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BY KARLANA JUNE NNB Student Reporter ST. PETERSBURG – For half a century, Fannye Ayer Ponder was a stalwart of civic activism, education and high society in St. Petersburg’s black community. She and her physician husband, who came to the city in 1925, lived in a regal, seven-bedroom home with a manicured lawn and cherry… Continue reading Historic Ponder House to get $100,000 renovation

By COREY GIVENS JR. NNB Student Reporter ST. PETERSBURG – When Carolyn Brayboy went for her annual physical in 2007, she told her doctor she had been feeling a little nauseous. The doctor referred her to a specialist for tests that led to a dreaded diagnosis: cancer. For months, Brayboy underwent chemotherapy, which left her… Continue reading Where some see decay, they see opportunity

BY TAYLOR WILLIAMS NNB Student Reporter ST. PETERSBURG — When he was a little leaguer in Coral Springs, some of the leagues got write-ups in the local paper. Not his. So Marc Topkin called the paper and asked why. The answer: “We don’t have anyone to cover it.” So Topkin took on the job. He… Continue reading He covers the Rays with a poker face and a veteran’s touch

BY IAN MacCALLUM NNB Student Reporter ST. PETERSBURG – When it opened in 1948, the Royal Theater became the second theater in town that catered solely to the black community during the Jim Crow era. The occasion was so momentous that “they had a big celebration, with a parade right down 22nd Street S,” said… Continue reading Historic theater offers hope, opportunity to children

BY MARK WOLFENBARGER NNB Student Reporter ST. PETERSBURG – For decades, the sprawling warehouse district on the northern edge of the Midtown neighborhood was as lifeless as the dried-out, wheat-colored grass that surrounded the mostly abandoned buildings. The district sprang up after a railroad freight depot was built at 420 22nd St. S in 1926.… Continue reading Art spurs comeback in once-seedy warehouse district

BY JACOB COONFARE NNB Student Reporter ST. PETERSBURG – A new opportunity for residents of Midtown and nearby neighborhoods is rising on the corner of 22nd Street and 13th Avenue S. When in opens in mid-2015, the three-story building for St. Petersburg College will quadruple the college’s space in Midtown and enable it to expand… Continue reading St. Petersburg College to expand, provide workforce training

BY EMILY WEHUNT NNB Student Reporter ST. PETERSBURG – It was a slow Saturday afternoon at the Tampa Bay Times. Photojournalist John Pendygraft, was editing a video at his cubicle. Suddenly, a text alert went off on his cell phone. Within seconds, he was up from his desk. Carefully but swiftly, he gathered his belongings… Continue reading Natural disasters and human struggles are his beat

BY JAIMIE LUNA NNB Student Reporter SARASOTA – With a sense of adventure and $500 in his pocket, he bought a round-trip ticket to Queensland, Australia. His plan?  To stay for two weeks. He stayed for a year, making surfboards to pay the bills. During that time Eric Nalpas began to discover his love for… Continue reading Photographer shoots polo ponies, tends bar, yearns to travel

BY MARK WOLFENBARGER NNB Student Reporter CLEARWATER – Sitting at a table in the cafeteria of the Pinellas County Justice Center, courts reporter Curtis Krueger organizes notes as he prepares for Monday morning pre-trial hearings. Like the attorneys who pass by, Krueger is dressed for the occasion – white dress shirt, blue necktie, dark gray… Continue reading Reporter strides the corridors of court system in hunt for stories

BY EMILY EVANS NNB Student Reporter ST. PETERSBURG – It’s quiet and dim in the cluster of desks for the design team at the Tampa Bay Times. It’s a typical day for them – another deadline, another design – except for one thing: Most are wearing brightly colored pants. One of them is Tara McCarty,… Continue reading USF St. Pete grad living her dream designing the Times