Inside the effort to close Piney Point for good

LGBTQ groups sue over Florida bill; SunLit Festival opens in St. Pete; Bucs' new head coach takes over

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View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Friday, April 1, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters It's Friday! 😁 The forecast shows a high of 81, a low of 69 and thunderstorms that will likely continue through the weekend. A federal judge says parts of Florida's 2021 voting law are unconstitutional; Orlando Gudes will step down as chairperson of the Tampa City Council but he isn't resigning; the Bucs' new head coach Todd Bowles is off to an honest start; and more in the newsletter below.  [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times] Could an end to the danger posed by Piney Point be within reach? There's reason for optimism. Piney Point has long menaced Tampa Bay. The old fertilizer plant property stores hundreds of millions of gallons of polluted wastewater in reservoirs near Port Manatee.   Last year, the crisis many feared finally happened: The site sprang a leak.   Engineers warned that the massive reservoir could crumble and unleash a catastrophic flood through nearby neighborhoods. The solution was to release 215 million tainted gallons into Tampa Bay.   Piney Point was repaired, but the danger remains. Someone, though, is finally trying to do something about it.   The property is under new management with orders to remove the wastewater and close the environmental threat for good.   The Tampa Bay Times got a tour to understand the plan for Piney Point's future. 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 New York company buys local resort: The Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach hotel has sold for $170 million to an investment firm.   Latest fallout from fired CEO: Federal officials are demanding the CareerSource job training agencies in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties repay $4.3 million in taxpayer money misspent under Edward Peachey's leadership.   Arrest diversion program expansion: Hillsborough County leaders have an effort in the works to reduce the number of people who are arrested for some criminal driving offenses. Here's what to know.   Stepping down as chairperson: Tampa City Council's Orlando Gudes will give up his chairpersonship following a city finding that he created a hostile workplace for a former aide. But he says he won't resign.   Sports plan sees pushback: A conservative think tank wants DeSantis to veto $35 million from Florida's budget for a baseball complex and potential Rays spring training site in Pasco County.   Penny for Pasco talks: School and county officials are gearing up to pitch another 15 years of the penny sales tax to voters in 2024.   Bus route cuts: Thousands of Pasco County middle and high school students will lose their rides to campus this fall. The district can't keep enough bus drivers.   Pinellas County teachers ratify contract: Educators could see raises in their checks on April 22. It won't be as much as many had hoped for.   Tampa's lynching memorial: A historic marker acknowledging local victims of racial lynching will be installed on the Riverwalk in the summer. BRIGHT SPOT [Courtesy of Jeremiah Khokhar] Packed weekend of 'litertainment' ahead for St. Petersburg 📚 The SunLit Literary Festival kicks off today across the city after a two-year pandemic hiatus. On the schedule: events for just about everyone that feature books, poetry and local writers.   Books critic lands literary prize: The Times' Colette Bancroft has won the first Roy Peter Clark Literary Award. CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS UPDATES AT TAMPABAY.COM/CORONAVIRUS Medicaid enrollees' vaccine rates: Why do vaccination rates remain far lower among program beneficiaries than the general population? Two senators are requesting a federal study to find out.   Data on doses: How do Florida vaccinations compare to other states? POLITICS Report takes aim at Ladapo hiring: UF violated its own procedures while bringing aboard Joseph Ladapo, Florida's surgeon general, to a tenured position, according to a faculty report.   Groups sue over Florida bill: Three days after DeSantis signed the so-called "don't say gay" measure into law, LGBTQ advocates, parents, students and a teacher filed a federal lawsuit challenging it.   Ruling against 2021 voting law: A federal judge says parts of a state law signed by DeSantis last year are unconstitutional, striking down provisions that limit the use of ballot drop boxes and more.   Inmates face voter fraud charges: In 2020, a Florida elections office held a voter registration drive inside a jail. A state prosecutor has now filed felony charges against at least five inmates. 📹 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 Good start: Young men and women in Tampa Bay earn nearly the same pay. Where do other Florida cities rank? The Times Editorial Board breaks it down. SPORTS New Bucs coach takes over: Todd Bowles on Thursday made his introduction as the franchise's 13th head coach after Bruce Arians (who has secured a spot in the Ring of Honor) stepped down to take a front-office role as a senior football consultant. If only, he knew what that entailed. Read about what quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen had to say about the moves.   Good luck, Todd Bowles: The new Bucs head coach is walking into a buzzsaw of expectations for a team likely to contend for the Super Bowl, writes sports columnist John Romano. Can he handle the pressure?   Ready to return: Ndamukong Suh wants to play for the Bucs again in 2022. Will Bowles oblige him? In related news: The team has re-signed Ryan Griffin.   Rays' biggest decisions: The season starts in a week, and it seems Tampa Bay has five candidates for three bullpen spots.   Taking on ex-teammates: Brandon Hagel, Tyler Johnson, Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk will sport unfamiliar sweaters when the Bolts play the Blackhawks Friday in Tampa. TODAY'S TALKER 🍣 [HELEN FREUND | Times] St. Petersburg restaurant gives sushi a plant-based spin Have you checked out House of Vegano? The new spot, which shares a building with the Body Electric Athletic Company, isn't serving up your average cucumber and avocado rolls. Owner Thalia Tatham offers a fresh take on vegan sushi. Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda, Carly Thompson, Anila Lijo 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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