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News at noon: St. Petersburg City Council 2019 primary election voter guide; The Flamingo turns 50. Is it the oldest bar in St. Petersburg?; and more

 
Here are the top five latest headlines and updates on tampabay.com.
Here are the top five latest headlines and updates on tampabay.com. [ TMCCARTY | times staff ]
Published Aug. 20, 2019

Here are the top five latest headlines and updates on tampabay.com.

Down the hatch: St. Petersburg has sent more than 21 million gallons of improperly treated sewage into the aquifer since 2018

Days after Subtropical Storm Alberto dumped heavy rain on this city in May 2018, officials gave themselves a glowing report card on progress made repairing its leaky sewage system.

“The city’s infrastructure handled the inundation from the storm’s rainfall completely and without incident,” read a May 29 posting on the city’s website.

But the city didn’t tell the public that a few weeks earlier, it had pumped nearly 19 million gallons of wastewater into the Floridan aquifer that didn’t meet state or federal standards.

Since the beginning of 2018, the city has violated its wastewater permit at least six times by pumping more than 21 million gallons of wastewater downs its wells, state records show. A probable seventh violation occurred this past weekend. Its size is still unknown.

Trial in the Clearwater parking lot shooting: Day 2, the jury

We’ll provide live updates in the manslaughter case against Michael Drejka, accused in the July 2018 shooting death of Markeis McGlockton. Get them here.

St. Petersburg City Council 2019 primary election voter guide: All the candidates on the issues

St. Petersburg’s primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 27. Voters will choose between candidates for seats representing Districts 3, 5 and 7. In each race, the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.

To help readers make the most informed decisions at the polls, the Tampa Bay Times surveyed each candidate and is publishing their views on the city’s biggest issues.

The Flamingo turns 50. Is it the oldest bar in St. Petersburg?

Crowds gathered at the Flamingo recently to celebrate St. Petersburg’s “oldest bar with the longest original owner," as the sign displayed out front read.

Surely someone must have ordered the Kerouac special, a $2.50 “shot and a wash," meaning a whiskey and a plastic cup of beer. It’s named for Jack Kerouac, the legendary writer who drank there occasionally in his final days in 1969. It feels like not much has changed in the wood-paneled, smoke-kissed barroom since then.

But is the Flamingo the oldest bar in St. Petersburg? That all depends on how you measure.

A 15-year-old student is fifth Floridian charged with threatening a mass shooting this month.

A Seabreeze High School student Friday became the fifth Floridian charged with threatening to commit a mass shooting after deadly shootings in El Paso and Dayton earlier this month.

According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, 15-year-old Adam Guzzetti was charged with a felony after authorities learned he threatened to shoot and kill people at his school, Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach.


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Contact Dinorah Prevost at dprevost1@tampabay.com. Follow @dprevost1.

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