Thanks to Pinellas County Sherriff Office (PCSO) for these excellent holiday safety tips.
The holidays should be a time of security, cozy and safe with family and friends as you celebrate. But the weeks when people are distracted by festivities can be a perfect time for scammers to strike, and disruptions in the usual household schedule can open you up to safety risks. Keep these tips in mind to stay safe this holiday season. Follow PSCO on social here.
Shopping safety: If you’re hitting the malls this holiday shopping season, be smart about your safety. A full parking lot with cars loaded with purchases can be easy pickings for a criminal. Remember to park in a well lit area, and be aware of your surroundings. If you’re on your phone or fumbling for your keys it is easier for someone to snatch your purse or wallet. Lock your car doors, and don’t leave anything in plain sight. If you make a trip back to the car, put purchases in the trunk.
👉If you’re shopping online, be wary of scammers. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t click on ads that are emailed to you or that pop up in your social media feed. Instead, stick to trusted retailers and go directly to their authentic site. You may crave that one-of-a-kind hand crafted gift, but if they only accept a payment app like Venmo or Zelle you might want to pass. While credit cards offer some recourse if the item never arrives or is faulty, when you send money with a payment app it is usually gone forever. Debit cards also offer less fraud protection than credit cards.
Home Safety: You may be traveling away from home over the holidays, so make sure your house is secure in your absence. Place your mail on hold, or have a trusted neighbor bring in letters, bills, and packages. You can also have packages sent to delivery lockers instead of your home to thwart porch pirates. Install motion detecting lights outside, and use a timer on inside lights to make it look like someone is home.
👉Don’t advertise your travels on social media, and don’t share photos of expensive gifts you may have received. Your lit-up tree may look lovely to your strolling neighbors, but it’s smart to close your curtains at night so thieves can’t scope out your presents. Be careful about throwing out boxes that show what you got too – it can tell thieves exactly which houses to target for the best haul.
👉You might be in and out of the house a lot, and guests might not have their own keys, but don’t be tempted to leave the door unlocked. Burglars are alert for carelessness. And remember that with temporary household members come new dangers. Your home might not have been designed with children and pets in mind, so make sure houseplants aren’t toxic, breakables aren’t within reach, heavy furniture can’t be pulled over, electrical outlets are covered, and cupboards with chemicals and other hazards are secure. 
Fire safety: The number of house fires goes up significantly over the holidays. You’re cooking more, and you’re often distracted, making it more likely that you leave a dish towel near the range or forget to turn a burner off. To reduce the risk, stay in the kitchen while cooking or appoint someone to keep watch if you leave the kitchen. Every kid likes to lick the bowl and sneak snacks, but keep children and pets out of the kitchen.
👉Even in Florida it may get chilly, and you might use your fireplace or gather around an outdoor firepit. Or you may set the holiday mood with scented candles. Make sure any open flames are far from anything flammable. Battery powered candles are a safer option for setting a candlelit mood, and an electric fireplace gives a cozy ambiance without the danger of open flames. If you use a space heater, never leave it unattended or use it while sleeping. 
👉A lot of decorations use electricity, and since they are only used once a year and often stored in a garage or shed they can harbor unnoticed damage. Check for frayed wires and loose connections. Don’t overload outlets, and don’t connect multiple extension cords to each other. Turn off holiday lights when you leave the house or go to sleep. Make sure artificial trees are labeled as fire resistant, and keep a live tree fresh with regular watering.
Driving safety: If you’re planning a road trip this holiday season, try to miss the peak driving days. For this Christmas, Sunday, December 21st is forecast to be the busiest driving day, with the weekend after Christmas also having extremely crowded roads. 👉Afternoons are much worse than mornings, so make sure you get an early start. Plan your route, don’t drive drowsy, and don’t be distracted by passengers or by your phone. If you travel to a state with ice or snow, make sure you’re prepared for those driving conditions.
👉Drinking is a part of many people’s holiday festivities, but if you are drinking, don’t drive. Plan your ride ahead of time – you can designate a sober driver, or use a rideshare. Make sure your guests have a safe ride too, or let them stay overnight. 
👉Over the holidays and throughout the year, follow the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on social media to get more tips on how to keep yourself, your family, and your finances safe.

