Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How fast can you now reach Tampa airport from downtown St. Pete?

Also check out 3rd Annual Harvest Festival on the St. Petersburg Patch calendar

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Cheers St. Petersburg! We're back, helping you stay up to date with what's happening. Let's take on the day together! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How fast can you now reach Tampa airport from downtown St. Pete?
  • Why Sexton Elementary's closure is on hold—for now
  • How SPC's new transfer deals could change your bachelor's degree plans

Also on today's calendar: 3rd Annual Harvest Festival and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What do you call a paper airplane that can't fly? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Wednesday: A shower and t-storm; humid, with a high of 82 and low of 76 degrees.
  • Thursday: A shower and t-storm; humid, temps: high: 81, low: 73.
  • Friday: A shower and t-storm; humid, with a high of 85 and low of 78 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Hold off on that rideshare, PSTA launches new direct service between downtown St. Pete and Tampa airport (floridapolitics.com) — Getting between downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa International Airport just got easier, with PSTA's new 727 Airport Express running seven days a week from early morning to late evening. Buses leave downtown St. Pete about every 75 minutes, cost standard PSTA fares, and connect with SunRunner and other routes so residents across Pinellas can reach the airport or Tampa more easily.
   

2. Sexton Elementary wins reprieve in Pinellas school closure plan (tampabay.com) — Families near Sexton Elementary in St. Petersburg just got a temporary reprieve, as the superintendent pulled back a proposal to close the school while the district rethinks its consolidation plan. School board members are weighing Sexton's shared campus and enrollment against nearby underused schools like Woodlawn, stressing that any final decision must both save money and keep strong options for students.
   

3. St. Petersburg College expands transfer opportunities with three new university partnerships (wtsp.com) — Students at St. Petersburg College now have three new guaranteed-transfer options to finish their bachelor's degrees at Florida Gulf Coast, West Florida, and Western Governors universities. These partnerships promise clearer degree pathways, dedicated advising, and potential scholarships, expanding on SPC's existing FUSE program with USF and helping local residents save money while advancing their education.
   

4. Historically St. Pete: How an open-air post office became a downtown St. Pete landmark (stpeterising.com) — Downtown St. Petersburg's Open Air Post Office, once nearly demolished, is celebrated here as a uniquely Mediterranean-inspired landmark that helped define the Sunshine City's character. The column traces its evolution from early postal days to its 1917 debut, bicycle mail tradition, and eventual listing on the National Register of Historic Places, inviting residents to see it with fresh eyes.
   

📸 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

  • Smoothie King posted a job opening for Evening Team Member in Pinellas Park. Apply here.
  • Olive Garden posted a job opening for Prep Cook in Pinellas Park. 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: "What do you call a paper airplane that can't fly?" — Stationary (Thank you David H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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