Tampa Bay Times

Barbara Lee has worked at Balanced Healthcare — Florida’s only all-psychiatric nursing home — for 42 years. As she walks toward her office, someone pulls her arm every few steps. Her job, in this place of last resort, is to give people a few minutes of happiness. All of the 261 residents have psychiatric diagnoses: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression. While many people with these conditions lead active, independent lives, patients here have extreme cases — and a myriad of mental and physical disabilities. They cannot live on their own. Most are over 50 and rely on Medicaid. Many don’t have families, or anyone willing to help. Over the holidays, only a dozen got visitors. This nursing home is often their only option besides being hospitalized or homeless. Read Lee’s story and how she’s making a small difference in her residents’ lives: https://lnkd.in/gtAWCuFY

Chef Ferrell Alvarez and his team at The Proper House Group made their mark on Tampa 10 years ago with Rooster & The Till. Now, they have another big project lined up: https://lnkd.in/eAZVmQZ4

It’s not just the players that make the Lightning a success. It’s also the hundreds of employees working behind the scenes at Amalie Arena. What’s it like to have a job with the Bolts? Here’s a look inside: https://trib.al/HcsDrmt

What is the tourist development tax, and why does it keep coming up in conversations about the Rays stadium and Pinellas County beaches?

The Tampa City Council unanimously approved a redevelopment plan to tear down WestShore Plaza Mall and replace it with a mixed-use development made of shopping, apartments, offices, medical facilities and more. The project breakdown includes: - 901,831 square feet of retail - 380,000 square feet of professional office space - 1,765 multifamily residential units - 133,119 square feet of restaurant space Read the report for more: https://lnkd.in/eZQcnNHE

The popular Tampa coffee shop, restaurant and bar closed its St. Petersburg spot after just a few months. The owners have a new plan cooking.

Riding in a Tesla with driverless technology made columnist Stephanie Hayes feel morally, ethically and intellectually untethered, a la puking after an elated whirl on the Gravitron. Follow along on her ride: https://lnkd.in/e4n_-NSa

Marley Price's hobby is finding potentially illegal short-term rentals in St. Petersburg and reporting them to code enforcement. Since February, she's filed 108 complaints. The city found that 88 were in violation. She wants the city to do its part to enforce the laws it has on the books.

There are so many ways to get out and explore Tampa Bay, whether you’re looking for fun things to do or in the mood to eat something new. That’s why we’re launching Do & Dine, a weekly newsletter focused on the region’s top sights and bites. Don’t miss the first edition on Thursday — it’s free: https://trib.al/7VkIDSS

Employees of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties regularly see the end result of their hard work: when a house is completed and a client becomes a homeowner. While laborious, it’s a rewarding job — and why some recipients of homes have started working for the organization.