Tampa Bay businesses left to decide, enforce COVID-19 policies

Charlie Crist declares run for Florida governor; Dunedin's Kellogg mansion facing demolition; Pasco school resource officers will no longer access student data; Lightning's Stamkos back on the ice

View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Wednesday, May 5, 2021 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Well, hello. It's looking like a high of 92 and low of 75 are in store for this partly cloudy Wednesday. A few of the many stories worth your time: Tampa's Rome Yard development bid reveals more optic problems; the aging Kellogg mansion may not be around much longer in Dunedin; and Charlie Crist declares his latest bid for Florida governor. Oh, and a Bucs fan favorite showed off his skills while skating with the Lightning. [CHRIS URSO | Times] With local COVID-19 protocols lifted, businesses adjust to the change Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order invalidating county- or city-ordered mask mandates and other pandemic restrictions means Tampa Bay business owners are left to decide whether to require and enforce coronavirus precautions. On Tuesday, restaurants, bars and stores throughout the region started making changes in light of the order, resulting in a patchwork of individual policies business to business. Will they implement their own mask rules? What about social distancing? Business owners share the approaches they're taking. Related coverage:   Common questions answered about DeSantis' order.   When will masks become voluntary in Tampa Bay schools? Soon but not soon enough for some parents after the suspension of local pandemic-related restrictions. MORE CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS UPDATES AT TAMPABAY.COM/CORONAVIRUS Back into the boardroom: Pasco County will reopen its public meetings to visitors, allowing residents to address commissioners face to face again. Entering a new era: Experts have predicted that some elements of work-from-home culture would continue. Kforce selling its Tampa headquarters and shifting to a hybrid work model is the clearest sign yet. Track the spread: Search by county, city, ZIP code or hospital. Daily update: Florida recorded 3,682 cases and 93 deaths Tuesday. Vaccine doses: See how Florida compares to other states. No symptoms after your shot? That's okay, health experts say. The vaccine is still working. Your support makes a difference The Tampa Bay Times needs your help to keep delivering top-notch journalism. Please consider subscribing or making a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Journalism Fund. Donate Gain unlimited access BRIGHT SPOT [MAGGIE DUFFY | Times] Small gallery celebrates a victory after uncertain year Like other local visual art hubs, the Brenda McMahon Gallery had to find new ways to do business when the pandemic hit. It now represents 16 local, regional and national artists — and will soon toast to two years in Gulfport. AROUND THE BAY Controversy over Rome Yard grows: An activist key in picking a developer for the prime Tampa project also signed a $75,000 contract with the Housing Authority, a partner to the deal. Access closed off: The Pasco County Sheriff's Office and School Board have revised their arrangement. School resource officers can no longer get personal student data. Turning its focus: The Hillsborough County School Board's initial plan to develop a corrective action plan for superintendent Addison Davis is becoming a process of creating a better evaluation document. Same questions linger: Seventeen years later, the proposed New Tampa Performing Arts Center continues to face scrutiny over financing. Aiming to disrupt the market: A real estate brokerage company is expanding to Tampa Bay with the promise of saving home sellers money. New job for former Moffitt CEO: Alan List, who left the Tampa cancer center in 2019 amid controversy, is now chief medical officer of a North Carolina biotechnology company. Final Bayshore Boulevard case ends: Hillsborough County prosecutors dropped a racing charge against the last of three young men accused of taking part in the 2018 traffic crash that killed a mother and daughter. Diving into local trends 📉 How is Tampa Bay's economy affecting you?  We're introducing a free, weekly newsletter this month breaking down the biggest stories in tourism, real estate, city development, retail and more. Sign up for Business by the Bay here. POLITICS [DIRK SHADD | Times] Race for 2022 begins: Charlie Crist launches another run for Florida governor It's official. The St. Petersburg congressman and former governor is the first major candidate jumping into the Democratic primary to take on DeSantis.   What's next? One of the most competitive congressional seats opens up. Crist's Republican challenger in 2020, Anna Paulina Luna, has said she intends to run.   Crist's campaign received mixed reactions as some Democrats believe it's time for the next generation to lead a party growing more diverse.   From our archives: Revisit this 2014 profile on Crist, who had many people asking, is he for real? Void in Congress: DeSantis set the special election to replace Rep. Alcee Hastings, who died last month, for January 2022. The delay creates complications for House Democrats in Washington who have a slim majority.   Heading to DeSantis: A bill passed by the state Legislature would set up a task force to find and protect unmarked and abandoned Black cemeteries. Punishments for abuse strengthened: Florida lawmakers voted yes on allowing courts to remove people convicted of crimes against elders or disabled adults from the victim's will or estate. Need a mental break? Play a game! 👾 ARCADE SOLITAIRE SUDOKU SEE ALL OPINION AND COMMENTARY How to observe Teacher Appreciation Week: Appreciation holidays are for people who just need to be paid more, columnist Stephanie Hayes says. Have you considered giving the educator in your life a bag of dollars? Crist's latest bid for Florida governor: As the first big Democrat in the race, writes the Times Editorial Board, Charlie Crist can set the party's priorities. But make no mistake: Any Democrat faces a difficult task in unseating DeSantis. SPORTS Learning from Tom Brady: Kyle Trask, the second-round pick from Florida, doesn’t know what it will be like to play behind the GOAT. But 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo can tell Trask all about it. Bucs and Bolts collide: Rob Gronkowski visited Lightning practice Tuesday. Catch up on what happened. Steven Stamkos was also back on the ice, working together with Nikita Kucherov as part of the first-team power-play unit. Good omen for Stanley Cup chances? No team in the league this season closes better than the Lightning when ahead entering the third period. In fact, they’re perfect. Shane McClanahan impresses again: The USF alum put on another show Tuesday. And the Rays put up another win, beating Joe Maddon’s Angels 8-3.  “He’s been outstanding”: The Rays have won 80 percent of the games started by Tyler Glasnow since 2019. That sort of sounds like an ace. Joe Maddon on the Rays: What does the Angels manager think about his former team? “They’re really near and dear to my heart, absolutely, the Rays and everything about them. ... I’m so happy for their success.” TODAY'S TALKER [Courtesy of Karl Moeller and Kevin King] End of an era for century-old Kellogg mansion? A Dunedin landmark, the waterfront home was once owned by cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg. But it struggled to find a buyer for more than seven years. Now, the house is likely to be demolished and replaced with something modern. Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda and Bernadette Berdychowski. Did someone forward this to you? Get the DayStarter in your own inbox next time. It's free to subscribe. Sign up here. Contact us Privacy policy Terms, conditions & copyright Standard of accuracy © 2021 • All Rights Reserved Tampa Bay Times • 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 To ensure this email is delivered to your inbox, add custserv@elist.tampabay.com to your address book. You are receiving this email because you signed up for the "DayStarter" newsletter from the Tampa Bay Times. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe from this email.