Community Corner

šŸŒ± Patch AM: How a new fiber network could safeguard St. Peteā€™s water system

Spotted on the St. Petersburg calendar: Open House in Parkridge - 11-2pm

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Good morning St. Petersburg! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a new fiber network could safeguard St. Pete's water system
  • Will MLK Street South finally get the safety fixes neighbors demand?
  • Why St. Pete's blacked-out Pride crosswalk is turning rainbow again

Also on today's calendar: Open House in Parkridge - 11-2pm and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What gets bigger the more you take away? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Sunday: An afternoon t-storm or two, with a high of 90 and low of 79 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Monday: Humid with a thunderstorm, temps: high: 90, low: 78.
  • Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with a t-storm, with a high of 89 and low of 79 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. St. Pete approves $2.7 million fiber network for water facilities (stpetecatalyst.com) — St. Petersburg is investing $2.72 million in a dedicated fiber-optic network to better secure and control its water facilities over the next 20 years. The new system will harden critical infrastructure against cyber and natural threats, lock in telecom costs, and give Water Resources more control over operations, all while fitting into the city's broader SPAR resiliency upgrades.
   

2. St. Pete group calls for MLK St. South safety upgrades, vigil to honor 5 deaths (fox13news.com) — Residents and advocates in St. Petersburg are pushing for urgent safety upgrades along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South after five pedestrian and cyclist deaths in five years, including two this year. The MLK South Safe Streets Coalition plans to bring demands for better lighting, crosswalks, and traffic-calming to City Hall's Sept. 3 budget workshop and is urging neighbors to join public comment.
   

3. At this St. Petersburg intersection, pride bubbles up beneath the tar (tampabay.com) — A once-vibrant Progressive Pride crosswalk in St. Petersburg's Grand Central District is slowly reappearing as traffic wears away the black coating the state ordered over it last year. The mural's faint rainbow now peeks through at Central Avenue and 25th Street, rekindling debate over Florida's crackdown on street art and how the city might honor such installations off state-controlled roadways.
   

4. St. Petersburg Woman Accused of Fleeing FHP, Crashing Into Motorist on I-275 (iontb.com) — A 31-year-old St. Petersburg woman is accused of fleeing a Florida Highway Patrol stop in Largo, speeding along U.S. 19 and I-275, and crashing into another driver near Roosevelt Boulevard before being taken to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital. No serious injuries were reported, but she now faces multiple felony charges, and the outlet is using the case to highlight its broader Tampa Bay coverage.
   

5. AI in the Catholic classroom: As a new school year starts, what role does it play? (osvnews.com) — Catholic educators, including leaders in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, are rethinking how artificial intelligence fits into classrooms while keeping human formation and faith at the center. Local voices describe balancing AI literacy with strict limits on its use, especially for reflective assignments and prayer, as schools nationwide develop frameworks and policies for responsible technology use this year.
   

📸 Around St. Petersburg

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🗓 Upcoming Events in St. Petersburg

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • US Department of Veterans Affairs posted a job opening for Lead Medical Support Assistant in Bay Pines. Apply here.
  • Healthcare Services Group, Inc. posted a job opening for Dietary Aide in Seminole. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near St. Petersburg here.

Ok St. Petersburg! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A hole (Thank you Netty W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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