Is Tampa Bay the 'next Austin'?

Locals react to immigration reform proposal; Darryl Shaw retiring as BluePearl CEO; MLB cancels first 2 regular-season series

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View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Wednesday, March 2, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Good morning, Tampa Bay. Take advantage of sunny, clear skies today with a high of 81 and a low of 56. A few highlights: Mayor Ken Welch comments on St. Petersburg’s relationship with its sister city in Russia; Florida lawmakers propose new rules for nursing home visitors; and USF names its finalists in the search for a new president. [DIRK SHADD | Times] Tampa Bay leaders look to learn from other cities amid booming growth The region is growing fast. But with rapid development comes a set of challenges that may be unavoidable. Think rising home prices or higher transportation costs.   Can Tampa Bay keep up the explosive growth without losing what makes it great in the first place?   St. Petersburg and Tampa officials are turning to cities like Austin to find out. Dive deeper into your favorite local subjects 📨 Our free email newsletters bring the best of the Tampa Bay Times to your inbox every week. Explore all of them here. AROUND THE BAY Winning over some skeptics: Mary O'Connor, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor's police chief appointee, is gaining support from key community leaders. But not everyone wants the City Council to vote yes on her confirmation.   USF presidential finalists: The university named interim leader Rhea Law and former U.S. Army Reserve Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley as top candidates for the job.   Referendum under consideration: At the urging of the teacher union, the Pasco County School Board plans to explore a property tax increase in support of higher faculty and staff pay.   BluePearl CEO retiring: Real estate investor Daryl Shaw will leave the Tampa veterinary company to focus on his Ybor City development projects, including a potential Rays stadium site.   Tampa insurance startup steps in: Slide is acquiring $400 million in premiums from St. Johns Insurance Co., in the wake of the Florida property insurer losing its "A" rating assessment.   High-dollar deal: A Tampa digital video production firm closed on a $17 million seed investment, which will help expand its virtual network locally and beyond.   Proving ground for climate change affects: Florida's experiences have helped shape a new UN report on global warming. Here are four ways how.   Drugstore fish? FIU researchers find that prescription drugs are contaminating marine life in the state.   Facing extortion charge: The director of a Tarpon Springs pain management clinic threatened to report fake positive drug tests unless patients had sex with him, police say. BRIGHT SPOT [AYA DIAB | Times] Local landmarks light up to stand in solidarity with Ukraine Tampa's Old City Hall and downtown bridges glowed blue and yellow over the weekend, showing support for the country amid the Russian invasion. The Straz Center has followed suit. Check it out.   Want to get involved? We made a list of ways to donate your time or money to help Ukraine from Tampa Bay. CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS UPDATES AT TAMPABAY.COM/CORONAVIRUS "Pandemic isn't over": As the U.S. drops safeguards like masking and social distancing, immunocompromised people and others who face high risks from COVID-19 speak out about being left behind.   Nursing home visitor rules: Proposals in the Florida Legislature would establish broad protections for facilities and hospital visitors — some going against federal COVID-19 guidelines. Public health experts worry the bills might be too broad.   Vaccine doses: See how Florida compares to other states. POLITICS Maintaining its ties: St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch says Russian aggression in Ukraine won't change the city's relationship with its sister city. But St. Pete supports Ukraine, he said, and Pier district light poles will be illuminated in blue and yellow as a sign of solidarity.   Critical election: Tarpon Springs has four open city commission seats. Find out where the eight candidates stand on a variety of issues, from development to climate change.   Immigration reform bill: A new measure would allow undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. to stay, but local reaction to the legislation is mixed.   State of the Union address: PolitiFact takes a look at President Joe Biden's speech Tuesday night and fact-checks some of his remarks. Meanwhile, here's how Florida lawmakers described the state of our union in one word. 📹 Find us on YouTube The Tampa Bay Times video team produces special reports, sports coverage and more. Follow along with their work and subscribe to our YouTube channel. OPINION AND COMMENTARY Protect the Weeki Wachee River: The endangered Hernando County treasure needs help, the Times Editorial Board writes. Will the state step in? SPORTS Bolts rally after slow start: We're well into the regular season, but star forward Nikita Kucherov is just getting going, as he showed in a 5-2 win over the Senators Tuesday in Tampa.   Nashville ➡️ Tampa: What would it take for the Lightning to pull off an NHL outdoor game like the one in Music City? This story explores some of the factors at play.   Baseball talks break off: The first two regular-season games were canceled Tuesday after owners and players failed to reach a new labor agreement.   Expanded playoffs: It is a point of pride among baseball fans that their regular season is more meaningful than other sports. Columnist John Romano asks, does adding extra playoff teams threaten a quality that makes MLB unique?   "We'll leave the light on": The Bucs haven't entirely given up on the possibility of a Tom Brady return just yet, according to general manager Jason Licht. Coach Bruce Arians offered a different take Tuesday. As speculation over the GOAT's immediate future continues, here are the organizations we know Brady won't be joining this fall. ANOTHER BRIGHT SPOT [ARIELLE BADER | Special to the Times] After 16 years with multiple sclerosis, a Tampa cyclist says he's in the best shape of his life Bradley Romp, 60, works out regularly and competes in golf tournaments. This weekend, he'll ride in an annual bikeathon to raise money to support research for a cure — just as he has since 2007.   "MS doesn't have to stop your life," he said. Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda, Carly Thompson, Rachel Adamson and Amy Gehrt. Did someone forward this to you? Get DayStarter in your own inbox next time. It's free to subscribe. Sign up here. 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