Olympus Pools Litigation + USF Student Veteran Grant + Mood Bake Bar Opening Soon

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

In this issue, you'll learn about continued litigation threats between Olympus Pools and customers, a vaccine mandate for City of Tampa employees, a new health food concept coming to South Tampa, grants for veterans at USF, and more. Now, let's get started.

First, today's weather: Humid and mostly cloudy throughout the day. High: 90 Low: 77.

Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has mandated COVID-19 vaccines for all employees including union members. They must be vaccinated by September 30th or show proof of having COVID-19 antibodies. Employees who do not wish to be vaccinated must wear a face mask and submit to a weekly rapid response COVID-19 test. (Tampa Patch)

2. The now defunct Olympus Pools is demanding that more than 100 customers pay tens of thousands of dollars within 30 days, or face a lawsuit for breach of contract, according to a letter sent to customers. The company has been criticized for leaving hundreds of customers with unfinished pools across Tampa Bay forcing them to scramble to finish projects. (WFLA)

3. Ciccio Restaurant Group is opening Mood Bake Bar next month in South Tampa with gluten-free and plant-based choices. The concept will offer health food items as well as coffee, matcha green tea, agua frescas, and more. Baked goods will also be sold at Sweet Soul in St. Petersburg. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

4. The U.S. Department of Education will award the University of South Florida a $437,469 grant to support student veterans, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist announced last Friday. It will be a boon to USF’s nationally recognized Office of Veteran Success. (thetampabay100.com)

5. More homeowners are considering "green' fertilizers" after the recent red tide bloom. My Organic Turf uses certified organic products to treat lawns made from natural plants and animal materials and has grown over 100% since the red tide bloom. (Fox 13 Tampa Bay)

Send flowers today to someone you care about. Our partners at FTD are making that easier by offering Tampa Daily readers a 15 percent discount on orders through this link: Click here to make someone feel awesome.

Today in Tampa

• Good Morning South Tampa with Buddy Brew | In-Person with South Tampa Chamber of Commerice. (8:30 AM)
• Thirty on Thursday - Jasper Johns - Tampa Museum of Art. (12:30 PM)
• Boys Basketball Interest Meeting - Robinson High. (3:30 PM)
• Boys and Girls Golf vs Sickles - Anderson. (3:30 PM)
• Christmas in August - Open House Social at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. (5:00 PM)
• Summer Classic Series: Casa Blanca at Tampa Theatre. (7:30 PM)

Tampa Patch Notebook

• Kiera | Tampa Bay Foodie: "If you’re looking for an Italian market, look no further than @mazzaros! They have a deli, wine shop, cheese shop, coffee bar, dessert bar, & a variety of freshly made pastas & pizzas ready for you to take home to put in the oven!..." (Instagram)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: "We've placed K Ryan Succop on the reserve/COVID-19 list. In addition, T Chidi Okeke was waived/injured, and RB Troymaine Pope landed on injured reserve." (Facebook)
• Tampa Tarpons: ""Let me tell you 'bout my best friend..." Nothing beats watching the a ball game with your bestie. The final Tail Waggin' Tuesday of this season is Sept. 7th. See you there! Mark LoMoglio" (Facebook)
• Midtown Tampa: "Meet Pablo - our first Midtown Tampa kitty! He enjoys snuggles, pet watching, and posing for catè lattes thanks to Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Co. ️ #petsofmidtowntampa #catelattes" (Facebook)
• City of Tampa: "Our Housing & Community Development team is working hard to help those in need. On Saturday, City staff partnered with Catholic Charities USA to host a Homeless Prevention Event and provide over 50 families in need with critical support ..." (Facebook)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Add your business here

Events:

• Free Family Mini Photo Sessions! (August 29)
• Add your event

That's it for today! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update. If you're feeling 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? Email me at carlosreportsnews@gmail.com.