It’s been a rocky road for electric scooters.

Embraced by many American cities, including Tampa, the dockless, shareable two-wheelers have experienced mounting injuries, many serious. Initial enthusiasm has been replaced with a healthy dose of reality.

Sure, they’re cute, cheap, and offer Millennials a downtown diversion. But rider irresponsibility coupled with poor regulation and lax oversight caused many cities to eliminate e-scooters or remap when, where, and how they are used.

If Variety reviewed the Mayor’s Forum on the Arts, held Wednesday night at Hillsborough Community College, the gathering would have been described as nothing less than “boffo.”

In fact, the venerable staple of entertainment news might have showered the Tampa event with more superlatives than were heaped on “Gone With the Wind.”

It was that electric.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ just concluded trip to Israel aimed at cementing ties between Florida and the Jewish state found a serious audience.

In contrast to the Florida media circus that demeaned and attempted to undermine the bolstering of scientific, agricultural, economic, and political cooperation, the Israeli press reported on substance, not manufactured peripheral issues.

Andrew Gillum brought healthy doses of his charisma, bankroll, and grit to Tampa on Thursday in an effort to rally Democrats for the 2020 election and beyond.

The main photo op for the local press was his presenting a large facsimile of a $100,000 check to Florida Democratic Party chairperson Terrie Rizzo. The dough, according to Rizzo,  will be used to register and energize Democratic voters to “turn Florida blue.”

Jeff Vinik selling the Tampa Bay Lightning would never enter the mind of most local hockey fans, but the idea is not at all far-fetched.

In fact, over the next 15 months it is rated a 50-50 proposition to those paying close attention to the machinations and business travails of the former hedge fund manager.

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment which conservatively could cost the Jeff Vinik-led company $300 million.

The legal action alleges TBSE, owner of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

The Miami law firm of Carey Rodriguez Milian Gonya is bringing the lawsuit on behalf of lead plaintiff Bryan Hanley and other “persons similarly situated.”  The number of plaintiffs could exceed 10,000.

Acknowledging he feels pressure in deliberating and ruling on a lawsuit challenging the validity of the Hillsborough County sales tax for transit, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Judge Rex Barbas nevertheless promised anything but a quick resolution to the issue.

Both sides participated in a marathon hearing Friday, with more arguments scheduled for Friday, May 31.

”This case has a lot of pressure,” Barbas remarked during public testimony. The judge also opined that the case will be appealed regardless of his ruling.

Jeff Vinik, through Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment LLC, owns a major interest in the Tampa Bay Times, according to the corporate records of Bloomberg, "the world's primary distributor of financial data." 

Former Police Chief Jane Castor rolled to an easy victory Tuesday in Tampa’s mayoral runoff, making history as the city's first openly gay mayor. 

The Tampa mayoral runoff April 23 matching former police chief Jane Castor against billionaire David Straz will end with one sure loser: Tampa residents.

Neither candidate excited the electorate, as witnessed by the anemic 20.55 percent primary turnout March 5. Voters traditionally go to the polls in far fewer numbers for the runoff.

A microscopic 9.86 percent of Tampa registered voters favored runaway leader Castor in the primary. She garnered 48 percent of the turnout against Straz and five other foes.