🌱Florida Reports Nearly 47K COVID Cases + New Testing Site Open Today + Home Chef Bill

Good morning, neighbors! Happy Thursday! Carlos Hernandez here with today's edition of the Tampa Daily.

I also wanted to give a special shoutout to some of our Patch Supporters, Janice Jones and Tina Wolter. Thanks for helping make local news happen in Tampa! If you want to support local news in Tampa, Click here to learn more about becoming a Patch Supporter.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and humid. High: 80 Low: 66.

Rent this space!

Are you a local business owner or marketer in Tampa? We'd love to start showcasing trusted businesses who can solve problems for our amazing local readers. Learn more here.

Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. Florida reported 46,923 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, a pandemic record, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Florida is also among the top states where COVID-19 is spreading the fastest. (Florida Patch)

2. A new Hillsborough County COVID-19 testing site is set to open at 9 a.m. today at Progress Village Park, located at 8701 Progress Blvd. in Tampa. It will be open every day, including weekends, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, the site will be closed on December 31st and January 1st due to the New Year holiday. (WTSP)

3. Police are searching for a gunman who police say shot and killed an 18-year-old man Tuesday afternoon in Tampa. The incident occurred at the intersection of 52nd Street and 30th. The victim died shortly after arriving at a hospital. (Tampa Patch)

4. The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is partnering with Florida Sea Grant using a $100,000 grant to find new revenue streams for farmers that will allow shellfish growers to get paid for the ecosystem benefits that their shellfish provide. The project is expected to start in January and last two years. (WUSF)

5. New legislation has been filed for the 2022 session in Florida to allow for home kitchens, with chefs allowed to make up to $250,000 annually if passed. The legislation is sponsored by Riverview Democrat Andrew Learned in the Florida House and South Florida Democrat Shevrin Jones in the Florida state Senate. (Bay News 9)

From our sponsor:

Hey Tampa, are you looking to buy a house, refinance or just explore your options? Check out the new Patch Mortgage Center for all your home financing needs!

Today in Tampa:

• Gingerbread Village at Glazer Children's Museum. (10:00 AM)
• New Year's Eve Celebration at Publix Aprons Cooking School of Citrus Park. (6:30 PM)
• Dark Wave Yoga Does Portishead at Lucky Cat Yoga. (7:15 PM)
• NYE Kickoff: Damaged Goods at Eden Tampa. (9:00 PM)
• Wax Museum With Blenda at Hooch & Hive. (9:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• HART is hiring a manager of government relations. It is looking for an individual with experience advancing public policy priorities and managing state & federal legislative agendas. (Twitter)
• City of Tampa says the Al Lopez Testing Site will reopen Friday, December 31st and run seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice. This includes New Year’s Day. The testing site will offer both the PCR and the Rapid Antigen tests. (Twitter)
• Need to get rid of bulky items like furniture, appliances, carpets and more? SWEEP returns to Tampa on Monday, January 3rd. Find your 2022 SWEEP week at: tampa.gov/SWEEP. (Facebook)
• The Westshore Alliance Board of Directors is welcoming Michael Maurino as the organization’s executive director, following the retirement of former director Ann Kulig. (Twitter)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Ring In the New Year With 15 Percent Off Beautiful Blooms From FTD! (December 31)
• Marathon Mania (January 2)
• Add your event

Loving the Tampa Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
• Become a supporter (there are perks!)
• Get your local business featured in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at carlosreportsnews@gmail.com

You're all caught up for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning 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.