The 2023-2034 school schedule will be different for a few schools in Pinellas County. The School District is still working on firm start and dismissal times, but you can see the list of those affected here. The final list and bell times will be finalized by July 1st.
With the Bay area in the midst of a severe drought, the Tampa Bay Water Department will buy water from Tampa Bay Water, which will supply wholesale water to areas that include Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, along with New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa. You may notice that the water tests and smells a little different but is perfectly safe to drink. Bills will also include a charge marked as “TBW Pass-Through.”
The SunRunner bus line has done so well in the first six months of service, it will expand with a new stop in a popular area in St Petersburg near the Sundial parking garage. From there, you can walk to the St Pete Pier in just minutes. The new station will open early next year, and already offers service up and down the beaches. Check the SunRunner schedule from PSTA here.
It’s time to dim the lights at the beach and make sure you fill in any holes you dig on the beach. Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota has the first documented sea turtle nest of the season. Volunteers walk the beaches to search for them each year, and found this one just hours after they began last Saturday. Mote post the sea turtle nest count here, and reminds you it is a federal crime to disturb a nest, and that the loggerhead is an endangered species. Ann Kelly has a new podcast with Kaitlyn Zavesky from the Florida Aquarium on how to make sure we’re doing our part to keep them safe now that nesting season is underway.
The Tampa Bay Rays home winning streak of 14 straight wins ended last night at the Trop, with a loss to the Houston Astros. It was a 5-0 shutout for the team, with a 20-4 start to the year for the Rays.