Tropical depression; vibes officer; Piney Point

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Wednesday, Oct 07, 2026

 
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Good Wednesday morning. It’ll be cloudy and rainy (high of 80).

In today’s edition, read about the tropical depression that formed in the Gulf; how to save money at the gas pump; and a Tampa high school launching an AI and innovation program.

[LUIS SANTANA | Times]

He’s blind — and he’s called Rays baseball on the radio for 3 decades

The sound of the ball on the ground, the silence as the throw travels across the diamond, the slight thump as it lands in the first baseman’s glove, the ensuing cheers, rattling cowbells and stadium sound effects.

Radio broadcaster Enrique Oliu knows what sounds signal how the play is unfolding.

Hired by the Rays in 1998 by the team’s inaugural owner, Oliu is one of two broadcasters who have been with the team since the beginning. 

Here’s his story.

 
 

AROUND THE BAY

  • Tropical Depression Nine forms in the Gulf. What Floridians should know

  • New website helps immigrants challenge wrongful detentions

  • Here’s how to save money at the gas pump as prices climb

  • Chief vibes officer? Visit St. Pete-Clearwater is hiring one

  • Pinellas-Pasco judge suspended for 20 days after 2024 election misconduct

  • Florida ranks No. 47 safest state in US, study reveals

  • Could Tampa save a 100-year-old Davis Islands building from demolition?

  • King High School to end IB classes, start AI and innovation program

  • Sexton Elementary wins reprieve in Pinellas school closure plan

  • Man being held in Pinellas jail dies in hospital

  • ‘He executed my brother’: Questions rise after Pasco deputy shot man
 

POLITICS

FIND MORE AT TAMPABAY.COM/POLITICS

An independent review: Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell is pursuing her own criminal investigation of the Hope Florida scandal.

 
 

SPORTS

They love him: The Rays would not be where they are without Taylor Walls and his glove, writes sports columnist John Romano.

Maybe there was a good reason the Bucs didn’t attempt a game-tying 65-yard field goal in the last minutes of their loss to the Packers on Sunday. Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin has a groin/hip injury in his kicking leg. 

There’s no magic formula: Lightning forward Conor Geekie is a much more self-assured player than he was when he made his NHL debut two seasons ago.

 

ENVIRONMENT

[TIFFANY TOMPKINS | Bradenton Herald/TNS]

Piney Point triggered a crisis 5 years ago. What’s the state of cleanup?

The abandoned fertilizer processing plant in northern Manatee County on the edge of Tampa Bay is approaching the end of a state-supervised remediation effort after sparking a public emergency and environmental crisis.