🌱 Councilman Viera Pledges Return Of Tampa Tenant Protections + Esports Player's Club

Get on up, Tampa! Let's get this Tuesday started. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening today in town.

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First, today's weather:

Cool with periods of rain. High: 58 Low: 48.

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Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. A year after a cyberattack on the city of Oldsmar’s water system, some experts are still questioning the security of the utility. Ron Sanders, staff director for the Florida Center for Cybersecurity, says the “The cybersecurity industry is suffering from a talent deficit. There is a huge talent gap between supply and demand." (WUSF)

2. Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera is pledging to reintroduce a Tampa tenant's bill of rights and income and anti-discrimination measures after the city failed to advance legislation last week to address growing concerns about affordability in housing as Tampa's population grows and rent hits record highs. Viera was absent for the vote last week. (Florida Politics)

3. The Saturday Morning Shoppe is heading to Tampa's Westshore Plaza on February 19th, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nearly 150 local businesses will participate. Organizers have partnered with Feeding America and Simply Healthcare to give out free food to those in need during the event as well. (That's So Tampa)

4. Esports Players Club is now open at 1802 W Kennedy Dr. and accepting entries for a Madden football competition. The facility stands at 5,000 square feet and visitors will be offered monthly and annual membership deals, as well as per-month classes or unlimited facility access. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

5. A naked Tampa man pulled a fire alarm in a Tampa high-rise apartment building on Sunday and then sprayed people with a fire extinguisher as they evacuated, according to a report from WFLA. One of the station's reporters witnessed the strange sight and tweeted about it. (Tampa Patch)

Today in Tampa:

• Bella Prana Yoga at Armature Works. (9:00 AM)
• Musical Storytime at Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. (10:30 AM)
• Women's Tennis Hillsborough CC vs. Tampa. University of Tampa Athletics. (3:00 PM)
• School Board Meeting at Hillsborough County Schools (4:00 PM)
• Tampa Fire Rescue Health And Safety Open House at Port Tampa Park Community Center. (5:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• School Naming Update: A new magnet school is opening in August 2022 in Southeastern Hillsborough County. The school board of Hillsborough County will vote for a name during the board meeting on Tuesday, February 22nd. (Facebook)
• Join Midtown Tampa tonight for a neighborhood Trivia Night challenge starting at 6:30 p.m. (Facebook)
• Save the Date: March 26, 2022 for the upcoming Tampa Pride Festival. (Facebook)
• Last week the South Tampa Chamber’s Military Affairs Council hosted a Speed Networking Style event for transitioning military, veterans and military spouses. (Facebook)
• City of Tampa is hiring for Fleet Mechanic II. Average salary is $48,089.60 to $68,452.80. Those interested can apply online. (Facebook)

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Events:

• Taxes in Retirement Seminar (February 8)
• Tampa Bay CAREER SUPER BOWL Job Fair - HIRING HUNDREDS! (February 9)
• Live Music & Food at BRU FL Growler Odessa (February 11)
• Interglacial by Laura Peterson Choreography - presented by HCC Visual and Performing Arts series (February 11)
• Monopoly Tournament (February 19)
• Social Security Webinar (February 21)
• Estate Planning Webinar (February 21)
• Social Security Seminar 2/22 & 2/23 (February 22)
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You're officially in the loop for today. 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.