🌱 Air Force Veteran Appeals Classified Doc Sentence + Breezy Summer

Morning, Tampa! I'm Carlos Hernandez, here right on time with your fresh copy of the Tampa Patch newsletter, filled with all the community information you need to know right now. Including updates on...

• Hillsborough County Pet Resources has received the National Association of Counties' Achievement Award.
• A retired air force member with 29 years of service is appealing sentencing over classified documents amid a battle between former President Trump and the U.S. Department of Justice.
• Polk County Public Schools' LGBTQ Pride Month proclamation has been temporarily postponed amid heightened tensions.

But first, today's weather: Partly sunny. High: 92 Low: 80.

Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. Two members of the Robles Park Enterprise gang were sentenced by a judge Friday for attempted murder, drug trafficking, as well as a number of shootings and millions of dollars' worth of fraud. Both of the accused gang members will spend over 10 years in federal prison with one spending over 16 years in prison. The gang members pleaded guilty to the charges. (Tampa Patch)
2. Retired Lt. Colonel Robert Birchum, who previously served at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base at the end of his career, plans to appeal a sentence for possessing classified defense documents. Birchum served in the air force for 29 years and helped capture over 800 enemies of the United States. He was sentenced to three years in prison along with three years' supervised release and a $25,000 fine as part of a plea deal. Birchum's lawyers mentioned a current case against former President Trump over classified documents in his appeal. (WFLA)
3. Polk County Public Schools' LGBTQ Pride Month proclamation has been postponed this year amid a battle across the state over LGTBQ+ rights. The school board has submitted the Pride proclamation in the past without incident and said they will reschedule the vote to October when more students are in attendance, according to Polk Pride. (ABC Action News)
4. Breeze Airways is offering discounted budget flights from $45 from Tampa. Destinations include Charleston, Hartford, Huntsville, Norfolk and Providence. The summer promotion hopes to help travelers get away. (WFLA)
5. Hillsborough County Pet Resources has received the National Association of Counties' Achievement Award for rebuilding its volunteer program after struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2022 saw more than 250 volunteers provide about 14,000 hours of service to the nonprofit. The Pet Resource Center is located at 440 N Falkenburg Road in Tampa. (Tampa Patch)

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Today in Tampa:

• Collagraph Printmaking at TMA@Firehouse. (9:30 a.m.)
• Children’s Theatre: "The Ugly Duckling" at Maureen B. Gauzza Library. (11 a.m.)
• Brandon Young Professionals Networking Lunch at Just Love Coffee. (11:30 a.m.)
• Book Club For Adults at Temple Terrace Leisure Services. (2 p.m.)
• Happy Hour at Ocean Prime Tampa. (4 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Hillsborough County Public Schools shared: "Congratulations to all of our teachers who were selected as 2023 Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery Cheers to PUBlic Service winners. They were recently recognized at several Irish 31 locations across the area." (Hillsborough County Public Schools via Facebook)
• Tampa General Hospital shared: "TGH Imaging Powered by Tower is continuing to revolutionize diagnostic imaging with the implementation of the Philips Radiology Operations Command Center (ROCC)." (Tampa General Hospital via Facebook)
• City of Tampa shared: "Join us on Friday (June 16) for our annual Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony & Festival. 🎉 🕚 The Flag Raising Ceremony will kick off at 11 a.m. followed by a celebration until 2 p.m. at Lykes Gaslights Square Park." (City of Tampa via Facebook)
• City of Tampa shared: "Summer BreakSpot provides free, nutritious meals to kids and teens under 18 while schools are closed. 🍎 Find a Summer BreakSpot near you by visiting: SummerBreakSpot.com." (City of Tampa via Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you tomorrow morning 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Patch newsletter? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com