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Tampa Bay Rays say new St. Pete stadium is unlikely to be ready for 2028 season, if at all WSOC TV [Video]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — (AP) — A combination of severe hurricane damage to Tropicana Field and political delays on financing means it is highly unlikely the Tampa Bay Rays’ planned new stadium will be ready for the 2028 season, if at all, the team said Tuesday.

Rays top executives said in a letter to the Pinellas County Commission that the team has already spent $50 million for early work on the new $1.3 billion ballpark and cannot proceed further because of delays in approval of bonds for the public share of the costs.

“The Rays organization is saddened and stunned by this unfortunate turn of events” said the letter, signed by co-presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman, who noted that the overall project was previously approved by the County Commission and the City of St. Petersburg.

“As we have made clear at every step of this process, a 2029 ballpark delivery would result in significantly higher …

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Suspects in fatal Rutland shooting plead not guilty during court appearance [Video]

Two men allegedly involved in a deadly shooting in downtown Rutland last week faced a judge on Monday. And court documents show that the victim may have not been the intended target. Dylin Wainscott, 28, is facing a first-degree murder charge, while 31-year-old Precious Okorie is facing charges of conspiracy and accessory. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges.Police said the shooting happened near Elm Street and Grant Avenue on Friday night, and investigators found 32-year-old Christopher Hale shot to death.An official with the Rutland City Police Department told NBC5 they believe the shooting was a targeted incident.The charges that we brought indicate that there was some premeditation involved," said Detective Corp. Adam Lucia of the Rutland City Police Department.According to court documents, someone close to the invesigation told police that Wainscott and Okorie were looking for a suspected drug dealer that Wainscott has had issues with in the past. Wainscott allegedly told the witness that he shot someone that looked like the suspected drug dealer and that he "had seven shots and made all seven shots count." Court documents said police watched a surveillance video of the crime scene and saw Hale knock on the door of 19 Elm Street. That's when a man allegedly came from behind a nearby car and shot him. Hale screamed and collapsed.Because of the seriousness of the charges, the court ordered that Okorie be held on $100,000 bail. Meanwhile, Wainscott is being held without bail until his next court appearance.

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Small Business Funding

Small Businesses, Big Future: AI-Powered Hookle App Fuels Sustainable Growth for 30 Million U.S. Micro-Businesses | PR Newswire [Video]

Hookle, a Finland-based tech company, is advancing sustainable growth for over 30 million U.S. micro-businesses with its AI-powered social media marketing app. By simplifying digital marketing, Hookle empowers micro-businesses globally