Advertisement

The Daystarter: State wildlife officials need help killing pythons; Hillsborough vote on new school start times; will Pinellas end moratorium on medical marijuana facilities?; Coming Wednesday: Why kids are stealing cars

 
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission needs help capturing pythons, like the 133-pound snake pictured here. The agency is appealing to the public. [U.S. Geological Survey]
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission needs help capturing pythons, like the 133-pound snake pictured here. The agency is appealing to the public. [U.S. Geological Survey]
Published April 25, 2017

Catching you up on overnight happenings, and what you need to know today.

10News WTSP

The latest 7-day forecast

10News WTSP

The latest 7-day forecast

10News WTSP

Feels-like temperatures around the Tampa Bay area

10News WTSP

Feels-like temperatures around the Tampa Bay area

Temperatures start to rise again today, and will climb into the upper-80s by Friday, according to 10Weather WTSP. Don't expect any relief from the dry conditions. There's no rain in sight.

As you head out for your morning commute, check out our live blog for the latest traffic updates and road conditions across Tampa Bay.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants you to help control the python population. Seriously. The agency that brought you the python hunt is offering prizes to anyone who kills a python. All you need to do is send photographic evidence. Craig Pittman has more.

Last year, a majority of Pinellas County commissioners allocated 25 percent of the next 10-year cycle of Penny for Pinellas funds to affordable housing and the needs of the poor. So residents were outraged when they saw current county plans only include 1.3 percent for affordable housing. Thousands of activists came together Monday to demand the county and City of St. Petersburg allocate more money to affordable housing. Nat Lash has the details.

COMING WEDNESDAY: A Tampa Bay Times Special Project: A real life game of Grand Theft Auto is playing out in Pinellas County. Kids are driving stolen cars at 100 mph, careening the wrong way on busy roads, crashing into houses, trees and other cars. Police are amazed more people haven't died. Find out Wednesday what you can do to stop it. Watch a preview of the series here.

IBM shareholders are holding their annual meeting at the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina today. Among other issues, they'll vote on CEO Ginni Rometty's salary and a proposal to increase transparency around the company's lobbying. The company has an office in Tampa's Rocky Point area. Check back here for updates.

• Medical marijuana will be on the agenda when the Pinellas County Commission meets today. Commissioners are scheduled to vote on an ordinance that would establish rules for growing, processing and selling medical pot in unincorporated areas of the county. But first, they'll hear from both critics and supporters at a 6 p.m. public hearing. Mark Puente sets up tonight's meeting; stay with tampabay.com later for updates.

• Having gotten out the big hitters in the middle of the Orioles lineup several times during the night, and having gone 30-plus innings into the season without giving up a single home run, Rays starter Chris Archer gave up three in a five-batter span that flipped the game. The result was a 6-3 loss to the first-place Orioles.

• In Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander, the Bucs have two young linebackers who never come off the field when healthy, key parts of Tampa Bay's defense for the present and future, That, and other factors, could mean linebackers are not a high draft priority for the Bucs, Greg Auman writes.

• Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Jeff Eakins will recommend new starting times at a special school board meeting today, although the schedule would not take effect until August 2018. Among the topics during a busy meeting today are a debriefing on the latest Gibson Consulting Group report; a budget discussion at 1; and a meeting on the new bell times at 3:30 p.m. Follow Marlene Sokol @Marlenesokol for updates.

Medical marijuana will be on the agenda when the Pinellas County Commission meets today. Commissioners are scheduled to vote on an ordinance that would establish rules for growing, processing and selling medical pot in unincorporated areas of the county. But first, they'll hear from both critics and supporters at a 6 p.m. public hearing. Check out tampabay.com for updates.

Here are the top things to do today in Tampa Bay including a conversation between bestselling author Lisa Unger and artist Ya La-ford, indie rockers Clap You Hands Say Yeah in Ybor City, and USF volcano experts talking at the Taste of Science festival.

Thanks to the success of Harry Potter, Disney is cooking up deep dives into Star Wars and James Cameron's Avatar. We explore this trend of theme parks taking great efforts to put you in the movie and we have details on what's coming next.

We talked to Daphne Zuniga actor Daphne Zuniga, the '80s movie sweetheart and resident of Melrose Place who will be town this weekend for the Sunscreen Film Festival. Her visit includes a special free screening to mark the 30th anniversary of Mel Brooks Spaceballs, the raunchy comedy in which she played Princess Vespa.

• Looking for a different take on chicken? This recipe treats tender chicken thighs to two all-time favorite flavor sensations: a mouthwatering Asian-style marinade that hits every single taste bud, and the alluring char that happens when food gets near fire.