Janelle Irwin - page 208

Things are heating up between Pinellas County Commission candidates Pat Gerard and Ed Hooper. Gerard is accusing Hooper of working under a conflict of interest while he was a state Representative in Tallahassee. Hooper is a partner for the Consus Group that helps developers and property owners navigate the permitting process. Gerard’s campaign notes Hooper was paid nearly $300,000 in consulting services with the Consus Group during his tenure in Tallahassee from 2006 to 2013. The bulk of that came…

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A coalition of St. Pete-based groups is joining forces to build the city a new pier. The group, which includes the architectural firms Wannemacher Jensen, Harvard Jolly and Yann Weymouth, will submit one plan under the request for qualification process laid out by the city. The firms will collaborate on one seamless plan, but are breaking the work up into three areas. Wannemacher Jensen, a firm that worked on “the Lens” design voters rejected last year, will design the uplands…

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Richard Hoar, Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, will be starting a new position with Banner Public Affairs in Washington D.C. Hoar has worked on Capital Hill for four and a half years as a senior policy adviser. He has assisted Bilirakis with legislative and regulatory issues within the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Hoar focused on the federal budget, congressional appropriations and other issues involving the economy and commerce. “I am very grateful…

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Some Citizens Property Insurance customers may have some private options when it comes time to renew their policies later this year. Citizens announced today it will be running multi-peril policy holders through a database of private companies beginning today. The new process is open for those customers with renewal dates after November 1. Multi-peril policies provide customers with multiple protections covering a variety of possible hazards – like farm equipment or machinery. “Making the clearinghouse available for renewal customers is…

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Congressman David Jolly is asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration to do something about a Red Tide bloom amassing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. In a letter to NOAA, Jolly writes that he is concerned about the bloom’s affects on fisheries and habitats in the waters off the coast of Pinellas County. “Pinellas County is home to a large and diverse economy based largely on the marine environment. The last major Karenia brevis bloom in 2005 significantly impacted…

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In a blatant campaign pitch for Charlie Crist, Florida Representative Dwight Dudley blasted Governor Rick Scott for being a little too cozy with Duke Energy. Florida Democrats say Scott has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the energy giant and is therefore siding with them over average Floridians. “Why are we subsidizing a highly profitable company and regular consumers being placed in the shoes of investors?” Dudley asked during a conference call Tuesday. “We don’t get any…

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A handful of businesses were honored by the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce last night for being good ‘Burgers – as in, St. Petersburgers. The Chamber defines a good ‘Burger as a business or organization in Greater St. Pete that makes a positive impact on the community. The group also chooses a Most Valuable ‘Burger that can be an individual.  “The Good ‘Burger Awards, now in its second year, allows us to reflect on those members who stood out…

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