🌱 Leaders Denounce Mayor-City Council Relationship + Hotel Haya Chef

Happy Monday, people of Tampa! Here's everything you need to know to get this day started. Here's everything going on today in town.

First, today's weather:

Nice with plenty of sunshine. High: 81 Low: 64.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. LAB Theater Project will present its production of award-winning Miami playwright Philip Middleton Williams' new work, "The Sugar Ridge Rag," a drama that discusses the bonds that unite a family through difficult times. Catch it April 28 through May 15 at 812 East Henderson Avenue in Ybor City. (Tampa Patch)

2. Local political experts, a former Tampa mayor, and civic leaders are becoming vocal about the disruptive tension between Tampa Mayor Jane Castor's administration and Tampa City Council. "I have watched or covered City Hall since 1988 and have never seen this level of animosity from a mayor toward council members," said Wayne Garcia, an award-winning local reporter. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

3. Rosé by the Bay, a festival in downtown St. Petersburg, is returning on Sunday, May 22 to Beach Drive at Grand Ballroom at The Birchwood. Guests at at the festival will receive up to 10 sample pours of different top quality rosés, along with rotating appetizers, charcuterie and other tasty bites. (That's So Tampa)

4. The Polk County Sheriff's Office said a Lakeland teacher is facing charges for inappropriate sexual conduct with two students, and authorities believe there could be additional victims. 39-year-old Derek Stribling was a teacher, dean of students and basketball coach at Crossroads Christian School, Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said. (ABC Action News)

5. Hotel Haya, a boutique hotel in Tampa's historic Ybor City, has hired Nathan Hardin and Jeff Carlson as executive chef and food and beverage director, respectively. Hardin is a Tampa native and previously worked at Steelbach, a restaurant at Armature Works, as executive chef. His dishes have been featured at the James Beard House in New York, and his resume includes stints at Highball and Harvest at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes and Miami Beach’s award-winning Yardbird Southern Table and Bar. (Business Observer)

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Today in Tampa:

• Creative Writing at Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. (2:00 PM)
• The Basics Of Culinary 5-Week Course at Publix Aprons Cooking School Of Citrus Park. (6:00 PM)
• Friends Of The Seminole Heights Library Meeting. (6:00 PM)
• Center For Ethics Hot Seat Speaker Series at The University Of Tampa. (6:00 PM)
• Hyde Park Sweat With Bella Prana at Hyde Park Village. (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Join Tampa Tarpons Saturday, April 16 for a Pre-Game Easter Egg Hunt on the field with 10,000 Easter eggs. Open to kids ages 12 and younger. (Facebook)
• The University of Tampa Sykes College of Business' annual Adam Smith Breakfast will be held Thursday, April 21, from 7:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the Crescent Club on the ninth floor of the Vaughn Center. (Tampa Bay Newswire)
• St. Louis developer Subtext has a 7-story, mixed-use redevelopment plan for Kennedy Boulevard. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Business Journal)

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Events:

• 4-Course Dinner & Auction to benefit Wheels of Success - presented by Santander Consumer USA (April 11)
• Open House: St Pete Beach Home for Sale (April 12)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (April 16)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar on 4/18 & 4/20 (April 18)
• Medicare - Turning 65...What Now? (April 19)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Monday off right! I'll see you around.

— 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.