🌱 USF Spring Semester Begins + Crypto-Themed Restaurant Now Open On Clearwater Beach

Get on up, Tampa! Here's everything you need to know to get this Tuesday started off right.

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First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 73 Low: 54.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. A crypto-themed restaurant has opened on Clearwater Beach called Crypto Street Restaurant. The restaurant accepts Bitcoin and has items on the menu named after the movement including a Crypto Cuban, Blockchain Club, Dogedog and a Bitcoinana Split. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

2. The University of South Florida started its spring semester on Monday with thousands of students, staff, and teacher returning to campus. The surging omicron COVID-19 variant is of top concern as instruction begins. The university says they "expect everyone to wear a mask indoors." (ABC Action News)

3. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office announced on Monday it will not allow comments on social media beginning January 24th. The policy change is due to an increase in tips being submitted to the agency’s social media pages, the sheriff’s office said. (WFLA)

4. CareerSource Tampa Bay kicked off registration for its 2022 Tampa Bay Summer Hires program on Monday. There are 760 summer positions available for young adults ages 16 to 24. Participants will be paid $13 per hour and work a maximum of 24-hours per week. (ABC Action News)

5. Close friends and law enforcement are invited to the funeral services for Tampa Police Officer Matthew David McNeal of Wesley Chapel today, January 11th, at the Bridgeway Church. McNeal died of brain cancer on January 2nd at the age of 34. He worked as a patrol officer and a full-time member of the Tampa Police Department Bicycle Operations and Response Team. (Tampa Patch)

Today in Tampa:

• Bella Prana Yoga at Armature Works. (9:00 AM)
• East Tampa Community Advisory Committee Meeting at Ragan Park Community Center. (9:00 AM)
• Music At Stones Throw Every Tuesday. (7:00 PM)
• School Board Meeting at Hillsborough County Schools. (4:00 PM)
• Boys Basketball V. Jesuit at Robinson High. (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• There are 9,579 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Florida, according to the Florida Hospital Association. It represents a 361.6% increase in 14 days and 80.8% increase in 7 days. (Twitter)
• USF St. Petersburg has formed a 17-member Regional Chancellor Search Committee to look for Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock's successor. (The Crow's Nest)
• Former City of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn is joining lobbying firm Shumaker Advisors Florida as a principal. (Tampa Bay Times)
• Seminole Hard Rock Tampa is having a career fair today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event includes on-the-spot offers and $50,000 in sign-on bonuses. (Twitter)
• The new Hillsborough County COVID testing site reached capacity in 5 hours on Monday. (Twitter)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Tuesday. I'll be in your inbox 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.