🌱 Patch AM: Tampa Lottery Retailer Accused Of Trying To Keep $1,000 Winning Ticket

Hey there, Tampa! Let's get started with what's happening in and around town. Read on and stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• Undercover sting at Tampa gas station uncovers alleged lottery ticket scheme
• How will New Tampa's new fire-rescue deal affect response times?
• How soon will Tampa's historic Jackson House finally reopen?

Also on today's calendar: 9/11 Memorial Ceremony and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: I'm a rock group with 4 members; one member was assassinated. What am I? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: Humid; an afternoon t-storm, with a high of 89 and low of 76 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
• Saturday: Cloudy, a thunderstorm; humid, temps: high: 90, low: 76.
• Sunday: Humid; an afternoon t-storm, with a high of 91 and low of 77 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Tampa Lottery Retailer Accused Of Trying To Keep $1,000 Winning Ticket (patch.com) — Tampa residents who buy lottery tickets at local gas stations may take notice after an undercover Florida Lottery investigation at a Gandy Boulevard Shell station led to legal action against the store owner. Investigators say the owner tried to keep a customer's $1,000 winning ticket by claiming it was worth only $5, prompting the state to halt lottery sales at the location and remove its inventory.
   

2. New Tampa Fire Coverage Shift: Is Pasco County's $640K Deal the Best Move for Residents? (newstalkflorida.com) — New Tampa neighborhoods like Pebble Creek and Live Oak will soon see Pasco County Fire Rescue, rather than Tampa Fire Rescue, handling most emergency calls under a new cross-county deal starting October 1. Hillsborough County expects to save about $640,000 a year by leasing space at Pasco's Station 26 and sharing ambulance operations, but residents remain wary about response times and Bruce B. Downs traffic.
   

3. Jackson House Foundation says it has signed construction firm, vows rebuild after Labor Day breach (tampabay28.com) — A major restoration of Tampa's historic Jackson House is moving ahead despite recent structural damage, with a full construction team now under contract and a capital campaign launching. Leaders told Tampa's Community Redevelopment Agency the house will be carefully deconstructed, rebuilt to its 1950s appearance, and could see a ribbon cutting within 18 to 24 months, preserving a key piece of local Black history.
   

4. Win Free Passes to See DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island Early (flickdirect.com) — Tampa movie fans can snag free advance passes to see DreamWorks Animation's new film Forgotten Island at AMC West Shore on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, days before its wide release. Passes are limited, first-come, first-served, and don't guarantee seating, so locals are encouraged to claim them online and arrive early for this PG-rated fantasy adventure.
   

5. Animal advocates urge Hillsborough County commissioners to fund new shelter (fox13news.com) — Hillsborough County animal advocates, including Tampa-area residents, are pressing commissioners to fully fund a long-promised replacement for the aging, flood-prone Pet Resource Center on Falkenburg Road. Their push comes as hundreds of millions are earmarked for a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium, leaving only about $30 million unassigned while a new shelter is expected to cost at least $35 million before the September 24 budget vote.
   

📸 Around Tampa

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Tampa

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★ Featured events ★

Friday September 11
• 9/11 Memorial Ceremony →
  Curlew Hills Memory Gardens, 1750 Curlew Rd, Palm Harbor
  10:00 am
Saturday September 12
• The Rare Plant Network & Garden Club of St. Pete Rain or Shine Plant Sale Saturday 9/12/26, 9-1pm →
  The Rare Plant Network,
• Charlie's TCG Con →
  Egypt Shrine Event Center, 5017 E Washington St, Tampa
  10:00 am

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Friday September 11
• Art Rececption →
  Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Rd, Tampa
  5:30 pm
• Tampa Art and Wine Event – Look to the Moon →
  Wulfaven Brewing – Tampa, 10828 Perez Dr, Tampa
  6:30 pm
• Gimme Gimme Disco →
  The Orpheum, 14802 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa
  8:00 pm
Saturday September 12
• Pilates On The Deck →
  Lower Deck 601 S Harbour Island Blvd suite 110 Tampa, FL 33602
  9:00 am
• Charlie's TCG Events →
  Egypt Shrine Center, 5017 E Washington St, Tampa
  10:00 am
• The Underground Book Fair at the Jack Kerouac House →
  Kerouac House, 5169 10th Ave N, St. Petersburg
  12:00 pm
• Soundwavs At the Park 2026 - Promo Code "RAVEFAM" →
  Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle
  2:00 pm
• Low Tide Festival 2026 - Promo Code "RAVEFAM" →
  Riverfront Park, 1061 Everglades Ave, North Charleston
  3:00 pm
• Love In Paradise Hawaii 2026 - Promo Code "RAVEFAM" →
  Wet 'n' Wild Hawaii, 400 Farrington Hwy, Kapolei
  5:00 pm

📣 Tampa Shout Outs!

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Custom Craft Homes expands in Tampa with construction of model home and inventory homes —Kasey Brennan Read on Patch

• Hello, I am a wildlife rehabilitator in South Tampa.
  Genghis, a raccoon I took in when he was about 3 months old and decided unreleasable, is now 3 years old. He got out of his enclosure after the door… (Nextdoor Fair Oaks/Manhattan Manor)
• This is Mercedes.
  She has been missing for a week now I have tried every site so far She has a pink collar on with a silver skull last scene on Hannaway Drive cross… (Nextdoor Paradise)

• Sysco Corporation posted a job opening for Sanitation Associate in Tampa. Apply here.
• Altar'd State - Stand Out For Good, Inc. posted a job opening for Stock Associate in Tampa. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Tampa here.

Ok Tampa! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Mount Rushmore (Thank you J.J. W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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