Music Venues Hurt By Lack Of Safety Measures + HCC Art Exhibits

Happy Friday, Tampa! Let's get this day started. Here's everything going on today in town.

In this issue, you'll learn about music venue owners complaining about leaders not letting them keep customers safe, an ordinance banning late-night hookah spots, refugees fleeing from Afghanistan, and more. Now, let's get started.

First, today's weather: Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High: 91 Low: 78.

Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1.Tom DeGeorge, the owner of Crowbar in Ybor City, says leaders in states like Florida that forbid venues from enacting COVID safety precautions are hurting independent music venues. "We’re just trying to get back to business. We’re trying to do it in a way that is safe as possible for our customers," he said. (WMNF)

2. Hillsborough County commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance Wednesday requiring hookah lounges to close from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. after law enforcement complained of increased crime at venues during those hours. (Tampa Patch)

3. Thousands of people are fleeing Afghanistan after Taliban forces took control of Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul and some of them are expected to land in the Tampa Bay region. (WUSF)

4. HCC’s Ybor City and Dale Mabry galleries are welcoming art fans back to the schools with new exhibits which include “Vision, Power, Axé”, "Uncaged Art", "Illsol: A Paradoxical Synthesis", and "Por Todas Partes: Alejandra Gotera and bujikimo." (Creative Loafing Tampa)

5. Port Tampa Bay President and CEO Paul Anderson says Royal Caribbean International will resume sailing from Tampa in October. It’s the first cruise to leave Tampa since March 2020 when the pandemic began. (WFLA)

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Today in Tampa

• FIT4MOM 20th Anniversary Bash. (9:15 AM)
• Bier Fest Takes Place Each Weekend At Busch Gardens. (10:00 AM)
• Tusks to Tails: A Fossil History of Florida. (10:00 AM)
• One Book One Night: The Ocean at the End of the Lane. (6:30 PM)
• V Football @ Lakewood Ranch (Preseason Classic). (7:00 PM)
• Fall Football Classic @ Steinbrenner (7:30 PM)

Tampa Patch Notebook

• Kimberly McAvoy visited Fat Beet Farms in Oldsmar, a coastal farm aiming to work on sustainability, education, and restoring the farm-to-fork connection.
• Tampa International Airport: "HEY BIG NEWS!!! We've got ANOTHER NEW AIRLINE coming to TPA! On November 15, Avelo Airlines will launch a brand new route to New Haven with service on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Fares start at $59. Book today: http://aveloair.com" (Facebook)
• Tampa General Hospital: "Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose of #Pfizer & #Moderna vaccines at least 28 days after completing the initial #COVID19 vaccine serie..." (Facebook)
• City of Tampa: "HAPPENING NOW: Mayor Jane Castor and representative Kathy Castor are holding a joint press conference to discuss the Cass Street Bridge Rehabilitation Project—a $5 million project that will provide needed infrastructure improvements and ..." (Facebook)
• Tampa Museum of Art, Inc.: "Artist Sarah O'Donoghue speaks about her artwork on view now at the Tampa Museum of Art. Skyway 20/21: A Contemporary Collaboration is a celebration of artistic practices in the Tampa Bay region. Working together, curators from four diff..." (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right. I'll see you soon! If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Daily? I'm all ears. You can reach me at carlosreportsnews@gmail.com.