning with the No. 1 overall draft pick: Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota? It's amusing. We're talking about a quarterback, not the Tower of Pisa.

Are Florida schools ready for new computerized tests? Some say no

Ahead of the March 2 start of computer-centric tests, some worry the system won't hold up.

Are Florida schools ready for new computerized tests? Some say no

Ahead of the March 2 start of computer-centric tests, some worry the system won't hold up.

Jim Furyk leads Pebble Beach National Pro-Am; John Daly misses cut

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — In his first PGA Tour event in five months, Jim Furyk wasted no time giving himself a chance for his first win in more than four years.

Valentine's Day Group Wedding includes same-sex couples for first time

MONICA HERNDON | Times Fifty-eight couples, including Nancy Jimenez (center-left, in black) and Annette Cortes (center-right, in white), were married during the 9th Annual Valentine's Day Group Wedding on Saturday at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo. Four additional couples renewed their vows.