Rubio and Scott Want Disaster Aid Severed From Ukraine, Plus Idalia Cleanup, and Cuddly Guinness
Friday's Navigator features Reporter, Currents, Bites, The List, an Editor's Note and You Need a Pet
CURRENTS
DeSantis cites ‘significant’ damage to Big Bend, but many Florida K-12 schools are already open. The Florida Phoenix
How to help Hurricane Idalia victims, or get assistance if you need it.
Tampa Bay Times
Hurricane Idalia likely mitigated red tide for the Tampa Bay area. 10 Tampa Bay
Biden approved disaster declaration for seven Florida counties hit by Idalia. Creative Loafing
Biden will visit Florida over the weekend to survey Hurricane Idalia damage. Politico
DeSantis gets praise — and warnings — for his hurricane response. Politico
Recovery efforts ongoing in coastal Pinellas County. Spectrum Bay News 9
Tarpon Springs businesses recover from 'most severe flooding in decades.'
10 Tampa Bay
Photos from Hurricane Idalia. 10 Tampa Bay, ABC Action News, Fox 13 News, News Channel 8, Politico, Spectrum Bay News 9
Threat of electrical fires in lingers in flooded homes. News Channel 8
6 Tampa Bay homes caught fire after Idalia. Why flooding may be to blame. Tampa Bay Times
Electric cars catch fire in Florida after flooding. EV’s that come into contact with salt water are at risk of catching fire in the days and weeks after storm. ABC Action News
A list of Florida counties that experience the most tornadoes using data from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. We’re in the top 20. Stacker
ESPN, ABC, Disney-owned channels go dark for Spectrum cable subscribers amid dispute. Fox 13 News
Theme park passes, 55-inch TVs, and stand-up paddleboards are now among the approved items that recipients of Florida school vouchers can buy to use at home. Tampa Bay Times $ (subscription required)
Fake placards: The Florida Highway Patrol and Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence arrested seven people and issued warrants for four additional suspects for obtaining, issuing and selling 700 fraudulent disabled person parking placards. The case originated in Liberty County, and the placards went to South Florida residents. Investigators found online ads from a group saying it could get the permits for driver who didn’t like parking far away.
Hillsborough County wants you: There are many vacancies on Hillsborough County citizen advisory boards and councils. If you’re a registered voter and live in Hillsborough County, you may be eligible for an appointment to one of these voluntary positions. Currently there are openings on 22 bodies, ranging from the Hillsborough Transit Authority and the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission to the Public Art Committee and Public Library Board. Applications due by Sept. 14.
Water conservation: Tampa Bay Water has approved $559,668 in funding to support landscape practices that protect Tampa Bay’s drinking water and natural resources in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. The agency created the program to help residents and businesses create and maintain beautiful yards using research-based, environmentally sustainable landscaping practices. Participating homeowners, landscaping professionals and green industries learn how to water efficiently, fertilize appropriately and manage yard pests responsibly.
Bucs boast young roster after final cuts. ABC Action News
Mike Evans gives Bucs deadline to reach new deal by eve of opener. The wide receiver is in the final year of a 5-year contract and wants to finish his career in Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay Times
2023 USF football preview. The Oracle
5 takeaways from Florida football's Week 1 loss at Utah. Gators Wire
Lana Del Rey will bring new album and tour to Tampa next month.
Creative Loafing
Got news? Send it here.
REPORTER
Senators Scott and Rubio want disaster relief dollars decoupled from Ukraine funding
By Mitch Perry, The Florida Phoenix
When the U.S. Senate reconvenes next week, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott says he’ll introduce legislation to ensure that disaster relief dollars are fully funded to help pay for damage from Hurricane Idalia — and not be linked to military funding for Ukraine.
The proposed linking of funds for Ukraine with disaster relief has angered Scott along with his GOP Senate colleague Marco Rubio.
“We’ve had enough with Washington playing politics and demand that Congress does what’s right for American families, starting with ensuring our federal government has all the resources it needs to show up after disasters, now and in the future,“ Scott said in a press release issued Tuesday.
Rubio expressed similar sentiments when talking with Fox News on Wednesday.
