Hillsborough County commissioners agreed Wednesday to pitch in $350,000 for a proposed ferry that will connect the downtowns of St. Petersburg and Tampa this winter.

"This is so significant," said Commissioner Sandy Murman, "connecting two cities and really stop talking about the word 'regional' and actually becoming regional." 

The second annual Elevation Basketball Camp Weekend took place last month at the Thomas "Jet" Jackson Recreation Center. Over 70 aspiring professional basketball players attended the weekend of drills, sweat and fun. Standouts included nine-year-old London Speights, who dominated the elementary age group.

You too can have a chance to take photos with Speights next Thursday, Aug. 11 at 4 p.m. at Campbell Park Recreation Center when he will present Mayor Rick Kriseman with a $25,000 donation to enhance city youth programs. 

As diplomatic initiatives go, this isn't exactly a Nixon goes to China moment. Instead, you might think of St. Petersburg's recent foray into international relations as the Camp Kriseman Accords.

Over the last weekend, representatives of the Cuban government toured St. Petersburg scouting potential locations for its consulate now that the United States and our neighbor 90 miles to the south have decided to rekindle diplomatic relations after nearly 60 years of casting stink eyes toward one another across the Florida Straits.

A project linking the downtowns of Tampa and St. Petersburg through a cross-bay ferry received an unanimous backing Wednesday from the Hillsborough County Commission.