#holidaysafety #shoppingsafety #dontdrinkanddrive #homesafety #preventfires #livelifebetter #nanettewiser #pinellascountysherriffoffice #thankyou
#stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete #pinellascounty

In this episode of MUSIC SCENE, host Nanette Wiser chats with Dr. Zachary Bartholomew about his Vince Guaraldi Tribute including songs from the beloved A Charlie Brown Christmas special and other holiday tunes at The Palladium December 14, @7pm. Back by popular demand – embrace the holiday season with a night of magic in the intimate Side Door Cabaret! Tickets here.
Celebrate the holidays with an unforgettable evening featuring award-winning pianist Dr. Zachary Bartholomew in The Music of Vince Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas. This captivating concert will bring the beloved tunes of Vince Guaraldi to life, showcasing Bartholomew’s exceptional piano skills and virtuosity. Experience the classic melodies that have become synonymous with holiday cheer, masterfully reinterpreted by Bartholomew and his all-star trio. Adding to the excitement, special guest vocalist Nicole Bartholomew—esteemed professor at the Frost School of Music—joins the performance, delivering a unique blend of holiday spirit and musical brilliance. In addition to an extraordinary musical experience, this concert offers insights into Vince Guaraldi’s life and his iconic contributions to A Charlie Brown Christmas. Don’t miss this festive event that promises both a celebration of timeless music and an enriching exploration of its history.  
ABOUT THE ARTIST Dr. Zachary Bartholomew is an award-winning pianist, composer, and music educator who maintains a highly active performance career as one of the most heavily sought-after pianists, accompanists, and sidemen in all of Florida. In both 2016 and 2017, he placed as one of the top three finalists in the highly acclaimed Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition and every year since 2021 has been awarded the prestigious “Artist Performance on Tour” grant from the state of Florida for his “Jazz Access Tour,” an outreach program that aims to provide underserved communities and schools in Florida with world-class public performances and educational programs.
https://www.instagram.com/zachbartholomewmusic
https://www.facebook.com/zbjazz
https://www.youtube.com/zachbartholomew
https://www.bandsintown.com/a/12586922

#musicscene #vinceguaraldi #charliebrownchristmas #nanettewiser #zacharybatholomew #pianist #holidaymusic #jazz #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete

The St. Petersburg City Theater is a legendary little community theater celebrates 100 years with a unique production of  the beloved “Christmas Carol” Dec. 12-21. What makes this holiday favorite unique is that all the actors play both the original actors from the radio version of the play staged at the theater in 1942 as well as the Christmas Carol roles. Lunchtime Conversation host spoke with the director, Michael Nower and his wife, actress Sara Nower who plays Barbara San, who was the original play’s narrator. ounded in 1925, The St. Petersburg City Theater is the  longest continuously running community theatre on Florida's West coast. It’s located at 4025 31st St S in St. Petersburg.
**To celebrate the milestone on December 12th opening night, there will be a celebration following the conclusion of the 7:30pm Opening Night performance of A Christmas Carol (Tickets sold separately). Enjoy a festive evening that will include a brief ceremony with live performances and a reception with desserts, small bites, and beverages. Celebration attendees also enjoying the performance will receive complimentary beverages from the concessions stand. 
**RadioStPete will carry the Christmas Carol rehearsal live Sunday Dec. 21 starting at 3:30pm! Tune in for the amazing history-making production!

#stpetersburgcitytheater #christmascarol #radioplay #michaelnower #saranower #theater #communitytheater #nanettewiser #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete

Do you love car racing? We do, so welcome to RadioStPete just in time as we rev up our excitement engines for the 2026 Firestone Grand Prix St. Petersburg! Andy Delay is an on air personality with the Performance Motorsports Network, and law enforcement officer in the Tampa Bay area. Burn rubber with his NASCAR & Indy car racing report weekly.
**Headed to the Indy Race in St. Pete? Tickets on sale now here.
#NASCAR #indycar #SPGrandprix #grandprix #andydelay #burningruberracingreport  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #floridasportsstream #sportsstream. 

Veteran sportswriter and handicapper Bob Bauer is here every week with the latest from Tampa Bay's Iconic racing venue celebrating its 100th Anniversary!  #tampabaydowns #TBdowns #bobbauer #horseracing #thoroughbreds. Listen every race day for Bob's picks for the feature race on our St. Pete Sounds Channel at 9am and 11am and the live call of that same feature race on our Florida Sports Stream Channel.  

#theindiecircuit #indiecircuit #indie #indiemusic #tampabay #radio #radiostpete 

This week on Bulls by the Bay, host Colleen Cherry highlights powerful ways the University of South Florida St. Petersburg is shaping lives, communities, and the future through art, ethics, and environmental research.

We begin with “Art in Mind,” an innovative partnership between USF St. Petersburg and The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art that demonstrates the healing power of the arts. Honors College students are leading museum tours designed for people experiencing memory loss, including Alzheimer’s and dementia. These thoughtful, guided experiences help participants reconnect with memories, reduce stress, communicate more freely, and improve overall wellbeing. Offered free through a grant from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the program has already served hundreds of community members — including veterans and children with traumatic brain injuries — while training the next generation of compassionate leaders.

Next, we celebrate Dr. Tiffany Chenneville, a USF St. Petersburg psychology professor who has received the 2025 American Psychological Association Lifetime Award for Accomplishments in Ethics Education. Her decades-long career spans ethics education, pediatric and adolescent HIV research, international capacity-building in India and South Africa, and national science-policy work. Her recognition underscores USF St. Pete’s commitment to ethical leadership and global impact.

