🌱 Eddie & Sam's Named Top Pizza + Tampa Police Chief Named + Hillsborough River Clean-up

Happy Thursday, people of Tampa! Here's everything you need to know to get this day started. Here's everything you need to know around Tampa today.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 67 Low: 50.

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Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. Downtown Tampa's Eddie & Sam's NY Pizza, founded in 1998, has been named on the top 100 pizza restaurants in the United States. Eddie & Sam's is known for its signature crust made with water imported from the Big Apple. It is a long-time staple of busy downtown workers and locals alike. (That's So Tampa)

2. Tampa Black-owned business, Noite Rose, has been featured in Forbes magazine as as one of seven Black-owned businesses "everyone should know" this Black History Month. Diandra Harvin launched her business during the pandemic as a luxury loungewear line. (Fox 13 Tampa)

3. A team of divers spent their Tuesday on the Tampa Riverwalk removing debris and electric scooters from Hillsborough River. The clean-up effort was organized by The Tampa Police Marine Unit and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful. (WFLA)

4. City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has selected Mary O'Connor as the city's new police chief of the Tampa Police Department. O'Connor served in the force for 22 years and climbed the ranks to become assistant police chief, before retiring in 2016. News reports have recently covered a troubled past for the new chief including a prior arrest for battery on a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Officer, a felony, along with obstruction and disorderly intoxication, both misdemeanors. The records for those arrests were expunged. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

5. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office confirmed it has found two missing sisters who disappeared on Monday. 14-year-old Adriana Crouch and her 11-year-old sister, Lilly are now safe. (Tampa Patch)

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Today in Tampa:

• Art on the House at Tampa Museum of Art. (4:00 PM)
• PINKNATION Valentine VIP Night: Tarot Reading at Cactus Moon. (4:00 PM)
• Pop-Up Market at La Vid Wine bar. (5:00 PM)
• Space Crafts at Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. (6:00 PM)
• Sweethearts Dance: Endless Love - From Love at First Sight To True Love at Studio 131. (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Tampa Bay Lightning has recalled defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Syracuse Crunch. (Facebook)
• Hillsborough County Public Schools caught up with Sligh Middle School 8th grader Kourtney Anderson after her morning announcing the Oscar nominations for Best Animated Film with Titus O'Neil. (Facebook)
• Tampa Theatre had a great time with Shaun White when he visited Tampa Theatre as part of its LIMELIGHT speaker series. It is wishing him the best of luck as he goes for gold in what he said will be his final Olympics. (Facebook)
• ZooTampa at Lowry Park is reopening its stingray habitat that was closed last spring after 12 of the rays were found dead. (CBS Miami/AP)

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Events:

• Tampa Bay CAREER SUPER BOWL Job Fair - HIRING HUNDREDS! (February 9)
• Live Music & Food at BRU FL Growler Odessa (February 11)
• Interglacial by Laura Peterson Choreography - presented by HCC Visual and Performing Arts series (February 11)
• Downtown St. Pete Food Tour (February 15)
• 4 Part Retirement Planning Webinar Series 2/17 - 3/12 (February 17)
• Monopoly Tournament (February 19)
• Social Security Webinar 2/21 & 2/23 (February 21)
• Estate Planning Webinar 2/21 & 2/23 (February 21)
• Social Security Seminar 2/22 & 2/23 (February 22)
• Alternative Products Expo - Fort Lauderdale (March 11)
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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll see you soon!

— 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.