🌱 Omicron COVID-19 Variant Detected In Tampa + Tampa Big Bounce + Southside Fresh Market

Happy Wednesday, people of Tampa! Here's everything you need to know going on today.

First, today's weather:

Humid with clouds and sun. High: 79 Low: 68.

Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. A Tampa Bay hospital announced its first confirmed case of the new COVID-19 omicron variant on Tuesday. James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital confirmed the case and said the patient is "experiencing mild symptoms and recently returned from international travel." (WESH)

2. 30-year-old Collin Scott Knapp was arrested around 4 p.m. Monday on a charge of second-degree murder based on a bloody article of clothing recovered from the Pasco county dump, according to authorities. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement forensic lab confirmed the blood stains on the clothing belong to 34-year-old Kathleen Moore. No body has been recovered at the time of this writing. (Patch Tampa)

3. The Tampa Big Bounce is set to take over Raymond James Stadium from February 11th to February 13th. It will be over 13,000 square feet with live DJs, climbing towers, basketball hoops, slides, ball pits, confetti blasts, and more. (That's So Tampa)

4. St. Petersburg's Southside Fresh Market is reopening this weekend on Saturday, December 11th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at a new location near U.S.-19 and 21st Avenue South. A permitting issue forced it to change initial plans. (Creative Loafing)

5. Jackson Heights Neighborhood Association President Fran Tate is calling for public transit improvements in East Tampa. Tate said, "Currently, bus service is inadequate for the needs of the job market. We're talking about people in parts of East Tampa and the rest of the region not having access to jobs within 90 minutes." (83 Degrees Media)

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Today in Tampa:

• Tampa Multicultural Café. (5:00 PM)
• End of Year Tech Meetup Extravaganza. (5:30 PM)
• Heights Night Market at Armature Works. (5:30 PM)
• Jingle & Cheers. (6:00 PM)
• Cats at David A. Straz. Center. (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• City of Tampa: "Happy birthday Mayor Jane Castor! 🥳 Did you know Mayor Castor was born and raised in #Tampa? She’s a proud lifelong resident and loves serving the community she grew up in. Please join us in wishing our Mayor a #HappyBirthday! 🎂" (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: "We could clinch the division as soon as next week. 👀 #GoBucs " (Facebook)
• Humane Society of Tampa Bay: "Nancy says around the holidays she and her cat Lightning are especially grateful for the ‘Animeals’ program at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay! 😻 We deliver a monthly supplies of dog/cat food to homebound and elderly citizens unable..." (Facebook)
• Tampa International Airport: "‘Twas a foggy night on Monday night 📸 Brian Singleton.” (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you all tomorrow morning for another update. If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read 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.