🌱 Hillsborough Revives Mask Mandate + Tampa Bay Sharks Study + COVID Impacts Local Events

Get on up, Tampa! Let's get you started this Wednesday with everything you need to know going on today in town.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and humid. High: 81 Low: 67.

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Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. Hillsborough County will require masks inside all county buildings again because of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases effective today, December 29th. Buildings and facilities include libraries, recreation centers, the Frederick B. Karl County Center, and other county-run areas. (WTSP)

2. A corporal with the Tampa Police Department was arrested for a domestic-related incident that occurred two days before Christmas. Corporal John Simpkins was placed on administrative leave following his arrest. Simpkins has previously been placed on leave for his involvement in a police shooting that killed an armed suspect in March 2016. (WFLA)

3. Researchers at New College of Florida in Sarasota recently received a $165,111 grant from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and Restore America’s Estuaries to expand the school’s study of sharks. The project will analyze Tampa Bay shark species and address data gaps to further conservation efforts. (WUSF)

4. Florida has seen a 127.8% increase in hospitalizations of children with COVID-19 week-over-week, according to the CDC. Pediatric hospitalizations for COVID are increasing nationwide. There's a higher increase in hospitalizations of children in Florida compared to other age groups. (Florida Patch)

5. Downtown Tampa's Straz Center has postponed Jobsite Theater’s scheduled January production of Romeo & Juliet by a week. A show called Drag Queen Christmas was canceled on Monday as well because some of the cast and crew tested positive for COVID-19. (Tampa Bay Times)

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Today in Tampa:

• South Florida Bulls Women's Basketball Vs. Jacksonville University Dolphins Women's Basketball at Yuengling Center. (4:00 PM)
• Movie on the Lawn at Epperson Lagoon. (6:30 PM)
• Parks & Recreation Esport - Mario Kart N' Art at Northdale Recreation Center. (6:30 PM)
• Trivia Night at Localz Sports Bar and Grill. (7:30 PM)
• Country Club Karaoke KCC at Studio 131. (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Starting January 3rd, the Northbound lane of Central Avenue between Hillsborough Avenue & West Henry Avenue in Old Seminole Heights will be closed as crews install a water main. (Twitter)
• DeliveRxd Pharmacy is offering the Tampa Bay region counties no-cost at-home monoclonal antibody treatment and free vaccines for Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties only. (Twitter)
• Tampa Bay Bucs Head Coach Bruce Arians is isolating at home after testing positive for COVID-19, with Assistant Head Coach Harold Goodwin taking over head coaching duties. (Twitter)
• The Tampa Bay Bucs have placed Cornerback Jamel Dean & Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting on the reserve/COVID-19 list. (Twitter)

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Events:

• Ring In the New Year With 15 Percent Off Beautiful Blooms From FTD! (December 31)
• Marathon Mania (January 2)
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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! See you tomorrow morning for your next 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.