Scallop season opens in Tampa Bay counties
Why it matters: Scalloping is like an underwater Easter egg hunt, in which divers search seagrass beds for the shellfish and collect them in mesh bags.
State of play: The season began on July 1 for Tampa Bay's northernmost counties, Citrus and Hernando, and will continue through Sept. 24.
Pasco County — which banned the practice from 1994 to 2018 due to a depleted scallop population — opens its season on Thursday and runs to Aug. 18.
Between the lines: You must have a saltwater fishing license to participate in the hunt, unless you're wading from shore to collect scallops or on a licensed charter.
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The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Life was returning to normal after Matt's cancer, but then another blow came
While his partner gave birth to their first child, plumber Matt Stephenson was receiving chemotherapy. It was the first round of chemotherapy for the now 36-year-old, less than 48 hours before his partner Georgi Darke delivered their little girl, Daisy, in May 2024. Her birth came just three months after the new dad from Helensburgh, NSW, was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. Happily, chemotherapy and a prior surgery removed the cancer, and by January, life was getting back to normal for the family. However, a year after he began chemo, Mr Stephenson was dealt a devastating blow: he had aggressive, stage four peritoneal cancer. Mr Stephenson was first diagnosed with cancer in 2024 after he experienced severe abdominal pain, which led to the discovery of a tumour partially blocking his bowel. He had surgery to remove the tumour and 70 centimetres of his large bowel, then six months of chemotherapy. The potency of the chemo drugs meant Mr Stephenson could not even kiss his newborn daughter. "That was probably the worst bit when she was just born," Ms Darke said. Tests in the latter half of the year suggested he was cancer-free, and he returned to work on the business he'd started not long before his diagnosis. Mr Stephenson had a lingering anxiety that the cancer would return, but it was good to start earning money again, go on small trips away with the family, and get back into a normal rhythm. Around Easter this year, he was rushed to hospital with pain, but tests and scans came back clear. It was only later, during a routine check-up, that his oncologist discovered the cancer had returned and was affecting the peritoneum, a membrane lining the abdominal cavity. "Even though it was always in the back of my mind, thinking it's always a possibility ... it's pretty shocking, and to have to put your life on hold again," Mr Stephenson said. "Lots of crying for the first few days. It takes a while to get your head around it," Ms Darke said. An operation called a peritonectomy was originally planned, but now Mr Stephenson will undergo months of chemotherapy in a bid to shrink the tumours before the lengthy surgery is attempted. Life expectancy without intervention would be short, Mr Stephenson was told, but he has decided against learning his prognosis as he does undergo treatment. Mr Stephenson encourages other young men to get themselves checked out if they experience any unusual symptoms. He never thought it would be cancer; he had believed bowel cancer was hereditary, and while his mum had gone through breast cancer just the year before, there was no history of his disease in the family. Monique Rodrigues, Ms Darke's best friend since childhood, was moved by the family's plight to create an online fundraiser to ease the financial strain while Mr Stephenson undergoes treatment, as he was again forced to stop work. "It's actually just heartbreaking," she said. Ms Rodrigues said there was "so much power in the community", and she felt people would want help. Mr Stephenson and Ms Darke were reluctant to agree to the fundraiser because "everyone has their own thing going on". During the first round with cancer, they could see the "light at the end of the tunnel", knowing that after chemo life would begin to return to normal, but this time is different. "We don't know what's going to happen ... there's no real plan set in place because you've got to literally take it day by day," Mr Stephenson said. To date, the GoFundMe fundraiser has raised more than $60,000 in donations. Ms Darke said she was so grateful for the donations, whatever the amount. "Financially, it's eased heaps of stress for us," Mr Stephenson said. "We've all just been really touched and moved by the generosity and kindness of people in the community," Ms Rodrigues said. The fundraiser for Mr Stephenson and his family can be found here. While his partner gave birth to their first child, plumber Matt Stephenson was receiving chemotherapy. It was the first round of chemotherapy for the now 36-year-old, less than 48 hours before his partner Georgi Darke delivered their little girl, Daisy, in May 2024. Her birth came just three months after the new dad from Helensburgh, NSW, was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. Happily, chemotherapy and a prior surgery removed the cancer, and by January, life was getting back to normal for the family. However, a year after he began chemo, Mr Stephenson was dealt a devastating blow: he had aggressive, stage four peritoneal cancer. Mr Stephenson was first diagnosed with cancer in 2024 after he experienced severe abdominal pain, which led to the discovery of a tumour partially