Good morning from the Tampa Bay 28 News team.
It's Friday, which means we've nearly made it through the week. To celebrate, our Good Morning Tampa Bay crew hit the road to explore Plant City this morning as part of our biweekly community show. It's a small town with deep roots in agriculture, and we checked out local farms, spoke with small business owners and stopped at a winery that started as a blueberry nursery. We love connecting with all different communities in Tampa Bay—who knows, maybe we'll come to your neighborhood next.
News to Know
- Shutdown and shut out: A Tampa farm locked out of SNAP EBT can’t contact USDA: At the end of September, just days before the federal government couldn’t pass a bipartisan budget, Sweetwater Organic Community Farm started getting an error while tying to process customer transactions in their SNAP EBT system.
Tropical Storm Melissa expected to bring life-threatening flooding to Jamaica: A Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm has been issued for the southern peninsula of Haiti from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-Au-Prince, and Jamaica.
WFTS- Tampa rolling out virtual inspections for homeowners and contractors: He’s an electrician for Mr. Electric of Tampa Bay, and in a long day’s work, the inspection process can be time-consuming.
- Parents worry beloved Clearwater after-school program could lose its heart: For years, the Clearwater Neighborhood Family Center has been more than just an after-school program for families in the city’s North Greenwood neighborhood. It’s been a second home.
WATCH Good Morning Tampa Bay, streaming NOW through 10 a.m.
Today's Weather Outlook
Meteorologist Ally Blake says it will feel nice and cool this morning, with temperatures in the 60s in most areas. Temperatures will warm to the high 80s in the afternoon, and humidity will remain low today and into the weekend.
Watch the One Minute Weather Forecast with Meteorologist Ally Blake:
Here are the current traffic conditions across Tampa Bay
Lightning looking for a jolt after 3-2 loss
Last night, the Bolts battled it out until the final minutes but came up short against the Chicago Blackhawks. Ryan McDonagh notched a goal and an assist, Jake Guentzel added one of his own, and Nikita Kucherov tallied two assists.
The Lightning will look to bounce back this weekend with back-to-back home games, taking on the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday and the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
Sunday’s matchup will also mark the second theme night of the season at Benchmark International Arena as the Bolts host 2025 Noche Latina
Noche Latina Pregame festivities on Ford Thunder Alley:
- Salsa dance lessons with Street Laced Marketing & Promotions dancers
- Ball hockey setup with Lightning Community Hockey and the Puerto Rican Ice Hockey Association
- Live music from local Latina band Cuban Son
- Live art by Tampa artist Carlos Pons
Coverage for Saturday starts at 4:30 p.m. on the Spot-Tampa Bay 66. Here's how to watch.
Things to Do this Friday, Oct. 24
- Friday Movie Nights at the Patch
- When: 7:30 p.m.
- Where: 6111 N Central Ave., Tampa
- Cost: FREE
- Steve Aoki and Rick Ross Live
- When: 4 p.m.
- Where: 1910 N Ola Ave., Tampa
- Cost: $65
- Phantom of the Opera
- When: 7 p.m.
- Where: 711 N Franklin St., Tampa
- Cost: $12
Looking for more Things to Do? Check out our Things To Do section.
