Everyone knows about the excitement of Manhattan, but Southern Business and Development is singing the praises of America's not-so-big downtowns. The magazine is out with a list of "Ten Wonderful Small Town Central Business Districts in the South."

The mag gave props to Bradenton for its laid-back vibe, theater scene and redeveloped Riverwalk, which debuted in October 2012. Here's an excerpt:

The sun was up, the coffee shop next door was doing a brisk business, and a steady stream of cars and trucks were rumbling south on Tampa Street in downtown Tampa when Tom Casey ended his children's rowing marathon.

This morning on the sidewalk on Tampa Street just south of Cass in downtown Tampa, a brother and sister team are attempting to set a record by rowing more than 26 hours straight.

Shannon and Matthew Casey started their fund-raising marathon Wednesday at 11 a.m. with plans to trade off rowing - one hour each - until 1:12 p.m. Thursday, May 16, 2013.

As of 6:30 a.m. Thursday, their father, Tom Casey, reported that the duo made it through the night. Their pace slowed but they kept rowing. Shannon was on the Erg machine at the time.

Actress Angelina Jolie revealed this week that because she inherited a gene mutation that severely increases the risk of getting breast cancer, she decided to have a preventative double mastectomy, removing both of her breasts and then getting reconstructive surgery.  

Dr. Sue Friedman is the founder and executive director of an organization called FORCE, which stands for Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered. 

(UPDATED with correct location)

A pair of USF graduates are rowing for a record -- and a charity that lets people with disabilities interact with horses -- in downtown Tampa today. 

Matt and Shannon Casey plan to row 26.2 -- not miles, the length of a marathon -- but HOURS.  They started at 11 a.m. Wednesday and plan to keep going until 1:12  p.m. Thursday.

The Concerned Citizens of St. Petersburg-- the group trying to stop the Lens design for the city's new pier --have turned in their petition to the City Council.

If all signatures are verified on the Concerned Citizens of St. Petersburg's petition, a referendum on the new pier would appear on the ballot for the Aug. 27 election. That's when residents will also vote for mayor and council members.