🌱 Orlando Gudes Removed From Office By Voters + Skyway 5K Race Today

Good morning, neighbors! It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Patch newsletter. Let's get this Sunday started off right, with a quick guide to the most important things going on these days in town. Today we have these stories and more...

• Tampa City Councilman Orlando Gudes has been removed by voters from office and replaced with Gwendolyn "Gwen" Henderson, shifting the power in Tampa City Council.
• A Tampa man has pleaded guilty to being involved in an international phone scam based in India.
• The I.T. manager at Tampa's local PBS member station has been arrested on alleged child pornography charges.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 83 Low: 72.

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Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. Tampa City Councilman Orlando Gudes has been removed from office by voters and replaced with Gwendolyn "Gwen" Henderson in a major win for City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who has been at battle with the councilman since her election to office. Gudes was a vocal critic of disgraced former Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor. He also faced accusations of inappropriate conduct last year. Gudes received 48.86 percent of the votes, while Henderson received 50.31 percent. (Tampa Patch, Florida Politics)
2. A Tampa man has pleaded guilty to being involved in an international phone scam in which conspirators pretended to be IRS and FBI agents and threatened elderly people into wiring money or being framed on fake drug or money laundering charges. (Tampa Patch)
3. Northbound traffic will be diverted from I-275 to U.S. Highway 41 on Sunday morning from 3:30 a.m. until 11 a.m for the annual Armed Forces Skyway 10k race on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Southbound lanes will remain open with no stopping permitted. Last year a driver drove through barricades and nearly injured runners at the race. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times)
4. 22-year-old Cedric Durham Jr. of Tampa has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Durham pleaded guilty on Nov. 28 to charges after returning fire to shooters at Pin Chasers Bowling Arcade in Tampa. (Tampa Patch)
5. The I.T. manager at Tampa's local PBS member station, WEDU, has been arrested by authorities on child pornography charges. Police said they found five videos depicting obscene conduct involving animals and six computer-generated images and videos of child sexual abuse on electronic devices of the accused. (WFLA, Bloomingdale Patch)

Today in Tampa:

• Second Sunday Art Walk And Vendor Fair. (11 a.m.)
• Downtown Dogs at The Humane Society Of Tampa Bay. (8 a.m.)
• 2nd Annual Chalk Festival at Temple Terrace Leisure Services. (10 a.m.)
• Pups, Brunch, & Bottomless Mimosas at Two Shepherds Taproom. (11 a.m.)
• 2023 Florida Antiquarian Book Fair at The Coliseum. (11 a.m.)

From my notebook:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers shared: "Congrats to Seminole High School’s Jack Held for winning Girls Flag Football Coach of the Week! 🏈 Winners receive a $2,000 grant from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation to help maintain & upgrade their football program." (Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Facebook)
• Hillsborough County Public Schools shared: "We hope everyone has a wonderful Spring Break. We will see you on Monday, March 20, to finish out the school year strong. During the break, check out our social media pages daily for “Rethink, Revive, Reset” Mental Wellness tips." (Hillsborough County Public Schools via Facebook)
• NWS Tampa Bay shared: "Hope you didn't put the coats and sweaters away! A strong cold front will sweep through the region Monday followed by much cooler temperatures Tuesday through Thursday. Morning lows are expected to fall into the 40s and 50s Wednesday & Thursday, but some 30s cannot be ruled out across parts of the Nature Coast." (Twitter)
• Costs continue to rise in Tampa Bay as a local woman from Polk County reports that her auto insurance went up 55 percent, going from $1,200 to around $1,900 for half of the year. The woman had no accidents, no tickets, and no changes to her auto policy. (WFLA)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. See you all tomorrow 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Patch newsletter? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com