C. T. Bowen

Staff Writer and Hillsborough County Reporter at Tampa Bay Times

Associate Booz Allen Hamilton Assistant Editor Indo-Pacific Defense Forum Former newspaper journalist for 43 years.

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Articles

Hillsborough orders residents to evacuate coastal areas, mobile homes

Aug 28, 2023 | tampabay.com | C. T. Bowen

Hillsborough County is ordering residents in its coastal areas and people living in mobile and manufactured houses to evacuate their homes Monday in advance of what is now Tropical Storm Idalia. That could mean as many as 300,000 residents evacuating their homes beginning at 2 p.m. today.
What is Visit Tampa Bay’s newest goal? Attracting English soccer fans

Aug 28, 2023 | tampabay.com | C. T. Bowen

The tourism promotion agency for Hillsborough County is hoping to score with English Premier League soccer. Visit Tampa Bay has announced a promotional agreement with Brentford FC, which played three games in the U.S. in July as part of the league’s first-ever summer series.
PACE sues to restart Hillsborough County loans

Aug 23, 2023 | news.yahoo.com | C. T. Bowen

A home-energy loan program scrutinized for saddling people with unanticipated debt is asking a circuit court judge to let it do business again in Hillsborough County. If a court agrees, the Property Assessed Clean Energy program, known commonly as PACE, could restart activities the Hillsborough County Commission banned in 2020.
Pasco awarded $4.3 million senior services contract previously held by CARES

Aug 21, 2023 | tampabay.com | Barbara Behrendt |C. T. Bowen

Pasco County now has the job of helping its vulnerable seniors live independently. On Monday, the county was approved as the new provider of a $4.3 million elder care program after the previous administrator dropped its plans to continue the service it had provided for 49 years. The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco and Pinellas authorized the contract with Pasco County Monday.
Tampa Bay region’s drinking water could come from familiar source

Aug 21, 2023 | tampabay.com | C. T. Bowen

Tampa Bay’s regional water utility is looking in old places for new drinking water. As it seeks more water to meet a growing population over the next 10 years, Tampa Bay Water is considering tapping water beneath the ground in Pasco County to help quench the region’s thirst. The utility is considering building a new wellfield in northeastern Pasco, or else seeking permission from the state water management district to increase pumping at existing wellfields.
Data breach hits Temple Terrace ambulance billing

Aug 17, 2023 | tampabay.com | C. T. Bowen

The Temple Terrace Fire Department has been hit by the global data breach that also affected Hillsborough County. EMS Management and Consultants Inc., which handles billing for the department, uses the MOVEit transfer tool that Progress Software Corp. said had been compromised in May and June.
More Hillsborough commissioners? Stay tuned.

Aug 16, 2023 | tampabay.com | C. T. Bowen

The Hillsborough County Commission hit the brakes Wednesday on a proposal expediting a voter referendum to consider adding two commissioners to the seven-member board. Commissioner Michael Owen, who proposed trying to expand the commission to nine single-member districts in time for the 2024 general election, retreated from that timeline in the face of the cost estimates for a special election and opposition from much of the rest of the commission.
How much could it cost to expand Hillsborough commission? Millions.

Aug 15, 2023 | tampabay.com | C. T. Bowen

Expanding the Hillsborough County Commission could come with a price. The cost of expediting a voter referendum could run as high as $2.5 million for a special election. Adding two seats to the seven-member commission also would be accompanied by $1 million annually in additional salary and benefits, plus a one-time expense of $200,000 to add office space. The price estimates are contained in a report to be presented to commissioners Wednesday.
Tampa offers ‘cooling centers’ to beat extreme heat

Aug 11, 2023 | tampabay.com | C. T. Bowen |Colleen Wright

The city of Tampa is opening cooling centers at parks and recreation centers in response to the excessive heat warning and heat advisories. City employees, AmeriCorps service members and Red Cross volunteers will staff the centers, which open at 11 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. today through Sunday. The cooling centers, free of charge, are available to the public to ensure the safety of residents exposed to extreme heat conditions. Light snacks and water will be available. The locations are: David M.
Tampa Bay’s red-hot tourism market has cooled. Here’s why:

Aug 10, 2023 | tampabay.com | C. T. Bowen

After a red-hot rebound in the post-COVID tourism market, the Tampa Bay region’s hospitality industry shows signs of cooling. Tourist tax collections are off, compared to a year ago, for consecutive months in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and the monthly hotel occupancy rate has dipped more than 5% in Pasco County. Industry leaders, however, seem unfazed, attributing some of the declines to expanded options for travel as the rest of the world welcomed visitors after the pandemic.