🌱 Tampa Bay Rays’ Split-City Plan Rejected By MLB + Iron Gwazi Coaster Opening Soon

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

First, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy. High: 75 Low: 56.

Rent this space:

Are you a local business owner or marketer in Tampa? We'd love to start showcasing trusted businesses who can solve problems for our amazing local readers. Learn more about how it works.

Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. Busch Gardens Tampa’s Iron Gwazi is finally set to open on Friday, March 11th to the general public, with exclusive access for pass members on select dates starting Friday, February 11th. The coaster will feature a 206-foot-tall peak down a 91-degree drop, a dozen airtime moments, and a top speed of 76 miles per hour. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

2. The Rays’ split-city plan of sharing part of its seasons in Montreal and Tampa Bay has been shut down by Major League Baseball. St. Petersburg's new mayor Ken Welch and City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor both released statements about the decision. (Bay News 9)

3. The trial of Muhammed Momtaz Al-Azhari, accused of planning a terrorist attack in Tampa Bay, has been paused until the court determines whether he's competent to stand trial and decides whether FBI spy plane surveillance is admissible. (Tampa Patch)

4. A lawyer representing local business consultant Steve Michelini, who is suing City Council member John Dingfelder, is asking that Dingfelder recuse himself from any discussion or vote connected to his client. Dingfelder says the lawsuit is an attempt to silence him due to his criticism of developers. (Tampa Bay Times)

5. The Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Tampa Bay Chapter is hosting the 2022 CREW Network Winter Leadership Summit February 3rd to February 4th at Tampa Marriott Water Street. The event will feature professional speakers and is sponsored by Franklin Street, Hill Ward Henderson and Marcus & Millichap R | P | H Multifamily group, and Wilson & Girgenti. (Tampa Bay Newswire)

From our sponsor:

Tackling a big to-do list around the house to start the new year? Our partners at Thumbtack, the home services app, have made hiring trusted local pros for pretty much any job extremely easy and intuitive. In minutes, you can find a painter, plumber, roofer or someone to help with small jobs such as trash hauling or appliance repair. And Thumbtack's rating system can give you confidence that you're hiring a quality pro you can count on. Click here to get started.

Today in Tampa:

• Create Your Resume at Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (11:00 AM)
• Parents Night Out at Humane Society of Tampa Bay. (6:00 PM)
• Girls Basketball vs. Brandon at Robinson High. (6:30 PM)
• FMX Presents: Sunshine Cinema at The University of Tampa College of Arts and Letters. (7:00 PM)
• 12 Angry Men at Stageworks. (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Tampa Bay housing inventory has plummeted by 47% compared to January 2018, the "lowest ever observed," Zillow said. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
• The HART HCC Semester Pass is back. The pass provides four months of rides for roughly the cost of only two - $110. (Twitter)
• Hillsborough County’s state of local emergency enacted in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has been extended for another 7-day period. (Twitter)
• On May 4th, Breeze Airways will debut its brand new A220 on nine of Tampa International Airports's Breeze routes with a special low fare sale of $99 on first class seats. (Facebook)
• Dr. Charles Lockwood, dean of USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, senior vice president of USF Health-University of South Florida, and executive vice president of Tampa General Hospital, was named the 2022 Citizen of the Year by the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce. (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Wellness For All (January 22)
• Echoes of Her (January 23)
• Social Security Seminar (January 24)
• Social Security Seminar (January 25)
• Sol y Luna Tantric Shamanic Festival (English/Spanish) (January 27)
• Add your event

Gigs & services:

• Ideal Choice Painting (Details)
• Add your gig or service

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 featured in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at carlosreportsnews@gmail.com

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday. 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.