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Tracey McManus - Clearwater and Scientology Reporter

Clearwater and Scientology Reporter

I cover a range of topics in Pinellas County with a focus on the Church of Scientology, which is downtown Clearwater's largest and most influential property owner. Before joining the Times in 2015, I spent five years with The Augusta Chronicle in Georgia. I've wanted to be a journalist pretty much since I was old enough to read the newspapers my dad kept stacked near the kitchen table every day. I was born in Brooklyn but grew up in south Florida and graduated from University of Florida in 2010 with degrees in journalism and Spanish. When not on deadline, I'm usually out running with my two dogs Tiger and Ollie, both strays I found in Georgia.

  1. Clearwater City Council members speak to residents during a meeting at the Clearwater Main Library in January.
  2. Mayor Frank Hibbard speaks to the public during a City Council meeting at the Clearwater Main Library on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
  3. Members of the Clearwater City Council, from left, David Allbritton, Kathleen Beckman, Frank Hibbard, Mark Bunker, and Lina Teixeira, attend a meeting on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
  4. An aerial view of construction in progress at Clearwater's Coachman Park on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
  5. Rex and Rudolph, swim together at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Aug. 6, 2020. Rex, 8, is one of four dolphins to die at the facility in the last 16 months.
  6. FILE - Members of the Florida House of Representatives work during a legislative session at the Florida State Capitol on March 8, 2022. This year, state Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, has caught the attention of local mayors by sponsoring legislation that further limits local governments when it comes to building permits, construction projects and vacation rentals.
  7. Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard, left, and Councilmember Mark Bunker listen as Pastor Victor McCleskey addresses the Clearwater City Council on Thursday.
  8. The Clearwater City Council voted to begin negotiations to name Jennifer Poirrier city manager, promoting her from an interim role, on Thursday, March 2, 2023, in city hall chambers at the city's main library.
  9. Clearwater City Council members speak to citizens during a meeting at the Clearwater Main Library on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Clearwater.
  10. Aerial drone view of the new Gladys E. Douglas Preserve, 44 acres of untouched wild forest with hiking trails, and a lake is pictured on Friday in Dunedin.
  11. The FBI's field office in Tampa has offered to help Clearwater officials investigate a concerning yearslong lapse in its recycling program.
  12. A recycling bin is out for pick on Feb. 2, 2023, in Clearwater, where city officials are trying to sort out problems in their recycling program. Interim City Manager Jennifer Poirrier said she plans to hire a consultant to help sort out the issue.
  13. Tarpon Springs City Commissioner Jacob Karr did not seek a hearing with the Florida Commission on Ethics over allegations that he misused his office.
  14. Scientology leader David Miscavige appears in a 2018 video announcing the Scientology Network, a streaming service promoting the church.
  15. A recycling bin is out for pick on Feb. 2, 2023, in Clearwater, where city officials are trying to sort out problems with their recycling program. Interim City Manager Jennifer Poirrier said she plans to hire a consultant to help address the issue.
  16. Outlined in red, the 74-acre site of the proposed Anclote Harbor apartment complex touches the Anclote River to the north and U.S. 19 to the west. The project's Texas-based developer is pressing the city of Tarpon Springs for permits to begin construction, having won a court battle with a citizens group.
  17. A look at the Pinellas County Resource Recovery Facility, where recycled materials from Clearwater residents were processed for six months rather than being taken to the Waste Management facility in Ybor City.
  18. Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige is pictured during the 2006 opening of a church building in London. Miscavige, who has led the church since 1986, has rarely been photographed in public, besides at church events.
  19. The Church of Scientology's Flag Building, upper left, stands out in downtown Clearwater, where negotiations between the city and church on a land swap have yielded no visible results.
  20. Vacant buildings line Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Clearwater's Greenwood neighborhood on Jan. 6, 2020, including the former theater building seen in the background.
  21. The entrance to Madeira Beach City Hall, the site of a City Commission meeting that sparked a lawsuit when commissioners hired attorney Tom Trask. A judge has ruled in the city's favor, but lawyers for the plaintiff are seeking a rehearing.
  22. A view of Pinellas County's waste-to-energy plant, where the city of Clearwater's residential recycling materials were taken since July 2022 by mistake. A city investigation has resulted in the resignation of a top solid waste department official.
  23. The John’s Pass boardwalk is seen on Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Madeira Beach.