🌱 Tampa Celebrating 'Creamsicle Day' + Cousin Vinny's Coming To NoHo

Good morning, everybody! It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about what's happening in town. Today you'll learn about:

• Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa) has drawn a Republican challenger for the 2024 election.
• Cousin Vinny's, a New York-style deli, is coming soon to North Hyde Park.
• City of Tampa will celebrate "Creamsicle Day" on Aug. 14 in support of the Tampa Bay Bucs ahead of football season.

But first, today's weather: A p.m. t-storm in spots. High: 91 Low: 76.

Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. The first drive-thru Wawa in Florida is opening soon in Largo in Tampa Bay, according to Tampa Bay Newspapers. The drive-thru restaurant concept will be located at 2530 E. Bay Drive and will not be a gas station. Wawa will use the location for feedback and currently only has two other drive-thru locations in the nation. (Largo Patch, Tampa Bay Newspapers)
2. Cousin Vinny’s is coming soon to Tampa's North Hyde Park neighborhood, in the location that was previously Cass Street Deli at 1331 W Cass St. The concept is New York-style deli that was previously a ghost kitchen. They offer a number of chicken cutlets. Chef Vinny previously worked with Chef Jeannie Pierola at Edison Food + Drink Lab. (That's So Tampa)
3. Republican Lisette Bonano is planning to challenge Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa) in 2024. Bonana comes from a military family, and this is her first run for office. Bonano said she is running to fight against COVID-19 rules and mask requirements. (Tampa Bay Times, WMNF)
4. The SuperPAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for President of the United States, Never Back Down, has revealed its finances for the first time. Donors to the DeSantis 2024 run include Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, billionaire developer Edward DeBartolo Jr., South Tampa plastic surgeon Tony Watt and more. DeSantis has suffered a drop in national polls and state polls in recent months as former President Donald Trump surges ahead. (Creative Loafing Tampa, NBC)
5. City of Tampa will officially celebrate "Creamsicle Day" on Aug. 14 to celebrate the Tampa Bay Bucs final open training camp. The city will host events around the town to celebrate and light the city orange to get locals excited ahead of football season. City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will participate in the festivities. (WFLA, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

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Today in Tampa:

Wednesday, August 2

• Posie's Flower Truck at Hyde Park Village. (noon)
• Opening Reception | In Their Own Words: Selections From The HCC Permanent Art Collection at Gallery3 @ HCC Dale Mabry Campus. (6 p.m.)
• Armature Works Run Club. (6:30 p.m.)
• Small Batch Trivia at Zydeco Brew Werks. (7:30 p.m.)
• Salsa World Wednesdays (Latin Night) 7th Anniversary at Avalon Event Center. (8:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• ZooTampa at Lowry Park shared: "Waddle on over. 🐧 Starting today, Aug. 1, our African Penguin encounter is available to all ages. Meet a member of our penguin colony and learn more about this endangered species and what you can do to protect them." (ZooTampa at Lowry Park via Facebook)
• Tampa Police Department shared: "Awarding a total of $25,000, we were honored to recognize 10 local organizations and award them each with a grant to help them to continue to make a difference in our community." (Tampa Police Department via Facebook)
• Hillsborough County Public Schools shared: "The school year starts Aug. 10 and our friends at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds want to celebrate the beginning of the academic year with their 1st ever Back 2 School Bash on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, from noon-5 p.m." (Hillsborough County Public Schools via Facebook)

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Featured announcements:

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That's it for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Patch newsletter? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com