Officials from he Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will be on site of a small plane crash in Clearwater that has taken several lives. The plane went down just before 7 pm Thursday at the the Bayside Waters mobile home park near 19 and Gulf to Bay Blvd. Four homes were damaged in the crash, and the number of fatalities is unknown.
AAA will release a report today in Tampa highlighting the number of roadside workers killed in the past six years, and the statistics for Florida are among the worst. Ten workers like the Road Rangers and tow truck divers, have died in Florida that the report says were the result of distracted driving and speeding. Nationwide, that number is 123.
Pinellas County residents who have been frustrated by unfinished work on the Crosswinds Bridge in Palm Harbor and Oakwood Drive Bridge in Harbor Bluffs may have a little relief. The county has fired Miami-based American Empire Builder according to 10 Tampa Bay News. Now the county will start working on the bridges and may have to bring in additional help to complete the Oakwood Drive Bridge.
In Tampa, a big construction project that’s taken almost four years to put a wastewater pipeline underneath the road will now have Water Street shut down at the intersection of Franklin Street near the Tampa Convention Center for a full month. That’s going to have a significant impact on anyone heading to places in the area like Amalie Arena. For detours and what’s next for that project, check things out here.
The cold weather has a record number of manatees crowding into the TECO Apollo Beach viewing area where the warmer water also attracts other sea life like stingrays and even sharks. This past weekend’s count exceeded 1,100. Blue Springs State Park also set a record recently due to the cold weather. TECO’s site is open to the public and is free. You can visit seven days a week from 10 am to 5 pm through April 15th, with more info here.
Tampa Bay Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs will be in Orlando this weekend for the 2024 Pro Bowl. Mayfield replaces the injured Dak Prescott and Wirfs goes in for Trent Williams of the San Francisco 49ers. Mayfield was just named as the Pro Football Writers of America Most Improved Player, and he’s also a finalist for the Associated Press’ Comeback Player of the Year. The long Pro Bowl weekend begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday.
Joe Lopano, the CEO of Tampa International Airport since 2011, announced his retirement Thursday. He told the group at the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Board Meeting that he will step down before his contract expires in 2025 so they can begin the search for a new CEO as soon as possible. Lopano told the Board “As with everything we do at Tampa International Airport, I want to look ahead to our future and be proactive in meeting the needs of this Airport and the Tampa Bay community.” His many accomplishments include a major multi-billion-dollar Airport expansion, new international routes and bringing local brands to the many shops and restaurants.
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