Carl DiOrio

Largo

Freelance Journalist at Freelance

Copyeditor, Correspondent at Tampa Bay Newspapers

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Articles

More Pinellas parks to reopen in cautious creep to normalcy after storms

Oct 26, 2024 | tampabay.com | Carl DiOrio

Most Pinellas parks were able to reopen quickly following last month’s Hurricane Helene, yet many remain closed weeks after gustier Hurricane Milton blew through on Oct. 9 and 10. Countywide, recovery crews’ buzzsaws are chopping up hundreds of downed trees, while other workers check trees left standing for viability. The area’s most popular parks are Fort De Soto, Sand Key and Fred Howard.
More Pinellas parks to reopen in cautious creep to normalcy

Oct 24, 2024 | tbnweekly.com | Carl DiOrio

If a tree falls in the forest, it may or may not make a noise, but those felled in county parks have storm-recovery crews buzzing. Most Pinellas parks were able to reopen quickly following last month’s Hurricane Helene, yet many remain closed weeks after gustier Hurricane Milton blew through on Oct. 9-10. Countywide, recovery crews’ buzzsaws are chopping up hundreds of downed trees, while other workers check trees left standing for viability.
8th Avenue in Largo reopens. The gators’ commute eases, too.

Aug 19, 2024 | tampabay.com | Carl DiOrio

LARGO — Area commuters recently got some welcome relief from crowded conditions on West Bay Drive, as Eighth Avenue Southwest reopened to traffic after a six-month closure for stormwater-line work near Taylor Park. Traffic had been rerouted to the always-busy thoroughfare during the street closure. The Eighth Avenue project was an adjunct to the $4.4 million rebuild of an aging seawall at nearby Taylor Lake. Traffic was light on the morning of Aug. 10, when the barricades first came down.
Largo's 8th Ave. reopens; gators' compute eases, too

Aug 12, 2024 | tbnweekly.com | Carl DiOrio

LARGO — Area commuters recently got some welcome relief from crowded conditions on West Bay Drive, as Eighth Avenue Southwest reopened to traffic after a six-month closure for stormwater-line work near Taylor Park. Traffic had been rerouted to the always-busy thoroughfare during the street closure. The Eighth Avenue project was an adjunct to the $4.4 million rebuild of an aging seawall at nearby Taylor Lake. Traffic was light on the morning of Aug. 10, when the barricades first came down.
Largo’s Poets Live! marks 18 years and counting

Jul 24, 2024 | tbnweekly.com | Carl DiOrio

LARGO — To a casual observer, the gathering might include a retail clerk or a school teacher, maybe a retired engineer or computer programmer, and one or more on hand may hold such a job — but they’re all also part-time poets. Wayne Williams, 71, said he started Poets Live! to share his love of the written word and allow others to share their poetry.
Taylor Lake rebuild mostly done; detour to last into August

Jul 3, 2024 | tbnweekly.com | Carl DiOrio

LARGO — The massive reconstruction project at Taylor Lake is largely done, but final inspections could run through November and related storm-drainage work that prompted a nearby street detour appears likely to last into August. That’s a few weeks longer than the most optimistic county estimates from when Eighth Avenue — normally a busy commuter thoroughfare — first was closed in early February. But the overall lake project is said to be running a bit ahead of schedule.
Largo mobile home park damaged by Tuesday storms

May 15, 2024 | tampabay.com | Carl DiOrio

LARGO — A sudden, violent storm tore away almost two dozen roofs and carports in a large mobile home park here midday May 14, but remarkably there were no reported injuries. “My wife was in the next room and I was in the laundry room, but only the roof was damaged,” said John Harwood, a snowbird resident of the Pointe West mobile home park.
Violent storm hits Largo mobile home park

May 14, 2024 | tbnweekly.com | Carl DiOrio

LARGO — A sudden, violent storm tore away almost two dozen roofs and carports in a large mobile home park here midday May 14, but remarkably there were no reported injuries. “My wife was in the next room and I was in the laundry room, but only the roof was damaged,” said John Harwood, a “snowbird” resident of the Pointe West mobile home park.
Pinellas Trail safety push rescheduled to April 6

Feb 21, 2024 | tbnweekly.com | Carl DiOrio

A “targeted enforcement” sweep planned by area law enforcement for intersections along the Pinellas Trail has been postponed until April 6 after a forecast of rain for the original date. “Looking at historical count data, the usage of the trail declines significantly whenever there’s a rain event,” said Kyle Simpson, active transportation planner for Forward Pinellas. Forward Pinellas oversees county planning for transportation and land-use issues.
Task Force plans one-day sweep of Pinellas Trail intersections in safety push

Feb 13, 2024 | tbnweekly.com | Carl DiOrio

LARGO — For anyone wondering how Pinellas Trail rules are enforced, this news: Police from municipalities belonging to something called the Pinellas Trail Security Task Force, and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputies, will stage an “education and enforcement” blitz on Saturday, Feb. 17. The Task Force meets quarterly at the Pinellas County Public Safety Service at the Sheriff’s Office headquarters here.