🌱 Tampa Humane Society Volunteer Animal Care + Leonidas Grand Opening

Good morning, hello! It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Tampa Daily. Let's get this Saturday started off right with a quick review of everything you need to know about what's going on around town, including updates on...

• 🐕 The Humane Society of Tampa Bay volunteers caring for animals as Hurricane Ian passed through the state this week.
• 💡 TECO hard at work to restore power with most customers planned for restoration by Sunday night.
• 🍫 A new Belgian chocolate shop having its grand opening in Wesley Chapel this month.

Today is National Homemade Cookies Day. It's a great time to get together and make some cookies with people you care about.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 83 Low: 68.

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Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. The Humane Society of Tampa Bay cared for animals in need as Hurricane Ian passed through the state this week. Someone dropped off a stray dog right as preparations were being made by volunteers. A team stayed during the storm and helped animals stay calm amid heavy winds and rain. (Tampa Patch)

2. A Tampa woman who fled Hurricane Ian to South Carolina unfortunately found herself in the path of the storm once again on Friday. Hurricane Ian landed in South Carolina Friday as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. Tropical storm winds reached as far out as 485 miles from the center. (WTSP, AccuWeather)

3. Tampa Electric Company (TECO) says the company expects to restore the majority of power to customers by Sunday night. The power company warned that some areas of Hillsborough County and Polk County could take longer due to "more complex damage." 43 percent of those impacted have had their power restores as of Friday afternoon. (WFLA)

4. Polk County Schools is still unsure if classes will resume on Monday. 77 of the district's schools were without power on Thursday. The district said it is working as quick as possible to get students back in the classroom and updates will be made on social media channels and their website. (ABC Action News)

5. Leonidas, a world-renowned Belgian chocolate shop, is planning to have its grand opening celebration in Wesley Chapel on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 from 2 to 9 p.m. The store sells fresh chocolates, truffles, pralines, and more and boasts over 40 locations nationwide. During the celebration guests can enjoy chocolate making demonstrations, music, samples, and more. (That's So Tampa)

Today in Tampa:

• Pumpkin Patch at Kerby's Nursery & Landscaping. (9 a.m.)
• Ducati Tampa Bay Grand Opening. (6:30 p.m.)
• UNDead In The Water at American Victory Ship & Museum. (7:30 p.m.)
• Reggae Vs. Soca at Karib Restaurant. (9 p.m.)
• Meet New People (20s - 30s) Tampa at Skye Tampa. (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Local restaurants are holding fundraisers to help the victims of Hurricane Ian. So far Lucky Tigre, PTL, and Zukku are among the local businesses helping in the effort. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
• City of Tampa is reminding residents: "Save your sandbags! Hurricane season isn't over. The City of Tampa distributed 98,070 sandbags ahead of #HurricaneIan and we encourage everyone to store them in a safe place (unless they're contaminated) in case we find ourselves in the path of another storm this year." (City of Tampa via Facebook)
• As residents in Tampa Bay and around Florida clean up from the damage of Hurricane Ian, some are in for a rude awakening to how insurance works in the state. The CEO of Neptune Flood Insurance shared that new Floridians "might think they're covered for certain accidents, like floods, when they aren't." (WFLA)
• Taste of the Beaches plans to donate funds raised from the week-long event to those impacted by Hurricane Ian. The fund will go to the The Islands of Sanibel Captiva Chamber of Commerce. (WTSP)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• St Pete's Super Greek Festival 2022 (October 7)
• Miami Carnival Parade of Bands and Concert Set for Oct. 9 (October 9)
• Add your event

That's it for today! See you all tomorrow for your next 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 Daily? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com