Craig Kopp

Land O' Lakes

Host and Reporter at WUSF-FM (Tampa, FL)

Host and Reporter at Morning Edition

Radio man, Podcast man, Writer man

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Articles

MOSI is opening the country's second-largest planetarium in 2025

Dec 4, 2024 | wusf.org | Craig Kopp

Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry is reopening its shuttered IMAX theater in 2025. The project assures that MOSI will be staying in its current location. When MOSI's Digital Dome Theatre reopens, the new home of the Sanders Planetarium will be the second largest theater of its kind in the U.S. "It would be the largest if I had the ability to stretch the dome by 3 feet," MOSI President and CEO John Graydon Smith said during a Wednesday news conference.
Manatee County ponders changes to adjust for its booming population

Jun 13, 2024 | wusf.org | Craig Kopp

Manatee County's population is projected to increase by 70,000 by 2035. And commissioners are planning some changes to the comprehensive plan in order to address that growth. It's not easy to anticipate the future. In the not-too-distant past, county comprehensive plans called for tennis courts, volleyball courts or basketball courts in certain developments. What's missing?
Before hurricane season, check your lawn for potential projectiles

May 30, 2024 | wusf.org | Craig Kopp

The classic pre-hurricane scene is people gathering sandbags and boarding up windows. But you can't forget about your lawn, and all the potential wind-blown projectiles there. A lot of Floridians grow plants in pots. Para la versión en español: Haga clic aquíLynn Barber, with the University of Florida IFAS extention in Hillsborough County, said hurricane winds can make those pots fly through the air and do a lot of damage. She said either move them to a shed or garage or, try this.
Redington Beach could soon enact a total ban on tents

May 29, 2024 | wusf.org | Craig Kopp

Shade will be at a premium with temperatures expected to hit record highs this summer. But that shade may be harder to come by at Redington Beach, where officials are considering a tightening on a ban on beach tents. In 2018, Redington Beach passed an ordinance that bans tents on its public beach. New ordinance language would also ban them on private beaches, too. Some of the confusion among beach-goers lies on what qualifies as a public or private beach.
Antes de la temporada de huracanes, revise su jardín en busca de posibles proyectiles

May 23, 2024 | wusf.org | Craig Kopp

La escena clásica previa al huracán es la de personas recolectando sacos de arena y tapando ventanas. Pero no puede olvidarse de su jardín y de todos los posibles proyectiles allí que el viento puede arrastrar. Muchos floridanos cultivan plantas en macetas. Lynn Barber, con la Universidad de Florida IFAS de la extensión del condado de Hillsborough, dijo que los vientos huracanados pueden hacer que esas macetas vuelen por el aire y causen mucho daño.
A large mixed-use development is coming to Pasco County

May 12, 2024 | wusf.org | Craig Kopp

Pasco County commissioners have approved a large-mixed use development project at Interstate 75 and State Road 52. It could generate 2,700 new jobs and create an economic gateway for the county, officials said. The prime developer will be Hines, which has also been tapped to build the Historic Gas Plant District and new Tampa Bay Rays Stadium in St. Petersburg. It will include 3 million square feet of industrial space, along with office and retail space, and 2,300 rental and single-family homes.
The former Claw golf course could become part of an imagined USF Main Street

May 8, 2024 | wusf.org | Craig Kopp

Now that the golf course on the University of South Florida's Tampa campus has been closed, it's future is being discussed. USF is inviting companies to express their interest in developing the Claw property north of Fletcher Avenue into what Eric Eisenberg, USF's senior vice president for university-community partnerships, said could become kind of a hub for campus life.
Pinellas wants to move forward on controlling short-term rentals before possible DeSantis approval

Apr 24, 2024 | wusf.org | Craig Kopp

Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to receive a bill passed by the Florida legislature that would give the state more control over short-term rentals. But that isn't stopping local officials from talking about how the rentals are affecting their communities. Hoteliers like Mike Williams of Innisbrook Golf Resort told the Pinellas County Tourism Development Council last week he's concerned about hotel bookings.
Some Pinellas residents will be getting flood insurance relief

Apr 15, 2024 | wusf.org | Craig Kopp

Pinellas County has figured out a way to reduce flood insurance costs for some residents. It buckled down on resilience planning to help reduce premiums for some residents. And it worked. Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, announced that about 20,000 residents in unincorporated Pinellas County will see a 40% decrease in the cost of the flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program.
Developer Darryl Shaw's vision for Ybor Harbor gets initial approval

Apr 14, 2024 | wusf.org | Craig Kopp

The Ybor Harbor development project has received initial approval from Tampa City Council, with a few reservations. It would be located on the Ybor Channel, a site once proposed for a major-league baseball stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. The property is bounded by Channelside on the west and North19th Street on the east, with the Selmon Expressway running along the north.