Tampa moves to eliminate restrictions on liquor sales

Tampa City Council made the first push last week to allow liquor purchases on Sunday morning. 

• Tampa’s “Blue Law”, as it’s known by locals, has been a long-standing city ordinance that restricts alcoholic purchases before 11 A.M. on the Lord’s Day. 

• The Council made the move in anticipation of the Super Bowl LV, which will be played out in Tampa.

The good news is that after the Super Bowl passes, the new ordinance will still be in effect.

One of the world’s largest living great white sharks arrives in Florida

Unama’ki, one of the world’s largest living great white sharks, was ‘pinged’ by scientists off the coast of Florida this weekend. 

• Unama’ki weighs over 2,000 pounds and is over 15 feet long. 

• The female shark was tagged by Ocearch, an organization which tracks animals across the globe. Two months ago, the shark was located in the waters around Nova Scotia. 

Ocearch has set up a website to track the shark’s journey here.

Buccaneers suffer biggest loss of the season 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost 38-3 to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. It was one of Tom Brady’s worst professional performances, according to a number of high-profile sports commentators. 

• However, not all of the blame rests on Brady’s shoulders: The Bucs’ defense could hardly pressure Brees, missing a number of key tackles and giving up 31 points in the first half. 

• The Bucs are 6-3 overall for the season and 2nd in the NFC South. 

On Sunday they will face off against the Carolina Panthers.

Libraries to open at 25 percent capacity

Hillsborough County Officials plan on opening up a select number of libraries at 25 percent capacity in the coming week. They felt comfortable with their decision after consulting a number of health officials and emergency managers. 

• While library staff have continued to provide a variety of services online, all county libraries were closed in March due to the pandemic. 

• There will be some restrictions: Visits are limited to an hour and study rooms will not be available.

Click here to see the list of libraries that will be open. 

Local dentist offers free care to vets

Dr. Jason Watts, who owns Watts Dental, is providing free dental care to military veterans for the third year in a row. 

• Last year, Watts said he provided over $70,000 worth of care to over 150 veterans. 

• This year, veterans are struggling even more to get the care they need due to financial hardships from the pandemic. 

Watts told the press, “The opportunities our military gives us to have our freedom every day, it’s the least I could do to thank them.”