🌱 Transportation Tax Refund Draws Questions + Greyhound Bus Station

Hi, everybody. I'm Carlos Hernandez, back in your inbox this morning to walk you through all the most important things happening locally. Today you'll learn about these stories and more...

• Local residents are concerned about the relocation of the Tampa Greyhound bus station
• The inaugural Florida OutCoast Convention (FLOCC) is coming this summer to downtown Tampa
• Hillsborough County has approved a plan on how to spend a refund from a transportation tax that was previously ruled unconstitutional

But first, today's weather: Sunshine; near-record warmth. High: 83 Low: 64.

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Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. Local residents are complaining about the relocation of the Tampa Greyhound bus station to a parking lot. Residents are worried about the safety of the location, which changed after FlixBus acquired Greyhound in 2021. City of Tampa is looking into the location change. (ABC Action News)
2. Police have apprehended four suspects and one is dead after a drive-by shooting in Lakeland that left 11 people injured. The shooting occurred on Jan. 30. Police said the vehicle used was registered to another suspect in the shooting. Police two more men need to be interviewed in the investigation. (Fox 13 Tampa)
3. The inaugural Florida OutCoast Convention (FLOCC) will take place this summer at Hilton Tampa Downtown from Aug. 1-3. The event will include destination marketing organizations (DMOs), hotels, tourist attractions, restaurants, LGBTQ organizations, arts and cultural institutions, and more. (That's So Tampa)
4. Hillsborough County has approved a plan on how to spend $424 million on transportation needs on funding that was ruled unconstitutional. Whether the funds will be used on the county plan depends on state leaders. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the fund to be reimbursed to taxpayers, but the process could be difficult. (WFLA)
5. A Tampa police officer who ran over a man with his police squad car has been denied qualified immunity by a judge in a wrongful death case. Police reform advocates want qualified immunity abolished in the state. The judge wrote that there is evidence to support that the police officer allegedly intended to strike the victim. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

Today in Tampa:

• Coffee With The Mayor at David Barksdale Senior Citizen Center. (9 a.m.)
• Music Of Abba at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. (11:30 a.m.)
• Art On The House at Tampa Museum Of Art. (4 p.m.)
• Rod Stewart at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa. (8 p.m.)
• Andrea Bocelli With Opera Tampa at Amalie Arena. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Tampa Bay Bucs is hiring Seahawks quarterbacks coach Dave Canales as their new offensive coordinator, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The decision comes after 27 days of searching. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times, Free: NFL.com)
• The East West Dance festival is coming to Tampa Heights this weekend on Sunday, Feb. 19. Admission to the festival is free. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
• Breeze Airways has added three new stops from Tampa International Airport (TPA). The new stops include Portland, Maine; Providence, Rhode Island; and Hartford, Connecticut. Prices are as low as $39 one-way. (WFLA)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com