🌱 Manatee Fire Lt. Donates Kidney To Tampa Nurse + Beach Gondola

Hello, everybody! I'm back with your fresh edition of the Tampa Daily. Keep reading for the most important things going on around town...

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First, today's weather:

Cloudy, a t-storm in the p.m.. High: 87 Low: 78.

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Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. Tampa Bay Regional Area Transportation Authority is asking Tampa Bay residents their opinion about a 12-minute gondola ride between downtown Clearwater and Clearwater Beach. Leaders in St. Petersburg and Clearwater are unsure if the cost is worth the effort with alternative forms of transportation already available. (Clearwater Patch)

2. The gunman who died in a shootout after he unsuccessfully tried to attack the FBI's Cincinnati office this week has ties to the Tampa area. 42-year-old Ricky Walter Shiffer was registered to vote in Hillsborough County as recently as 2021 and lived in the area since at least 2005. He is believed to be a member of the far-right Proud Boys organization and to have participated in the January 6th Insurrection. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times, Free: Bay News 9)

3. A Manatee County fire lieutenant, Lt. Derek Foss, has donated a kidney to a Tampa nurse, the wife of a fellow firefighter. The nurse suffered kidney problems that worsened after contracting COVID-19 and turned to social media for help when she learned her odds of receiving a kidney were slim. (WFLA)

4. You can now rent a gas-powered golf cart in downtown Tampa from Channelside Golf Cart Rentals Thursdays through Sundays. The owner says people have taken the carts as far as Ybor, Bayshore Boulevard, and Davis Islands. Drivers must be at least 25-years-old with a valid license and the speed limit is 25 mph. (Fox 13)

5. Black leaders and civil rights activists are speaking out after newly appointed State Attorney Susan Lopez moved to bring back Tampa's highly-criticized "Biking While Black" policy. Lopez was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis after suspending Democrat Andrew Warren. Warren's office found "more than 70% of 'resisting without violence' cases in Hillsborough that occurred after a pedestrian or bike stop involved Black defendants." (Creative Loafing Tampa)

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Today in Tampa:

• Second Sunday Art Walk And Vendor Fair at Armature Works. (11 a.m.)
• Markus Schulz | Pool Party Sundays at WTR Pool. (noon)
• Summer Classics: All That Jazz (1979) at Tampa Theatre. (3 p.m.)
• Exhibits In The Zoo ThinkTank's 2022 TYA Playwrights Festival at Stageworks Theatre. (3 p.m.)
• Big3 Playoff VIP Experience at Amalie Arena. (4 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has revealed a new scare zone for Howl-O-Scream where "the dark fairies and orcs are dying for you to experience the depths of their magically sinister forest." (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay via Facebook)
• Important road closure information: ⚠️ North Florida Ave. (between E. Frierson Ave to W. Crest Ave.) will be closed for at least 3 weeks starting Monday, August 22 for the Southeast Seminole Heights Stormwater Improvement Project. (City of Tampa via Facebook)
• Electric bills are climbing as Lakeland Electric pushes prices upward on customers. The fuel rates is increasing from $60 to $75 per 1,000 kilowatt hours, starting September 1. (ABC Action News)
• 65-year-old Robert Miranda is accused by Citrus County Sheriff's Office of illegal animal breeding and animal cruelty. Miranda told authorities he at the property and worked for a friend who raises roosters to ship to the Philippines for fighting. (WTSP)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Daily? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com