blocking his bowel. He had surgery to remove the tumour and 70 centimetres of his large bowel, then six months of chemotherapy. The potency of the chemo drugs meant Mr Stephenson could not even kiss his newborn daughter. "That was probably the worst bit when she was just born," Ms Darke said. Tests in the latter half of the year suggested he was cancer-free, and he returned to work on the business he'd started not long before his diagnosis. Mr Stephenson had a lingering anxiety that the cancer would return, but it was good to start earning money again, go on small trips away with the family, and get back into a normal rhythm. Around Easter this year, he was rushed to hospital with pain, but tests and scans came back clear. It was only later, during a routine check-up, that his oncologist discovered the cancer had returned and was affecting the peritoneum, a membrane lining the abdominal cavity. "Even though it was always in the back of my mind, thinking it's always a possibility ... it's pretty shocking, and to have to put your life on hold again," Mr Stephenson said. "Lots of crying for the first few days. It takes a while to get your head around it," Ms Darke said. An operation called a peritonectomy was originally planned, but now Mr Stephenson will undergo months of chemotherapy in a bid to shrink the tumours before the lengthy surgery is attempted. Life expectancy without intervention would be short, Mr Stephenson was told, but he has decided against learning his prognosis as he does undergo treatment. Mr Stephenson encourages other young men to get themselves checked out if they experience any unusual symptoms. He never thought it would be cancer; he had believed bowel cancer was hereditary, and while his mum had gone through breast cancer just the year before, there was no history of his disease in the family. Monique Rodrigues, Ms Darke's best friend since childhood, was moved by the family's plight to create an online fundraiser to ease the financial strain while Mr Stephenson undergoes treatment, as he was again forced to stop work. "It's actually just heartbreaking," she said. Ms Rodrigues said there was "so much power in the community", and she felt people would want help. Mr Stephenson and Ms Darke were reluctant to agree to the fundraiser because "everyone has their own thing going on". During the first round with cancer, they could see the "light at the end of the tunnel", knowing that after chemo life would begin to return to normal, but this time is different. "We don't know what's going to happen ... there's no real plan set in place because you've got to literally take it day by day," Mr Stephenson said. To date, the GoFundMe fundraiser has raised more than $60,000 in donations. Ms Darke said she was so grateful for the donations, whatever the amount. "Financially, it's eased heaps of stress for us," Mr Stephenson said. "We've all just been really touched and moved by the generosity and kindness of people in the community," Ms Rodrigues said. The fundraiser for Mr Stephenson and his family can be found here. While his partner gave birth to their first child, plumber Matt Stephenson was receiving chemotherapy. It was the first round of chemotherapy for the now 36-year-old, less than 48 hours before his partner Georgi Darke delivered their little girl, Daisy, in May 2024. Her birth came just three months after the new dad from Helensburgh, NSW, was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. Happily, chemotherapy and a prior surgery removed the cancer, and by January, life was getting back to normal for the family. However, a year after he began chemo, Mr Stephenson was dealt a devastating blow: he had aggressive, stage four peritoneal cancer. Mr Stephenson was first diagnosed with cancer in 2024 after he experienced severe abdominal pain, which led to the discovery of a tumour partially blocking his bowel. He had surgery to remove the tumour and 70 centimetres of his large bowel, then six months of chemotherapy. The potency of the chemo drugs meant Mr Stephenson could not even kiss his newborn daughter. "That was probably the worst bit when she was just born," Ms Darke said. Tests in the latter half of the year suggested he was cancer-free, and he returned to work on the business he'd started not long before his diagnosis. Mr Stephenson had a lingering anxiety that the cancer would return, but it was good to start earning money again, go on small trips away with the family, and get back into a normal rhythm. Around Easter this year, he was rushed to hospital with pain, but tests and scans came back clear. It was only later, during a routine check-up, that his oncologist discovered the cancer had returned and was affecting the peritoneum, a membrane lining the abdominal cavity. "Even though it was always in the back of my mind, thinking it's always a possibility ... it's pretty shocking, and to have to put your life on hold again," Mr Stephenson said. "Lots of crying for the first few days. It takes a while to get your head around it," Ms Darke said. An operation called a peritonectomy was originally planned, but now Mr Stephenson will undergo months of chemotherapy in a bid to shrink the tumours before the lengthy surgery is attempted. Life expectancy without intervention would be short, Mr Stephenson was told, but he has decided against learning his prognosis as he does undergo treatment. Mr Stephenson encourages other young men to get themselves checked out if they experience any unusual symptoms. He