Doc Ford\u2019s employees volunteer at SPCA Tampa Bay<\/p>\n
Employees from Doc Ford\u2019s Rum Bar & Grille in Jungle Terrace recently spent two days volunteering at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Tampa Bay, helping improve the nonprofit\u2019s St. Petersburg campus and enhance enrichment areas for shelter animals. Eighteen team members installed mulch, planted native Florida species, refreshed portions of the property and assisted with animal care activities. The volunteer effort builds on the restaurant\u2019s ongoing support of SPCA Tampa Bay. Last year, Doc Ford\u2019s donated $1,165 through a hurricane relief fundraiser and specialty cocktail promotions benefiting the organization. The volunteer project is one of several community service initiatives undertaken by the Jungle Terrace team. Employees have partnered with Keep Pinellas Beautiful on improvement projects at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve and the historic Palm Harbor Museum. Team members have also participated in beach cleanups and organized a toy drive in December.<\/p>\n
Video explains lease terms, tenant responsibilities<\/p>\n
ST. PETERSBURG \u2014 The St. Petersburg Housing Authority has created a video tutorial to help residents better understand the terms of their lease, tenant responsibilities, and the resources available to them through SPHA.<\/p>\n
The video serves as an educational tool for new and existing residents, providing an overview of important topics including lease requirements, security deposits, rent obligations, annual recertification, maintenance requests, lease termination procedures, and resident conduct expectations. The video also highlights the wide range of support services available through SPHA\u2019s Social Services Department, including the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program, Homeownership Program, youth programs, and senior services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis video is a valuable resource for our residents,\u201d said Michael Lundy, president and CEO of the St. Petersburg Housing Authority. \u201cUnderstanding the lease is an important part of maintaining successful housing. This tutorial helps ensure that residents have access to information that can help them navigate their tenancy and take advantage of the many resources available through SPHA.\u201d<\/p>\n
The video was created in-house by Nick Fokianos, director of communications for SPHA. \u201cI was happy to put together this video for our residents,\u201d said Fokianos. \u201cOur goal was to present important lease information in a format that is clear, informative, and easy to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
City claims goals surpassed for creating, reserving 3,200 multi-family units<\/p>\n
ST. PETERSBURG \u2014 Under Mayor Kenneth T. Welch\u2019s leadership, the city of St. Petersburg has exceeded targets and goals for creating and preserving 3,200 multi-family units within the first half of the 10-year Housing Opportunities for All Plan. To date, 1,091 multi-family units have been completed and 2,452 units are in progress.<\/p>\n
\u201cCreating better housing opportunities for all benefits our entire community. I\u2019m proud that the City of St. Petersburg continues to exceed the ambitious targets and goals we\u2019ve set through our Housing Opportunities for All plan,\u201d said Mayor Kenneth T. Welch. \u201cWhile we\u2019re encouraged by this progress, we remain committed to expanding access to safe, attainable housing for residents at every income level. We\u2019ll continue building on this momentum because ensuring more people can afford to call St. Pete home is essential to our city\u2019s future and our vision for inclusive progress.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s Housing and Neighborhood Services department provided the update on the progress of the Housing Opportunities for All Plan at a recent Housing, Land Use and Transportation City Council Committee meeting. The presentation provided updates about the city\u2019s housing and rental markets, units created to date, and units in progress. Among its highlights:<\/p>\n
\u2022 The city increased its local housing unit production by 40% from 2024 to 2025. In 2025, the city had a net annual increase of 2,012 units produced. The strongest growth was in multi-family units of five or more, but single-family homes are also being built.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Multi-family homes: The city\u2019s goal through the Housing Opportunities for All Plan is to create and preserve 3,200 multi-family homes. To date, 1,091 units have been completed and 2,452 units are in progress.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Live local units: Following the passage of the Live Local legislation in 2024, Mayor Welch established a goal to create 1,000 units through this legislation. To date, 432 units are in progress.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Non-subsidized workforce density bonus units: The city\u2019s goal is to provide 350 non-subsidized workforce density bonus units. To date, 173 have been completed and 109 are in progress.<\/p>\n
Hubbard\u2019s Marina launches pirate-themed ghost tours<\/p>\n
MADEIRA BEACH \u2014 Guests can join a newly-created guided walking tour every Friday and Saturday night at 9 p.m., for a one-hour exploration of the darker side of John\u2019s Pass and the surrounding waterfront while uncovering centuries of maritime mysteries.<\/p>\n
Guests will hear stories of notorious pirates, legendary shipwrecks, ghostly encounters, and local folklore that have shaped the Tampa Bay coastline. Whether rooted in documented history, passed down through generations, or whispered among locals, each tale is crafted to spark curiosity and imagination.<\/p>\n
This tour combines the rich maritime heritage of John\u2019s Pass with the thrill of paranormal storytelling,\u201d said Capt. Dylan Hubbard. \u201cGuests will discover fascinating pirate lore, mysterious shipwrecks, and eerie local legends while exploring one of Florida\u2019s most historic waterfront destinations after dark.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Pirate Ghost Tour is designed to entertain a wide audience \u2014 from paranormal enthusiasts and history buffs to families with older teens, skeptics, and anyone looking for a unique night out. With a blend of storytelling, humor, history, and suspense, no two tours feel the same.<\/p>\n
Cost is $24.99 a person. Reservations are recommended as tour sizes are limited. Get tickets at https:\/\/ghosttoursjohnspass.com\/tours\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Doc Ford\u2019s employees volunteer at SPCA Tampa Bay Employees from Doc Ford\u2019s Rum Bar & Grille in Jungle…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":325864,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-325863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=325863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325863\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/325864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=325863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=325863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=325863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}