🌱 Citrus County Turnpike Fight + Wal-Mart Juneteenth Controversy

Hello all. It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Tampa Daily. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

First, today's weather:

A stray thunderstorm. High: 87 Low: 73.

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Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. Tampa Police Department will host a child seat safety check-up event this Saturday at 9330 North 30th Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Certified child passenger safety techs will be on hand to provide or install child safety seats for residents in need. (Patch Tampa)

2. Citrus County commissioners are opposing proposals by the state to extend Florida's Turnpike through rural counties north of the Tampa Bay region. Members voted unanimously on Tuesday to send a letter to state transportation officials to consider removing three routes planned for expansion. (WUSF)

3. Wal-Mart recently released a controversial new Great Value ice cream called "Celebration Edition: Juneteenth Ice Cream." Philetha Tucker-Johnson, the President of the Tampa Bay Juneteenth Coalition responded to the controversy, "What is Walmart trying to achieve here? Because they already have their logo, so why are you trying to capitalize off someone else and we aren't talking reparations and we're not talking giving back." (WFLA)

4. Flu activity is surging in Florida with cases spiking locally. The unexpected and unseasonal surge in flu cases is making many kids in the Tampa Bay area sick. A combination of less people getting vaccinated against the flu and the end of masking and social distancing are to blame, according to doctors. (Fox 13 Tampa Bay)

5. El Centro Asturiano de Tampa is throwing a party during the second week of June to celebrate 120 years of service. The Centro Asturiano de Tampa was once a social club for immigrants and the descendants of immigrants from Asturias, Spain. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

Today in Tampa:

• Café Con Tampa at Oxford Exchange. (8 a.m.)
• Crochet 101: Intro To Amigurumi at Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. (2 p.m.)
• Fourth Friday Along Tampa Riverwalk. (5 p.m.)
• Closing Reception For The Forever Young: Creative Aging Photography Show at The Florida Museum Of Photographic Arts. (5 p.m.)
• Indie Night At Crowbar. (6:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is adding a connection from downtown St. Petersburg to the Tampa International Airport called the SunRunner. (St. Pete Catalyst)
• The Uvalde, Texas, elementary school massacre on Tuesday was personal for Tampa Bay Rays' pitcher Brooks Raley, who went to school there as a child. (St. Pete Patch)
• Florida consumers can purchase qualifying disaster preparedness supplies exempt from tax during the 2022 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, including in Orlando, starting May 28. (Florida Department of Revenue)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with a new 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 Daily? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com