We love oversized checks and construction equipment, and both of those things are now slowly making their way to Tampa International Airport. In total the airport is planning to spend around $30 million to refresh and update some of its terminals, and we’re sure we’re not the only ones who enjoy an airport concourse with a fresh coat of paint.

Some of the airport signs, restrooms, and flooring are approaching 40 years old, so officials want to make sure everything is renovated before it's too late. Some of the updates have been made a priority, as they’re hoping to get at least half of the bathrooms fixed up before the end of next summer. ]]> kjb 2011-12-16T11:11:53-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/10/25/224527/50

We’re not sure if Busch Gardens was a little intimidated by what Harry Potter has added to Florida’s theme park belt or what Legoland could bring to the state, but the park isn’t sitting around as they’re adding a new ride for the 2011 season. Basing things on their love of African critters, the park is planning to include the new coaster “Cheetah Hunt” on their theme park map next spring.

The coaster will have plenty of big numbers to thrill riders, like speeds of up to 60 mph and drops of over 130-feet. It will also be the park’s longest ride at over 4,000 feet, but the thing that makes it most unique is what it zooms over. Busch Gardens is adding a new cheetah exhibit to the park, and the new coaster will twist and turn side by side with some of the fastest creatures on earth. ]]> kjb 2010-10-26T10:50:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/6/22/7372/31622

One Florida Mayor has more on her mind than where all that oil in the Gulf is eventually headed, but it does seem that tourism is something that she’s considering. Mayor Pam Iorio of Tampa sent a letter to President Obama last week asking for a little bit of help, because she wants her city to start air service to Cuba.

Specifically, she wants Tampa to get the government seal of approval to start authorized flights between Castro-country and Tampa. Right now only Miami, New York, and Los Angeles are authorized to fly nonstop routes to Havana, but remember that doesn’t mean that any American can just hop on board to check out Cuba. There’s still all kinds of rules and regulations that leave most of us out of the fun, or at least force Americans to head to Canada before they can enjoy freshly rolled cigars and too many Cuba Libres. ]]> kjb 2010-06-23T12:00:56-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/29/115625/354

It was a bad week to be a celebrity last week. We spent the weekend mourning Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon but it turns out we've still got some more mourning left to do. Famous pitchman Billy Mays, who you probably remember from the Oxiclean commercials, died at his home in Tampa, Fla. yesterday, hours after a rough landing at the Tampa airport where the US Airways plane he was on blew out a tire as it touched down.

Mays had told news reporters after he got off the plane that something had hit his head. He also complained about not feeling very well before going to bed later that night.

Tampa police initially said that any connection between his death and the landing was "purely speculation." Indeed, the results of an autopsy where just released moments ago and the Hillsborough County Coroner said heart disease, not the rough landing, was to blame for Mays' death. Either way, the world has lost its best "pitchman."

While Mays only had about 4,000 Twitter followers before his death, that number has jumped to 10,000 today. But we can't imagine US Airways is too happy about his last ever tweet which he wrote just after landing:

Just had a close call landing in Tampa. The tires blew out upon landing. Stuck in the plane on the runway. You can always count on US Air."

Related Stories:
· TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead in Florida home [Newsday]
· Us Airways coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: NY Daily News]]]> juliana 2009-06-29T12:23:56-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/2/2/235331/0112

It's so, so hard to be Lindsay Lohan. But we'd sure love to get away with the tantrum she pulled Saturday morning when she was mistakenly booked in a coach seat for her Delta Airlines flight out of Tampa.

Lohan accompanied girlfriend Samantha Ronson to her DJ gig at the ESPN Magazine NEXT Party Friday night, but didn't bother staying for the game. When she discovered she was in the cheap seats for the overbooked flight, Lohan stomped and swore, telling someone she was with (possibly Ronson) to visit her in coach "in case I die," according to FOX News. Soon after that, a seat "magically" opened up for the squeaky wheel. ]]> egw 2009-02-03T08:45:55-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/2/2/93438/90156

For your favorite celebrities, last night's Super Bowl XLIII between the Steelers and the Cardinals was really just the hangover brunch to a weekend of nonstop partying.

On Friday night Lindsay Lohan looked bored while girlfriend Samantha Ronson DJ'd with Benji and Joel Madden at the ESPN the Magazine Next Party in a downtown Tampa tent. (They later ran into Brody Jenner and girlfriend at the Maxim party in Ybor City.) Meanwhile, Paris Hilton showed off a new haircut at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino while M.C. Hammer, star of last night's Cash4Gold.com ads, mugged on the red carpet.

On Saturday, "Gossip Girl"'s Chace Crawford, Blake Lively and Penn Badgley faced off against Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian and their stepbro Brody Jenner in the DirecTV Celebrity Beach Bowl. Kim Kardashian was MIA for the game, probably because she was off prepping for the night's Leather and Laces Party, where she mugged for the cameras with co-hosts Jenny McCarthy and Carmen Electra. And Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, who just discovered Twitter, live-tweeted their attendance at The Giving Back Fund's "Big Game-Big Give" event in South Tampa, which provides guidance to entertainers who want to start their own charities. That's how we know that he pulled a stray hair out of her nose. Ew?

But there was one star everyone wanted to see, and she didn't even make the parties: Jennifer Hudson made her first public appearance since the tragic murders of her mother, brother and nephew in order to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the game. There wasn't a dry eye in the house -- and that was before the 100-yard interception!

Related Stories:
· Arash Markazi: Super Bowl Party Report [SI.com]
· Five Super Bowl Parties To Watch Instead of The Game [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: JustJared]]]> egw 2009-02-02T12:00:59-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/30/8305/75683

All this and a game too? News about the flashy parties going down this weekend in Tampa for Super Bowl XLIII frankly makes us more excited than the game itself.

The fun begins tonight, when Lindsay Lohan, Joel and Benji Madden and Lil' Wayne will be jamming to Wyclef Jean at ESPN Magazine's NEXT party in a tent pitched at 202 S. Morgan Street. (ESPN's public, less prestigious party is Saturday, a tailgating spectacle featuring Sean Kingston.) Fergie and Diddy will be partying at the Ritz Ybor on Friday with Maxim, and there's always Johnny Drama's gig at the Seminole Hard Rock.

How about something a little more sporting? DirecTV's Celebrity Beach Bowl in St. Petersburg offers a lot of star-spotting, although the picks are somewhat random -- but if you ever wanted to see Blake Lively tackle the girl from "The Unborn" (Odette Yustman), now's your chance! Other players we love include Brody and Frankie from "The Hills," Christian Slater and the three oldest Kardashians. Real football players Reggie Bush and Eli Manning will coach each team. Make the losers buy you drinks at T-Pain's Thr33 Ring Circus (GLC Entertainment Complex, 1910 E. Seventh Ave.)

Related Stories:
· Gas Up The Jet, The Private Jet For The Super Bowl [Jaunted]
· Johnny Drama Hosting Super Bowl Blowout at Seminole Hard Rock [HC]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Page Six's now-defunct blog from last year's Giants victory party. Oh, Eli.]]]> egw 2009-01-30T10:15:57-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/