The Pasco County Commission has approved a tax hike intended to reduce the county’s response time to fires and to improve the county’s ability to […]
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This Week

Take a walk through Dade City history
By Mike Camunas
Even though the landscape, and buildings, have changed, the history remains. It has stood the test of time, as many things have in Dade City. And now, some of the town’s most dedicated residents want to show off that history, for all to see. They’ve created the Dade City Historical Self-Guided Tour — a comprehensive […]

New space aims to ‘empower’ those seeking court’s help
By B.C. Manion
Having the courage to seek a protective order to keep an abuser away can be difficult enough, but it can be even worse when the conversation being held about the issue has to be done in a public place. Giving people a private and safe space to pursue ways to reclaim their lives is the […]

Pasco County School Board wants to alter district’s dress code
By B.C. Manion
How long should a student’s blouse be? That question created considerable debate at the Pasco County School Board’s Sept. 11 meeting. School board member Colleen Beaudoin urged her colleagues to remove language from the district’s dress code that requires a blouse “extend to the waist.” She explained: “I, like my peers, would like to see […]

Dancing, touching tributes mark Sunlake special occasion
By Mike Camunas
It’s a longstanding tradition, so the weather wasn’t about to stop it. As part of Sunlake High’s Homecoming Week festivities, each grade plans skits and performs them on the school’s football field. Parents — mostly the moms of the senior students — also join in, coordinating dances to popular music to entertain (and possibly embarrass) […]

St. Leo approves 2023-2024 town budget
By Mike Camunas
The town of St. Leo has adopted a budget of $4 million for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. This year’s budget represents a miniscule of decrease from the $4.1 million budget last year, with the St. Leo Town Commission approving the incoming budget in a meeting on Sept. 19. The town is expected to generate total […]

Pasco-Hernando State Colleges selects its fifth president
By B.C. Manion
The Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) District Board of Trustees has selected Jesse Pisors, Ed.D., as the college’s fifth president. He is succeeding Timothy L. Beard, Ph.D., whose tenure at the college spanned 17 years and who has been PHSC president since 2015, according to a news release from the college. The board of trustees chose […]

A Sense of Place
By Mike Camunas
If you’d like an image to be considered for publication, please email it to . Please add a sentence or two, describing when and where you took the photo and what the image means to you. Be sure to include who […]

Dayspring Academy breaks ground on Angeline Campus
By Mike Camunas
Here they grow again. Dayspring Academy, with its five other locations in Port Richey, once again is expanding — this time coming to Central Pasco. The charter school broke ground on Sept. 14 on its PreK-5 Angeline Campus in northern Land O’ Lakes. The school will be operating in a partnership with Pasco County Schools […]

Health officer’s contributions praised by Pasco County Commission
By B.C. Manion
When the COVID-19 pandemic was shutting everything down, Mike Napier and his team were ramping up. The recently retired health officer for the Florida Department of Health-Pasco County led efforts during the pandemic, building on partnerships the health department had already established within the community, to help prevent the spread of COVID and to respond […]
This Week (cont)

Lutz Church of God gains approval for Land O’ Lakes location
By B.C. Manion
The Lutz Church of God has been granted a special exception from the Pasco County Planning Commission, allowing it to locate a church on 8.50 acres, on the west side of School Road, at the northernmost intersection of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and School Road. The planning board approved the request, with conditions. Planning board […]

A rocket blast on the bay
By Mike Camunas
Be prepared to get blasted — with speed and sprays of water. That’s what you can expect on board Bay Rocket — one of the newest attractions at the Riverwalk in downtown Tampa. The 2,800-horsepower speedboat, outfitted with dozens of passenger seats, docks outside the Tampa Convention Center. It takes passengers who dare to board […]

Pasco County School Board adopts nearly $2 billion budget
By B.C. Manion
Pasco County Schools’ budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year is just slightly under $2 billion. The Pasco County School Board adopted the budget during its second public hearing, held Sept. 11. Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning provided an overview of the budget for the board and public. The actual 2023-2024 budget amount is $1,996,021,940, […]

Pasco Schools helps in response to Hurricane Idalia
By B.C. Manion
Pasco County Schools has provided a helping hand in response to Hurricane Idalia. Locally, the district set up and operated five hurricane shelters, to enable Pasco residents who were potentially in harm’s way to leave their homes and to safely wait out the storm. “I cannot begin to thank our team, our staff, enough for […]

More actions needed for traffic safety, Watergrass residents say
By B.C. Manion
Watergrass residents are continuing to push Pasco County to make more road improvements to reduce safety concerns in their area. Some residents appeared before the Pasco County Commission, during the public comment section of the Sept. 5 board meeting, urging the board to take action. The Watergrass area has been dealing with increased traffic since […]
Local Sports

Prep swimmer looking to make a splash at states
By Mike Camunas
Nate Smith followed his sister into the pool. Smith — a senior sprint swimmer at the Academy at the Lakes — already is an accomplished swimmer, just like his sister: former Wildcat McKenna, now a junior swimming star at Duke University. “She kind of introduced me and my family to swimming,” Nate said. “My sister […]

Wildcats on course for a great season
By Mike Camunas
If there’s one thing the Wildcats are trying to avoid, it’s a sophomore slump. With four of the team’s top five golfers being sophomores, it would be beneficial to the whole team for them to all play well and reach for their lofty goals. They want to lower their scores, grab some medals and, of […]
Sports – Check This Out

Land O’ Lakes to induct 2023 Hall of Fame Class
By Mike Camunas
The Land O’ Lakes Gators Athletics Foundation announced its incoming 2023 Hall of Fame Class and its guest speaker for its induction dinner, which will be held Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m., in the Land O’ Lakes High School’s common area, at 20325 Gator Lane. Tickets to attend the event are $100 for individuals or […]
Steinbrenner Golf Tourney
By Mike Camunas
Steinbrenner High Baseball Team will host its 15th Annual Golf Tournament on Oct. 28 at 8 a.m., at Heritage Harbor Golf & Country Club, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway, in Lutz. Cost is $125 per player or $500 for a foursome and includes range balls, cart, raffle, auctions, awards, contests and lunch. Proceeds will benefit the […]
Sunlake Golf Tourney
By Mike Camunas
The Bands of Sunlake High School will host a golf tournament on Nov. 17 at 8:30 a.m., at Plantation Palms Golf Club, 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. Cost is $125 per golfer for $500 per foursome and includes lunch, raffles, awards and contests. Proceeds will benefit the Sunlake High Marching Band. To […]
Reasons To Smile

A home for the future
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation (T2T) welcomed U.S. Army Specialist Jerome Rillera into his new smart home in the Do Good Village in Land O’ Lakes. The T2T program builds specially adapted, mortgage-free smart homes that help the most catastrophically injured veterans and first responders reclaim their day-to-day independence. Rillera served in the U.S. Army […]