🌱 Leaders Meet On Local Rent Challenges + Oldsmar Man Charged Over Explosives

Happy Monday, people of Tampa! Let's get you all caught up on what's happening locally to start today off on an informed note.

First, today's weather:

Periods of sun with a shower. High: 78 Low: 55.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. Hillsborough County is opening a third COVID-19 testing site at Hillsborough Community College Brandon today. The address of the new site is 10451 Nancy Watkins Drive and the site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with no appointments required. Residents are asked not to arrive at the site before 9 a.m. because the gate will not be open before then. (WFLA)

2. 39-year-old Michael Sean Jones has been arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter in Hillsborough County for running a red light and colliding with another truck, killing a 44-year-old motorist, according to Florida Highway Patrol. (Tampa Bay Times)

3. A 22-year-old Oldsmar man has been charged with several counts of possessing improvised explosive devices after he was seen running from a political protest concerning the January 6th, 2021 Insurrection on Capitol Hill that happened in Washington D.C. (Tampa Patch)

4. Flip Crepes and Waffles will open at 625 Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg either at the end of January or early February 2022. The new shop will replace swah-rey which shut down recently and will offer both savory crepes and sweet selections. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

5. Rising rents are leaving some longtime Tampa residents with few options. County and city leaders met residents on Saturday morning to discuss the problem and find solutions. Rent prices in the Tampa Bay Area increased by a record 24% in 2021. (Fox 13 Tampa)

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Today in Tampa:

• HART Board of Directors Meeting (Hybrid) at Hillsborough County Center - 26th Floor. (9:00 AM)
• Family Story Time With Hillsborough County Public Library. Multiple locations. (10:00 AM)
• Playschool Play Group at Community Roots Collective. (10:00 AM)
• Citizen Advisory Committee Meeting at Hillsborough County Schools. (6:00 PM)
• Cirque Italia Water Circus at Brandon Town Center. (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed WR Cyril Grayson Jr. to the active roster and activated G Aaron Stinnie from injured reserve. (Facebook)
• Friday, February 18th: Sing-Along The Greatest Showman is back at Tampa Theatre for one show only. Get your tickets while they last. (Facebook)
• Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry Campus President Dr. Paige Niehaus has been appointed to serve on the HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital Board of Trustees. (Tampa Bay Newswire)
• University of South Florida has reached a multiyear contract extension with Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly. The new contract keeps Kelly with USF for an additional five years through June 2028. (Tampa Bay Newswire)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. 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.