Issue #534: State Fair’s Wild Eats, 11 Bolts Named to Olympics, Bucs Stick with Bowles

1/08/2026

Author

Ted Grellner
08 Jan

Keep your finger on the Pulse!

GOOD MORNING

Dr Ted
USAF Retired

 
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In this issue of NewTampa | WesleyChapel Local Pulse

Our Event Calendar 

Please post events of interest to our NT|WC Live Events Calendar; its easy to do.

Local News

— Fair Food Frenzy: 2026 Florida State Fair Rolls Out Wild New Eats

Of Interest

— OpenAI Introduces ChatGPT Health for Personalized Medical Insights

Sports

— Bolts Dominate 2026 Olympic Rosters with 11 Players Named

— Bowles Stays On: A Quiet Force Behind Bucs' Success

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Fair Food Frenzy: 2026 Florida State Fair Rolls Out Wild New Eats

The Florida State Fair returns Feb. 5–16, 2026, bringing with it a menu packed with wild, whimsical, and wildly creative eats.

Among the headline items:

  • Hot Honey Jalapeño Popper Donut

  • Birria Street Taco Pizza

  • Reese’s Pieces Donut Burger

  • Surf n Turf Alfredo Sundae

New drinks and desserts also shine, from America’s Birthday Cake Iced Tea (served in a collectible jar) to the over-the-top Chocolate Cookie Butter Dream Funnel Cake.

Sweet, spicy, fried, and frozen creations dominate the 2026 debut, including Hawaiian street corn in a cup, chimichurri cheese curds, candy grapes, PB&J funnel cake sandwiches, and more.

The fair remains a feast for adventurous eaters, mixing global inspiration with Florida flair. Whether you crave savory fusion or carnival sugar bombs, there’s something new waiting.

OpenAI Introduces ChatGPT Health for Personalized Medical Insights

OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Health, a new dedicated space within ChatGPT designed to help users manage health-related information and questions more easily.

The platform allows users to securely connect medical records and personal fitness apps, enabling more personalized responses about test results, wellness trends, insurance questions, and upcoming doctor visits. OpenAI emphasizes that the tool is meant to support—not replace—doctors or clinicians.

According to OpenAI, ChatGPT Health focuses on long-term health patterns, helping users feel more prepared for medical conversations rather than offering diagnoses or treatment plans.

Health-related conversations and “Health memories” are stored separately from other chats and can be deleted at any time. OpenAI says this data is protected with additional encryption and supported by infrastructure from b.well, a health data network.

The feature is launching first to a small group of users, with a broader rollout planned for iOS and web platforms.

Bolts Dominate 2026 Olympic Rosters with 11 Players Named

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be front and center at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, sending an NHL-high 11 players to compete for their home countries in the international tournament from Feb. 11–22.

Forward Jake Guentzel will make his Olympic debut for Team USA, while Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, and Anthony Cirelli highlight a strong Team Canada core. Victor Hedman and Pontus Holmberg head to Team Sweden, and Oliver Bjorkstrand (Denmark), Zemgus Girgensons (Latvia), Erik Cernak (Slovakia), JJ Moser (Switzerland), and Wojciech Stachowiak (Germany) round out Tampa Bay’s international slate.

Several Lightning staff members also join Olympic roles, including GM Julien BriseBois and mental performance coach Dr. Ryan Hamilton.

The Bolts’ impressive representation reinforces the team's global talent depth and league-wide relevance.

Bowles Stays On: A Quiet Force Behind Bucs' Success

Todd Bowles will remain head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per a report from ESPN, continuing his tenure following three straight playoff appearances and two winning seasons since taking over in 2022.

A defensive cornerstone of the Bucs' 2020 Super Bowl win, Bowles has led the team to a 35-33 overall record and three consecutive NFC South titles.

Under his leadership, standout performances included:

  • Mike Evans earning NFC Offensive Player of the Month (2023)

  • Baker Mayfield claiming multiple Player of the Week honors (2023–25)

  • Antoine Winfield Jr. becoming a Defensive Player of the Year finalist (2024)

Bowles’ tenure also featured the emergence of young talents like Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Emeka Egbuka.

His steady leadership and defensive mindset have kept Tampa Bay competitive, positioning the Bucs as consistent playoff contenders in the post-Brady era.

Top Events in Tampa Bay for week of
January 5
Source: tampabay.com


Things to do Around Pasco
11/ - 11/
Source: suncoastnews.com

Things to do Around
Tampa & WC:
1/1 - 1/7
Source: tampabeacon.com

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