Tampa Today News: Lakeland Christmas Parade Tonight + The Blitz Inn
Everything you to know happening in Tampa.
Welcome back to Tampa Today News. I’m Carlos Hernandez, your host explaining all things about what’s happening in Tampa including local news, events, and more. I hope your week is going great. Let’s get started!
In this issue we’ll discuss:
An annual holiday parade bringing cheer to Lakeland.
Plenty of holiday events to check out happening in Tampa.
The latest on Hillsborough County’s transportation tax funds struck down in 2018 by a judge.
Today’s weather: High 73 and low 55. Mostly sunny skies.
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Top stories today in Tampa:
The 42nd annual Lakeland Christmas Parade is tonight: Catch the 42nd Annual Lakeland Christmas Parade tonight at 7 p.m. starting with fireworks to kickoff the event. The theme is “Christmas in Candy Land" this year and guests can enjoy floats, marching bands, and, of course, Santa Claus. Families have been spotted setting up since 4 a.m. for the parade. (wfla.com)
Tampa Police charge 14-year-old suspect in Ybor Halloween shooting with murder: Police have charged a 14-year old with murder in connection to the Oct. 29 Ybor City. The suspect is facing charges of second degree murder with a firearm, attempted aggravated battery and attempted murder. At a news conference Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez attacked the boy as being “no stranger” to the criminal justice system with several pending charges in juvenile court. Police are still searching for more suspects in the incident. (fox13news.com)
Ybor restaurant rolls out holiday decorations for the season: Barterhouse in Ybor City has launched a limited-time holiday makeover called The Blitz Inn. The restaurant is filled with Christmas ornaments, string lights, as well as presents and more. Guests can enjoy holiday cocktails including the White Christmas, Milk & Cookies and The Pole Dancer. Barterhouse is located at 1811 N 15th St. (thatssotampa.com)
TECO budget billing program leaves some customers facing steep bills: Some customers are complaining about Tampa Electric Co.’s (TECO) budget billing program that offers customers a flat-rate monthly based bill. One customer claims they were hit with a $700 outstanding electric bill at the end of the program. TECO spokesperson Cherie Jacobs claimed customers should read the fine print when agreeing to programs as this customer was likely shielded previously from rate increases. (wusf.org)
DeSantis supports transferring held tax funds to Hillsborough County transit projects: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to spend the $570 million collected from taxpayers in Hillsborough County on transportation, despite the sales tax being ruled unconstitutional after the sales tax was sued by Hillsborough County Republican Commissioner Stacy White in 2018. Efforts to return the hundreds of millions of dollars to taxpayers have stalled for years. City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor supports the effort and has previously advocated for transportation funds. Hillsborough County has one of the worst funded transportation systems in the United States of America. (tampabay.com, tampabay.com)
Top events in Tampa today:
Learn to Crochet at Creative Junk Therapy. (4 p.m.)
The Holiday Promenade at Water Street Tampa. (5 p.m.)
Charcuterie Class with Graze Uniquely at Armature Works. (6 p.m.)
Sunset Market at Midtown Tampa. (6 p.m.)
Holiday Wreath Making Workshop - Craft Your Festive Door Décor at Common Dialect Beerworks. (6:30 p.m.)
Latin Dance Night featuring Innovation at The Floridian Social. (7 p.m.)
The 42nd Annual Lakeland Christmas Parade: "Christmas in Candy Land" at Downtown Lakeland. (7 p.m.)
What I’m eating:
Last night I dined at The Dan at Hotel Flor in downtown Tampa, previously known as The Floridan Hotel. The historic hotel is one of the oldest in Florida being built in 1926 and also apparently one of the first skyscrapers built in Florida (according to my DASH driver). As usual the food was tasty. We enjoyed the crispy red snapper and the burger and all the drinks were solid. The restaurant recently hired a new chef so look for some changes coming to the menu in the near future.
I love the re-design inside the restaurant, its much more stylish and now much better for a date or gathering. The place was filled with guests. Most of the cocktail menu focuses on classic 1920s cocktails, I think they should add some more creative cocktails though to stand out against other bars in Tampa more.
If you visit the hotel they also decorated it nicely for Christmas and could make a good quick photo op as well. I want to check out their coffee shop next.
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That’s all I have for today. See you tomorrow.
-Carlos Hernandez