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Colbi Edmonds - Tampa Bay Regional Reporter

Tampa Bay Regional Reporter

I’m a regional reporter, primarily covering Pinellas and Hillsborough county governments. While my work focuses on following county leadership and their actions, I’m interested in how their decisions impact residents across the Tampa Bay area. Whether that be traffic, development or taxes, I’m excited to cover a rapidly changing region and welcome any tips or story ideas you may have. Prior to joining the Times, I was a national reporting fellow at The New York Times. There, I covered a range of topics, including education, natural disasters and infrastructure. I graduated from Boston University in May 2023 with degrees in journalism and political science and a minor in African American studies. I was born and raised in Texas and proudly call San Antonio home. When I’m not working, I'm usually running, watching cheesy TV or sitting in a coffee shop with an expensive oat milk latte I likely won’t finish.

  1. Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg is on track to sell the team by September to Patrick Zalupski, a Jacksonville-based developer, The Athletic reported Monday.
  2. Residents Reagan Woo Olsen, left, and April Self, right, live in Forest Hills and have struggled with the bureaucracy of hurricane recovery.
  3. Former Tampa City Council member Gwen Henderson died in June at 60 years old. On Sept. 9, voters will decide who will fill the District 5 seat.
  4. A Jacksonville developer is in talks with the Tampa Bay Rays to buy the team. Elected officials across the Bay say they are optimistic about working with new ownership.
  5. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis approved a new state budget Monday. Local projects in Tampa Bay were mostly spared from his veto pen.
  6. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor renamed the Tampa River Center after former mayor, and likely candidate for future mayor, Bob Buckhorn on Wednesday.
  7. Hundreds of people gathered Tuesday to celebrate the life of Gwen Henderson, who represented District 5 on the Tampa City Council.
  8. The Hillsborough Board of County commissioners recently discussed cuts to nonprofit funding.
  9. Thousands of protesters take to the streets in front of City Hall during the nationwide "No Kings" protest on Saturday in Tampa.
  10. A security guard stands outside the Department of Homeland Security offices. Protesters are planning to gather Saturday afternoon in support of a Tampa Bay mother who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement this month.
  11. Tampa City Council member and owner Gwen Henderson gives a tour of her bookstore during a grand opening event at Black English on  Dec. 2, 2023, in Tampa. Henderson died this week at age 60.
  12. An aerial view of flooding in Wesley Chapel after Hurricane Milton on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.
  13. A portion of Showmen's Rest Cemetery is up for sale again, but the city and local residents want to make there are no lost graves.
  14. Residents supporting the Save the Garden movement gather for a prayer at the plot of land for sale in front of the Church of Scientology's Flag Building on Saturday, May 10, 2025 in Clearwater. The attorney general sent a letter to Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector to be mindful of religious discrimination in the land dispute.
  15. Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, during an interview with the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday in Tampa, said he is running for governor.
  16. Volunteers work together to sort and bag hundreds of pounds of potatoes at Feeding Tampa Bay on Wednesday, May 21, in Tampa. Food banks and nonprofits in Tampa Bay rely on federal funding to supplement their work.
  17. Hillsborough County Sheriff investigators on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 in Brandon. Hillsborough County Commissioner Chris Boles wants more funding for public safety.
  18. Guido Maniscalco listens to speakers during the Tampa City Council budget workshop meeting for fiscal year 2024 on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Tampa.
  19. Jutta Kohl holds a sign while marching in downtown on Saturday in Clearwater.
  20. Residents supporting the Save the Garden movement march to the plot of land for sale in front of the Church of Scientology's Flag Building on Saturday, May 10, 2025 in Clearwater. Residents are protesting Scientology's plan to purchase a small piece of land downtown. They've dubbed the movement "SaveTheGarden," and they are rallying for an opposing plan that would turn the piece of land into a memorial for the city's African American community.
  21. The Tampa City Council meets at Old City Hall on Jan. 16 in Tampa. Members met this week to discuss decorum and efficiency.
  22. State representatives applaud in the House chamber during the opening session of the 2025 legislative session, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the state capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
  23. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor as she delivers her State of the City address at the Tampa River Center, 402 W Laurel St, on Monday, April 28, 2025.