The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

State medical license fees are dropping for some

By

Fees to license certain health care professionals are coming down, thanks to a little streamlining with some of Florida’s medical organizations.

Both the Florida Board of Medicine and Florida Board of Nursing have identified excess fees to eliminate, and that should provide a cost savings to those seeking various licenses, according to a release.

The Board of Medicine will reduce the physician license renewal fee from $360 to $250 for those renewing their license in 2015 or 2016.

The Board of Nursing reduced the initial application and license fee effective July 1. That means those who apply as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse will now pay $100 instead of $165.

“The Board of Medicine supports an opportunity economy in which every Florida physician can pursue the dream of practicing medicine in the Sunshine State,” said Dr. Nabil El Sanadi, chair of the Board of Medicine, in a release. “We will continue to search for ways to support the increase of licensed medical professionals in the state of Florida.”

Medical professionals who practice in Florida are required to be licensed. They are typically renewed every two years.

For more information on the license renewal process, visit FlBoardOfMedicine.gov, or FlBoardOfNursing.gov.

 

In Print: Tracking political campaign money yields some surprises

By

Money makes the world go round, at least the political world.

Some people seeking political office will see their journey — at least this time around — end when the primary wraps up Aug. 26, and everyone is feverishly making sure they’ve raised enough money to eke out that win.

But who is giving to the candidates? Where is that money coming from?

The Laker/Lutz News crunched some of those numbers, looking to see how much Pasco County Commission candidates have received from developers, how much they received from people living inside the county — two key factors that keep coming up in the race.

The results are a little surprising. Especially for the only incumbent in the race, Henry Wilson Jr. He won a surprise trip to the dais in 2010 without much money at all, and certainly none from those looking to benefit from real estate development in the county. In fact, Wilson told a political forum recently that when it came to developers, “the first time around they didn’t support me, and the second time around, they still didn’t support me.”

Except they are supporting him. When accounting for developers and those involved in real estate, Wilson has raised more than $10,000 — 29 percent of his total donations.

How did Wilson respond to that revelation? Read it right now in the print edition of The Laker, available now throughout the community, or online with our free e-edition by clicking here.

Also find out why one candidate has raised far more money outside of the state than he has in Pasco County, for a seat representing the county. It’s all in this week’s The Laker, available now.

If you want to learn a lot about your community, sometimes all you have to do is visit your local cemetery. It’s filled with a tremendous amount of history from those who helped build and even pioneer a community.

The signage is really the only thing that lets you know that this piece of land off Ehren Cutoff is the Mount Carmel Cemetery. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
The signage is really the only thing that lets you know that this piece of land off Ehren Cutoff is the Mount Carmel Cemetery. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

But sometimes, cemeteries that aren’t maintained can become history, as reporter Michael Murillo found out almost happened with Mount Carmel Cemetery on Ehren Cutoff.

“The African-American cemetery, located off Ehren Cutoff, is a throwback to a different time — a time of segregation, and later, a time of neglect,” Murillo wrote in his regular column, Presenting the Past. “It’s in better shape now, thanks to the Pasco County Black Caucus, but it’s clear that this is not a modern burial site. IF you drove past it, you’d probably never know what it was.”

What are the efforts to keep this cemetery alive? Found out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available in your driveway or on newsstands, or right here online with our free e-edition by clicking here.

Finally, if you’ve never tried barrel racing, then this weekend might be your chance to finally do it.

Kristy’s Can-Cer Vive Benefit Barrel Race is set for Aug. 16 at Double R Arena in Dade City. The goal? To raise money for Kristy Bryant Flynn, diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The event is being organized by Flynn’s childhood friend, Tanya Dadez, who wanted to try and do something to help offset some of the high medical costs Flynn was racking up.

“Sje’s just the epitome of innocence and wholesome and everything good that you could possibly imagine,” Dadez told reporter B.C. Manion. “She never says an ill word about anybody.”

Find out how you can help Dadez’s angel, and have some fun in the process, in this week’s The Laker. Read the print edition right now, which you can find all over town. Or don’t even leave your computer, and read our e-edition right here.

Oh, and are you ready for some football? We continue our preview of all the local gridiron teams this week from reporter Michael Murillo with the Wiregrass Ranch Bulls.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

And see The Laker XL with our brand-new video!