We close with a sobering look at the environment, as USF marine scientists reveal a dramatic decline in historic sargassum populations in the North Atlantic. These floating “rainforests of the sea” play a critical role in marine ecosystems. Researchers warn that warming waters and shifting ocean patterns may be reshaping where and how sargassum survives — with significant implications for marine life and biodiversity.

All this and more on Bulls by the Bay — where USF St. Petersburg stories connect research, community, and real-world impact.

1. The Healing Power of the Arts – Art in Mind Project (USF St. Petersburg)
https://www.stpetersburg.usf.edu/news/2025/the-healing-power-of-the-arts.aspx

2. Lifetime Award for Ethics Education – Dr. Tiffany Chenneville (USF St. Petersburg)
https://www.stpetersburg.usf.edu/news/2025/lifetime-award-for-ethics-education-given-to-usf-psychology-professor.aspx

3. Study Reveals Dramatic Decline in Some Historic Sargassum Populations (USF College of Marine Science)
https://www.usf.edu/marine-science/news/2025/study-reveals-dramatic-decline-in-some-historic-sargassum-populations.aspx

4. More USF St. Petersburg News
https://www.stpetersburg.usf.edu/

#bullsbythebay #colleencherry #USFSP

The Thing Is… You Think You Have Time: A Story of Turning Intention Into Action 
In this episode of Work is Third, host Dawn Hunter sits down with her dear friend Julie Rocco, a suicide attempt survivor and founder of What I Would Have Missed, a suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention initiative. Julie shares her powerful story, reflecting on what it means to choose life, build community, and pursue purpose while honoring rest.
WORK IS THIRD is a podcast for people who are done letting work take the lead.
Hosted by Dawn Hunter, Work is Third invites you to rethink the role of work in your life—and imagine something more whole, more joyful, and more human. Says Hunter: "We believe that work isn't the main event. It's just one part of a meaningful, well-lived life. In each episode, we sit down with leaders, creatives, and change-makers to talk honestly about boundaries, rest, play, and radical self-care—and how they’re redefining success on their own terms." Whether you're navigating burnout, building a career with intention, or just tired of the grind, you’ll find practical wisdom, inspiration, and a few well-earned laughs here. More Work is Third podcasts here.
ABOUT DAWN Dawn Hunter, JD, MPH is a speaker, trainer, and culture strategist who blends law, leadership, and wellbeing to create healthier, more human-centered workplaces. Drawing on her expertise as a public health lawyer and Certified Wellness Practitioner, she helps leaders and organizations move from burnout and disconnection toward resilience, integrity, and sustainable growth. Dawn hosts the Work is Third podcast and writes The Better Boundaries Brief, where she shares insights on leadership, workplace wellbeing, and the future of work. When she’s not speaking or consulting, you’ll find her making pottery, practicing yoga, or planning her next travel adventure. Connect with Dawn.  Read more about her work.

 
#workisthird #dawnhunter #thebetterboundariesbrief #suicideprevention #suicideintervention #julierocco #author #whatiwouldhavemissed 

In this episode of PET TIPS, host Nanette Wiser helps you decide if you need pet insurance and how to navigate the options for your fur babies. From accidents to illnesses, the first place to start is to talk it over with your vet and see what they suggest and what they accept. Some animal breeds may be susceptible to pre-existing conditions or have some health issues. Accident and illness insurance for pets can be bought separately or together, but consider having what you need before your pet gets old.
👉Be sure to read the fine print to understand exclusions, deductibles, and reimbursement rates, and consider options like raising your deductible or choosing accident-only plans to lower costs. Consulting your veterinarian can also help you understand your pet's specific health risks and needs. 
👉Before you buy

Enroll early: Younger, healthier pets have access to the best rates and terms. Don't wait until your pet is sick, as pre-existing conditions are typically not covered.

Assess your pet's needs: Consider your pet's breed, age, and lifestyle to anticipate potential health issues. For example, some breeds are more prone to certain conditions

Talk to your vet: Your veterinarian can help you understand what coverage might be best for your pet's specific needs and may be able to recommend specific coverages. 

👉Choosing a policy

Compare providers and plans: Shop around and get quotes from multiple companies. Don't choose based on price alone, as policies vary significantly in what they cover.

Understand the coverage types: Decide if you need accident-only, accident-and-illness, or a comprehensive plan that includes wellness and dental care.

Read the fine print: Pay close attention to exclusions, waiting periods, and what is or is not covered, such as exam fees.

Review key policy details: Compare deductibles, reimbursement rates, and annual or lifetime policy limits. A higher deductible or lower reimbursement rate will lower your premium, but will increase your out-of-pocket costs when you file a claim. 

#pettips #petinsurance #petaccidents #cats #dogs #nanettewiser #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete