🌱Tampa Bay Drug Traffickers Sentenced + Council Seeks More Power

Happy Saturday, neighbors! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in Tampa today.

First, today's weather:

Sunny. High: 85 Low: 66.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. Tampa U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew sentenced 8 members of a Puerto Rico-based drug trafficking organization to federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine in the Tampa Bay area. Investigators said the cocaine was supplied by a transnational crime cartel operating out of the Dominican Republic and Colombia. (Tampa Patch)

2. Tampa Council members voted Thursday to hire a consultant from the University of South Florida's Florida Institute of Government to facilitate a March 24 workshop to discuss a possible review to the city's charter that could shift the balance of power in the city away from the Mayor's office. Councilman Gudes says, "We want to make sure the playing field is level to make decisions for the public and the city." (Florida Politics)

3. A 33-year-old Clearwater man died Thursday after he lost control of his car and it hit a guardrail and caught fire. Authorities say the man was driving east on Interstate 4 at the Interstate 75 interchange when he lost control and crashed. The man died at the scene. (Tampa Patch)

4. A large fire broke out at St. Petersburg restaurant Tsunami Japanese Steakhouse on Friday morning. No victims were found during a search in the building, according to authorities. Crews were unable to access certain parts of the building where flames were located and had to exit the building to fight the fire for safety reasons. (Fox 13 Tampa)

5. The Kiwanis Club of Tampa will race 7,000-plus rubber ducks down the Hillsborough River on Saturday, April 9. The first 3 ducks to cross the finish line will win cash prizes. The Duck Race will take place at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa and include family-friendly music, food and activities all leading up to the big race. (That's So Tampa)

Today in Tampa:

• Hillsborough County Shred Fest at Veterans Memorial Park. (9:00 AM)
• Florida Brewers Guild Craft Beer Festival at Perry Harvey Sr. Park. (2:00 PM)
• Hillsborough Fire & EMS Museum 4th Annual Car Show at First United Methodist Church Of Lutz. (9:00 AM)
• Gasparilla Festival Of The Arts at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. (9:00 AM)
• WTR Pool Season Launch With Nick Cannon. (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Florida Wilds is now open at ZooTampa. Explore the exciting new area of the Zoo and connect with native wildlife, such as endangered panthers, rescued black bears and red wolves. (Facebook)
• A portion of Northbound West Shore Blvd. between W Kennedy Blvd. and W Azeele St. will be closed starting Sunday at 7 p.m. through Friday, March 11 at 9 p.m. for water main replacements. This water main replacement project along West Shore Boulevard began on June 21 and is now entering the final water main replacement phase of the construction project.
• City of Tampa is proud to host the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament from March 9 to March 13. Tickets are now available. (Facebook)
• The Tampa Museum of Art presents two Lawyers for the Arts programs with Art and Law Lawyer Alexandra Darraby. The presentation is geared towards lawyers and art enthusiasts will focus on NFTs, the metaverse, copyright, and technology. (Facebook)
• City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will be chatting with residents in the Seminole Heights on March 10 at 9 a.m. Learn more about Coffee with Castor online. (Facebook)

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Events:

• Navigating Your Social Security (March 3)
• Alternative Products Expo - Fort Lauderdale (March 11)
• Alternative Products Expo - Fort Lauderdale (March 12)
• Jazz on the Lawn @ Riverwalk STEM Academy (March 12)
• Alternative Products Expo - Fort Lauderdale (March 13)
• Social Security Seminar 3/14 & 3/16 (March 14)
• Creating Income in a Low Interest Rate Environment (March 29)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday off right! I'll see you soon.

— 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.