Good morning. Hope everyone's recovering from yesterday's existential crisis at the boat show when you realized your checking account and that 42-foot center console are not compatible. On the bright side, at least we're not the people in Jacksonville who called 911 over a messed-up burger order this week. So there's that.

St. Petersburg announced two new partnerships on Thursday aimed at getting local young people job-ready and career-focused.

The partnerships are part of Mayor Ken Welch's "Commitment to Youth" initiative, which has been pouring resources into internships, mentorship programs, and skills training—especially in neighborhoods where opportunities have historically been harder to come by.

Details are still rolling out, but the focus is on workforce readiness and youth development. Think: internships that actually lead somewhere, skills training that matters, career pathways that help teenagers figure out what they want to do beyond "I don't know, maybe TikTok?"

The city's been serious about this stuff. Over the past couple years, St. Pete has expanded summer job programs, launched career exploration initiatives, and built partnerships with local businesses to create real opportunities for high schoolers and young adults.

These new collaborations appear designed to scale those efforts up even more.

Bottom line: St. Pete's betting on its young people. More specifics should be coming soon on what these partnerships actually look like in practice.

Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and St. Pete's rolling out its annual celebration.

The 39th Annual St. Pete MLK Parade kicks off at noon on Monday. This thing's a tradition—nearly four decades running—and it draws thousands of people to honor Dr. King's legacy. The parade is organized by the city and Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival Inc.

If parades aren't your thing, there are plenty of other ways to mark the day. Service projects, educational events, and community gatherings are happening across the Tampa Bay area throughout the long weekend.

What's closed Monday:

Beyond St. Pete, Tampa's hosting its own MLK parade at noon starting from Cuscaden Park, and Palmetto has a parade at noon as well. Manatee County's doing an MLK Day of Service focusing on building homes for Habitat for Humanity.

Bottom line: It's a three-day weekend. Whether you're at the parade, doing community service, or just taking time to reflect, Monday's about honoring Dr. King's work and continuing it.

❄️ Cold snap continues: Temps hit the low 50s this morning. Cold night shelters were activated earlier this week across Pinellas County for anyone who needs them.

🏴‍☠️ Gasparilla incoming: Children's Gasparilla is next Saturday (Jan 18), and the main pirate fest invades Tampa on Jan 25. Start planning your costume now—or just grab a pirate hat from the dollar store like everyone else.

🚤 Boat show wraps up Sunday: The St. Pete Power & Sailboat Show continues through Sunday at the Mahaffey Theater waterfront. Hours today are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets benefit Feeding Tampa Bay's hurricane relief efforts.

⚾ Rays spring training soon: Spring training is just over a month away. The Rays will be playing their 2025 season at the Yankees' spring facility in Tampa while Tropicana Field repairs continue.

🌤️ Weather: Sunny and beautiful today with highs in the mid-60s. Classic January in St. Pete—this is why we deal with August.

🎭 Tony DeSare's Billy Joel Tribute - 8 p.m. at Mahaffey Theater (400 1st St S). Full orchestral tribute to Billy Joel's greatest hits with vocals and piano.

🎪 Mezzo Market - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails (1111 Central Ave). Outdoor market with local vendors, vintage finds, and handmade goods.

🧗 Klub VV Black Light Climbing - Evening at Vertical Ventures (116 18th St S). Monthly climbing night with black lights and music—third Friday tradition.

🚤 St. Pete Boat Show (Final Weekend) - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Mahaffey Theater Yacht Basin. Gulf Coast's largest boat show continues through Sunday.

January 17, 2009: The Tampa Bay History Center opened its doors on the Tampa waterfront after years of planning and fundraising. The 60,000-square-foot museum represents $17 million in community investment and houses three floors of exhibits covering 12,000 years of Florida history. The center includes the Touchton Map Library—the only cartographic research center in the Southeastern United States—with thousands of historic maps and charts. While located in Tampa, the History Center serves the entire bay area and preserves our shared regional heritage, from the Calusa peoples to cigar rolling to baseball's spring training legacy.