Take 5 Oil Change opens first South Pasadena location
Take 5 Oil Change has opened its first South Pasadena shop at 1198 Pasadena Ave S. Featuring three service bays, customers can stay comfortably in their car and receive an oil change in about 10 minutes.
To celebrate the grand opening, Take 5 Oil Change is offering customers $25 toward any oil change for a limited time. Take 5 Oil Change also honors service members with a year-round 25% discount on oil changes for all U.S. military veterans and active-duty personnel at participating locations. In addition, the brand supports Folds of Honor, providing educational scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled service members.
College welcomes new students in unique ceremony
ST. PETERSBURG — More than 500 new residents moved into their home away from home on Aug. 14, as Eckerd College welcomes new students to campus.
Eckerd attracted 575 new students to make the journey to its 188-acre waterfront campus this fall. More than 500 of them began their careers at the Ceremony of Lights, a unique welcoming ceremony held Aug. 14 in the McArthur Gymnasium.
The Ceremony of Lights, an Eckerd tradition, officially welcomes the new students and the Class of 2030 to affirm the Honor Pledge and receive light from the Lamp of Knowledge, passed candle to candle beginning with Eckerd faculty. Eckerd College President James Annarelli and other college officials addressed the new students, with a land acknowledgment read by ECOS Vice President of Academic Affairs Miranda Tapia and a benediction offered by Campus Rabbi Ed Rosenthal.
“Eckerd College is proud to affirm the irreplaceable value of an in-person, residential liberal arts and sciences education,” says Jenna Sciarrino Pol, Eckerd College’s director of admission. “Our new students, who are arriving from 45 U.S. states and territories and 15 countries, will actively engage with faculty mentors, collaborate with diverse peers, and explore big questions in small discussion-based classrooms. With nearly 90% of students living on campus each year, Eckerd creates an environment where intellectual curiosity, lasting friendships, and personal growth flourish—both inside and beyond the classroom.”
The newest Tritons will join their American and international classmates for Autumn Term, Eckerd College’s three-week orientation where they will take their first official college course for credit, meet their initial faculty and peer mentors, and get to know the campus before upperclass students return to begin classes on Labor Day.
Law firms merge to create Diamond & Lile
NAPLES and ST. PETERSBURG — The Diamond Law Firm and Laird A. Lile PLLC have merged to form Diamond & Lile, bringing together two established Florida trusts and estates practices with offices in Naples and St. Petersburg.
The merger unites attorneys experienced in estate planning, estate and trust administration, and fiduciary litigation.
Sandra Diamond and Laird A. Lile will lead the firm, joined by attorneys Ben Diamond, Rachel Barlow, Langdon Lile and Marguerite Mills.
Lile is a board-certified wills, trusts and estates attorney whose leadership extends across Florida’s legal and judicial communities. He previously served nine consecutive terms on The Florida Bar Board of Governors and has chaired The Florida Bar’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section. He is also a fellow and former state chair and regent of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
Laird A. Lile PLLC serves individuals, families, fiduciaries and advisers throughout Florida from its Naples office, providing counsel on estate- and trust-related matters, including estate planning, estate and trust administration, probate-related litigation and estate-related tax planning.
A board-certified wills, trusts and estates attorney, Sandra Diamond concentrates her practice in estate planning and trust administration. Diamond is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors, and a past chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar.
Hearings to air St. Pete 2027 budget
ST. PETERSBURG — The St. Petersburg City Council will hold two public hearings in September about the city fiscal 2027 budget. Residents are invited to attend in person or watch live.
• Thursday, Sept. 3, at 6 p.m.
City Council adopts the tentative FY27 City Budget and millage rate
• Thursday, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m.
City Council considers adopting the final FY27 Budget and millage rate, and approval of the Capital Improvement Program
The public hearings will occur in Council Chambers at City Hall, 175 Fifth St. N. The meetings will be broadcast live on https://tinyurl.com/nhuefn4v and on digital cable channels:
• Frontier, 20
• Spectrum, 641
• WOW! Cable,15
More information about the city budget and the budget adoption process can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y8s2smn5
E&E Gliddon donates $13K for AC at boys group home
ST. PETERSBURG — Local business owners Hannah Kendall and her husband, Ergys Hisa, owners of E&E Gliddon, helped cool down an EverForward group home after learning the teenagers had been sleeping in the Florida summer hear for nearly a month.
