Apollo Beach Safety + Giant Holes + Tampa Car Accident Ranking

Good Morning. My name is Carlos Hernandez and I am back to update you on the latest happening in the Tampa area with Patch News.

In this issue, you’ll learn about efforts to make Apollo Beach Nature Preserve safer, giant holes appearing over beaches in Pinellas, a Tampa-based startup, Tampa’s ranking in car accidents, and more. Now, let’s get started.

Today’s weather: The high is 90 and the low is 76 with isolated thunderstorms. The chance of rain is 30%.

Here are the top 5 stories happening around Tampa:

1. Hillsborough County plans to keep the Apollo Beach Nature Preserve closed so it can take steps to make it safer after recent drownings. (Tampa Bay Times)

2. Giant holes have appeared at Pinellas County beaches in recent weeks. Environmentalists are worried about the potential impact on sea turtles, while city officials are worried about the danger it could pose for night runners or patrol cars. (Tampa Bay Times)

3. A Tampa-based startup called Cirkul hired more than 100 employees over the past three months after it went viral on TikTok in a boost to its business. The company is looking to hire 100 more by the end of the year. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

4. Tampa was ranked the 4th worst city for car accidents in a recent report by QuoteWizard. Miami came in 3rd. The company analyzed millions of claims for data on DUIs and other driver-related statistics. (WFLA)

5. City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has lost a friendly bet with a Nassau County leader after the Lightning loss on Sunday. Castor will be sending a promised case of locally crafted beer and a box of Tampa-made cigars. (Patch)

Today in Tampa:

• Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox. (2:10 p.m.)
• Food Trucks at Parkcrest Harbour Island. (6 p.m.)
• Tampa Tarpons vs. Bradenton Marauders. (6:30 p.m.)
• J. Lohr Wine Tasting at The Cork Room (6:30 p.m.)
• Hyde Park Leafy Luvin' at Hyde Park Village. (7:30 p.m.)

Tampa Patch Notebook:

• Take a look inside the new Video Game Revolution exhibit at MOSI.
• The 12 stingrays at ZooTampa's Stingray Bay died from a gas bubble disease caused by a ‘supersaturation event’ last month, officials say.
• A community effort is underway to help the families of the victims at the recent Apollo Beach drowning.
• USF Men’s Basketball Associate Head Coach Tom Herrion is no longer with the team after an independent review of inappropriate comments.
• A man accused of shoddy construction work will not be criminally charged.

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That's all for today. I will be back tomorrow with the latest happening in Tampa. My inbox is open if you have any tips to send or want to reach out: tampadaily@patch.com

-Carlos Hernandez

About me: I have lived in Florida since 1999 and covered the Tampa area for nearly 10 years, mainly with a focus on food through my blog at CarlosEats.com.