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News at Noon: Small St. Pete building gets big attention; Scientology buying more of Clearwater?; couple allegedly hid landlord's body; should Bolts trade Bishop?

 
The exterior of the Prince Gregor Apartments in St. Petersburg. The 12-unit apartment building, which was built in 1948, has been restored by Ali Sarrafian and Afsaneh Asayesh. [EVE EDELHEIT   |   Times]
The exterior of the Prince Gregor Apartments in St. Petersburg. The 12-unit apartment building, which was built in 1948, has been restored by Ali Sarrafian and Afsaneh Asayesh. [EVE EDELHEIT | Times]
Published Feb. 21, 2017

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

RENOVATION OF SMALL BUILDING GETS BIG ATTENTION

A 12-unit apartment building dating to Harry Truman's presidency recently drew kudos from Mayor Rick Kriseman and other civic leaders. Built in 1948, the Prince Gregor Apartments at 844 5th Ave. S have been restored to their Art Deco glory by a Canadian couple who became smitten with the place on visits to relatives in St. Petersburg.

TRUMP DENOUNCES THREATS AGAINST JEWISH CENTERS

President Donald Trump on Tuesday denounced recent threats against Jewish community centers as "horrible" and "painful." He said they are a "very sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil." Threats were made against 11 Jewish Community Centers on Monday, including one in Tampa.

MYSTERY BUYER RAISES SCIENTOLOGY QUESTIONS

An Ybor City real estate broker has been buying up downtown property on behalf of a buyer working very hard to remain secret. This month, a newly formed LLC called 601 Cleveland paid $13 million for Clearwater's largest office tower in the center of downtown.

Speculation has turned again to the default assumption whenever downtown property changes hands — that the Church of Scientology is somehow involved.

GRADEBOOK PODCAST: REP. RALPH MASSULLO

Even though he's a freshman lawmaker, Rep. Ralph Massullo hasn't shied from taking on some of the biggest education issues facing Florida's public schools. He's filed bills seeking to change high school graduation test requirements and class size calculations, among other tough topics. Reporter Jeff Solochek spoke with Massullo about his views.

POLICE: CLEARWATER COUPLE HID LANDLORD'S BODY

Police have arrested two people in the death of a woman they say was shot in the early morning hours after the Super Bowl but only discovered on Monday morning. Officers had arrived at the home on Monday morning to conduct a welfare check on Ring when they discovered her body. The pair were tenants of the victim.

SHOULD LIGHTNING RIDE - OR TRADE - BEN BISHOP?

Still want to trade Ben Bishop? With Tampa Bay fightning for its playoff life, Bishop has won his last four starts, including Sunday's 3-2 overtime victory in Colorado. The Lightning goaltender is playing some of his best hockey of the season. And, depending on how you look at it, the timing couldn't be any better.

A COMPLETE HISTORY OF TWENTY ONE PILOTS PERFORMANCES IN TAMPA BAY

When Twenty One Pilots came onstage in their undies this month to accept a Grammy for their huge hit Stressed Out, many viewers probably wondered: Who were these weirdos, and how on earth did they get here?

Here in Tampa Bay, however, fans can say they saw it coming.