On "Live and Local," host Matthew Peddie and his guests will discuss the new president at USF, Ybor City's cigar legacy, Florida’s record-setting executions and Plant City’s vibrant community traditions.
What’s next for USF under Limayem?
(0:00) With nearly 50,000 students and thousands of employees, USF’s choice of a new president is a major decision for the Tampa Bay community. Moez Limayem has been named the finalist for the job. We discuss his background and the significance of this leadership change with a longtime chronicler of all things USF and an education reporter.
GUESTS:
- Mark Schreiner, WUSF assistant news director
- Eric Kelderman, Chronicle of Higher Education senior writer
Rolling through Tampa’s cigar past
(12:04) Ybor City was once the cigar-making capital of the world, with more than 200 factories shaping Tampa’s identity. Today, just one remains: J.C. Newman. A fourth-generation owner from the company joins local historian Rodney Kite Powell in studio to discuss the rise, fall and enduring culture of Tampa’s cigar industry, and what its future holds.
GUESTS:
- Rodney Kite Powell, Tampa Bay History Center
- Drew Newman, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. co-owner
13 executions and counting
(21:04) Florida continues to lead the nation in executions, with 13 carried out this year. Victor Tony Jones was the most recent, and another is scheduled later this month. We’ll talk to an advocate against capital punishment about the state’s use of the death penalty and its broader implications.
GUEST:
- Maria DeLiberato, Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Watching Plant City grow
(31:04) Sharon Moody has spent decades shaping her hometown of Plant City through volunteer work and community initiatives. From founding the Plant City Black Heritage Foundation to making the Strawberry Festival more inclusive, she’s worked to create opportunities and celebrate local culture. We’ll hear her reflections on growing up in the city, the changes and what it Plant City unique.
GUEST:
- Sharon Moody, Plant City community advocate
