Cool Zoo, Rays Spring Training, $200 Car Theft: News Nearby

Here are some of the share-worthy stories from Florida Patches to talk about tonight:

• Baby Killed In Crash, Father Later Captured By Police
• 2022 Spring Training Scheduled For Tampa Bay Rays Released
• Cool Zoo Brings Animal Encounters To Tampa Home & Garden Show

Former Football Player Charged With Murder Of UM Star Bryan Pata

Fifteen years after the slaying, Miami-Dade police have charged former University of Miami football player Rashaun Jones with the 2006 murder of his teammate and star player Bryan Pata. Pata was shot and killed Nov. 6, 2006, in the parking lot of his apartment complex after practice.

School District Employees Declared 'Essential Workers': Asplen

At Tuesday's Sarasota County School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Brennan Asplen warned the community that Sarasota County Schools was at "a critical point" in operations because of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the region. To keep schools open, the district has declared its workers "essential employees."

Broward Politician’s Daughter Charged With COVID-19 Relief Fraud

The 28-year-old daughter of Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness has been accused of COVID-19 relief fraud. Damara Holness of Fort Lauderdale was accused of lying on a coronavirus relief loan application and fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to help small business survive the pandemic.

Woman Accused Of Stealing $200,000 Bentley Smiles For Mugshot

A Plant City woman has been arrested after Clearwater police said she stole a 2016 Bentley sedan, worth about $200,000, from a Clearwater Beach condominium.

Poll Shows St. Pete Mayor’s Race Standings Ahead Of Primary

The poll results are in for who would get the most votes in the crowded primary mayoral election in St. Petersburg on Aug. 24. Candidate Ken Welch ranked first in the poll at 30.9 percent.

COVID Treatment Sites, Latest Mask Debates

• State-Run Monoclonal Antibodies Treatment Site Opens In Hudson
• FL Couple Presented Fake Vaccination Cards In Hawaii: Report
• State-Run Monoclonal Antibodies Clinic To Open In Manatee: Servia
• Weekend COVID-19 Vaccine Events In St. Petersburg
• COVID Treatment Site Opening At Tropicana Field: DeSantis
• Professional Santa Gives New COVID-19 Testing Site A Thumbs-Up

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Also Worth a Look Today

• Woman Killed By Truck While Crossing U.S. 41 In Bradenton:
• Tampa International Airport To Add New Airline, Nonstop Trip To New Haven

• University Of South Florida Ranks Among Best Colleges In Florida
• $6.9M Luxury Home Boasts Only Private Beach On Manasota Key
• $2.3M Renovated Beach Bungalow In Heart Of Anna Maria Island

Across America

• Hospitalizations Spike Among Unvaccinated As IL ICU Beds Dwindle
• Long Island Needs To Prepare For Henri: FEMA
• Hundreds Protest Cobb Schools Mask Policy, On Both Sides
• MN GOP Chair Voted To Give Herself $38K Before Resigning: Report
• CA Wildfires Latest: See A Map Of All Fires Burning

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