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🌱 Patch AM: Can you help Tampa police identify this red‑bike homicide suspect?

And on the Tampa Patch calendar - Free Dog Training Class

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Hey hey Tampa! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Can you help Tampa police identify this red‑bike homicide suspect?
  • Why one Tampa veteran now spends evenings by candlelight
  • New airport bus could vanish if November tax vote passes

Also on today's calendar: Free Dog Training Class and 11 more events.

Today's riddle: Why did the girl pig break up with the boy pig? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Friday: Showers and a heavier t-storm, with a high of 89 and low of 74 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Saturday: A shower and thunderstorm, temps: high: 89, low: 73.
  • Sunday: Humid; a p.m. t-storm or two, with a high of 91 and low of 74 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Tampa police reclassify shooting investigation to homicide after man dies (fox13news.com) — Tampa police have reclassified a late‑September shooting on Nebraska Avenue near McEwen Avenue as a homicide after the victim, a Black man in his early 60s, died at the hospital. Detectives released video of a suspect on a red mountain bike and are urging anyone with information to contact Tampa Police or Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay.
   

2. Florida retiree lives by candlelight as power bills soar among the nation's highest (thecooldown.com) — Rising Tampa Electric Company bills are forcing some Tampa renters, including a 75-year-old veteran, to cut back to candlelight evenings as power costs eat into fixed incomes. Consumer advocates say complex fees and fuel surcharges now make up a large share of bills, pushing many local older adults and low-income residents above accepted energy-burden thresholds while regulators and utilities debate reforms.
   

3. New bus route from St. Pete to TPA starts Sunday. What to know (tampabay.com) — Starting Sunday, a new 727 Airport Express bus will run 15 daily trips between downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa International Airport, using express lanes and charging about $2.25 each way. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority warns the route, and possibly other services across Tampa Bay, could be cut as soon as June if voters approve a large homestead tax exemption in November.
   

4. Pinellas urges residents to do their part as dengue grows (baynews9.com) — Health officials across the Tampa Bay region, including Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, are extending emergency efforts as dengue fever cases climb to 179, though no West Nile infections are yet reported in the Tampa area. Pinellas Mosquito Control is ramping up spraying, trap monitoring, and public alerts, while urging residents to dump standing water, cover up outdoors, and use EPA-approved repellents to curb mosquito-borne disease risks.
   

5. Florida Player Wins $1.1M Jackpot at Hard Rock Tampa (playusa.com) — A St. Johns County visitor recently hit a $1.1 million jackpot while playing Dragon Link Panda Magic at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, marking the property's seventh million‑plus Dragon Link win this year. The casino highlights the streak as proof of its "Luckiest Casino in the U.S." branding and notes it has paid multiple seven‑figure jackpots across 2026.
   

📸 Around Tampa

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Why Balcony and Lanai Tile Requires a Different Installation Approach in Tampa —Daniel I Read on Patch
  • Creating Community by Design: SeaFlower Names Maria Dandy as Art of Living Director —Margie Martin Read on Patch
  • Tampa Bay Foundation to Launch with Inaugural "A Night of Purpose" Fundraiser on October 2 —Judith Masters Read on Patch
  • Hi, can't sleep and wondering.
    Isn't it interesting being alive, aware; Like who is that realizing that i am thinking ? Who is that in me? A soul, a spirit in my body How… (Nextdoor Easton Park)
  • Hello!!
    I lost my kitten as of this morning. Please Let me know if you have seen him around!!! UPDATE: WE DOUND HIM!! He came back around 2 am a little dirty… (Nextdoor Westchase/Citrus Park)
  • Public Storage posted a job opening for Customer Service - Self Storage Manager in Tampa. Apply here.
  • Smiths Group posted a job opening for Quality Inspector in Tampa. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Tampa here.

Ok Tampa! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "Why did the girl pig break up with the boy pig?" — Because he was such a boar! (Thank you Theresa H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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