AVA shuttle service temporarily suspended
ST. PETERSBURG — Due to a closure Bayshore Drive for the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority Autonomous Vehicle Advantage’s shuttle service will be temporarily suspended through Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 6 p.m. Service will resume as scheduled on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 10 a.m.
For more information regarding the schedule of AVA, visit psta.net.
Coronavirus spike halts Pinellas jury trials
Jury trials have been temporarily suspended in Pinellas County because of the recent spike in both the number of new COVID-19 cases and the percentage of positive tests.
Anthony Rondolino, the chief judge of the 6th Judicial Circuit, modified the circuit’s operational plan as it affects Pinellas County as of Jan. 5. Last month, he also temporarily suspended jury trials in Pasco County for the same reasons.
The ruling means no juries will be impaneled at any of the courthouses in the two counties, and no witnesses expected to testify will be required to go to those facilities.
Rondolino’s decision on Pinellas County came after the latest statistics showed, among other things, the test positivity rate jumping to 11.4 percent. According to a press release from the court, once the positivity rate of those tested breaks 10 percent, a chief judge is required to consider changing his court operational plan, which Rondolino has done.
The suspensions are expected to remain in effect until the numbers improve and the risks are reduced. Trials may be scheduled by judges, with the understanding circumstances may not permit the proceeding to go forward once the date arrives.