New federal water pollution rule draws mixed reaction
By Jacob Fischler, The Florida Phoenix
A federal rule limiting agencies’ power to regulate water pollution will severely restrict protections for waters and wetlands throughout the country, but could also be subject to challenges from conservative groups that maintain the new rule exerts more federal jurisdiction than the U.S. Supreme Court intended in a May decision.
With the rule published Tuesday to redefine which “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, are covered under the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers aimed to bring the federal definition in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling this year narrowing the scope of federal power.
In a 5-4 decision, the court held the federal government can only regulate waters with “a continuous surface connection” to the types of navigable waters indisputably covered by the Clean Water Act.
The revised rule, which will take effect when it is published in the Federal Register in the coming days, removes the “significant nexus” standard that the court invalidated in the Sackett v. EPA case in May.
COMMENTARY
How one Florida city beat its stigma as a stinky town
By Craig Pittman, The Florida Phoenix
This weekend my wife and I helped our older son pack up and move to Jacksonville. He’s starting a new job, occupying a new apartment, and driving a new (used) car.
It was a bittersweet trip. After we arrived, we heard about the Nazi who shot three Black people and then killed himself. In other words, it wasn’t a propitious time to move to the town everyone calls Jax, but it was too late to turn back.
On the way there, my wife was reminiscing about a visit she’d made back in the 1980s. The smell, she said, was horrible. The whole place reeked. Thank heavens those days were over.
YOU NEED A PET
This is Guinness, a friendly, cat-loving Staffy mix who was found on St. Paddy’s Day, hence the name. She loves couch cuddling with her foster mom, gets along with all people, and really likes snuggling with cats. You can meet this lovely gal at the Mercy Full Project. 901 N. Fremont Ave., Tampa, 33606
BITES
There is no shortage of new restaurants coming to the Tampa Bay Area. Here’s a list of places. Some are now open; others are coming. Call ahead before visiting.
3 Corners Pizza, 813 Water St., ground floor of Heron, Tampa: New York-style pies and slices with specialty cocktails and many draughts.
Beacon, JW Marriott Hotel, 510 Water St., Tampa: rooftop bar with charcuterie and tartines. Creative Loafing
Cinnaholic South Tampa, 927 S. Howard Ave., Tampa: gourmet cinnamon rolls, brownies, cookies and mega frosting options.
The H Steakhouse, 1504 S Howard Ave., Hyde Park, Tampa: very high-end steakhouse with Mediterranean flair.
Kosen, 307 W Palm Ave., Tampa Heights, high-end omakase with 18-course dinners. That’s So Tampa
Melting Pot Social, 105 W. Tyler St., downtown Tampa: sweet and savory fondue with impressive cocktails, flatbreads, burgers, panini and salads.
Predalina, 1001 E. Cumberland Ave. Tampa: seafood-driven Mediterranean cuisine.
Sal Rosa, 601 N Florida Ave., Tampa: Caribbean and Central American-themed eatery. That’s So Tampa
Sunda New Asian, 3648 Midtown Drive, Midtown Tampa: modern Southeast Asian cuisine.
Taste of Boston, 5314 Interbay Blvd., Ballast Point, Tampa: lobster rolls, hush puppies, fried seafood, ice cream and more.
Zio’s New York Bagel Shop, 19651 Bruce B Downs Blvd., Suite B2, Tampa: bagels, breakfast sandwiches, coffee and lunch specials. Neighborhood News
Got restaurant news? Send it here.
Today’s Sponsor
The Navigator is sponsored by Mary’s Little Lamb Preschool at 7311 N. Armenia Ave. in Tampa. We are a nationally accredited preschool established in 1959.
Free Childcare and a paycheck. We are currently seeking a qualified toddler teacher or teaching assistant. The ideal candidate must be creative, energetic, dependable, nurturing, patient, have a passion about the growth and development of the children, and be a team player. Requirements: pass a level 2 background screening, high school diploma or higher, completed or willing to start and complete the DCF 45 training hours, get CPR/First aid certified.
Interested in sponsoring the Navigator? We need to talk.
EDITOR’S NOTE
You may be wondering what the Bay Area Navigator is all about.
