🌱 Tampa NYE Guide + Publix Paid Parental Leave + St. Pete Comic Con Coming Soon

Morning, people of Tampa! Happy New Year's Eve! It's me again, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Tampa Daily. Let's get this final day of 2021 started right with an update on the latest news in your community.

First, today's weather:

Humid with clouds and sun. High: 82 Low: 69.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. Wondering where to celebrate New Year's Eve today? Tampa Patch has you covered with an in-depth local guide. Celebrations are happening at Armature Works, Eden, Pirate Water Taxi, and more. (Tampa Patch)

2. Officials at the Publix grocery store chain say that they will start offering paid parental leave to employees who are new parents. Eligible full-time and part-time workers will be able to take off the time during the first year of the birth or adoption of a child, starting with the new year. (ABC Action News)

3. Florida added 58,013 new COVID-19 cases on December 29th, breaking a record yet again. New testing sites have opened across Tampa Bay to help more people check their infection status as holiday gatherings continue for the new year. (WFLA)

4. St. Pete Comic Con will occur on January 8th and January 9th at the Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg. It will feature appearances by numerous comic book artists and voice actors whose works range from Pokémon, Sailor Moon and Sonic the Hedgehog to Spider-Man, Superman, the Flash, Batman and the Avengers. (Business Observer)

5. Gulfport shop Sail Market Studio and Boutique is supporting local artists, designers and jewelry makers as well as helping the unhoused. Owner Sarah Laracuente is taking 10% of sales and donating them to St. Vincent de Paul Cares, a solutions-based nonprofit aimed at ending homelessness. (ABC Action News)

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Today in Tampa:

• Downtown Countdown at Glazer Children's Museum. (10:00 AM)
• Noon Years Eve Celebration For Kids at Armature Works. (10:00 AM)
• Men's Basketball Eckerd vs. Tampa at The University of Tampa Athletics. (4:00 PM)
• Spitfire's New Year's Eve Extravaganza. (5:30 PM)
• NYE With DJ Pauly D Hosted By Camille Kostek at WTR Grill. (9:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Due to increased demand for COVID-19 testing, the City of Tampa & Hillsborough County Health Department are reopening the testing site at Al Lopez Park today, December 31st from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Walk-ups will be accepted, insurance is not required. (Facebook)
• Tampa Solid Waste is offering curbside Christmas tree collection at no additional charge. Check the website for the latest schedule. (Facebook)
• City of Tampa is looking for a Professional Plans Reviewer to join its team. Ideal candidates will have considerable knowledge of construction methods, practices, materials, mechanics, codes and more. (Twitter)
• Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has cleared COVID-19 protocol. (WFLA)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Ring In the New Year With 15 Percent Off Beautiful Blooms From FTD! (December 31)
• Marathon Mania (January 2)
• FREE WEBINAR | “Rome: The Eternal City” Presented by Dr. Rocky Ruggiero (January 4)
• Add your event

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You're officially in the loop for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another 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.