LARGO â After more than a year of work and research, city leaders decided they wonât follow the same path as Hillsborough and Pasco counties, which recently banned the retail sale of dogs and cats.
Instead, city commissioners voted 6-1 on Dec. 15 to add an extra layer of transparency that the two pet stores operating within the city limits must follow.
When discussing regulations on pet stores last year, the city attorney advised commissioners that, because of county, state and federal preemptions, they had three options. They could ban the sales altogether, add some new rules to help inform consumers, or do nothing.
SEMINOLE â Facing mounting scrutiny following allegations of mishandling a deadly COVID-19 outbreak on its campus, the executive director of Freedom Square of Seminole says the elder-care facility took appropriate measures to keep its residents safe.
Freedom Square, which is at 7800 Liberty Lane directly east of Seminole City Center, became the epicenter of COVID-19 concerns in Pinellas County in April when the novel coronavirus found its way inside the facilityâs rehabilitation center.
By April 21, a total of 54 residents and patients had tested positive at the building at the source of the outbreak, Seminole Pavilion Rehabilitation. In response to the rapid spread of the disease, officials evacuated all 95 patients of the building to area hospitals and facilities.
ST. PETERSBURG â Pinellas County Sheriffâs detectives arrested a 14-year-old student from Hollins High School in St. Petersburg Dec. 16 for threatening a mass shooting at the school.
Detectives say the teen posted written threats to an anonymous Instagram account the afternoon of Dec. 16 and was arrested at 10:18 p.m. at his home in St. Petersburg.
According to investigators, school resource deputies were contacted about Instagram postings that appeared to target Hollins High School. One post depicted an AK-47 assault rifle with the caption âWhat up Dixieâ and the hashtag #bullseye. The second post was a picture of the front of Hollins High School with the caption âWouldnât go to school tomorrow.â A third posting showed two AR-15-style rifles with the caption âCanât wait to use those.â
BELLEAIR â The Town Commission may install a temporary replacement for Mayor Gary H. Katica â who has been absent for treatment of Parkinsonâs disease since October â to ensure there are enough votes to close down the cityâs water department in January.
With Katica out of reach, only four commissioners are now available for that vote. The city charter requires a supermajority vote when creating or disbanding a city department.
Deputy Mayor Karla Rettstatt brought up the predicament Dec. 1 as the commission discussed whether to switch to Pinellas Countyâs water supply or build its own $14 million reverse osmosis plant. The commission hopes to vote in time to meet construction deadlines.
ST. PETERSBURG â Eckerd College has been sued for negligence for what the lawsuit said was failure to control access to the campus that led to the rape of a student by an off-campus intruder.
In a suit filed Dec. 2 in district court, a former student says she was sexually assaulted in October 2017 by a man who followed her into the bathroom of a friendâs room at a campus residential hall.
A police investigation determined the alleged assailant and another person had gained access to the campus by jumping the perimeter fence.
The incident occurred after the victim had several drinks at a friendâs dorm room following an off-campus party. She later attended a college-sanctioned party at a dormitory complex. Tampa Bay Newspapers does not identify the victims of sexual assaults.