🌱 Patriot Day 9/11 Remembrance + Busch Gardens Spooktacular Weekends

Good morning, hello! I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend. I'm back in your inbox this morning with your fresh copy of the Tampa Daily. Here's all the community news you need to know right now.

• 🎃 Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is starting Halloween early with its Spooktacular celebration starting Sept. 10.
• 🐂 The University of South Florida was named one of the nation's best employer's for women by Forbes.
• 📅 Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and local veteran groups will host Patriot Day: 9/11 Remembrance this Friday.

Today is National Coffee Ice Cream Day. It celebrates two of the best things joining forces.

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First, today's weather:

A stray afternoon t-storm. High: 92 Low: 79.

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Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and local veteran groups will host a Patriot Day: 9/11 Remembrance on Friday, September 9 at 9 a.m. The event will be held at Veterans Memorial Park & Rear Admiral LeRoy Collins Jr. Museum. The keynote speaker for the event will be Chief Dennis Jones, who was appointed Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Chief in 2015. (Tampa Patch)

2. Halloween is arriving early at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with its Spooktacular celebration starting Saturday, September 10. There will be a costume parade, trick-or-treating, spooky stories and more on weekends. All guests can bring their own bag or purchase a trick-or-treat bag at the theme park. (WKMG)

3. The 11th Annual Fall Stampede presented by Chick-fil-A to benefit the Children's Cancer Center is being held on Saturday, September 10 starting at 7:30 a.m at 10165 McKinley Dr. Registration leading up to the event is $35 and will increase on the day of the event to $45. (ABC Action News)

4. University of South Florida (USF) was named one of the nation's best employers for women by Forbes Magazine, coming in at No. 22 on the publication's "America's Best Employers for Women" list. The study surveyed 50,000 Americans who worked for companies with at least 1,000 employees. (The Crow's Nest)

5. Deputies identified a juvenile following a false bomb threat made at Rushe Middle School in Land O' Lakes, the Pasco County Sheriff's office announced Monday. Charges are being referred to the State Attorney's Office, according to a tweet. Police say there is no threat to students and faculty at Charles S. Rushe Middle School, but will increase presence as a precaution. (WTSP)

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Today in Tampa:

• Toddler Tuesdays at ZooTampa. (10 a.m.)
• School Board Workshop at Hillsborough County Schools. (10 a.m.)
• Crochet Buddies With Ms. Bonita at Bruton Memorial Library. (3 p.m.)
• Happy Hour Yoga at Armature Works. (6 p.m.)
• Sip & Salsa at Hotel Haya. (7 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Archaeologists in Clearwater reported the discovery of 328 graves under St. Matthews Baptist Church Cemetery this past week. The graves were planned for relocation in 1955. Historical data shows that at least 533 people were once buried in that location. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times, Free: The Root)
• The non-profit group Friends of Strays, a no-kill animal shelter in St. Pete, is partnering with MEOW Now in an effort save more free-roaming cats. As part of the partnership MEOW Now will have a physical space at Friends of Strays' campus by next year. (St. Pete Catalyst)
• Bon Appetit magazine has published a guide to Tampa. The list includes Psomi, La Segunda, Tampa Theatre, and more. (Bon Appetit)

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More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Beginning T'ai Chi Chih (September 8)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (September 9)
• 9/11 Memorial Service (September 11)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar (September 13)
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• Dark Leap Tees LLC - Gym Streetwear Brand - Now Open For Online Ordering (Details)
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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow morning for 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.

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