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The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

       

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FEATURED STORY

Experts forecast 2023’s hurricane season

May 30, 2023 By B.C. Manion

Projections released last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center predict a near-normal hurricane season. NOAA forecasters predict a 40% […]

This Week

This handy guide aims to help you in Hurricane Season 2023

May 30, 2023 By B.C. Manion

It’s a perennial plea by emergency management experts — and yet, a certain percentage of people never seem to believe that a hurricane can strike where they live. Until, of course, it does. This list of tips is intended to help our readers to be prepared for Hurricane Season 2023, which begins June 1 and […]

Weightman Middle School gym named for revered coach

May 30, 2023 By B.C. Manion

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, when the Pasco County School Board voted to name the gym at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School (TEMS), in honor of Thomas Mine, a longtime coach at the school. The request for the honor came from Weightman’s Principal Donna Gricoski and the Weightman school community. The school is […]

She wrote her way to an all-expenses paid trip to the Netherlands

May 30, 2023 By B.C. Manion

Amy Lewis initially noticed the AAA contest on her Facebook feed. Then, the Land O’ Lakes woman saw it again, about a month before the contest’s deadline, in  AAA’s magazine. She encouraged her 14-year-old daughter, Sky, to give it a try. The eighth-grader, who attends Pasco eSchool, got busy doing her research and composing her […]

Guv’na candidates launch campaigns

May 30, 2023 By Mike Camunas

Campaign season has begun. And, the three candidates vying to become Lutz’s newest Guv’na are revving up their campaign promises, their playful mudslinging and, of course, their fundraising skills in an effort to raise the most money to help various local causes. “It’s a community event that means so much to Lutz and is so […]

Planning board recommends OK for Plantation Palms cell tower

May 30, 2023 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a 195-foot cell tower to be erected on land at the Plantation Palms Golf Club, 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. That decision came after the planning board’s second hearing on the request. Planning commissioners delayed action on the request at their April 6 […]

Starkey Ranch families prevail in cell tower fight

May 30, 2023 By Mike Camunas

First, families from Starkey Ranch battled the Pasco County School Board over a proposed easement that would grant access to a proposed cell tower. After they lost that battle, they set their sights on the Pasco County Commission, which was considering the actual lease for the tower, at the county board’s May 23 meeting. Cell […]

Higher Pasco park impact fees expected to be approved this summer

May 30, 2023 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission has signaled its intention to increase its park impact fees to $3,450.15 per residential dwelling, whether single-family or multi-family. That’s a whopping increase from the current rates of $891.82 per single-family unit and $627 per multi-family unit. Impact fees are charged to new construction to address new demands caused by growth. […]

Pasco School Board pays tribute to Dennis Alfonso

May 30, 2023 By B.C. Manion

At the Pasco County School Board meeting on May 16, there were flowers on the school board’s dais, in front of the seat where the board’s attorney, Dennis Alfonso, normally sat. Alfonso, the board’s attorney for a quarter-century, lost his longterm battle with cancer, on the weekend before the board’s meeting. Pasco County Schools Superintendent […]

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This Week (cont)

Pasco code officers to expand roles during emergencies

May 30, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Pasco County’s code compliance officers are undergoing training to be able to medically assist people who may need emergency help, as the officers encounter them during their rounds in the community. The training will prepare the officers to administer Narcan, apply Auto External Defibrillators (AED) and to properly perform CPR, according to a county news […]

Connerton Elementary competes at world finals

May 23, 2023 By Mike Camunas

They’re set to take a real odyssey — not just one of the mind. Connerton Elementary School’s Odyssey of the Mind team is competing at the World Finals, from May 24 and through May 27 at Michigan State University in East Lansing. It’s a major accomplishment for a relatively new team. Team members collaborated to […]

U.S. 301 logjam in Pasco prompts priority switch

May 23, 2023 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization has decided to shuffle the order on its priority project list to take aim at congestion problems on U.S. 301, near State Road 56, a few years earlier. That decision came during the Pasco MPO board’s meeting on May 11. Carl Mikyska, executive director of the transportation planning organization, […]

Community dedication recognized

May 23, 2023 By Mary Rathman

Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes recently recognized its volunteers for their time and dedication. Two volunteers received the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, an award that is given to individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take […]

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Local Sports

2022-2023 Sunshine Athletic Conference Winter Awards

May 30, 2023 By Mike Camunas

The Sunshine Athletic Conference, which is made up of the 14 public high school athletic programs in Pasco County, announced its 2023 Spring All-Conference Teams and Players, voted on by the sports’ respective coaches. The awards are split into East and West divisions of the county. Here are the East Division first teams and the […]

