🌱 Tampa Man Bites Police Officer + 'The Sugar Ridge Rag' Drama

Rise and shine, Tampa! Let's get you started this Friday with everything you need to know going on today in Tampa.

First, today's weather:

Breezy; a stray p.m. t-storm. High: 83 Low: 67.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. Pendry Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Two Roads Development and announced plans for Pendry Tampa, a new hotel and residential development right by the Tampa Riverwalk. The newest Pendry property will include 220 guestrooms and 207 Pendry Residences with a focus on luxury. (That's So Tampa)

2. A man who was running through traffic on a busy Tampa street bit a sheriff's deputy who tried to restrain him early Thursday, officials said. Drivers on Causeway Boulevard called 911 around 12:30 a.m. Thursday to report that a man was running between cars on the four-lane highway, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Deputies chased the man until he became "extremely violent," according to police spokesperson. The man bit the deputy multiple times on the hand and arm. (Click Orlando)

3. The Tampa Police Department has kept an officer on the force despite several violations, including an aggressive 2021 arrest of an innocent Black woman. Last year, TPD officers Brigitte Curbelo and Briana Yukniewicz took a Black woman to the ground and unjustly arrested her as she worried about the safety of her fiancé during his arrest, according to records obtained by CL Tampa Bay. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

4. LAB Theater Project will present its production of award-winning Miami playwright Philip Middleton Williams' new work, "The Sugar Ridge Rag," a drama that looks at the bonds that unite a family through difficult time, in Ybor City. It will run from now through May 15 (Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.), at 812 E Henderson Ave. (Tampa Patch)

5. The Tampa Bay Lightning are calling on fans to drop off their lucky charms for the team on Saturday, April 30. The charms will travel with the team during the playoffs and be returned at the end of the season. Items must be dropped off at Amalie Arena. (ABC Action News)

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Today in Tampa:

• Café Con Tampa at Oxford Exchange Tampa. (8:00 AM)
• Sit & Stitch at Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. (10:00 AM)
• Wacoal Fit For The Cure Event On April 29 at Nordstrom International Plaza. (10:00 AM)
• FMX Presents: Black Box Film Festival at Ferman Center for the Arts. (6:30 PM)
• Tampa Tarpons Vs. Lakeland Flying Tigers at George Steinbrenner Field. (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Tiger Woods PopStroke concept is now open in Sarasota. It features two decked-out 18-hole mini-golf courses, outdoor dining, table and lawn games as well as three bars. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
• St. Pete’s Community Benefits Agreement program is a major step toward more equitable economic growth. The first project of the CBA program is proposed to be developed by the TPA Group in conjunction with Moffitt Cancer Center along with United Insurance Holdings Corp. (Twitter)
• Rent.com reported Tampa's average rent for a one-bedroom apartment was $1,682, up 32.4% since the year before. In St. Petersburg, it's $1,890 or 19.6% higher than 2021. Florida is now the most unaffordable place to live in the United States. (WFLA)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow morning for 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 Daily? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com