PINELLAS PARK — Chef Robert Hesse is known for appearances on televised cooking competition “Hell’s Kitchen,” where he won fans with his humor, talent and backstory, a rags-to-riches ride from the streets of St. Petersburg to the bright lights of Hollywood.

Sports complex funds approved

Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas is embarking on its most ambitious project yet after recently acquiring a 7.3-acre piece of land in Pinellas Park for $2.1 million. Mike Sutton, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas, said the plan will be to build 75 single-family homes on the land at the northeast corner of 68th Street and 62nd Avenue North.

For a decade, Bruce To had a dream of building his own soccer complex that would be accessible to players of all ages, financial situations and skill levels. In November, To finally realized that dream when he transformed a former Pinellas Park junkyard into the BT Sports Academy, a state-of-the-art soccer facility that includes four outdoor soccer fields. When he’s done with construction, it will also include two indoor fields, a 4,000-square-foot fitness training center and gym, meeting rooms, and Hat Trick, a restaurant and sports bar.

Meet Kristina Fortner, CEO and executive director of Girls Inc. of Pinellas.

The Studios@5663, located at 5663 Park Blvd. in the middle of the Pinellas Arts Village, welcomes several new artists into its fold, including Catherine Gomez.

PINELLAS PARK – As the holiday season approaches, the city is gearing up for one of its biggest annual events – the Pinellas Park Christmas Parade, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year.

Growing up, Rick Paul always had a love of magic. And as an adult, he even performed regularly at local events – mostly birthday parties and other gatherings.

Like many individuals around the country, a group of several friends in St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park were horrified as they heard the news about the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando that killed 49 people and wounded 58 others.

Twenty years ago, DJ Sulisufay took over the then-struggling Jessi’s Restaurant, 8331 66th St. N.

While many Pinellas County residents attempted to stay out of Hurricane Irma’s reach by evacuating the area or prepping their homes and remaining indoors, Bottles Pub’s staff opened the bar during the Sept. 10 storm for those with nowhere else to go.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Pinellas Park satellite facility with a commemoration event Aug. 22.

Mary MacKenzie often refers to herself as “the butterfly lady.”

The Pinellas Park Rotary Club has had a long-term relationship with Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary School, predominantly by donating money to teachers for classroom supplies and volunteering at events.

Erin Stoy was just 10 years old when her father, Ron Stoy, opened the first Sound Exchange independent record store in Tampa on North Nebraska Avenue in 1987.

For sports lovers in the Tampa Bay area, the voice of Randy Harris is likely a familiar one.

Nearly two years ago, Jason Bergstrom’s mother-in-law moved in with his family so his wife, Kathy, and their kids could help care for her.

The Juniors of Girl Scout Troop 151 of Split Pines Service Unit decided to put their own spin on the Little Free Libraries that have popped up all over the country for their Bronze Award project this summer.

Following a jam-packed summer, staff at Girls Inc. of Pinellas won’t get much of a chance to catch its breath as the school year starts Aug. 10.

For the past 10 years, Stephen Smarowsky has served in various ministry positions at churches in the county.