Hitting the gym — and the century mark

May 23, 2023 By Mike Camunas

Roy Caldwood is a risk taker — a rebel. And, a humanitarian. The 100-year-old veteran — who regularly stays fit and active by working out with a trainer at AdventHealth Wellness Center in Wesley Chapel — served as a Buffalo Soldier in World War II, encountering German infantry and Third Reich soldiers in Italy. He […]

Sports – Check This Out

Local pitcher honored

May 30, 2023 By Mike Camunas

Saint Leo University (SLU) baseball relief pitcher Nick Jennings was named to the All-South Region Second Team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) on May 17. Jennings, a former Land O’ Lakes High ballplayer who graduated from SLU on May 13, finished fourth in saves for the season, with a 1.42 ERA […]

Outdoor Adventures Challenge

May 30, 2023 By Mike Camunas

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department will begin its Summer Outdoor Adventures Challenge on June 1 and run through Aug. 31 for participants to earn a Blazin’ Hot Summer Challenge patch. Cost is $20 for those who sign up to complete 75 miles of any combination of biking, hiking, paddling or swimming. […]

Football camps

May 30, 2023 By Mike Camunas

The Steinbrenner High Football Program will host its Elite Warrior Football Camps from June 19 to June 23 and July 17 to July 21 for boys and girls ages 6 to 14 years old, at Oscar Cooler Sports Complex, 656 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road. Cost is $150 per player and camps will run from […]

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Reasons To Smile

Deputies rescue dolphin

May 30, 2023 By Mary Rathman

The mission of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) Maritime Operations Unit (MAROPS) is to make sure all are safe on the water. In early May, MAROPS corporals were called to assist a different resident: a dolphin calf that was days- or hours-old, alone and in distress. An off-duty PSO deputy was fishing off the coast […]

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Del Webb Bexley — 70 Years of Experience Building Quality Homes

May 30, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Del Webb prides itself on employing the highest quality build standards. And with over 70 years in homebuilding, Del … [Read More...] about Del Webb Bexley — 70 Years of Experience Building Quality Homes

Discover The Mattamy Homes Difference at Area Communities

May 30, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

With every new home community, Mattamy Homes demonstrates their dedication to providing thoughtful details and … [Read More...] about Discover The Mattamy Homes Difference at Area Communities

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What’s Happening

06/03/2023 – Historical Association

The Zephyrhills Historical Association will meet on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the Zephyrhills Public Library, 5347 Eighth St. Guests can discover and discuss historical events, places and people of Zephyrhills and Pasco County. … [Read More...] about 06/03/2023 – Historical Association

06/03/2023 – Make a headband

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host “Crafting with Corrine” on June 3 at 10:30 a.m., for ages 9 and older. Participants can make a headband by using glue guns. All materials will be provided. Safety and waiver forms are required — get them at the Service Desk or on the website. For information, visit PascoLibraries.org/makerspaces/the-foundry/. To register, visit PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 06/03/2023 – Make a headband

06/03/2023 – Native Plant Society

The Nature Coast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society will meet on June 3 at 9 a.m., at the Crystal Springs Preserve, 1609 Crystal Springs Road, in Crystal Spring. The preserve is 525 acres of natural wilderness surrounding a spring that discharges 30 million gallons of water daily. The spring is the source for Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water. A meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., followed by a 45-minute tour led by environmental education staff. For information, email Sandy Vanno at . … [Read More...] about 06/03/2023 – Native Plant Society

06/03/2023 – Rum & Seafood Festival

The third annual Summer Rum & Seafood Festival will take place on June 3 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz. Guests can sample rum and rum cocktails from multiple distilleries, listen to live music, and see crab races that will run every hour. Tickets are $10 online, pre-order. VIP tickets available for ages 21 and older. For more information, visit FloridaPenguinProductions.com. … [Read More...] about 06/03/2023 – Rum & Seafood Festival

06/04/2023 – Food Truck Rally

A 52 Food Truck’s Rally & Community Market is scheduled for June 4 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes. … [Read More...] about 06/04/2023 – Food Truck Rally

06/04/2023 – Kidpreneur Takeover

The Kidpreneur Club will take over KRATE, 5817 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel on June 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event supports more than 70 young business owners ages 6 to 16 selling their products and services to the community. … [Read More...] about 06/04/2023 – Kidpreneur Takeover

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