🌱 Harry Potter Concert + Stephen Benson Appointed + Foster Care Providers Announced

Welcome back, Tampa and Happy December! Let's get you all caught up to start this Wednesday off on an informed note. Here's everything going on around Tampa today.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and nice. High: 75 Low: 60.

Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. Get your wands ready: Downtown Tampa's Straz Center will host Florida Orchestra's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" concert on March 4th, 2022. Tickets go on-sale this Friday, December 3rd at 10 a.m. (Creative Loafing)

2. Florida has named a new foster care provider for Pinellas and Pasco counties. Family Support Services of North Florida will replace Eckerd Connects, which is being investigated for criminal child abuse and neglect. Pinellas County has 1,667 children in foster care, while Pasco County has 1,018 children as well. (Pinellas Patch)

3. AAA says the price of crude oil dropped by 13% on Friday over concerns that the omicron variant could impact fuel demand. It could lead to a 2o to 25 center drop in prices, but will take time to reach consumers. (WUSF)

4. What are you wearing? An Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl in Tampa is being hosted Saturday, December 11th from 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. by event planning company, Downtown Crawlers. The bar crawl will include popular party places such as MacDintons and Park & Rec Tampa. Another event called St. Pete Beach Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl is also happening the same day across the bay. (That's So Tampa)

5. The City of Tampa has appointed Stephen Benson as the new City Planning Department director, replacing long-time City Planner Randy Goers. Benson is a graduate of the University of South Florida and has more than a decade of experience in urban planning and land use. (thetampabay100.com)

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Today in Tampa:

• Uncaged Art at Gallery221@ HCC Dale Mabry Campus. (9:00 AM)
• Gingerbread Village at Glazer Children's Museum. (10:00 AM)
• North Pole Express at Florida Railroad Museum. (5:30 PM)
• Tree Lighting at Oldsmar City Hall. (6:00 PM)
• Youth Out Loud Poetry Showcase - Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Tampa Bay Rays: "Level up your little slugger’s game by joining the Rays Rookies Kids Club!" (Facebook)
• Tampa International Airport: "Mornings at TPA 😍 - Jordan Gottlieb" (Facebook)
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: "We need YOUR help! We've been nominated as one of USA TODAY 10Best Theme Park Holiday Events - Vote daily through December 6" (Facebook)
• City of Tampa: "Santa Clause is coming to town! 🎅 This Saturday don't miss the annual Santa Fest parade in Tampa's Downtown! The parade starts at 1:30pm followed by festivities in Curtis Hixon park, Tampa's Tree Lighting at 6pm, and a showing of The ..." (Facebook)
• The University of Tampa: "Construction on the Ars Sonora® musical bell sculpture is underway. Considered Phase II of the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values, and funded generously by Susan and John Sykes, the sculpture has been in development for more th..." (Facebook)

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Events:

• Shake Shack Donation Day (December 1)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (December 2)
• Taxes In Retirement Seminar (December 2)
• SUN 'n FUN Holiday Fly-In Festival and Car Show (December 3)
• Taxes In Retirement Webinar (December 6)
• Sarasota / Bradenton JOB LINK Job Fair / Tampa Bay - DECEMBER 8 - Hundreds of Jobs Available! (December 8)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday! See you tomorrow morning for your next update. If you're feeling these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— 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? You can contact me at carlosreportsnews@gmail.com.