đŸŒ± UT Returns For Spring Semester + Hampton Chocolate Factory

Carlos Hernandez
Updated ·3 min read
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Morning, neighbors! Carlos Hernandez here with today's copy of the Tampa Daily.

First, today's weather:

Sunshine and pleasant. High: 71 Low: 55.

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Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. A Tampa woman, 35-year old Nicole Diaz, has been found guilty of having pure cocaine mailed to her home. Diaz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations. (Tampa Patch)

2. A Tampa man suspected of plotting a mass shooting in support of the terrorist group ISIS has been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial for now. Muhammed Al-Azhari was arrested in May 2020 for attempting to provide support to ISIS and faces up to 20 years in federal prison. (WFLA)

3. University of South Florida Tampa students will protest low enrollment of Black students on Thursday and call for more Black counselors and professors. Census data says 23.6% of Tampa's population is Black, but only around 9% of USF students are Black. The number in 2008-2009 was 12%. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

4. Hampton Chocolate Factory has officially opened in Sparkman Wharf at Water Street Tampa. The concept was founded in The Hamptons as the name implies. The shop sells gourmet chocolates, desserts, ice cream sandwiches, shakes, and more. (That's So Tampa)

5. Thousands of students have returned to the University of Tampa as the spring semester gets underway. Officials are monitoring COVID-19 and face masks are required for everyone when indoors on campus, regardless of vaccination status. (ABC Action News)

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Today in Tampa:

  • Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Meeting at City of Tampa Lemon Street Municipal Building. (1:30 PM)

  • Job Help at Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. (1:30 PM)

  • Women's Basketball Florida Southern Vs. Tampa at The University of Tampa Athletics. (5:30 PM)

  • All-U-Can Eat Pizza Skate at United Skates of America. (6:00 PM)

  • Remix: Leporello Sketchbook at Winthrop Arts Inc. (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning Coach Cooper provided updates on several injured Bolts ahead of their trip to California. (Facebook)

  • True Food Kitchen is opening its doors at Midtown Tampa on February 28th. They’re looking to grow their team and are hosting a job fair at the restaurant through February 5th. (Facebook)

  • Two-time Stanley Cup champion and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Steven Stamkos, will be an NHL All Star for the seventh time after fans voted him among the Last Men In. (Twitter)

  • The USPS free COVID-19 test order site is now live. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. The tests are completely free. (covidtests.gov)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll catch up with you bright and early 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.

This article originally appeared on the Tampa Patch