First Tampa Omicron Variant Case Reported At Veteran’s Hospital

A patient at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa is the first reported case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in the Bay area according to the Florida Department of Health. The CDC confirmed the case and said the patient had recently traveled out of the country and has mild symptoms.

The Bucs Tom Brady has been named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. It’s the second time for Brady who was with the Patriots for his first win. A statement from Sports Illustrated said “He is the best-ever practitioner of the most important position in his sport—perhaps in all sports. But let’s be clear: This award is not for lifetime achievement but based on Brady’s body of work over the last 12 months.”

Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis was at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa Tuesday to announce a $100 million dollar budget to fight cancer. She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The new budget would be a 60% increase in funding.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor sat down with Tampa Bay Ray’s owner Stu Sternberg on her birthday Tuesday to talk about a new home for the Rays in Tampa. The proposed location would be in the old Kforce headquarters in Ybor City. The Rays still have a contract at Tropicana Field through 2027.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said manatees are starving around Indian River Lagoon, so they will being supplemental feedings for a limited time. The seagrass they depend upon is disappearing, so FWC is working on a plan to assist the manatees. If you do see a manatee in distress or injured, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

Cooler weather is here, and Duke Energy is letting customers know their bills are going up due to a rise in fuel prices. The utility company is offering assistance for person having trouble paying their bills with that information here.

Hurricane season 2021 just ended but researchers say what happens in the Atlantic is what we need to keep an eye on. The new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may stay out to sea but still have the potential to be strong storms. Researchers point to global warming as one important indicator of why things are changing.

So if you placed bets using the Seminole Hard Rock’s Sportsbook app can you get a refund for money you may have lost? Possibly. A tweet from the Tribe over the weekend said “Player information and account funds are safe and secure, and the app will remain online for easy withdrawals via all payment methods.” But it may lead to litigation to get money back after the app was supposed to be pulled but was still taking bets.

©2021 Cox Media Group