Before the New College overhaul, DeSantis stepped in

St. Pete roller rink coming soon; longshot bills to look at before 2023 legislative session begins; meet a dentist who pulls cars with his teeth

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View on the web Go to our homepage Subscribe to the Times Monday, February 27, 2023 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Hello, Tampa Bay. Enjoy the cooler temperatures before the warmer weather kicks in later this week (high of 80; low of 67).    Read up on the new roller rink coming to St. Petersburg; four long-shot bills as the 2023 legislative session approaches; and a dentist who pulls cars with his teeth.    One more thing: The Tampa Bay Times no longer carries the comic strip Dilbert. We made the decision last week after the cartoon’s creator posted racist remarks on his video podcast. Read on here.  [Google Earth] DeSantis purged Pinellas County’s public residential agency before his New College overhaul Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis replaced the entire Pinellas County Housing Authority board with new members with little public housing experience. Then they installed a new leader: Neil Brickfield.   Brickfield, a one-term Pinellas commissioner who was voted out of office after he approved the removal of fluoride from the drinking water supply, hadn’t made the previous cut for executive director. His own experience in public housing is limited to the projects and policies he voted on while on the County Commission.   Appointing members to government boards is a routine part of the governor’s job. But the changeover at the Housing Authority happened more quietly.   And it had immediate effects, with one longtime agency employee calling the timing of the board overhaul strange. AROUND THE BAY Gladys Preserve opens: The first phase of the preserve opened Saturday after nearly two years of preparation by the city of Dunedin and Pinellas County. The public now has access to a half-mile of trails.    Few new details: St. Petersburg’s consultants for the Tropicana Field redevelopment had compiled a list of nine topics for the city to discuss at its first meeting with the Rays. Here’s what happened instead.   Construction begins: Work on the Pasco County jail expansion has kicked off.   Street racing crackdown: Tampa Bay law enforcement agencies say they’re ramping up their response to street races after the death of a 13-year-old boy.   Oh my quad: A 6,000-square-foot roller rink is coming to the St. Pete Pier.   St. Petersburg gets Space: Chad Mize closed his gallery in Historic Uptown a few months ago. The artist already has another project in the works.   Bookstores to open 📚: St. Pete Beach will see the launch of Read The Waves, an indie book shop. And over in South Tampa, bestselling author and part-time local Michael Connelly is set to cut the ribbon at a new Barnes & Noble.    Bye bye, Bayou Bodega: Opened in 2021, the Davis Islands natural wine bar and restaurant is calling it quits. What gives?   Attendance boundary changes: Will the Hillsborough County School Board adopt superintendent Addison Davis' new plan? This is the latest version members will consider on Tuesday.   Death sentence: Steven Lorenzo should be executed for a pair of Tampa murders that struck fear in the LGBTQ community and horrified the region almost 20 years ago, a judge ruled Friday. BRIGHT SPOT [JEFFEREE WOO | Times (2022)] Wimauma girl is learning to walk and talk again after a tragic car crash Jasmin Cervantes-García, 13, was the sole survivor of a head-on collision that killed her parents and grandparents in Mexico last summer. She was hospitalized with severe brain injuries, then later flown to St. Petersburg to recover. Now, Jasmin is making a "profound" recovery as her family helps her return to a normal life. POLITICS Mystery mailers: Incumbents Bill Carlson and Lynn Hurtak are seeking a return to their Tampa City Council seats and both have been targeted by recent mailers sent by mystery backers.   State asks for details: Florida officials want school districts to complete a survey identifying titles of books and programs they have about sex education and diversity, among other topics.   Long-shot ideas: A Florida ban on dogs hanging out of car windows? As the legislative session nears, we take a look at that bill and three other interesting measures that may have little chance of becoming law.   Controversial plan advances: State lawmakers are taking up a bill to shield businesses and insurance companies from lawsuits. It has vocal opponents.   Fried wins party chair: Florida Democrats have selected Nikki Fried as their new party chair. Fried will replace Manny Diaz, who resigned last month.  Kicking off soon 🏈 Want college football trends, news and hot topics all in one place?   Starting next month, Matt Baker will break down the biggest stories around the sport — and how they affect our state teams — in his free, weekly newsletter.   Sign up for Florida Football Fix here.   The inaugural edition hits your inbox March 16. OPINION AND COMMENTARY Micro bikinis and more: This beach season's trendiest swim looks are a feat of engineering, writes columnist Stephanie Hayes, a spiritual challenge for those who want to keep external organs contained.  SPORTS Lightning lose to Penguins and bulk up: Tampa Bay suffered one of its most embarrassing losses of the season in Pittsburgh. Then, after Sunday's game, the team traded Cal Foote and five draft picks for physical Nashville forward Tanner Jeannot.    The next generation: The Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association hosted youth clinics in Wesley Chapel on Friday. Read columnist John Romano's takeaways from the interactions here.   Gasparilla Distance Classic roundup: It was quite the weekend for St. Petersburg's Christina Welsh and Lakeland's Jon Mott. Both competitors won their 15K and half-marathon races.    Trask's time to shine? The Bucs told candidates who interviewed for their offensive coordinator job that Kyle Trask will get a shot at starting quarterback.   Rays pitching prospect impresses: Taj Bradley walked away with a cool souvenir after Sunday's spring training game against Boston while also earning praise for his play in his debut.    Ray shares recent adventures: Tyler Glasnow and his girlfriend visited Istanbul and several cities in Thailand this winter. The right-hander talks about being attacked by monkeys on that vacation, and more, in our Q&A.   What's up with Kiermaier? Former Rays centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier is hoping to find a home in Toronto after 13 seasons in Tampa Bay. TODAY'S TALKER 🦷 [JEFFEREE WOO | Times Meet the Tampa dentist who pulls cars with his teeth Ripley's Believe It or Not magazine has twice recognized Mike Foley's creations — a human denture made with shark teeth and a "KGB tooth," which is a fake molar with a hidden compartment for a cyanide pill as seen in old spy movies. The next publication he's eyeing? Guinness World Records. Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda, Anila Lijo, Mari Faiello and Alexandra Urban. Did someone forward this to you? Get DayStarter in your own inbox next time. It's free to subscribe. Sign up here. Contact us Privacy policy Terms, conditions & copyright Standard of accuracy © 2023 • All Rights Reserved Tampa Bay Times • 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 To ensure this email is delivered to your inbox, add custserv@elist.tampabay.com to your address book. 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