Tracey McManusClearwater and Scientology Reporter
I cover a range of topics in Pinellas County with a focus on the Church of Scientology, which is downtown Clearwater's largest and most influential property owner. Before joining the Times in 2015, I spent five years with The Augusta Chronicle in Georgia. I've wanted to be a journalist pretty much since I was old enough to read the newspapers my dad kept stacked near the kitchen table every day. I was born in Brooklyn but grew up in south Florida and graduated from University of Florida in 2010 with degrees in journalism and Spanish. When not on deadline, I'm usually out running with my two dogs Tiger and Ollie, both strays I found in Georgia.
/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/d64b361f-aa7c-425c-abca-797bd21303f0.png "Tracey McManus - Clearwater and Scientology Reporter")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/WRZLS4GDNJFSFANTNJHQT7T2SI.JPG "Scientology's lawyers are arguing this week in Tampa federal court that former Scientologists who level accusations must bring their cases before an internal arbitration panel of loyal church members — not to the U.S. court system.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/GDJKTOREWJEPNMZHI2R7IOQX6U.jpg "Grace House, the largest shelter for homeless families in Pinellas County, is closing its doors but will convert to an affordable housing complex by October. The Clearwater shelter, seen here Tuesday, has 80 beds in 14 apartments.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/DLVRULOLBRHFTL3LBQT7VHBZVI.jpg "A rendering from the plan by the Gotham Organization and The DeNunzio Group for a hotel in the top center of the frame and two apartment towers to the right with both projects surrounding the future Coachman Park.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/HOHDVZBU7NCVTOHP6ASDPSLWLE.JPG "Vacant land butting up to the Anclote River can be seen Friday, Dec. 11, 2020 in Tarpon Springs where Morgan Group plans to build 404 apartments.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/RQQCMBJCJ5AQVOYKFGT2QL4FKE.jpg "The city's former Fire Station No. 45 is in the foreground on Franklin Street with the Church of Scientology's Flag Building to the west.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/7IQW6UWBRZBVPEMLP6O4C6SEAI.jpg "Construction workers build a house near Rangeland Boulevard and Gunn Highway on Thursday, June 30, 2022 in Odessa.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/EXJW5LKAZNFEBBOPA7OAFLCHNQ.jpg "Stands of mangroves populate the shoreline on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, on the land where developer Morgan Group wants to build 404 apartments on the nearly 74-acre site along the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/GNWV2JEOD5FBDKSVI3UBRV5WOA.JPG "A sign advertises a rental in the 1100 block of 8th Street N on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022 in St. Petersburg. A proposed Pinellas County ordinance would provider greater protections for renters.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/NZ7QMP3ARFEPHMQDDL4CNYUTRA.jpg "Tarpon Springs City Commissioners Michael Eisner, left, and Craig Lunt, right, oppose a resolution that notes people of color and those with lower incomes are disproportionately affected by traffic crashes.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/BHTD6KLDRMH73ME57NX3RWZEDE.jpg "State Rep. Chris Latvala will be term-limited out of the Florida House in November and become a Pinellas County commissioner unopposed.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/G3FBUYSGBBACLLVBNL6FCH2TLY.jpg "In this image from a livestream, Tarpon Springs City Commissioner Jacob Karr speaks during a June 14, 2022 meeting, where fellow commissioners reprimanded him for using his city position when he intervened in a private matter between a resident and a contractor. The commission removed him from intergovernmental boards and sent a complaint to the Florida Commission on Ethics.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/PDB6SZGEUZHXVAJKKACV5Z4QPQ.jpg "Clearwater Gas System’s headquarters, on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, at 777 Maple Street in downtown Clearwater. The utility is headed for changes, including more oversight from City Hall.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/VAC4XUQTWRGEZAYLXI4SKP6OBA.jpg "Kaylee Marnell of Oklahoma and Kolton Doggett of Brandon play with Rudy, a Belgian Malinois, on Tuesday at Petland in Largo. They came to the store because they saw Rudy online, and planned to come back to buy him later in the day. The store is one of six in Pinellas County that will be allowed to continue selling dogs and cats under an ordinance approved Tuesday.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/O7QV6I7MZNDMJOE22SIL72SJBI.JPG "Members of the nonprofit West Klosterman Preservation Group visited the 14-acre parcel they are trying to save from development on Aug. 12, 2020. From left, they are Brad Husserl, of Tarpon Springs, Don Richter, of Palm Harbor, Kay Carter, of Tarpon Springs, and her husband, Tex Carter. The land is located on W Klosterman Road in Tarpon Springs.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/SSW6ERZXWFCA7PYXY2CHLWS7MQ.JPG "Tampa Bay Rays pitchers Shane McClanahan (18), Luis Patiño (61) and Cody Reed (54) practice a drill with assistant pitching and rehab coach Rick Knapp (92) at the Charlotte Sports Park spring training complex in Port Charlotte in March. Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a $35 million allocation for a youth sports complex in Odessa in Pasco County that had been earmarked as a potential future spring training site for the Rays.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/INRWJJOJIJBAXIB6DG4QI4VANY.JPG "Kyle Harris pulls up a picture taken 18 hours after he was allegedly being punched at a Gulfport bar by Adam Peters, the son of Pinellas County Commissioner Kathleen Peters. Harris had to have surgery to repair a broken nose and orbital socket. “I still can’t blow my nose, I can’t feel my teeth,” Harris said.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/G75AMX4QYFGNVACYC42YG7BOE4.jpg "State Rep. Chris Latvala, left, originally filed to run in 2024 for Pinellas County Commission District 5, currently held by Karen Seel, right. A new state law allows him to run this year instead.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/OSW3HD44SNAJHOYIRHYZCT3OZU.jpg "The amphitheater is pictured on the left in this rendering of the $84 million Imagine Clearwater waterfront renovation. The park is under construction with a completion target of July 2023.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/IYQTI3WH5UI6TJTLIBWI6S7HAY.jpg "This photo from the L. Ron Hubbard Library shows Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, in the south of France in 1968.")
