Writers

Tracey McManus

Tracey covers Clearwater government and general topics in the city. Before joining the Times in August 2015, she spent five years covering everything from education reform to animal welfare for The Augusta Chronicle in Georgia. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she was raised in Palm City, Fla., and graduated from University of Florida in 2010 with degrees in journalism and Spanish.

Clearwater City Council member Bob Cundiff is the lone skeptic of fluoride of his colleagues.

Clearwater Council member Bob Cundiff again questions fluoride

CLEARWATER — City Council member Bob Cundiff again diverged from his four colleagues on one of Tampa Bay's most sensitive subjects: fluoride.On Thursday, the City Council voted 4-1 to pay KAT Construction $552,000 to build...

Published: 04/20/18

A rendering of the proposed L. Ron Hubbard Hall, a 3,600-seat auditorium the Church of Scientology has proposed building along Fort Harrison Avenue in Clearwater. Two of the three city-owned parcels involved in a land swap approved Thursday border the proposed auditorium site.
[Freedom Magazine]

Clearwater Council kills land swap with Scientology for a second time in one year

CLEARWATER � In June, after months of negotiations with city staff, the Church of Scientology bought a vacant lot on the edge of downtown for the purpose of trading it for three small city-owned parcels.Now it�s likely Scientology will keep...

Published: 04/20/18

Among Bob Carpenter's duties was organizing national and international sports tournaments. EVE EDELHEIT | Times

Clearwater police investigating former Parks and Recreation employee�s handling of cash

CLEARWATER � Police are investigating a former Parks and Recreation employee�s handling of the department�s cash management system after he abruptly resigned when confronted about irregularities.Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Dunbar said...

Published: 04/18/18

About 25 Tampa firefighters battled a large fire inside the Waste Management Transfer Station
at the corner of N. 34th Street and E. 4th Avenue in Ybor City. [Tampa Fire Rescue]

Fire at recycling center disrupts Clearwater�s program

CLEARWATER � A March 26 fire that caused extensive damage at the Ybor City Waste Management Transfer Station where Clearwater sends its recyclables is disrupting the city�s program.Residents are encouraged to continue recycling as normal, but...

Published: 04/12/18

Clearwater City Council member Doreen Caudell announced her campaign for Pinellas County Commission last year. The overlap caused tension in the city recently when Mayor George Cretekos questioned the logic of her taking on more roles before the Nov. 6 election.
[Photo courtesy of Doreen Caudell for Pinellas County Commission Facebook page]

Friction breaks out over Clearwater Council member�s dual role as County Commission candidate

CLEARWATER � For almost a year, Doreen Caudell has doubled as a sitting City Council member and a Pinellas County Commission hopeful.She announced her campaign last June to challenge incumbent Democrat Pat Gerard for the at-large District 2...

Published: 04/11/18

Indian Rocks Beach and other cities are looking for ways to regulate short-term rentals.Times Files.

Indian Rocks Beach is latest city to get creative in regulating short-term rentals

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH � As short-term vacation rentals continue to thrive in this Gulf front community, City Attorney Randy Mora sensed some residents gathered in City Hall on Tuesday expected him to make them all go away. So he let them down...

Published: 04/11/18

No, Coastal Living did not name Clearwater Beach #1 in US

City officials celebrated in February when TripAdvisor named Clearwater Beach the best beach in the U.S. for 2018,...

Published: 04/09/18

This aerial view shows a 425-acre tract that the City of Clearwater had planned to sell for preservation. The vacant pasture land sits north and east of the Silver Dollar Shooters Club, along Patterson Road in the Odessa area. Complications are keeping the city from selling the land to Hillsborough County, which would preserve it for green space. Instead, the likely buyer is a multibillion-dollar company that owns the shooters club and a neighboring RV park. [Google Maps]

Once headed for preservation, 400 acres in Hillsborough now within mobile home park company�s reach

CLEARWATER � Two years ago this month, the city began working with Hillsborough County�s preservation arm to ensure 425 acres of pasture it owns in Keystone would be conserved forever as green space.Instead, a multibillion dollar mobile home...

Updated one month ago

This rectangular piece of property between S Garden and Fort Harrison avenues on Court Street is one of three city-owned parcels officials hope to trade with the Church of Scientology in exchange for a vacant lot on Cleveland Street. City officials say they need the church's Cleveland Street lot to use for retail parking. DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times]

Clearwater, Scientology land swap back on the table ... again

CLEARWATER � Almost a year after elected officials abruptly backed out of a deal with the Church of Scientology to trade a cluster of low-profile downtown properties, negotiations are now back on the table.The City Council is scheduled on April...

Updated one month ago

North Greenwood library opens Discovery Zone

CLEARWATERThe North Greenwood Library is giving children a new reason to come and read.The library installed a Discovery Zone area with reading resources and play areas designed to enhance the cognitive abilities of kids 17 and under. It...

Updated one month ago