🌱 Baker Mayfield Headed To Tampa Bucs + USF Students Protest Charges

Hello all. It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Tampa Patch newsletter. Here are all the things you need to know about what's happening in town, including:

• The Waterset Sports Complex is planning to open this summer in south Hillsborough County.
• USF students rallied outside the Hillsborough County State Attorney's office Wednesday to demand they drop charges against protesters at the university.
• Baker Mayfield is heading to the Bucs as their next top quarterback.

But first, today's weather: Sunny, pleasant and warmer. High: 80 Low: 58.

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Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. Police are charging a South Dakota woman with multiple crimes in Hillsborough County after she allegedly falsely reported that she was raped and fabricated evidence to support her claim. The woman in question was arrested in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday by authorities. Police said the suspect has admitted to making up the attack. (Tampa Patch)
2. University of South Florida students rallied outside the office of Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez to drop charges against four USF student protesters on Wednesday. The protesters were charged with felony battery on a law enforcement officer and multiple misdemeanors by law enforcement. Lopez was handpicked by Gov. Ron DeSantis when he removed former State Attorney Andrew Warren and recently the subject of a New York Times investigation. USF President Rhea Law, the subject of the protests, has defended police actions in the incident. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
3. Baker Mayfield is headed to the Tampa Bay Bucs from the Rams as its next star quarterback after the departure of NFL superstar Tom Brady. ESPN Insider Adam Schefter said the deal is worth up to $8.5 million. (WFLA, ProFootballTalk)
4. The Waterset Sports Complex is opening this summer in Apollo Beach in south Hillsborough County. It will be the largest astroturf field in the United States, according to the company. The county hopes the new complex will lead to an economic boost in the area. (ABC Action News)
5. The American Lung Association in Florida will host the Fight For Air Climb Tampa at Bank of America Plaza in Tampa on Saturday, April 1. Participants will climb 42 flights and 914 stairs of the Bank of America Plaza to finish at the Tampa Bay Club. Registration is $35 and includes a $100 fundraising minimum. (Tampa Patch)

Today in Tampa:

• Florida State Thespians — Annual Festival at Tampa Convention Center. (8:30 a.m.)
• Tampa City Council Meeting — Regular Agenda at Old City Hall. (9 a.m.)
• Iliza Shlesinger Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. (6:30 p.m.)
• CAMPGround23 at Tempus Projects. (7:30 p.m.)
• "Wicked" at Straz Center. (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Humane Society of Tampa Bay: "The HSTB rescue team got a call from a good Samaritan who came across a mom and her 11 20-day-old puppies dumped on the side of a dirt road in Seffner. They were all brought to the puppy nursery." (Humane Society of Tampa Bay via Facebook)
• City of Tampa shared: "☘️ UPDATE ☘️ Due to expected rain this Saturday, River O'Green Fest will take place on St. Patrick's Day, Friday, March 17 instead. Come celebrate the luck of the Irish and watch the Hillsborough River turn green from 4 -10 p.m." (City of Tampa via Facebook)
• Tampa General Hospital shared: "We were honored to officially cut the ribbon at our brand new TGH Heart & Vascular Institute in South Tampa. Located at 1202 S. Church Ave., this satellite clinic will serve as home to the new TGH Atrial Fibrillation Clinic and our Limb Preservation-Peripheral Arterial Disease Program, both of which are the first of their kind in the Tampa Bay region." (Tampa General Hospital via Facebook)
• The University of Tampa shared: "Associate professor of biology, Michael Middlebrooks' talk about sea slugs held at Penn State's TEDx event last year, was picked up by TED and is now featured on their website." (The University of Tampa via Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today. I'll see you around!

— 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