🌱 Tampa Bay Prices Spike + Mayor Police Chief Pick + Cox Pools Permit Suspended

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

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 72 Low: 55.

The best ads drive real business results, but they also delight people. Let us tell your brand's story and connect you with customers in Tampa. Learn more here.

Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. A hearing over COVID-19 vaccine mandates for military members was held in Tampa federal court on Thursday morning. Several service members allege that their religious exemption requests are not being honored by the federal government. (Fox 13 Tampa)

2. Prices in the Tampa Bay region rose an average of 9.6% last month compared to January 2021, according to data released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic, the highest increase of any major market. In November, fuel was up 67.5%, used cars were up 30%, food was up 4.3% and shelter was up 8%. (Tampa Bay Times)

3. Tampa City councilmen who spoke to CL Tampa Bay say the Mayor's pick for Chief of Police may not be confirmed. Councilman Orlando Gudes said, "this is a bigger position than the mayor. This is the go-to person when it comes to keeping the city safe." (Creative Loafing Tampa)

4. Tampa is named number 7 in a list of the best places to get married in the United States in 2022. The data set ranges from average wedding cost to venues and event spaces per capita to wedding vendors. Several other cities in Florida also made the list. (Tampa Patch)

5. Cox Pools, a popular local pool company, is fighting a one-year permit suspension from Hillsborough County building officials. The suspension came in January after a failure to obtain final electrical and child safety inspections before filling a pool with water. (WFLA)

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:

• 2022 Florida State Fair at Florida State Fair. (10:00 AM)
• Big Bounce America at Raymond James Stadium. (1:00 PM)
• Movie Matinee at Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. (1:00 PM)
• Dark Valentine's Day at The University of Tampa College of Arts and Letters. (2:00 PM)
• Baseball - Georgia Southwestern Vs. Tampa at The University of Tampa Athletics. (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Kumquat pie has become the official pie of Pasco County after Pasco County Commission approved a proclamation at last week's meeting. (Tampa Bay Times)
• Check out Iron Gwazi in the flesh at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. (Twitter)
• The St. Petersburg city council voted against a new resolution for rent control on Thursday morning. (Bay News 9)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Live Music & Food at BRU FL Growler Odessa (February 11)
• Interglacial by Laura Peterson Choreography - presented by HCC Visual and Performing Arts series (February 11)
• Downtown St. Pete Food Tour (February 15)
• 4 Part Retirement Planning Webinar Series 2/17 - 3/12 (February 17)
• Monopoly Tournament (February 19)
• Social Security Webinar 2/21 & 2/23 (February 21)
• Estate Planning Webinar 2/21 & 2/23 (February 21)
• Social Security Seminar 2/22 & 2/23 (February 22)
• Alternative Products Expo - Fort Lauderdale (March 11)
• Alternative Products Expo - Fort Lauderdale (March 12)
• Add your event

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 carlosreportsnews@gmail.com

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you back 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.