We’re a newsletter covering Tampa and Hillsborough County. I’m the editor and a co-founder, so I’m exploring topics that interest me: local news, education, dining, nature, wildlife, animals, the outdoors, leisure activities, parks, the environment, education, fitness, health, wellness, communities, events, and more.
I’m a longtime journalist and Arkansas native who spent the last 20 years editing various publications, among them city and regional magazines, an alternative newsweekly, a dog newspaper and a monthly devoted to arts and commerce coverage. I had an army of freelancers working for me, and one day I hope to recruit similarly talented Tampa Bay Area journalists as contributors to the Navigator. If you or someone you know fits that bill, please reach out.
My husband, Stephen Buel, grew up in Tampa and is a lifelong journalist and news junkie. He now works for a California media company in a non-journalism capacity, but will be editing my work and contributing articles of his own, while also handling business operations.
Because Tampa is a vibrant area with woefully inadequate media coverage. It is a place populated with smart people who read yet there are far too few opportunities for nuanced and meaningful discussions and explorations of current events and topics. I want to be connected to this community, my community, and be a big part of it. The best way I know to do that is to get to know you in this format.
The Tampa Bay Times publishes an online daily and comes out in print twice a week, but there’s way more to what’s going on in the community than that. Likewise, the Tampa Bay Business Journal is the go-to source for business news, and Creative Loafing deserves kudos for its arts, culture and news coverage. Other newsletters — Axios, Tampa Patch, TBAY Today, and That’s So Tampa — do a good job of spreading Tampa insights. Good job, all.
But there’s so much room for so much more, and that’s where the Navigator fits in. As we grow, we’ll expand our news coverage, frequency and scope in our ongoing effort to keep Tampa Bay Area readers informed and entertained. Until then, we’re reporting what we can, aggregating what others report, and offering interesting takes on what it means to live here.
— Judith M. Gallman
THE LIST
Each week, we’ll bring you a new one. Got any ideas? Reach out.
International Nonstop Flights From Tampa
Fifteen airlines operating out of Tampa International Airport offer nonstop flights to 20 international destinations. Here’s which airlines go where and about how long it’d take to get there via the shortest nonstop flight. Flights aren’t always available on all days. Regardless, it’s pretty easy to get away, and sometimes flights take less time than you might expect. Looks like getting to Havana, Cuba, takes the least amount of time, while Zurich, Switzerland, takes the longest.
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico: Frontier Airlines — 2 hours 47 minutes; JetBlue — 2 hours 52 min.
Cancun, Mexico: Frontier Airlines — 13 hours; JetBlue — 2 hours 8 minutes.
Frankfurt, Germany: Lufthansa — 9 hours 15 minutes.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: Cayman Airways — 1 hour 50 minutes.
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada: Air Canada — 3 hours 30 minutes.
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: WestJet — 3 hours 18 minutes.
Havana, Cuba: Southwest — 1 hour 25 minutes.
London — Gatwick, England: British Airways — 8 hours 20 minutes.
London — Heathrow, England: Virgin Atlantic — 8 hours 25 minutes.
Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, Bahamas: Silver Airways — 1 hour 45 minutes.
Montego Bay, Jamaica: Frontier Airlines — 2 hours 9 minutes.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Air Canada — 3 hours 13 minutes; Lynx Air — 3 hours 9 minutes.
Nassau, Bahamas: Silver Airways — 1 hour 40 minutes.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Air Canada — 2 hours 46 minutes.
Panama City, Panama: CopaAirlines — 3 hours 30 minutes.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: Frontier Airlines — 2 hours 48 minutes.
San Juan, Puerto Rico: Frontier Airlines — 3 hours 10 minutes; JetBlue — 2 hours 54 minutes; Southwest — 2 hours 50 minutes; Spirit — 2 hours 47 minutes.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: Frontier — 2 hours 38 minutes .
Toronto — Pearson, Canada (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada): Air Canada — 2 hours 55 minutes; Lynx Air — 3 hours 20 minutes; Porter — 2 hours 55 minutes; WestJet — 2 hours 53 minutes.
Zurich, Switzerland: Swiss — 9 hours 15 minutes.
WHAT THEY SAID
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ABOUT US
Editors: Judith M. Gallman and Stephen Buel
Contributing editors: ???