🌱 26% Positivity Rate + Antonio Brown Controversy + Gaia Closes

Tampa FL

03 January, 2022

5:07 PM

Description

Good morning, people of Tampa! Carlos Hernandez here with your Tuesday issue of the Tampa Daily. Want to support local news in Tampa? Become a Patch Supporter for just $5 per month and help keep the Tampa Daily going, plus get other exclusive perks. Click here to learn more. First, today's weather: Mostly sunny and warmer. High: 73 Low: 60. Rent this space: Are you a local business owner or marketer in Tampa? We want to start connecting local businesses with our amazing readers. Click here to learn more. Here are the top five stories in Tampa today: 1. According to the Florida Department of Health, as of December 30th, Hillsborough County had a positivity rate of 26%, the highest recorded since the pandemic was first declared. From December 24th to December 30th, 15,027 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Hillsborough County. (Tampa Patch) 2. New details emerged Monday on Antonio Brown's bizarre behavior on Sunday's Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the New York Jets. According to the league's official website, Brown felt he was too injured to play so he refused to go in the game when Coach Bruce Arians asked him to. Arians told Brown to "get out" after the receiver twice refused to enter the game. (CBS Sports) 3. Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo joined Governor Ron DeSantis for a press conference on Monday. Ladapo said the the state would implement a new emphasis on "high-value" testing versus "low-value" testing and stop focusing on testing certain citizens in the pandemic. 62,504 people in Florida have died from COVID-related reasons since the pandemic began. (WTSP) 4. Seminole Heights vegan bakery Gaia, located at 6617 North Nebraska Avenue, has permanently closed down. The bakery opened in March 2021 and focused on donuts and allergen-free baked goods. The owner cited the stress of running a small business and less than ideal sales numbers. (Creative Loafing Tampa) 5. Rep. Kathy Castor is highlighting that her Hillsborough-district received $2.9 billion in COVID-19 emergency grants to support small businesses and local nonprofits, including $2.7 billion in Paycheck Protection loans, $74.6 million in Restaurant Revitalization Fund awards, and $46.8 million in Shuttered Venue Operators Grants. Florida's 14th Congressional District also secured a record $1.9 billion from 779 federal grants intended to create jobs and invest in education and infrastructure. (Florida Politics) Today's Tampa Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Tampa! Today in Tampa: Students Return to School At Hillsborough County Schools. (all day)Free Tuesdays At The Glazer Children's Museum. (10:00 AM)Toddler Tuesdays At ZooTampa At Lowry Park. (10:00 AM) T'ai Chi Chih At Joe Abrahams Fitness & Wellness. (12:00 PM)Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets. (7:00 PM) From my notebook: Auburndale's Walmart Supercenter in Polk County will be temporarily closing down to allow a cleaning crew to sanitize the store, according to a company release. (WFLA) Florida confirmed hospitalizations from COVID-19 have reached 5,299. An increase of 313 people total, according to Florida Hospital Association. The number hospitalized increased 281.2% increase in 14 days and a 155.4% increase in 7 days. (Twitter)The intersection of West Euclid Avenue and Westshore Boulevard will close daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Wednesday, January 5th for utility construction. (Tampa Patch)Get into the pirate spirit this month with the story of Gasparilla as told by Rodney Kite-Powell. (TAMPA Downtown Magazine)Hillsborough County Public Schools wants help naming a new PK-8 school opening this August. (Facebook) More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news! Job listings: Don't Go back to that J O B (Details) Add your job listing Loving the Tampa Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved: Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe Become a supporter (there are perks!) Get your local business featured in front of readers Send me a news tip or suggestion at [email protected] Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Tuesday! See you tomorrow for your next update. — Carlos Hernandez About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.