Tampa Bay’s Income, Starbucks at Publix, Red Light Cameras

Patch operates 23 daily news sites in Florida. The following are some of the top stories from the past day:

Dollar General Announces National Hiring Surge

Tampa Bay area residents in search of work may want to check into Dollar General for opportunities. The discount retail giant has announced plans to hire 10,000 new workers across the country over the next month.

Local Food Truck Battling in National Competition

For Elaine Thompson and Lokesh Vale, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In 2014, the two co-founded The Twisted Iron, a food-truck business that delivers sweet and savory waffles around the Tampa Bay area. Now, the pair are hoping their breakfast will deliver in a different way: By competing in the Thomas’ Breakfast Battle.

2 State Forests Luring Pokemon This Weekend

The State of Florida is hoping area residents will help “catch” some digital animals in two of its 37 forests this weekend.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Release Set for Friday

Tampa Bay area residents who want to witness a sea turtle release in person will get their chance this Friday. Mote Marine Laboratory has announced plans to release “Tucker B,” a sub-adult loggerhead sea turtle bright and early in the morning.

Tampa Extends Red Light Camera Program

Motorists hoping those all-seeing red light cameras at 22 intersections across the city of Tampa might soon become a thing of the past are out of luck. The Tampa City Council voted 4-3 Thursday to extend the program for two more years.

Publix, Starbucks Teaming Up for In-Store Cafés

For those who think the only thing that could make a Pub sub better is a Frappuccino on the side, Publix and Starbucks have a surprise in store. The two companies have announced a trial team-up that will soon roll out at a Tampa Publix location.

Tampa Bay 3rd in Nation for House Flipping

Not everyone in Tampa Bay’s real estate market is on the hunt for a dream home. An estimated 10 percent are out to find, buy and then sell someone else’s dream home at a profit, according to RealtyTrac.

How Much Money are People Making in the Tampa Region?

Residents of the Tampa region are seeing rising incomes, according to new data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The rise in the local median household income comes as the nation and most large metro areas are seeing similar increases.

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