🌱 TECO Customers Suffer Sticker Shock + PragerU School Controversy

Hello all. I'm back in your inbox this morning with your new copy of the Tampa Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out the most important things happening around town. Today's issue includes updates on:

• Two local school districts will not use controversial school curriculum approved by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this year.
• Tampa Theatre will host a special Paul Reubens memorial on Friday evening.
• TECO customers are experiencing sticker shock as electricity prices rise for residents.

But first, today's weather: A t-storm in the afternoon. High: 92 Low: 77.

Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. A Florida woman was bitten by a shark this past weekend while swimming near the St. Pete Pier. The attack happened at around 8 p.m. on Saturday evening. A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay medical bills in the incident. (St. Pete Patch)
2. Tampa Electric (TECO) customers are in shock amid skyrocketing electric prices and record inflation in the Tampa Bay area. The higher prices are squeezing families with some people reporting a nearly $500 electric bill. TECO recently pushed prices up by 10 percent in April due to higher natural gas prices and the impact of hurricanes. (ABC Action News)
3. Controversial learning material approved for Florida schools that has been accused by critics of attempting to indoctrinate children will not be used in Hillsborough County and Pinellas County for the upcoming school year, according to representatives from the counties. The learning material is produced by PragerU and comes amid a fight over how slavery is taught in Florida schools. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
4. Tampa-based Kforce experienced a drop in revenue in the second quarter. The decline was a 4.1 percent decrease of revenue from the same quarter the year before. President Joseph Liberatore said "structural costs" need to be addressed by the company. (St. Pete Catalyst)
5. The historical Tampa Theatre in downtown will host a special Paul Reubens memorial on Friday night. The special event will be held on Friday, Aug. 4, from 4-7:30 p.m. The memorial will offer special clips, but due to Warner Bros. will not have any films. (That's So Tampa)

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Today in Tampa:

Thursday, August 3

• Story Time at Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library. (10:15 a.m.)
• Art On The House at Tampa Museum Of Art. (4 p.m.)
• Centennial Celebration Committee Meeting at Temple Terrace City Council. (5 p.m.)
• Charity & Cocktails at Aloft Tampa Midtown. (6 p.m.)
• An Executive Exchange & Elixirs | Networking Event at Rose Bar Tampa. (6:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers shared: "Does your stadium have a pirate ship? Didn’t think so. Vote Raymond James Stadium for Best NFL Stadium. ➡️ bccn.rs/RJS" (Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Facebook)
• Hillsborough County Public Schools shared: "Teachers and staff, we hope you had a relaxing and productive summer break with family and friends. We are excited to have you back for the 2023-24 school year." (Hillsborough County Public Schools via Facebook)
• South Tampa Chamber shared: "Congratulations to ABC Event Planning on their Ribbon Cutting last week. 👏 ABC Event's ''Absolutely Beautiful Creations'' took part in our Multi-Business Ribbon Cutting event at Dwell Home Market on Thursday, July 27. 🎉" (South Tampa Chamber via Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow 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