🌱 Tampa Tailgate Taste Fest + HCC Hosts Free Japanese Music Concerts

Hi all. It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Tampa Daily. Let's get this weekend started off right, with a quick guide to the most important things happening in town...

First, today's weather:

Wind and rain in the morning. High: 90 Low: 76.

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Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a $109.9 billion state budget bill and vetoed $3.1 billion in spending. Items rejected included an Environmental & Oceanographic Sciences Research & Training Facility at the University of South Florida's St. Pete campus as well as a new baseball facility in Pasco County that would have likely been leased to the Tampa Bay Rays for spring training. (WTSP)

2. A Tampa judge on Thursday denied bond to 15-year-old Calvin Sanford, accused of leading police on a chase in a stolen truck that ended in a deadly Plant City crash. Sanford will stay behind bars until his trial. (Fox 13)

3. Tampa International Airport is marking the arrival of its first regularly scheduled service with Finnair, operating routes between Tampa and Frankfurt. The route operates five times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays. (WFLA)

4. The Event Development Institute (EDI) and Tampa Bay Sports Commission (TBSC) have officially launched food wristband sales for the 8th annual Tampa Bay’s Tailgate Taste Fest. Tampa's ultimate tailgate party is set for Saturday, October 15 from 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. This family- and pet-friendly event is free to attend and open to the public. (Tampa Bay Sports Commission)

5. The Hillsborough Community College Ybor City Campus will host two free Japanese traditional music concerts and workshops on Tuesday, June 21 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Participants have the opportunity for a hands-on experience and a Q&A at the end. The event is hosted by the HCC Ybor City Library and Music Department. (Press Release Desk )

Today in Tampa:

• Bank of America Museums On Us Weekend at Tampa Museum Of Art. (11:00 a.m.)
• WOB Bar & Kitchen Tampa Locations Host Aloha Brunch! (11 a.m.)
• Wtr Pool Rosé All Day With Matoma. (noon)
• 10th Annual Caribbean Heritage Festival at University Park. (2 p.m.)
• FAB 4 Anniversary Party at Top Shelf Sports Lounge. (4 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Tampa lawmaker and Florida State Senator Janet Cruz is requesting a special session on gun violence. However, Cruz will need the support of her colleagues in the Florida Legislature to bring lawmakers back to Tallahassee. (WFLA)
• The owner of "Parrots of the Caribbean" has brought his amphibious vehicle back to Madeira Beach after leaving the area nearly a decade ago for tours in the Grand Cayman. Captain Buck began offering tours on his beach trolley located in John's Pass Village on May 9. The tour drives customers south to St. Pete Beach and returns by water to Madeira Beach. (Bay News 9)
• The City of Tampa’s Housing & Community Development Division is hosting a homeownership event in celebration of National Homeownership Month on June 25. The event is open to the public and will be held on June 25 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. (City of Tampa)
• Tampa's troubled Silver Oaks Apartments has failed its HUD inspection, which found that the residents there were living in life threatening conditions. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

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Events:

• Gulfport PRIDE! (June 4)
• Smooth Jazz Sunday (June 5)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (June 8)
• Add your event

That's it for today. 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.

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