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Kenneth City

Incumbent, newcomer take office in Kenneth City

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

The two open seats on the Kenneth City Town Council were filled without an election when only two residents qualified for office. Incumbent Joanne DeSimone will take one seat. Newcomer Robert J. Howell will take the other. DeSimone formerly served on the Redington Beach council. She was first elected to the Kenneth City council in 2010, but lost a 2012 bid to become mayor. She was again elected to the council in 2013. Howell is a retired businessman who is…

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Darden Rice: Express bus route to beaches worth a compromise

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Everyone knows Pinellas County is home to incredible beaches, world-class entertainment, and unmatched quality of life. Because of this, Pinellas has emerged one of the nation’s top vacation destinations. This tourism boom is driving new business to local shops, restaurants and museums, and providing crucial revenue to city and regional government. But as more people discover everything Pinellas has to offer, traffic congestion — and the pollution that comes with it — will only continue to grow. That’s especially true…

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Kenneth City welcome sign is unwelcome sight for some

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

People who live at the edge of cities often face special difficulties. Just ask Jennifer Garwood. She lives in St. Petersburg on the edge of Kenneth City near the border with unincorporated Lealman. Like many in that situation, she and her neighbors often have trouble getting city services because officials can be unclear about who’s in what jurisdiction. Take the garbage service. Even with St. Pete waste containers “we get passed over time and time,” Garwood said. And now, it’s…

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Lealman improvement plan moves forward

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Back in June, county commissioners made a historic decision: They created the first community redevelopment area in unincorporated Pinellas County. It was a move that, for years, was unthinkable with Pinellas officials saying they would never sanction a CRA in unincorporated Pinellas. CRAs were something cities did. That changed under a county administration and commission that’s become willing to try new things. In this case, the new thing – a county CRA – is the most recent effort to solve…

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Incumbents rule the day in eight Pinellas municipal races

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

It was all about the incumbents Tuesday during a quiet municipal election in eight Pinellas cities. Voters hit the ballot boxes in beach communities, a couple of North County towns and Kenneth City. The most hotly contested races came out of Kenneth City, where a bunch of flamingos made some waves. The flock of flamingos popped up with signs dangling from their necks supporting a candidate. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the flamingos were removed by police because they didn’t…

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Voters in eight Pinellas cities head to the ballot box Tuesday

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Municipal elections are being held in eight Pinellas County cities this Tuesday. Belleair, Belleair Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island will all have polls open for voters from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. The elections are a sprinkling of races for City Council and commissions with a smathering of ballot questions amending city charters. Indian Rocks Beach will choose a city commissioner. Voters will choose from three candidates, Bill Dotson, Terry Hamilton-Wollin and Phillip…

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A point-by-point rebuttal of Diane Stenle’s editorial criticizing early mail-in voting

in Peter/The Bay and the 'Burg by

Let’s start being honest about why the St. Petersburg Times seeks to downplay the significance of early, mail-in voting: if voters cast their ballots early, that will lessen the importance of the Times‘ coverage, especially its editorial recommendations. My point-by-point response to Diane Stenle’s editorial is in italics. Candidates might as well throw out the play book on how to run campaigns for local offices in Pinellas County. It’s a whole new ball game. The game changer: mail balloting. Stenle…

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