? Tampa Councilman Dingfelder Resigns + Gasparilla Film Festival

First, today’s weather:

Plenty of sunshine, but cool. High: 68 Low: 55.

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Here are the top five stories today in Tampa:

1. The 15th Annual Gasparilla International Film Festival will conclude today. The nonprofit Tampa Film Institute was founded in 2006 and hosted its first Gasparilla International Film Festival in 2007. The festival will wrap up with an awards presentation and closing night film, “Old Henry,” at 7 p.m. at the Tampa Theatre, followed by a closing night wrap party at 9 p.m. at The Vault. (Tampa Patch)

2. The Florida Legislature has agreed to provide funding to kick-start an education program on local abandoned African American cemeteries in Tampa Bay. Lawmakers agreed to include a $750,000 appropriation for it in the proposed budget. Tampa-based Sen. Janet Cruz and Rep. Fentrice Driskell led the legislation. (Florida Politics)

3. Real estate sales prices in Tampa rose 28.1% in a year, squeezing potential homebuyers in the area as power rests in a sellers market. The median sale price sits at $356,250. Bidding wars contributed to the recent jump in the average purchase loan size for conventional loans. (WFLA)

4. Tampa City Councilman John Dingfelder has resigned from his post as part of an agreement to settle a public records lawsuit related to a contested real estate development sought by Stephen Michelini. As part of the settlement, Dingfelder also wrote a letter of apology to Michelini after being accused of intimidation and improper communication of public information, according to documents filed in Hillsborough County Court. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Business Journal, Free: Florida Politics)

5. Late Start Brewing will open its first brick-and-mortar in downtown Tampa at 1018 East Cass Street. The location was previously a convenience store and market. Plans call for a dining room and bar area that can accommodate around 50 people, as well as outdoor seating with picnic tables and room for approximately 50 more people. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

Today in Tampa:

• River O’ Green Fest Moved To Sunday at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. (11:00 AM)
• Second Sunday Art Walk And Vendor Fair at Armature Works. (11:00 AM)
• Annual Spring Market at Woodmont Avenue. (10:00 AM)
• Celebrate The Luck Of The Irish at Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel. (11:00 AM)
• wtr Pool Party Sundays With DJ Diesel (Shaq). (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections is seeking poll workers as elections approach. (Twitter)
• City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said at a press conference that rent stabilization or rent control would “kill development in our particular area.” Instead, millions of dollars in public city funds will be used to subsidize those private landlords who have increased prices on renters. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
• Gabby Petito’s family has filed a civil lawsuit against Brian Laundrie’s parents, accusing them of knowing that Brian had murdered their daughter and attempting to help him flee the country. (Fox 13 Tampa)
• Stetson Law School in Pinellas County has apologized for approving a Blue Lives Matter flag after denying approval for a Black Lives Matter flag. The Black Law Students Association claims they were told no flags that were not nationally recognized were allowed to be displayed. (Bay News 9)

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You’re officially in the loop for today! I’ll see you around.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.