🌱 Girl Falls From Gondola At Florida State Fair + I-4 Malfunction Junction

Good morning, neighbors! It's me again, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Tampa Daily. Let's get this week started right.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and cool. High: 63 Low: 45.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. A girl was hospitalized after she fell from a gondola ride at the Florida State Fair on Saturday, according to officials from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office said an early investigation showed the fall was an accident. (WFLA)

2. The intersection of Interstate 4 at Interstate 275, also known as Malfunction Junction, in Tampa is ranked on the Top 100 Truck Bottlenecks List of 2022 at number 67. The peak average speed at that location has dropped 11.8% in the past year, according to the report. (Tampa Patch)

3. St. Petersburg Police announced Sunday that a fatal crash from the day before turned into a homicide investigation after medical experts examined the victim's injuries. Police found evidence that 25-year-old Demond Lamar Perry was shot several times before his car flipped and caught fire and he ultimately died at Tampa General Hospital. (Bay News 9)

4. Tampa General Hospital and USF Health will serve as a site for one of the nation's biggest clinical trials to determine if certain medications are effective in treating COVID-19. The medications that will be studied are ivermectin, fluticasone furoate, and fluvoxamine. The study is backed by the National Institutes of Health and led by Duke University’s Adrian Hernandez. (Florida Politics)

5. The Glazer Children's Museum is partnering with the Tampa Bay Rays to bring Big League Fun, a traveling exhibit that will immerse visitors in the world of baseball, to downtown Tampa. Exhibit activities will focus on the science and math behind baseball and reflect national academic standards for school-age children. (Osprey Observer)

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Today in Tampa:

• Valentine's Dinner at Rivers Edge Restaurant (5:00 PM)
• An Intimate Affair: Dinner & A Show at Red Door. (5:30 PM)
• Friends of the Seminole Heights Library Meeting. (6:00 PM)
• Wine And Dine Your Valentine at Publix Aprons Cooking School Of Citrus Park. (6:30 PM)
• Valentine's Day Downtown Tour: Roaring 20's Edition at Downtown Tampa. (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• We're a little under one month away from the return of River O'Green at Curtis Hixon Park. The fun is happening March 12th at 11 a.m. Watch the Hillsborough River turn green with non-toxic dye and enjoy Irish-inspired festivities for the whole family. (Facebook)
• Midtown Tampa's Black History Month Art & Spotlight Competition ends February 27th. Nominate or self-nominate an outstanding leader in the Black community for a chance to win a prize. (Facebook)
• City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor shared the fun from the Sant’Yago Knight Parade in Ybor City. (Twitter)
• St. Petersburg dropped its demand that city employee raises be tied to job evaluations in a reversal this past week. (Tampa Bay Times)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Downtown St. Pete Food Tour (February 15)
• 4 Part Retirement Planning Webinar Series 2/17 - 3/12 (February 17)
• Monopoly Tournament (February 19)
• FEB 18th-20th Greek Fest in Fort Myers (February 20)
• 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)
• Alternative Products Expo - Fort Lauderdale (March 12)
• Alternative Products Expo - Fort Lauderdale (March 13)
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You're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow morning for 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.