Within 24 hours, E&E Gliddon installed temporary cooling units and removed the home’s failed A/C system. Within 48 hours, a brand-new system valued at more than $13,000 was installed.
EverForward had made several “band-aid” repairs to the aging unit over the past year before it finally became unrepairable, the organization noted in a press release. After spending more than $300,000 on repairs across its four buildings during the past year and a half, EverForward did not have additional funds available for the unexpected replacement.
While waiting for replacement equipment to be installed, cooling sheets and room cooling fans were placed in the boys’ bedrooms. When the anticipated donation fell through, the organization urgently began searching for another solution.
When Hannah Kendall learned what the boys were experiencing, she immediately stepped in. Within 24 hours the boys had temporary cooling. Withing 48 hours, the group home had a new system.
E&E Gliddon’s support didn’t stop when the new system was installed.
Kendall personally returned to the home with items from the boys’ wish list, including art supplies, colognes, cornhole games, snacks, toys and other gifts. She has also reached out to her network, resulting in additional people expressing interest in donating and volunteering to support EverForward’s youth.
Although the EverForward name may be new to some residents, the organization’s presence in St. Petersburg spans 45 years. Formerly known as Carlton Manor, the organization rebranded as EverForward in 2025.
Leadership St Pete opens application period
ST. PETERSBURG — Leadership St. Pete Class of 2027 applications are now open and are due Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. The LSP recruiting mission is to gather a dynamic group of current and emerging leaders who reflect the vibrant diversity of St. Pete and are eager to learn and serve.
Several information sessions and a recruitment social are remaining to answer questions about the application process and the program. The remaining dates and times for these events are:
• Aug. 27 – Info Session 8:30-9:30 a.m., at St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce
• Aug. 31 – Info Session 5:30-6:30 p.m. at SPC Gibbs - Student Success Conference Center
• Sept. 17 – Info Session 5:30-6:30 p.m. at SPC Downtown Campus
Additionally, the Planning Committee will host a Recruitment Social Sept. 24 at Bayboro Brewing Co. from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for interested candidates to meet with alumni and learn more about the program in a more casual setting.
Applications will be reviewed anonymously by the Selection Committee and Executive Committee, and the top 50 applicants will be invited for interviews in late October.
Pinellas Park police warn of Bitcoin scam
Pinellas Park Police is warning residents about a trend in scams and fraud attempts involving Bitcoin ATMs, in which criminals impersonate police officers, federal agents, or other government officials pressuring victims into making cryptocurrency payments.
In these scams, the caller may claim that the victim has an outstanding warrant, missed jury duty or a subpoena, failed to appear in court, or owes a fine or other penalty. The scammer then threatens the victim with arrest or additional criminal charges unless immediate payment is made. Scammers often instruct victims to withdraw cash and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM, sometimes providing step by step instructions over the phone.
Once an initial payment is made, the scammer may demand additional money, claiming that more fees, fines, penalties, or charges have been incurred. In some cases, victims may be contacted by a second scammer impersonating another law-enforcement or government agency in an effort to make the fraud appear legitimate.
Scammers may also attempt to isolate victims from people who recognize the warning signs. Victims may be told not to discuss the situation with family members, friends, bank employees, or anyone else. This is a deliberate tactic designed to prevent others from recognizing the fraud and helping the victim.
Law enforcement agencies will not demand payment of a warrant, fine, or penalty through a Bitcoin ATM or other cryptocurrency kiosk. Residents should be especially suspicious of anyone who demands immediate payment, threatens arrest, or instructs them to use cryptocurrency to resolve an alleged legal matter.
Residents should also be aware that scammers can obtain publicly available information about their targets and use convincing details to make their impersonation appear legitimate. The caller may know the victim’s name, address, or other personal information. This does not mean the caller is legitimate.
Anyone who believes they have been targeted by this type of scam is encouraged to report the incident to their local law enforcement agency.