🌱 CoinFlip Heads To Sparkman Wharf + Gudes' Home Address Controversy

Happy Friday, Tampa! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening today.

First, today's weather:

Thunderstorms, heaviest late. High: 81 Low: 70.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. A man accused of taking two women hostage at gunpoint and then barricading himself in an apartment on South Westshore Boulevard has been taken into custody with no shots fired after a 4 1/2-hour standoff with Tampa police. Police have not released his name at this time. (Tampa Patch)

2. CoinFlip, a leading financial services provider powered by cryptocurrency, announced it will open a new office in Tampa, marking the company's second location in the United States and first in corporate expansion. The nearly 8,000-square-foot space will be part of Sparkman Wharf and is slated to open this summer. (That's So Tampa)

3. Official documents reviewed by Florida Politics suggest Tampa City Council member Orlando Gudes may have committed election fraud by misrepresenting his home address in violation of Tampa's city charter, or by committed tax fraud by falsely claiming an incorrect primary residency. The City of Tampa declined to comment on the status of Gudes' residency. (Florida Politics)

4. A Tampa man accused of killing his two roommates who were part of a neo-Nazi group is now able to stand trial after his competency was restored, according to court documents. Devon Arthurs was accused of killing his roommates at their Tampa Palms apartment back in 2017. (WFLA)

5. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has designated Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital as a Level 1 children’s surgery center. Johns Hopkins All Children's is the third children’s hospital in Florida and the only one in Tampa Bay to achieve the Level 1 verification, according the hospital's news release. (St. Pete Catalyst)

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Today in Tampa:

• Vine To Wine 2022 To Benefit A Kid's Place. (9 a.m.)
• Exhibit Of Outsider Art at Tampa Museum Of Art. (10 a.m.)
• OLLI-USF Free Friday Lecture: Poverty And Race In Tampa Bay. (12:15 p.m.)
• Cuban Pathways at Tampa Bay History Center. (1:30 p.m.)
• Tampa Roller Derby Black Widows Vs. The Vicegrips at Skateworld Of Tampa. (9 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The University of South Florida has tapped Christian Hardigree to serve as the next regional chancellor of its St. Petersburg campus. Hardigree most recently served as the founding dean of the School of Hospitality at Metropolitan State University of Denver. (WUSF)
• Join Tampa Tarpons this Saturday, May 21 for Armed Forces Night as they honor the men and women in the U.S. military services all night long. The night will be capped off with a post-game fireworks show. (Facebook)
• Detectives are investigating reports of scams from people pretending to be members of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. (Bay News 9)
• Florida House Democrats are expected to select Rep. Fentrice Driskell of Tampa as their new leader. Driskell represents Hillsborough County's House District 63 and is widely viewed as a rising star in Democratic politics. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with another 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