never thought it would be cancer; he had believed bowel cancer was hereditary, and while his mum had gone through breast cancer just the year before, there was no history of his disease in the family. Monique Rodrigues, Ms Darke's best friend since childhood, was moved by the family's plight to create an online fundraiser to ease the financial strain while Mr Stephenson undergoes treatment, as he was again forced to stop work. "It's actually just heartbreaking," she said. Ms Rodrigues said there was "so much power in the community", and she felt people would want help. Mr Stephenson and Ms Darke were reluctant to agree to the fundraiser because "everyone has their own thing going on". During the first round with cancer, they could see the "light at the end of the tunnel", knowing that after chemo life would begin to return to normal, but this time is different. "We don't know what's going to happen ... there's no real plan set in place because you've got to literally take it day by day," Mr Stephenson said. To date, the GoFundMe fundraiser has raised more than $60,000 in donations. Ms Darke said she was so grateful for the donations, whatever the amount. "Financially, it's eased heaps of stress for us," Mr Stephenson said. "We've all just been really touched and moved by the generosity and kindness of people in the community," Ms Rodrigues said. The fundraiser for Mr Stephenson and his family can be found here. While his partner gave birth to their first child, plumber Matt Stephenson was receiving chemotherapy. It was the first round of chemotherapy for the now 36-year-old, less than 48 hours before his partner Georgi Darke delivered their little girl, Daisy, in May 2024. Her birth came just three months after the new dad from Helensburgh, NSW, was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. Happily, chemotherapy and a prior surgery removed the cancer, and by January, life was getting back to normal for the family. However, a year after he began chemo, Mr Stephenson was dealt a devastating blow: he had aggressive, stage four peritoneal cancer. Mr Stephenson was first diagnosed with cancer in 2024 after he experienced severe abdominal pain, which led to the discovery of a tumour partially blocking his bowel. He had surgery to remove the tumour and 70 centimetres of his large bowel, then six months of chemotherapy. The potency of the chemo drugs meant Mr Stephenson could not even kiss his newborn daughter. "That was probably the worst bit when she was just born," Ms Darke said. Tests in the latter half of the year suggested he was cancer-free, and he returned to work on the business he'd started not long before his diagnosis. Mr Stephenson had a lingering anxiety that the cancer would return, but it was good to start earning money again, go on small trips away with the family, and get back into a normal rhythm. Around Easter this year, he was rushed to hospital with pain, but tests and scans came back clear. It was only later, during a routine check-up, that his oncologist discovered the cancer had returned and was affecting the peritoneum, a membrane lining the abdominal cavity. "Even though it was always in the back of my mind, thinking it's always a possibility ... it's pretty shocking, and to have to put your life on hold again," Mr Stephenson said. "Lots of crying for the first few days. It takes a while to get your head around it," Ms Darke said. An operation called a peritonectomy was originally planned, but now Mr Stephenson will undergo months of chemotherapy in a bid to shrink the tumours before the lengthy surgery is attempted. Life expectancy without intervention would be short, Mr Stephenson was told, but he has decided against learning his prognosis as he does undergo treatment. Mr Stephenson encourages other young men to get themselves checked out if they experience any unusual symptoms. He never thought it would be cancer; he had believed bowel cancer was hereditary, and while his mum had gone through breast cancer just the year before, there was no history of his disease in the family. Monique Rodrigues, Ms Darke's best friend since childhood, was moved by the family's plight to create an online fundraiser to ease the financial strain while Mr Stephenson undergoes treatment, as he was again forced to stop work. "It's actually just heartbreaking," she said. Ms Rodrigues said there was "so much power in the community", and she felt people would want help. Mr Stephenson and Ms Darke were reluctant to agree to the fundraiser because "everyone has their own thing going on". During the first round with cancer, they could see the "light at the end of the tunnel", knowing that after chemo life would begin to return to normal, but this time is different. "We don't know what's going to happen ... there's no real plan set in place because you've got to literally take it day by day," Mr Stephenson said. To date, the GoFundMe fundraiser has raised more than $60,000 in donations. Ms Darke said she was so grateful for the donations, whatever the amount. "Financially, it's eased heaps of stress for us," Mr Stephenson said. "We've all just been really touched and moved by the generosity and kindness of people in the community," Ms Rodrigues said. The fundraiser for Mr Stephenson and his family can be found here.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Fans spot Travis Kelce's hidden tribute to Taylor Swift during latest ‘New Heights' episode
