“How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked Mike in Ernest Hemingway’s famous 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises.” “Two ways,” Mike responded. “Gradually and then suddenly.” The “suddenly” part of St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch’s…
In 2017, two Florida courts ruled against the City of Treasure Island after it thought it could allow vehicular traffic on its beaches that is barred by statue. Now after a complaint, the City of…
Large campaign signs with the disclaimers required by Florida law deliberately cut off. Several unlawful cash contributions, one of them from a 27-year old Latvian aspiring model and student who is barred by federal law…
After not receiving a form required by the city with the Hines/Rays proposal, the City of St. Petersburg could have easily waived the requirement. Yet the city didn’t do so, a public records request to…
Grant Izzi, a candidate for the District 2 City Commission seat in St. Pete Beach, sent out a mailer to voters in December 2024 that showed him in his Air Force uniform. The mailer was…
The Rays’ latest communication with public agencies who they wish to fund their new stadium contained some easily defeated sleight of hand, yet also served as an important indicator of the franchise’s intention. That intention…
“As we have made clear at every step of this process, a 2029 ballpark delivery would result in significantly higher costs that we are not able to absorb alone,” the Tampa Bay Rays wrote in…
The current in-force agreement for the Tampa Bay Rays’ use, management and operation (UMOA) of Tropicana Field has a so-called force majeure clause which governs what happens in the event of hurricane damage. With Major…
“You have written so many bold faced lies in your newspaper about me,” Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) Board member Nadia Combs wrote in a text message to the Guardian three days ago. [EDITOR’S NOTE:…
Hillsborough Schools procurement boss Christopher Farkas accepted a trip this year’s Kentucky Derby from a major vendor to Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), two separate and independent sources have told the Tampa Bay Guardian. Farkas…
“Despite recovery efforts, we need at least another day before we can safely reopen schools,” this pop-up message on the front page of the Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) website said Monday, October 14th, five…
“The School Board has failed to recognize the seriousness of their staff getting big gifts from vendors,” the latest edition of La Gaceta reported. “This not only deserves their scrutiny, it should be examined by…
Cell phone call logs show that Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) Deputy Superintendent Chris Farkas was also present in Augusta, Georgia and nearby Macon cell tower areas at the time of the Masters Golf Tournament.…
“I did wanna, um, you know, address some comments that were made today, addressing some misinformation that I talked to each of you about individually,” Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) Superintendent Van Ayres told the…
Multiple sources have confirmed off the record that Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) Superintendent Van Ayres has admitted that he in fact did accept transportation on a private jet provided by a vendor to HCPS.…
Florida Statute 119.0701 governing public agency contracts requires that all contracts for services entered into with contractors to the agency contain a clause governing public records and public records requests. That law has been in…
“Will you categorically deny that you and/or Mr. Farkas accepted free transportation on a private jet provided by a vendor to your agency?” This is the question we posed via email on August 9th to…
“If it is true the city didn’t push for an inflation adjustment, then that’s poor policymaking and I’d be upset with lawmakers as a resident.” That’s what Geoffrey Propheter, Professor at the School of Public…
