Hillsborough School Mask Mandate + Skipper's Temporarily Closed

Good day, neighbors! Carlos Hernandez here with today's Tampa Daily.

In this issue, you'll learn about a Hillsborough County schools mask mandate, an expansion of a downtown Tampa restaurant, the end of an era for a local meteorologist, and more. Now, let's get started.

First, today's weather: Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High: 91 Low: 77.

Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis announced Saturday that face masks will be mandatory in Hillsborough County Schools, but parents may choose to have their students opt-out of wearing a mask. This follows weeks of debate over mask mandates in schools with Governor DeSantis in opposition. (Tampa Patch)

2. Chief Meteorologist Steve Jerve signed off Friday after 23 years at WFLA News in Tampa and 40 years in broadcast media. (WFLA)

3. Yeoman’s Cask & Lion is expanding its downtown Tampa location by over 5,000-square-feet and adding virtual reality golf, a bar, and cafe seating. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

4. Skipper's Smokehouse closed for the weekend after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. It is part of a growing number of bars and restaurants experiencing cases and temporary shutdowns as the delta variant spreads. (Tampa Patch)

5. A 51-year-old youth director at a Tampa Bay mosque has been arrested on child sex crime allegations, according to officials. The police department in Pinellas Park is aware of at least five potential victims. (WFLA)

Today in Tampa

• SharkCon at Florida State Fairgrounds. (9:00 AM)
• Yoga on the Lawn at Armature Works. (9:30 AM)
• Florida Penguin Back to School Extravaganza - Wesley Chapel. (10:00 AM)
• Big and Little Chef: Skillets and a Baking Dish at Publix Aprons Cooking School Citrus Park. (10:00 AM)
• Florida Penguin's Back to School Bashes - Wesley Chapel at Tampa Premium Outlets. (10:00 AM)
• South Tampa Fellowship - Stageworks. (11:00 AM)
• Rehab at Shuffle: A Live Jazz Brunch. (11:00 AM)
• Second Sunday Art Walk And Vendor Fair. (11:00 AM)
• Gospel Brunch with Sa'Tonya Brascom & Ambassadors of Hope Singers at Oxford Exchange. (11:00 AM)
• Pool Party Sunday w/ DJ Snake at WTR. (12:00 PM)
• Manifesting Party! at Glory Days Grill. (1:00 PM)
• Tampa Theatre's Summer Classics Series. (3:00 PM)
• Sunday Jams Leo Birthday Celebration w/ Lazaro Casanova at First Chance Last Chance Bar. (7:00 PM)
• Steve Byrne at Side Splitters Comedy Club. (7:00 PM)
• Silent Vibes Davis Island at Davis Island Beach. (7:30 PM)

Tampa Patch Notebook

• City of Tampa: "A few shots from our Stay & Play End of Summer Bash at Copeland Park! Basketball Every summer, @tampaparksrec offers extended hours + free rec cards to teens—providing a place where they can be active, stay safe & have fun while school’s out. We had a blast today and all summer long!" (Twitter)
• City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor: "Don't miss Tampa native, Erriyon Knighton, on @USATODAY 's list of the youngest Olympians! Our entire Tampa community is SO proud of Erriyon who finished 4th in the men's 200 meters final. He may only be 17, but he's already left his mark in history." (Twitter)
• Florida Hospital Association: "Florida COVID-19 Update for August 7, 2021. Total Confirmed Hospitalizations: 13,348" (Twitter)
• Kerry Kriseman: "Join me in asking Pinellas County Schools to protect children who are unable to receive the #Covid-19 vaccine.." (Twitter)
• St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman: "We started 'Not My Son' after a string of murders involving our young men in 2015. We placed it under our My Brother's & Sister's Keeper initiative and it grew and grew. Yard signs. Weekly walks. Pledges signed by parents and kids. Crime dropped. Tips went up..." (Twitter)
• Tampa Bay Times: "More Floridians are falling ill to COVID-19 and filling hospital beds than at any point since the pandemic started 17..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "A COVID-19 spike in Pinellas County hit public safety agencies hard. Clearwater saw the highest number of employees o..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "A new development: Hillsborough schools will require face masks. But their parents can exercise an opt-out option. Mo..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "As the state hits record-high COVID-19 cases this week, 380,576 doses of vaccine were administered — nearly 50,000 mo..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "An untold number of other Americans have managed to get COVID-19 booster shots by taking advantage of the nation’s va..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "Blackmon said in a statement Friday that he didn’t know if each of the Facebook posts are “accurate,” but that they a..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "Tampa's new condo tower is attracting out-of-state and younger buyers looking for an environment focused on community..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "Police said the boy was stabbed during a fight and later died at a nearby hospital." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "A dozen states, including Florida, have refused to expand the health care program for the poor under the Affordable C..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "The man called 911 on Nov. 8 to report that someone was unresponsive inside his Carrollwood apartment. First responde..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "Borrowers will not have to make payments on federal student loans during the moratorium, interest rates will be set a..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "Florida is averaging 19,000 COVID-19 infections a day, the highest infection rate since the pandemic started 17 month..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "The Rays will be without their hottest hitter for at least the first game of the weekend series against the Orioles." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "The conversation at a Tuesday workshop did not result in the council moving money to pursue Beckman's initiatives in ..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "“Our culture is eliminating the little artists,” founder Steve Quillian said. “We’re becoming rare.”" (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "The U.S. is now averaging more than 100,000 new COVID-19 infections per day." (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Sunday. I'll see you soon! If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors on board. 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.

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