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Janelle Irwin - page 7

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].

GOP voter registration trumps Democrats in Florida

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

More Pinellas County residents changed their party affiliation to Republican than they did to become Democrats during the first six weeks of the year. Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 16 more than 4,200 voters changed their party to the GOP while only 3,825 changed their affiliation to Democrat. Voters had until Feb. 16 to change parties for that change to apply in the March 15 Presidential Preference Primary. That date is important because Florida is a closed primary state, meaning Democrats can only vote…

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St. Petersburg staff to present alternative uses for downtown TIF

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

St. Petersburg city staff will present ideas on how to expand the use of Tax Incremental Funds downtown to relieve the city’s budgetary burden. City Council member Karl Nurse wants to see whether there’s a way to tap into the portion of property tax money set aside for projects within the downtown TIF district for projects not traditionally considered under the program. Particularly, Nurse is hoping to use the money for sewer infrastructure repairs. “Every time you build a block,…

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Skyway Marina District leaders want $5,000 for design plan development

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

St. Pete City Council’s Public Services and Infrastructure committee will discuss a potential $5,000 grant to the Skyway Marina District for design plan development services next week. The board is expected to fast track a decision. Steve Kornell, whose City Council district includes Skyway Marina, brought the item before full council at its regular meeting Thursday. The small appropriation is intended to allow the Skyway Marina District board to hire a consultant to develop a design plan for the corridor.…

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Race week in St. Pete gets City Council’s green flag

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

St. Pete City Council approves Race Week 2016 for the March 10-13 Grand Prix in downtown. Chris Ballestra, the city’s managing director of development coordination, touted the race as an “off the charts” opportunity for the city. “There’s a staggering economic impact,” Ballestra said noting the $40 million impact and $5 million in direct impact. “We don’t have anything that compares.” The event draws more than 1.5 million TV viewers across a number of stations worldwide. It will be broadcast…

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St. Pete adopts changes to noise ordinance

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

St. Pete City Council finally came to consensus on an update to the city’s noise ordinance. The board approved a measure that requires bars and restaurants with outdoor noise projection to point the speakers toward its customers, not toward its neighbors. Specifically, the ordinance requires the speakers to be permanently mounted and be directed away from residences. The issue came up after a number of downtown St. Pete condo owners complained about booming noise from neighboring establishments well into the…

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AIA New York honors New St. Pete Pier design in 2016 award for urban design

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

The new St. Pete Pier design concept is being honored by AIA New York in its annual design awards. The design and its parent firm, Rogers Partners, received a Merit Award in Urban Design from the group, also known as the Center for Architecture. “The New St. Pete Pier will provide year-round activity along the entire length of the new pier and seamlessly integrate with downtown St. Pete’s ongoing renaissance,” Rogers Partners posted on Facebook. The firm is working locally…

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New early childhood education tool available in St. Petersburg

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Early childhood education has been at the center of much debate over how to improve educational outcomes for students. That conversation has become prevalent in St. Pete where five elementary schools are chronically failing. Officials and elected leaders in the city have suggested finding money in the city’s budget to increase availability of pre-k programs above and beyond the VPK already available to 4-year-olds. While that goal may be long-term and potentially costly, the city is launching another option. Miss…

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