Good morning, St. Pete! Today's newsletter: A teacher bought gifts for students and now he's in handcuffs. Someone's paying people to knock on your door and lie to your face about your electric bill and they won't say who. And St. Pete just pulled off something no other city in Florida has ever done with a pile of dirt that used to be a lumber yard. Plus: your baseball team is one vote closer to leaving you for Tampa.
Let's get into it.

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Mayor Ken Welch grabbed a shovel yesterday and broke ground on something that's never been done before in Florida: the state's first affordable housing project built on land that was supposed to stay industrial forever.

Fairfield Avenue Apartments is going up on 6.9 acres at 3300 Fairfield Ave. S. — the old Tibbetts Lumber Company site that's been sitting there since the 1970s. The project costs $94.2 million, will create 264 affordable and workforce housing units, and here's the kicker: it's got a 99-year affordability commitment. Translation: your grandkids' grandkids will still be able to afford to live there.

The magic? A 2020 Florida law that lets cities convert industrially-zoned land into residential development. St. Pete was the first city in the state to actually approve a project under this law back in 2022, but this is the first one breaking ground. The city kicked in $9.7 million, Pinellas County added funding, there's a HUD construction loan, and developer equity filled in the gaps.

Former State Senator Jeff Brandes and St. Pete-based HP Capital Group are behind it. Nick Hansen from HP Capital said it best: "Transforming a site that once supported local industry into housing that supports working families is incredibly meaningful."

The Pinellas County Housing Authority will own and manage the apartments. The property gets leased through a trust with the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County to lock in that 99-year affordability deal.

Bottom line: St. Pete just figured out how to turn old industrial sites into permanently affordable housing — and proved it can actually be done. Other cities are watching. The project should be done by late 2028.

Florida Politics coverage | City announcement

Remember those door-hangers warning that St. Pete dumping Duke Energy would cost you billions in taxes? Turns out, paid canvassers were going door-to-door spreading misinformation — and at least one of them admitted he knew he was lying to people just to make rent money.

David Kovalak, 42, worked as a door-to-door canvasser for something called the St. Pete Energy Alliance. He told the Tampa Bay Times: "I was 100% misleading people to just sign this thing that they have no clue what they're doing, just so that I can pay my rent."

The Alliance is part of a larger "dark money" operation called Pinellas Energy Alliance — a business trade group that doesn't have to disclose donors. They've been running campaigns in St. Pete and Clearwater warning residents that municipalization (the city buying Duke's power lines and creating a public utility) would mean higher property taxes and billions in debt.

Here's the thing: that's not how it works. As City Council Vice Chair Richie Floyd pointed out, any debt would be paid through electric bills, not taxes — exactly like Duke does now, except Duke also builds in profit margins and shareholder dividends.

Neither Duke Energy nor the Florida Alliance for Electric Choice (a utility lobbying group) will say if they're funding the campaign. The Pinellas Energy Alliance website says Duke would fight a buyout and leave the city in debt — classic scare tactics.

The real story? St. Pete's 30-year contract with Duke ends this August. The city is exploring whether creating a municipal utility could save residents money. Over 30 Florida cities already have publicly-owned power that's both cheaper and more reliable than investor-owned utilities. Clearwater paid $500,000 for a feasibility study that showed customers could save 7% in the first 5 years and 18% annually over 25 years.

Bottom line: There's a well-funded campaign to scare St. Pete residents away from even studying whether dumping Duke makes sense — and they're using paid canvassers who admit they're lying. If someone knocks on your door with flyers about this, ask who's paying them.

A Pinellas Park teacher and coach is sitting in jail after being arrested for building inappropriate relationships with female students at Plato Academy.

Brett Caskey, 41, was charged with lewd or lascivious conduct on Tuesday following an investigation by Pinellas Park Police. According to detectives, Caskey bought clothes and food for students—classic grooming behavior that's designed to blur boundaries between teacher and student.

Here's the thing: When an adult in a position of authority starts buying personal gifts for kids, that's not mentorship. That's a giant red flag. Teachers buying lunch for the class is one thing. Teachers buying individual students clothing? That's crossing a line that shouldn't need to be explained.

Plato Academy is a charter school with several locations across the Tampa Bay area, including campuses in Pinellas Park, Clearwater, Trinity, and Seminole. The Pinellas Park campus serves students from kindergarten through 8th grade, which makes this arrest particularly disturbing given the age range potentially involved.

Police are asking anyone with information about inappropriate contact or behavior involving Caskey to contact the Pinellas Park Police Department immediately. That language—"anyone with information"—suggests investigators believe there may be additional victims who haven't come forward yet.

Bottom line: Another day, another teacher arrested for inappropriate conduct with students. If your kid goes to Plato Academy or had contact with this teacher, you might want to have a conversation. And if you're a parent anywhere—remind your kids that adults who try to become their "special friend" with gifts and special treatment are showing warning signs, not kindness.

FOX 13 coverage

⚡ Lightning hosting Florida Panthers tonight: The Bolts take on the Panthers at 7 p.m. at Amalie Arena. After that epic outdoor Stadium Series comeback win against Boston, Tampa Bay is riding high as one of the NHL's hottest teams.

⚾ Rays stadium update: Tampa Sports Authority voted Tuesday to request an economic impact study for the proposed $2+ billion Rays stadium at Hillsborough Community College. Governor DeSantis and MLB Commissioner Manfred both publicly supported the plan this week. Translation: St. Pete's baseball team is getting closer to moving across the bay.

🏫 Pinellas school closure meeting tonight: Cross Bayou Elementary hosts a community meeting at 6 p.m. as parents push back against the district's plan to close the school. Final vote on closures and consolidations is February 24.

🌡️ Warming up finally: After the cold snap, temps are climbing back to the mid-60s today and should hit the 70s this weekend. Morning lows still in the 50s, so keep that hoodie handy.

💧 Water restrictions start Saturday: Once-a-week lawn watering begins February 8 across Tampa Bay due to the region's 13-inch rainfall deficit. Violators face $100 fines in Tampa. The restrictions run through July 1 unless we get serious rain.

Live Music at Ruby's Elixir - Evening at 15 3rd St N. Check their schedule for tonight's jazz session—Ruby's is always a solid bet for good vibes and smooth sounds.

🔥 Treasure Island Chili Cook-Off coming Feb 20: The annual fundraiser for Treasure Island Fire Association happens Feb 20 from 5:30-7:30 PM at the Community Center. $10 gets you samples of all entries plus voting rights. Tickets limited to 200 people.

🎡 Florida State Fair - Continues through February 16 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. America's Sunniest Celebration featuring rides, concerts, livestock shows, and deep-fried everything. General admission $15, kids 5 and under free. Fair details

Construction began on the Vinoy Park Hotel on February 5, 1925. Oil tycoon Aymer Vinoy Laughner broke ground on what would become one of St. Pete's most iconic landmarks. The build took just 10 months — they finished the 375-room Mediterranean Revival masterpiece by New Year's Eve that same year.

The hotel cost $3.5 million to build (about $62 million today) and opened as a seasonal luxury destination for wealthy northerners escaping winter. During World War II, it was converted into a military training center. After decades of decline and sitting abandoned through the '70s and '80s, a $93 million renovation brought it back to life in 1992. Today it's a National Historic Landmark and proof that even St. Pete's fanciest buildings have survived some rough times.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AMAZING!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, do better
⭐️ You didn't bring the heat