🌱 Police Chief Controversies Continue + Mayor Denies Need For Change

Good day, people of Tampa! It's me again, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Tampa Daily.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and humid. High: 87 Low: 70.

Are you a local business owner or marketer? We can help you effortlessly run effective ads that reach customers in Tampa. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. Tampa Fire Rescue responded to a single-story house fire in the 10000 block of North 14th Street on Thursday at 1:48 a.m. Engine 24 arrived first and found smoke and flames showing from the south side of the home. The family was able to escape the home without injury, but the cat did not survive. (Tampa Patch)

2. Mayor Jane Castor defiantly said on Wednesday she doesn't see the need for a reset with the City Council following a tumultuous week in which she announced accountability and transparency measures aimed at council members and was blasted by one of them in return. The local government in Tampa has been shaken in recent weeks by a slew of controversies and power struggles between City Council and the Mayor that have led to outrage in the community. (Tampa Bay Times)

3. Documents obtained by CL Tampa Bay show that new City of Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor oversaw two controversial programs that disproportionately harmed Black renters and bicyclists in Tampa. The program came to be known as "Biking While Black." O'Connor's appointment has been consumed by a dark cloud since it was reported earlier this year that she was previously arrested in Tampa for battery of a law enforcement officer, obstruction, and disorderly intoxication. The previous arrests caused the Tampa City Council to push back, but ultimately approve her for the role. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

4. Tealux Cafe is a new boba café now open at 4311 West Waters Avenue. No opening date has been set. The menu includes favorites items, such as matcha smoothie, brown sugar fresh milk boba tea, honey jasmine boba tea, mango and taro smoothies, and strawberry milk boba tea. (That's So Tampa)

5. Hillsborough County School Board superintendent Addison Davis proposed that the board ask voters to consider a special property tax at a workshop Tuesday. The money raised would be used primarily for increasing employee pay. The tax would be $1 for every $1,000 in assessed home value, meaning about $126 million a year in additional funds. (WUSF)

Today in Tampa:

• OLLI-USF Free Friday Lecture: Ukrainians: Modern Values, Old Traditions. Virtual. (12:15 PM)
• Reggae On The WTR. (6:30 PM)
• FMX Presents: Sunshine Cinema at The University Of Tampa College Of Arts And Letters. (7:00 PM)
• Bon Jovi In Concert at Amalie Arena (8:00 PM)
• The Play: Spoon River Anthology at The University Of Tampa College Of Arts And Letters. (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Luxury condominiums are currently for sale at Marina Point, the flagship residential development in the new Westshore Marina District in South Tampa. (Tampa Patch)
• Face masks are still required at Tampa International Airport. Learn more: news.tampaairport.com/cdc-extends-federal-mask-requirement-for-airports-and-planes-until-may-3 (Facebook)
• More than 30 University of Tampa students and community members will showcase their startup business concepts at this year’s New Venture Exposition on Friday, April 22, in the University of Tampa Lowth Entrepreneurship Center. (Facebook)
• Congratulations to The TECO Line Streetcar System on hitting an all-time record of 107,956 trips in March. (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (April 16)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (April 18)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar on 4/18 & 4/20 (April 18)
• Medicare - Turning 65...What Now? (April 19)
• T’ai Chi Chih Beginner Class (April 20)
• Inverso Gallery Tour + MFA Panel Discussion + Reception (April 21)
• Add your event

Housing:

• Affordable Quality Assisted Living Senior Community near you (Details)
• Add your listing

Loving the Tampa Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
• Become a supporter (there are perks!)
• Get your local business showcased in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at SouthTampa@Patch.com

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with a new 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.