Issue #119: Florida Preps for Intense Hurricane Season, New Cook Out in Tampa, Ybor City's Organic Delights, Rays' Eflin Sidelined

05/21/2024

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In this issue of

NewTampa | WesleyChapel Local Pulse

 🌀 Florida Gears Up for 'Hyperactive' Hurricane Season with Massive Stockpiles

Local News

 🍔 Cook Out to Open First Florida Restaurants in Tampa

 🥨 Ybor City's DoughJoe: Where Organic Meets Delicious

Sports

☀️ Rays’ Ace Eflin Out with Back Injury, Expected to Miss Up to 4 Weeks

🎵  Useful Arts & Entertainment Event Links

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This Week’s Events in the NewTampa Wesley Chapel FL Local Area

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May 20

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May 26 — 13th Annual Int’l Cuban Sandwich Festival, Centennial Park, 1800 E Eighth Ave, Tampa, 12-6pm

Florida Gears Up for 'Hyperactive' Hurricane Season with Massive Stockpiles

With meteorologists predicting a "hyperactive" hurricane season, Florida officials urge residents to prepare for potential storms. Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie emphasizes that residents should be ready for "their storm" to avoid being overwhelmed by predictions.

State officials are stockpiling 1.5 million gallons of water, with another million gallons on the way, 2.5 million meals, over 800 generators, and 25,000 tarps. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's air teams, equipped with high-end aircraft and surveillance tools, are ready for rescue and recovery missions.

Guthrie advises Floridians to have a solid plan, keep gas tanks half-full or cars charged, and understand their home's structural integrity. He recommends short-distance evacuations to avoid unnecessary over-evacuations.

The Florida Legislature has approved sales tax holidays on hurricane supplies for two weeks in June and late August, offering a break on generators, batteries, flashlights, and radios.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will update its hurricane season predictions this Thursday. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November.

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“Cook Out” to Open First Florida Restaurants in Tampa

Cook Out, a popular fast food chain based in North Carolina, is leaving clues that it’s set to open its first Florida locations in Tampa. According to Hillsborough County deeds of sale, the company has acquired two former Boston Market sites at 5501 E. Fowler Ave. and 16215 N. Dale Mabry Highway earlier this month.

Established in 1989 in Greensboro, North Carolina, Cook Out has expanded throughout the South, including South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, and Alabama. While its website currently lists numerous locations in these states, Florida has yet to be added. The new Tampa locations will mark Cook Out's debut in the Sunshine State.

Cook Out is renowned for its diverse and extensive menu, featuring items such as burgers, corn dogs, hush puppies, and an array of milkshake flavors, including a seasonal watermelon option in the summer. Additionally, the chain offers barbecue, char-grilled chicken breasts, hot dogs, and quesadillas. Popular beverages include Coke and Cheerwine floats, both made with soft serve ice cream and cheesecake.

Ybor City's DoughJoe: Where Organic Meets Delicious

By late morning on a Thursday, Jamie "Blue" Laukhuf is busy filling the shelves at Ybor City's JB3 DoughJoe with mouthwatering baked goods. The bakery, owned by Blue, her husband Jason, and their son Jamison, offers a delightful variety of items including country sourdough loaves, Yukon Gold potato English muffins, pretzel baguettes, Tidy Tom Thanksgiving turkey bombs, and homemade saltines.

“This is real bread! Organic, gut-friendly, beautiful!” Blue enthuses about their creations. By afternoon, the shelves are typically empty, cleared by eager customers. The JB3 DoughJoe, along with the Jamison B Breadhouse bakery nearby, has become a popular destination for locals.

Originally a side project, the bakery has grown into a brick-and-mortar success. It offers vegan and gluten-friendly options, appealing to a broad audience. Despite its limited hours—open only Thursday through Saturday at 11 a.m.—the DoughJoe has become a local favorite.

"Store-bought bread is very solid, but you don't want solid bread," explains Blue. "You want light, airy bread, and those holes in the bread, that's where all the flavor is."

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Rays’ Ace Eflin Out with Back Injury, Expected to Miss Up to 4 Weeks

The team announced Monday that the Tampa Bay Rays have placed starting pitcher Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list due to lower back inflammation. Eflin, who last pitched on May 18 against the Toronto Blue Jays, reported discomfort similar to an injury that sidelined him for two weeks in April 2023. Despite these setbacks, Eflin has always shown resilience and dedication to the team, which is commendable.

Manager Kevin Cash expects Eflin to miss between two to four weeks. Eflin has a 3-4 record this season with a 4.12 ERA, 1.169 WHIP, and 0.4 WAR across ten starts. He leads the AL in walks per nine innings (0.6) and has an 11.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio, although he has allowed at least four earned runs in four games.

Eflin, who joined the Rays in the 2023 offseason after seven years with the Philadelphia Phillies, has been a reliable pitcher amid the Rays' roster challenges. Despite rumors of a potential trade to the Atlanta Braves, somebody will reassess his value once he is healthy in June.

In other roster moves, the Rays activated infielder Brandon Lowe from the 10-day injured list and optioned pitcher Manuel Rodriguez to Triple-A Durham. Left-handed pitcher Richard Lovelady, recently acquired from the Chicago Cubs, has joined the active roster.

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