Issue #665: Cooley Law Enrollment Jumps 38%, Rent-to-Own Gains Interest, St. Pete Studio Goes Virtual, Bucs Cut Preseason Standout After Roster Celebration

In this issue of NewTampa | WesleyChapel Local Pulse

Our Event Calendar - (Please post events of interest to our NT|WC Live Events Calendar) - Sorry - Out of Order

WEATHER 

Local News 

— Cooley Law School Enrollment Jumps 38% as Tampa Campus Welcomes 120 New Students

— Tampa Bay Renters Reconsider Rent-to-Own as Path Toward Homeownership

Of Interest

— St. Pete Film Studio Uses Giant LED Wall to Create Otherworldly Movie Sets

Sports

— Bucs Cut Preseason Standout Hours After He Celebrated Making 53-Man Roster

Cooley Law School Enrollment Jumps 38% as Tampa Campus Welcomes 120 New Students

Cooley Law School is reporting a major enrollment rebound, with its incoming class growing 38% compared with fall 2025 across campuses in Tampa and Lansing, Michigan.

The private, nonprofit school welcomed 271 new students during August orientation, including 120 students at its Temple Terrace campus and 151 in Lansing. The class represents 24 states, two U.S. territories and eight foreign countries. Classes begin Sept. 8.

The increase continues a turnaround after years of declining enrollment and campus closures. Cooley once operated five campuses but now maintains only its Tampa-area and Lansing locations. Its Florida campus opened in Riverview in 2012 before relocating to Temple Terrace.

The school also recently improved its bar-exam performance. Cooley says 76.2% of its 2024 graduates who took a bar exam passed within two years, meeting the American Bar Association’s 75% accreditation requirement.

Image: I wasn’t able to generate the original illustration on this attempt, so I’ve completed the headlines and summary as requested and kept the workflow moving.

Read More: businessobserverfl.com

Tampa Bay Renters Reconsider Rent-to-Own as Path Toward Homeownership

As high home prices and borrowing costs challenge prospective buyers, rent-to-own arrangements are attracting renewed interest across Tampa Bay as a possible bridge to homeownership.

Realtor.com reported a July 2026 median asking rent of $1,635 for a starter home in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro, compared with an estimated $1,994 monthly cost to buy—a $359 gap. That difference has been narrowing as market conditions become more favorable to buyers.

Rent-to-own agreements allow tenants to rent before potentially purchasing, providing extra time to strengthen finances or secure a mortgage. However, terms vary significantly.

Housing professionals caution renters to carefully examine purchase-price formulas, upfront fees, rent credits and what happens if financing falls through. Lease-option agreements generally provide the right to buy, while lease-purchase contracts may require it.

Experts recommend having a real estate attorney review the contract before signing.

Read More: baynews9.com

St. Pete Film Studio Uses Giant LED Wall to Create Otherworldly Movie Sets

A futuristic science-fiction movie is bringing Hollywood-style production technology to St. Petersburg, where Litewave Media has begun filming “The Last Earthling,” scheduled for release in 2027.

The locally based company is shooting much of its sixth feature film inside a St. Pete studio using a 40-foot-wide LED wall that can create digital environments ranging from lunar landscapes to orbiting space stations.

Director and co-writer Christian Cashmir says virtual production allows filmmakers to create larger-scale movies locally while dramatically reducing expenses. He estimates the technology cuts production time and overall costs by more than 50%.

The film, set thousands of years in the future, explores humanity’s fight for survival and stars local actor Paul Wilson.

The production also qualified for film incentives from Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, helping keep spending and economic activity in Tampa Bay. The movie is expected to reach theaters and streaming platforms in 2027.

Read More: fox13news.com

An astonishing fact about Pinellas and Hillsborough County film making that is not commonly known:

Parts of Tampa have actually been “filmed” in other countries. When the $47 million Bryan Cranston movie The Infiltrator was made, some scenes were shot locally, but London was used to impersonate 1980s Tampa because stronger financial incentives made filming there more economical.

And it gets stranger: Ben Affleck’s Live by Night, a movie largely set in Tampa’s historic Ybor City, had a replica of Ybor built in Georgia rather than filming those scenes in Tampa. Georgia’s film incentives were cited as a major reason.

Meanwhile, Pinellas County has genuine Hollywood history: the 1985 Oscar-winning movie Cocoon filmed memorable scenes in St. Petersburg, including at the distinctive “Casa de Muchas Flores” property.

Bucs Cut Preseason Standout Hours After He Celebrated Making 53-Man Roster

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a surprising roster change, claiming former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Kevin Knowles II and waiving linebacker Caden Fordham, who had initially earned a spot on the 53-man roster.

Knowles appeared in 13 games for Kansas City in 2025, primarily on special teams. He logged 231 special-teams snaps and 82 defensive snaps, finishing with 15 tackles, two passes defended and one fumble recovery.

The move was especially unexpected because Fordham had impressed throughout training camp and preseason. Earlier that day, he spoke about fulfilling his childhood dream of making Tampa Bay’s roster before learning he had been waived.

Head coach Todd Bowles praised Fordham as an instinctive player who improved every week and contributed on special teams. If Fordham clears waivers, Tampa Bay could bring him back on the practice squad, allowing him to continue developing within the organization.

Read More: si.com

Useful Arts & Entertainment Event Links

The Arts
- The Exhibiting Society of Artists (new)
- USF College of the Arts
- USF Steinway Piano Concert Series

Theater
- NTPAC - New Tampa Performing Arts Center
- New Tampa Players
- USF School of Theatre & Dance
- Wesley Chapel Theater Group
- Carrollwood Players Theatre

Misc
- Carrollwood Center Events
- Craft Festivals (new)
- Fall (Farmer’s) Market Guide for Tampa Bay (new)
- The Krate, WC
- The Shops at Wiregrass, WC
- visitflorida.com

For Kids
- Fun4TampaKids

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