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Janelle Irwin - page 162

Janelle Irwin has 1517 articles published.

Janelle Irwin has been a professional journalist covering local news and politics in the Tampa Bay area since 2003. She also hosts a weekly political talk show on WMNF Community radio. Janelle formerly served as the sole staff reporter for WMNF News and previously covered news for Patch.com and various local neighborhood newsletters. Her work has been featured in the New York Daily News, Free Speech Radio News and Florida Public Radio and she's been interviewed by radio stations across the nation for her coverage of the 2012 Republican National Convention. Janelle is a diehard news junkie who isn't afraid to take on big names in local politics including Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, the dirty business of trash and recycling in St. Pete and the ongoing Pier debacle. Her work as a reporter and radio host has earned her two WMNF awards including News Volunteer of the Year and Public Affairs Volunteer of the Year. Janelle is also the devoted mother to three brilliant and beautiful daughters who are a constant source of inspiration and occasional blogging fodder. To contact, email [email protected].

Jack Latvala bill protecting condo owners clears Senate committee

in Top Headlines by

A bill aimed at ensuring condo owners aren’t forced to sell their homes for pennies on the dollar unanimously passed the Senate Regulated Industries Committee Tuesday. Senate Bill 1172 sponsored by Clearwater state Sen. Jack Latvala is a direct answer to an oversight in 2007 legislation that allowed investors buying condo units in bulk to scoop up control of condos and convert them into apartments. Remaining tenants were then forced to sell their units for pennies on the dollar. That bill allowed…

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Don’t forget, the Pier isn’t the only major issue facing St. Pete

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

The city, well, alright, the media, has been far too preoccupied with what’s happening with the city’s pier and seems to have forgotten that there’s a looming issue still plaguing the mayor’s office. When will there be a new deal reached between the mayor and the Tampa Bay Rays to allow the Major League Baseball franchise to look outside the city for a possible new stadium site? The Rays’ home opener is Monday, April 6. St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman…

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The end for SaintPetersBlog

Ever since I acquired the rights to the perfect domain for my efforts — FloridaPolitics.com — I knew that one

Tampa Bay Times out of line describing St. Pete Pier surveys ‘suspect’

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

It’s no secret the Tampa Bay Times is not a fan of the inverted pyramid. It supported the Lens in 2013 and now it is supporting the design for a new pier that may very well be the least liked of those being considered. In a recent editorial following the Pier Selection Committee’s delay of a final ranking of designs, the Times editorial board once again slammed Destination St. Pete Pier in favor of Alma. The editorial read like it was written…

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‘Vote on the Pier’ group announces petition to amend City Charter

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

It appears there is already a petition circulating to put a referendum pertaining to St. Pete’s Pier on a ballot for voters. The petition, unlike the 2013 referendum that killed the Lens, would instead amend the city’s charter. In a petition posted on the Vote on the Pier Facebook page, the group wrote that Tom Lambdon, the man behind the Lens push, has started the petition drive to “amend [the city’s] Municipal Charter to provide additional protection for the city’s…

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Jack Latvala’s anti-human trafficking bill moves in Senate committee

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A bill aimed at shining a light on human trafficking breezed through the Senate Criminal Justice Subcommittee Monday with unanimous approval. Latvala’s bill requires posted signs including the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline and text numbers to be posted at various places throughout the state. Those locations include rest areas and welcome centers, airports and bus stations, truck stops, emergency rooms, adult entertainment locations, public schools and libraries and some privately operated job recruitment centers. “There is absolutely no…

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St. Pete City Council seems more supportive of public input than Pier Selection Committee

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

St. Pete City Council members have a potentially difficult decision facing them as soon as April 2. They are charged with voting up or down whatever pier design a committee appointed by the mayor puts before them. Based on several straw votes placed by the committee during their marathon meeting last week, that design may be Alfonso Architect’s Alma. The design boasting a narrow tower at the end of the pier ranked 5 out of 7 in the city’s public…

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St. Pete Polls wasn’t allowed to show its Pier survey and it’s not clear why

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

During Friday’s marathon meeting in which the Pier Selection Committee was supposed to choose final ranking of three designs, but didn’t, one person during public comment was essentially silenced at the podium during his 3-minutes. That person is Leonard Schmiege. He works for St. Pete Polls and was attempting to show results from an independent survey his company conducted that verified the city’s own survey results. St. Pete Polls and Schmiege conducted the poll after questions surfaced about whether or…

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