🌱 Janet Cruz Seeks Tampa City Council Seat + Riverwalk Tree Lighting

Hey, everybody! Carlos Hernandez here with your fresh copy of the Tampa Daily, full of all the community news you need to know right now. Including updates on:

• 🗳️ Outgoing Florida State Sen. Janet Cruz is preparing her comeback in Tampa with plans for a Tampa City Council seat in March 2023.
• ⛄ Tampa Riverwalk will kick off the holiday season on Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. with a tree lighting.
• 🎭 "Hadestown" is coming to the Straz Center in downtown Tampa.

But first, today's weather:

Cooler with clouds and sun. High: 70 Low: 51.

Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. The Tampa Riverwalk will kick off the holiday season with a tree lighting on Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. The lighting will the first of a number of planned events around downtown Tampa and at Curtis Hixon Park. (Tampa Patch)

2. Red Tide is once again impacting the Tampa Bay area with a number of beaches from Manatee to Sarasota counties under a moderate to high risk of respiratory irritation due to red tide algal blooms, according to data from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS). (WFLA)

3. The award-winning "Hadestown" is coming to the Straz Center in downtown Tampa. The show will run from Nov. 29 to Dec. 4. Nathan Lee Graham plays Hermes in "Hadestown." Tickets are now available. (ABC Action News)

4. Outgoing Hillsborough Commissioner Mariella Smith has dropped a proposal to rename a courthouse auditorium after State Attorney Andrew Warren that she introduced two weeks ago. Smith was defeated in the Nov. 8 general election. Warren was removed from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis and is in litigation with the DeSantis. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times)

5. Outgoing Florida State Sen. Janet Cruz is planning to run for Tampa City Council against first-term councilwoman Lynn Hurtak. Cruz lost her re-election campaign on Tuesday to Republican Jay Collins. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

Today in Tampa:

• Breakfast With An Executive: Haresh Patel at Centre Club - Tampa. (8 a.m.)
• Networking Event: Mocktails & Mixers at Networking Leads. (5 p.m.)
• CREW To Host 10th Annual Excellence Awards at Armature Works. (6 p.m.)
• The Mane Event — TAMPA at Rooftop 220. (6:30 p.m.)
• Boss Talks Tampa Featuring Noelle Rodriquez at Ybor City Wine Bar. (6:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Tampa Bay Lightning shared: "We’re ready to Bring The Thunder. Nominate someone who’s never been to a Bolts game for a chance to win two tickets and a unique experience at one of our home games. " (Tampa Bay Lightning via Facebook)
• The University of Tampa shared: "Ready for a quick tour of campus? The next open house will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. Registration can be done online." (The University of Tampa via Facebook)
• Tampa Convention Center shared: "You'll soon be able to ride on Tampa's new jet boat thrill ride. Bay Rocket Tampa is blasting off from the Tampa Convention Center dock this Friday. The 45–55-minute cruises will be happening Fridays through Sunday." (Tampa Convention Center via Facebook)
• Tampa Pride shared: "Thank you Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa! They called together 75 nonprofits and gave each $10,000 wow — thank you." (Tampa Pride via Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Daily? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com