🎢 Your summer guide to Florida's theme parks

Uvalde massacre updates; find your legislative district; the Nature Boy is back

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View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Good morning, Tampa Bay. Today will be partly cloudy with an increasing chance of rain later in the day and a high around 93.  Tuesday's shooting massacre of 19 children and at least one teacher at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, is of course at the top of mind this morning. Check back with tampabay.com as more information becomes available.   Read on for more local news, including a new education center at the Tampa Museum of Art, a holiday weekend concert preview, how to find your new legislative district and some words from the Nature Boy himself about his return to the squared circle at 73. [IVY CEBALLO | Times] It's vacation season. Here's what to do at theme parks in Tampa Bay and beyond. Florida theme parks sure do have a lot going on this summer.   Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and Disney World are showing off ambitious roller coasters. There's more for movie fans to explore at Universal Orlando. Legoland and Adventure Island are making worthwhile upgrades.   To help you navigate what's new, we've compiled a handy guide to all the rides, live shows and other attractions that await at the state's biggest theme parks.   Check out everything they have to offer.   Cost of line-cutting: As theme park visitors embark on vacation, they can expect to pay more to avoid wait times. 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 Apartments get new owner: The 390-unit Midtown Tampa development Novel has sold for $236 million to the investment arm of commercial real estate services firm CBRE.   Spared execution: A jury on Tuesday decided to give a Pasco County man life in prison for killing and dismembering his roommate, who was a writer for the "ThunderCats" cartoon.   Long-awaited reopening: Four Green Fields, Tampa's beloved Irish pub, launches in the Channel District this week.   Drone delivery? It's coming to Tampa soon, Walmart announced.   Baby formula crisis: There are signs of progress, but the shortage will likely continue to affect families for weeks. This is what Tampa Bay needs to know.   Admitting patients: St. Anthony's Hospital has opened a $152 million tower in St. Petersburg, adding 90 private rooms to its capacity.   $5M for education space: The Tampa Museum of Art's new facility is named the Vinik Family Education Center, thanks to its latest donation.   Sunset Music Fest returns: Tampa's popular EDM event takes over RayJay this Memorial Day weekend. We break down the details.   Familiar forecast: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting another busy Atlantic hurricane season. The government's projection, released Tuesday, has a mix of good and bad news. BUSINESS [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times (2020)] Bloomin' Onions could be the next Bored Apes, says Outback Steakhouse's top exec Fast-developing markets like Dallas and Miami are high on Bloomin' Brands' priority list these days. But while the Tampa-based company has bullish expansion plans, it has decided to cut costs in other areas. CEO David Deno talks new restaurants, NFTs and pulling out of the Outback Bowl in this Q&A. CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS UPDATES AT TAMPABAY.COM/CORONAVIRUS Slow to sound alarm: Federal health officials failed to alert Tampa Bay that its COVID-19 levels are "high." But that's not the only problem with the agency's warning system.   Testing in Tampa Bay: The last free public COVID-19 test site listed by Pinellas County closed a while ago. Is this the end of such locations across the region? POLITICS Redrawn landscape: Now that Florida has new congressional and legislative maps, do you know which district you'll vote in, and how it may turn in elections? Use this tool to find out.   Judge dismisses lawsuit: Pinellas County filed suit to target a new state election law. The outcome of that challenge marks a premature end for one of the area's longest political careers.   Condo reforms: The Florida Senate on Tuesday passed the first significant overhaul of the state's condominium laws in decades in the wake of the deadly Surfside collapse, sending the deal to the House for a vote.   Dems choose Driskell: Tampa Rep. Fentrice Driskell is set to become the next leader of the Florida House Democratic Caucus. Here's a rundown on her goals. 📹 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 Not over yet: Everyone wants the COVID-19 pandemic to end, but recent numbers show that the virus is still going strong in our community, whether we want to acknowledge it or not.   Rights and responsibility: A former Republican who advocates for common-sense gun measures discusses why she opposes "permitless carry" in Florida. SPORTS Good time for a shutout: The Rays bounce back from a bad trip to Baltimore by looking strong in a victory over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday at the Trop. Silver lining: We all miss Willy Adames, John Romano writes, but the Rays are a better team today after dealing him a year ago.   Hot streaks: Kevin Kiermaier asked Rays coaches to simplify his swing. Brett Phillips sought help from the team's biomechanist. Both started hitting better.   Preparing for fall? Rob Gronkowski hasn't announced his decision to return to the NFL or the Bucs this season. But he's catching balls from Tom Brady again.   "Big mouth" lifts Lightning: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is making an impact for the Bolts in the postseason even without significant ice time.   Prolific coach dies: Tampa Prep's Carol Chalu, the winner of 12 state volleyball titles, has died after a long illness. She was believed to be the first female athletic director in Florida. TODAY'S TALKER [Courtesy of Ric Flair] At 73, Ric Flair is training for one more match The 16-time world champion lives in Tampa now, and he says the city has helped get him into better shape than 11 years ago, the last time he wrestled. Catch up with "The Nature Boy" as he prepares to re-enter the ring. Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda, Joshua Gillin and Amy Gehrt. 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.