🌱 Jurassic Quest Coming Soon + The Floridian Hotel Palace Renovation

Hey, friends! Carlos Hernandez here with your Wednesday edition of the Tampa Daily, full of all the things you need to know about what's happening in town. Here's the lowdown.

First, today's weather:

A t-storm around in the p.m.. High: 93 Low: 78.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. Jurassic Quest is coming to the Florida State Fairgrounds at 4800 U.S. Highway 301 from Friday to Sunday, July 22-24. It will include life-like dinosaurs, live dinosaur shows, art and science activities, a fossil dig, play areas, photo opportunities and more. (Osprey Observer)

2. Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority is holding a public information meeting on a railroad track removal project, today at 5:30 p.m. The removal is planned for where Ardent Mills once stood and will be worked into the expansion of Water Street Tampa. Construction for the removal is set to begin in November and finish by fall 2023. (83 Degrees Media)

3. Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners has approved using up to $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for nearly three dozen additional pickleball courts. The use of COVID-19 federal relief funds for capital construction cost is authorized under a provision allowing local governments to use the money to mitigate funding lost during the pandemic. (Tampa Patch)

4. A patrol deputy with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office was fired Tuesday after an investigation found that he made a fake drug report using information pulled from the plate of a random vehicle parked in a parking lot, according to a press release. Joshua Sacino, 29, made the fake report after he was questioned over inactivity during a shift where he was told to focus on traffic enforcement in the area of Seminole Boulevard, according to the sheriff's office. (ABC Action News)

5. The Floridian Palace Hotel said it will spend $25 million on renovations to the historic 19-story hotel, located at 905 North Florida Avenue, with the goal of making it one of Tampa’s most upscale hotels. It will join The Tapestry Collection by Hilton, which consists of just over 75 hotels around the world. (Business Observer)

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Today in Tampa:

• Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival at USF School Of Music. (9 a.m.)
• Slow Art Day at The Florida Museum Of Photographic Arts. (3 p.m.)
• Roblox Night at Esports Players Club. (3 p.m.)
• Cyber Night Skate at Skate World Tampa. (6 p.m.)
• 'Masked Singer' Comes To Tampa at Straz Center for the Performing Arts (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• A Pinellas teacher has died after saving a 17-year-old girl from drowning in Lake Michigan. Thomas Kenning, 38, was a middle-school social studies teacher at Plato Academy Pinellas Park. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times)
• The Tampa Museum of Art's new education center will be named the Vinik Family Education Center in honor of a $5 million gift made by Jeff and Penny Vinik to the museum’s $100 million Centennial Campaign for Renovation and Expansion. (Osprey Observer)
• Fire crews responded to a two-alarm fire in the Bayshore district of Tampa on Tuesday afternoon. It started at about 2:30 p.m. and forced the closure of South Carolina Avenue. (Bay News 9)
• The Vault in downtown Tampa will host "A Midsummer Night's Dream" event next month from July 16-17 and feature hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Advance reservations are $75 per person and can be booked online. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with 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.

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