Fans connect Travis Kelce's shirt to his Montana trip with Taylor Swift (Getty Images) NFL star Travis Kelce may not have mentioned Taylor Swift 's name on the latest episode of New Heights, but fans are convinced he gave a subtle nod to their romantic getaway — and it didn't go unnoticed. During the July 9 episode of his hit podcast with brother Jason Kelce, eagle-eyed viewers spotted Travis sporting a clean white T-shirt featuring the discreet logo of Yellowstone Club, a private luxury ski resort in Big Sky, Montana. The same exclusive destination he vacationed with Taylor Swift back in March. Fans connect Travis Kelce's shirt to his Montana trip with Taylor Swift and Erin Andrews The Yellowstone Club isn't just any ski lodge — it's where Travis and Taylor reportedly enjoyed a quiet escape earlier this year. According to PEOPLE, the couple dined with their close friend and sportscaster Erin Andrews at the resort's supper club, the Auric Room at Lone Mountain Ranch. That private dinner added to the growing list of low-key, high-luxury moments the couple has shared since going public with their relationship in September 2023. Andrews, who has often praised the couple publicly, even took credit for nudging Swift in Kelce's direction. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo 'Erin is close friends with Taylor and Travis, and Travis even jokingly credits Erin with encouraging Taylor to date him,' a source told Page Six. Chiefs Matt Nagy on his Mahomes 'Cheating', Rookie Kelces, Andy Reid Lessons & "Swingin' D" | Ep 147 A fan-favorite Easter egg sparks social media buzz It didn't take long for Swifties to light up X (formerly Twitter) with reactions to the Yellowstone Club T-shirt. One fan wrote, 'I also like to get merch when I travel — he's just like me,' referring to Kelce's travel habit that now feels deeply personal to fans following their journey. The shirt wasn't Kelce's only nostalgic choice. He paired it with a cap from his alma mater, Cleveland Heights High School, grounding the look in both hometown pride and romantic sentiment. While the couple keeps their more intimate moments off the grid, these subtle cues continue to feed the fandom. Their recent appearance at JoJo's Bar in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is another example of their low-profile, yet meaningful public outings. 'They had a great lunch, enjoyed our food, and were really impressed with the team,' the bar's manager told PEOPLE. Also Read: Swifties believe Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's romance began with this Eras Tour moment As New Heights episodes continue to roll out every Wednesday, Swifties are now watching more closely than ever — not just for football takes, but for the hidden love story unfolding between the lines. Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Eagle-Eyed Fans Spot Travis Kelce's Souvenir from Taylor Swift Vacation on Latest Episode of 'New Heights'
Travis Kelce wore a T-shirt he bought from a Montana resort he previously vacationed at with Taylor Swift The couple had dinner at the resort with sportscaster Erin Andrews in March Kelce and Swift have been romantically linked since September 2023Keen-eyed Taylor Swift fans spotted this Travis Kelce Easter egg in the Wednesday, July 9, episode of New Heights. During the podcast, which Travis, 35, co-hosts with his brother Jason Kelce, he sports a crisp white T-shirt with a subtle logo from Yellowstone Club. The shirt appeared to be from a private residential club and ski resort in Big Sky, Mont., where the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the pop star vacationed in March, PEOPLE confirmed. Fans on social media were quick to make note of Kelce's wardrobe choice. 'I also like to get merch when I travel he's just like me,' one fan joked on X of Travis' Yellowstone Club shirt. Travis paired the T-shirt with a hat emblazoned with his high school's mascot, the Cleveland Heights High School Tigers. Back in March, the pair dined at the supper club Auric Room at Lone Mountain Ranch, a source told Page Six at the time. The pair was spotted dining alongside their mutual friend, sportscaster Erin Andrews. "Erin is close friends with Taylor and Travis, and Travis even jokingly credits Erin with encouraging Taylor to date him,' the source told the outlet, adding that 'they're all good friends.' Andrews, 47, previously told PEOPLE she has high hopes for the couple. "Man, they're great," Andrews said during an exclusive interview at the NFL's Super Bowl shop in New Orleans to promote her WEAR by Erin Andrews collection. "I love them so much. I think they are so cute, and I love how they support each other. They're adorable." She added, "I would like a marriage" between the pop star and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The couple, who have been romantically linked since September 2023, were most recently spotted out to lunch together in Kelce's native Ohio on July 1. John Ponyicky, the manager at JoJo's Bar in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, previously told PEOPLE exclusively, "Taylor and Travis came in and had a wonderful time." Ponyicky continued, "They had a great lunch, enjoyed our food, and were really impressed with the team. Travis grew up in Cleveland Heights, so he decided to visit somewhere he was familiar with. He and Taylor were both really pleasant. They sat at the bar for a bit, but also had a private lunch in a private room." New episodes of New Heights drop weekly on Wednesdays. Read the original article on People
