As city leaders search for innovative ways to address St. Pete’s affordable housing crisis, an unlikely institution could provide the solution: the Church of Scientology. A concept dubbed “Commodore Commons” could pair Scientology’s existing organizational structure with St. Pete’s “Yes in God’s Backyard,” or YIGBY, initiative to create a new model for affordable housing. The…

LARGO — Following the arrests of two deputies accused of improperly accessing law-enforcement databases while pursuing a woman and a 17-year-old girl, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is reportedly preparing to launch its own Flock-based dating service. Officials say the misconduct didn’t highlight a problem with the technology itself, but rather the need for a…

CLEARWATER — Local officials are warning that Amendment 3 could force governments across Florida to make painful budget cuts, affecting parks, libraries, public safety and other essential services. If approved by voters in November, the constitutional amendment would significantly increase Florida’s homestead exemption for non-school property taxes, reducing a major source of revenue for counties…

As St. Petersburg explores autonomous food-delivery robots, city officials are reportedly considering giving the machines a second job between orders: neighborhood patrol. The proposal would complement SPPD’s expanding drone program. Under the plan, a large portion of the city’s $185 million police budget would fund integration with Flock and the Real Time Intelligence Center. The…

ST. PETERSBURG — As Scientology and its parishioners pour hundreds of millions of dollars into downtown Clearwater, developers say the science is clear: St. Pete needs Scientology. “For years, people have focused almost exclusively on the horror stories surrounding Scientology,” development consultant Graham Whitmore said. “But nobody ever stops to ask what Scientology can do…

ST. PETERSBURG — A leak involving the city’s automated license plate reader network has allegedly exposed an extramarital affair between two high-ranking St. Pete officials after records documenting months of late-night travel were obtained by TMZ. According to the leaked data, one official’s vehicle made at least 17 late-night visits to the home of the…

ST. PETERSBURG — City Council Chair Lisset Hanewicz, a well-known hothead at City Hall, has pledged to personally yell at anyone who does not support Charlie Crist in his campaign for mayor of St. Petersburg. “Charlie has the extensive experience necessary to lead this city,” Hanewicz said. “And if you disagree, you’re acting like children!”…

ST. PETERSBURG — City officials are considering fines for motorists who damage potholes while driving on St. Petersburg streets, citing the growing cost of repeated vehicle impacts throughout the city. Under the proposal, drivers could be held financially responsible for striking a pothole or causing deterioration to the surrounding roadway. “People tend to think that…

TAMPA — Former President Joe Biden’s campaign for mayor of Tampa has received more than $400,000 from donors affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays. The contributions come as the Rays seek support for a proposed $2.3 billion stadium at the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough College. Biden, who announced his campaign earlier this year, currently…

LARGO — Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri is proposing proactive cavity searches for residents suspected of criminal behavior, warning that restrictions on routine police procedures could take crime fighting “back to the Stone Age.” The proposed Resident Evidence Assessment and Recovery program would allow deputies to conduct what the Sheriff’s Office calls “comprehensive internal screenings”…