Pinellas 'book battle' aims to overcome gender gap in literacy

See photos from Gasparilla; 2 Hillsborough deputies found dead; Brady's future still uncertain

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View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Monday, January 31, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Ahoy, Tampa Bay! Gasparilla may be over, but feel free to hold on to your swashbuckling spirit to get through this Monday. Today (high of 68, low of 43) promises plenty of sun as the weekend’s cold temps start to warm.   A sneak peek at the newsletter: Get the latest on Tom Brady and what we know about his possible retirement; Florida’s COVID-19 infections continue to fall as deaths nearly double; and more. [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times] ‘Book battle’ among Pinellas County schools works to boost boys’ interest in reading There’s a literacy achievement gender gap in Pinellas County and across the state, data shows. One way the Pinellas school district is trying to address it? The Boys Read Book Battle.   This initiative, created as part of a larger strategy to overcome the gap, exposes boys to new books while teaching them in a competitive environment how to read for meaning and retention.    One local fifth-grader said the battle changed his entire approach — even with the materials he and his friends called the “boring learning books.”   His journey is the outcome that Pinellas and Florida educators are aiming for as they place added attention on the learning disparities between boys and girls when it comes to reading, with an eye to helping boys advance but never leaving girls behind.   Read more from reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek. Dive deeper into your favorite local subjects 📨 Our free email newsletters bring the best of the Tampa Bay Times to your inbox every week. Explore all of them here. AROUND THE BAY Chilly Gasparilla in Tampa Bay: Though some were shivering in their timbers, many mateys took to the streets of Tampa for the celebration Saturday. See photos from the city's first pirate festival since 2020. Officials were happy to report a low number of arrests this year. You can also catch up on our full coverage.   Hillsborough County deputies found dead: A sheriff's deputy shot and killed a fellow deputy and then himself in a St. Augustine rental home, authorities say.   Skyway Marina Mall to close: The south Pinellas County businesses there said they were given just 30 days' notice to vacate, but are facing high rents and uncertain futures.   Jordan Park's makeover kicks off: The $93 million St. Petersburg project will raze historic bungalows to build a 60-unit senior housing complex and more.   Facelift for Pasco County roadway? Regional planners present commissioners with a proposal on how to redevelop U.S. 19, focusing on two key locations.   $24M purchase: Pasco County plans to buy the Lindrick utility system that serves several coastal communities. The move could give more than 3,000 customers a break on their bills.   Cope Notes earns top honor: The Tampa mental health text-messaging service won the People's Choice award at a nationwide tech summit.   "Chapel of Love" singer remembered: Rosa Lee Hawkins of The Dixie Cups spent most of her life in New Orleans, but Hurricane Katrina brought her to Tampa, where she kept making music. She died this month at 76. FEATURED [Courtesy of the United States Mint] What to know about the Maya Angelou quarter The U.S. Mint began shipping out the new coin emblazoned with the likeness of the legendary writer and activist this month. How can Tampa Bay residents get one? Read on here. CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS UPDATES AT TAMPABAY.COM/CORONAVIRUS Florida's omicron wave: The state added 198,719 cases and 1,192 deaths in the past week. Infections are declining, but the death count is soaring as fewer Floridians seek the protection of vaccines and booster shots.   Vaccine doses: How does Florida compare to other states?   Schools strain to keep up with stats: As the case total for January nears 25,000 across Tampa Bay's four counties, it's getting hard for some schools to report their COVID-19 data in real time. See a county-by-county breakdown. POLITICS Mayors talk Rays stadium: Jane Castor and Ken Welch discussed their cities' efforts to lure the team to their respective sides of the bay and answered other questions at an annual Suncoast Tiger Bay Club forum.   Taking on the "good ole boy circle": Small business owner Maranda Douglas says Clearwater City Council has been largely unrelatable to much of the community. Running for Seat 4, she hopes to change that.   Rick Kriseman's next move: The former St. Petersburg mayor is joining ex-Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn as a lobbyist at the firm of Shumaker Advisors Florida.   Fast fundraising start: James Judge, the latest challenger to U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor in Tampa's District 14 congressional race, has hauled in some cash since filing in mid-December.   Sports betting off for now: Supporters of a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting in Florida did not collect enough signatures to put the measure on the 2022 ballot. 📹 Find us on YouTube The Tampa Bay Times video team produces special reports, sports coverage and more. Follow along with their work and subscribe to our YouTube channel. OPINION AND COMMENTARY Tampa Bay's young talent gap: The Times Editorial Board uses five charts to show how the region falls short among the millennial workforce, and why that's bad for growth. SPORTS [DIRK SHADD | Times] National reports say Tom Brady is retiring as the Bucs say hold on An hour after ESPN reported Saturday afternoon that the GOAT is hanging up his cleats, Bucs general manager Jason Licht got a call from Brady who said he still wasn't close to making a decision about his future. Here's the latest.   Who could be behind Door No. 2? As Brady contemplates retirement, Tampa Bay could be back in the quarterback market. This is what that looks like in 2022. An internal hire is also plausible — just not likely popular.   Reflections on 2021: Inside linebacker Devin White didn't come close to living up to the expectations he set during the Bucs' Super Bowl championship run.   Lightning fall after late rally: Another third-period comeback wasn't enough for the Bolts to grab a win against Las Vegas on Saturday.   Another uncertain future: The possibility of the Rays' Kevin Kiermaier getting traded seems much more likely now, with the potential for something to happen quickly after the lockout ends. TODAY'S TALKER [LUIS SANTANA | Times] Search for truth brings an Ocala man back to West Tampa Matthew Bacalis' family history has numerous mysteries — unsolved murders, a falsified birth record and possible ties to organized crime. But he believes that learning what his childhood neighbor, an alleged gangster and accused hitman, buried in the backyard could provide answers. Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda, Carly Thompson and Joshua Gillin. Did someone forward this to you? Get 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 © 2022 • 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.