🌱 Palihouse Coming To Hyde Park Village + Bats Infest Local School

Hey, everybody. It's Thursday in Tampa and I'm Carlos Hernandez, back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important things happening in the community today. Today you'll read about these stories and more...

• Palihouse at Hyde Park Village is coming soon this fall.
• Bats are infesting a Hillsborough County elementary school but cannot be removed at this time.
• Workers with a union at James A. Haley Veterans Affair Hospital are upset about working conditions.

But first, today's weather: Partly sunny, hot and humid. High: 96 Low: 82.

Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. Pharmacist union workers at the James A. Haley Veterans Affair Hospital have announced a vote of no confidence. The workers said there are suffering from unacceptable working conditions, understaffing as well as a lack of consideration for their concerns by management when brought to their attention. (Tampa Patch)
2. Banned books are piling up this school year around Florida, including in Tampa Bay. Attempts to get records on what books are banned by media outlets have proved difficult, but one book that Hillsborough County School District has banned is "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson from all middle schools. (WFLA)
3. Bats are infesting Northwest Elementary school in Tampa and are not being removed ahead of the new year. Florida officials are prohibited from removing bats until mating season is done on Aug. 15, according to state law. The school is telling parents not to worry, as bats are not active during the daytime usually. (Fox 13)
4. Palihouse at Hyde Park Village is a new boutique hotel coming soon to Tampa. An opening is planned this fall at 1509 W Swann Ave. The hotel concept also has locations in San Francisco, Seattle, Portland as well as Miami Beach. (That's So Tampa)
5. A Hooters worker from Odessa landed in the top 10 women in the "Miss Hooters International" competition. The winner, Kiana, is a Land O’ Lakes resident and plans to attend the University of South Florida (USF) to study journalism and communications. She volunteers with the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk and fundraises for Moffitt Cancer Center. (Q105)

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Today in Tampa:

Thursday, August 10

• The Business Circle: Seminar And Connections at Networking Leads. (noon)
• Art On The House at Tampa Museum Of Art. (4 p.m.)
• Crafting With Jessica at Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. (5:30 p.m.)
• Chateau Cellar's European Wine Trip: Tuscany. (6 p.m.)
• The $5 Comedy Show at The Gimmick. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook shared:

• Tampa Bay Lightning: "Sergy and Vasy joined Hyundai Hope on Wheels to award a grant to Tampa General Hospital. 🎉 This year, Hyundai will award $25 million in cancer research grants around the country." (Tampa Bay Lightning via Facebook)
• City of Tampa shared: "The NFL Players Association brought the heat to Skills Combine Camp. 🔥🏈 PAL - Police Athletic League of Tampa & Tampa Parks & Recreation kids got to train with the pros today, learning new skills and techniques." (City of Tampa via Facebook)
• Tampa General Hospital shared: "We're proud to share that John Couris, TGH president & CEO, has just been appointed as board chair of Tampa Bay Thrives, a coalition dedicated to improving mental health and substance abuse issues in our region." (Tampa General Hospital via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (August 11)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (August 15)
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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! I'll see you around.

— 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