In Tampa, a refuge for sea cows

Mwanner | Wikipedia

Scientists say manatees, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act, can die of starvation if their body temperature drops too low.

If Tampa officials want to move ahead with a $5.7 million project to improve the ecology of the lower Hillsborough River, they're going to have to keep the manatees toasty warm, the Tampa Tribune reports.

At issue is everything from having enough water to supply a thirsty city and helping the river rebound from years of degradation to - and this was the sticking point - protecting the herds of sea cows that seek out the warm waters of Sulphur Springs each winter.

The solution? A thermometer.

1842 Tampa house could be torn down

Google Maps

3210 E Eighth Ave.: The home was once the residence of Dr. Sheldon Stringer, who was surgeon to Gen. Joseph Finegan, commander of Confederate forces in Florida during the Civil War.

Preservationists are looking for a way to save what may be the oldest house in Tampa Bay, the St. Petersburg Times reports. It was a boarding house in downtown Tampa, and was once the home of a prominent surgeon who served the Confederacy during the Civil War.

The yellow Georgian-style home at 3210 E Eighth Ave. is for sale for $22,000. An investor could tear it down and build three units in its place, according to Tampa zoning laws.

Preservationists are concerned because of the loss of significant local landmarks over the years. The well-known 94-year-old Spanish Park Restaurant was bulldozed in 1993.  In 1994, fire destroyed a 91-year-old church. Last year wrecking crews  knocked down the 1913 Gary Elementary School.

The home was built in 1842 at the close of the Second Seminole War. In 1914, it was moved from downtown Tampa to what is now the edge of Ybor City. It was built with pegs, not nails, according to a local history buff.

Columbia reinvents its Cuban sandwich

The Cuban sandwich isn't just a sandwich, it's history – Columbia Restaurant history, writes Becky Bowers in the St. Petersburg Times. That's why Richard Gonzmart, owner of the 105-year-old Ybor City icon, decided the signature dish needed to be reinvented. Over the years cutting corners had reduced the quality and taste. Gonzmart set about to restore the legacy.