Home defense experts in Wesley Chapel

By

Jeffrey Webb, owner of Grey Wolf Armory, has a tactical mindset when it comes to a customer’s needs for home defense. He takes the time to find out what each person wants to be able to do and what their real concerns are. Then he’ll help them to choose the right firearm.

GreyWolfGrey Wolf Armory is a family owned and operated business. They opened their doors on July 1, bringing a full-featured gun shop to the area.

“There are no other firearms shops in Wesley Chapel other than a few big box retailers that offer very limited choices,” says Jeff. “Your local sporting goods counter can’t give you the knowledge and expertise we can provide.”

“Our goal is to give everyone the best value for their money,” says Jeff. “We have the expertise to answer our customer’s questions whether it’s about hunting, target shooting or personal protection. We’re here to serve the community’s needs.”

“Everything we sell is something I’d put my own money into,” says Jeff. “I’d use it all myself. The firearms we sell are all high quality and reliable. With a little bit of care, they’ll be working reliably for years.”

They cater to lady shooters with designs and colors suited to ladies and a variety of handguns sized to comfortably fit smaller hands. “It’s important to select a handgun that properly fits your hand,” says Jeff. “You’ll have a harder time shooting and your hand will get fatigued if the gun doesn’t properly fit your hand.”

Jeff starting shooting as soon as he was old enough to hold and aim a gun. Responsible care and handling of the firearm is ingrained. To further assist his customers, he offers periodic safety classes and provides recommendations to instructors and shooting ranges for new shooters.

Grey Wolf Armory covers all categories of shooting, from hunting to target to professional and career needs. Jeff is a certified gunsmith and law enforcement armorer. “I believe I’m the only certified gunsmith in the area,” says Jeff.

They provide on-site repairs, modifications and restorations. They also give first responder discounts on firearms, ammunition and accessories. Special orders are not a problem. Most items can be ordered and in the store in 1 or 2 days.

As part of their grand opening and July 4 celebration, they gave away a Ruger 10/22 50th anniversary edition rifle with 325 rounds of Federal match-grade .22 LR ammunition. They will be featuring additional giveaways in the future.

Before opening Grey Wolf Armory, Jeff was an information technology professional for 23 years. “The time was right for me to leave IT and open Grey Wolf Armory,” says Jeff. His father, working alongside him, is a former U.S. Secret Service agent and deputy sheriff for Palm Beach County.

Jeff has a wealth of information for any- one looking to purchase a firearm, especially if this is their first firearm.

Grey Wolf Armory is located at 32733 Eiland Blvd., Unit 104, in Wesley Chapel. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are closed Monday.

They can be reached GreyWolfArmory.com, or call (813) 782-4624.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department.

Stuff the Bus campaign collects $40,000 worth of supplies

By

Kids getting ready for school will now have some much-needed supplies thanks once again to the annual Stuff the Bus for Teachers campaign.

Sponsored by United Way of Pasco County, 60 volunteers stopped by Pine View Middle School last week to help organize nearly $40,000 worth of supplies and donations, as well as $4,500 in cash and gift cards.

All of that was collected between Aug. 1 and Aug. 3 at Publix and Walmart locations throughout the county. In all, more than 300 people help collect supplies like pencils, tablets, staplers, paper, craft supplies and the like.

National surveys show that teachers spend more than $400 of their own money each year buying supplies as the school year begins. Stuff the Bus for Teachers was created as a way to show teachers they are appreciated, and are provided a care package to kick off their new year, according to a release.

“This event is very personal to me,” Stefanie Pontlitz, director of development for United Way of Pasco County, in a release. “I have family that teaches in Pasco County. I know how hard they work to give our kids the best classroom experience possible.”

Housing market up, condo sales down locally

By

Nearly 15,000 existing homes and condominiums changed hands in the greater Tampa Bay area during April, May and June, showing promising housing market trends despite a drop in overall condo sales.

The region — which includes Pasco, Hillsborough, Hernando and Pinellas counties — sold 3,733 condos in the second quarter, down more than 5 percent from the year before. The median sales price, however, rose more than 12 percent to $110,000.

That volume was second only to the greater Miami and Fort Lauderdale area, where nearly 13,000 condos were sold, according to a new report from Florida Realtors. Sales there, however were down more than 6 percent.

The lower volume is actually good news for the market, Florida Realtors chief economist John Tuccillo said, because that means foreclosure-related short sales are on the decline.

“The second quarter numbers show that Florida’s real estate market is settling in,” Tuccillo said, in a release. “While prices throughout the state tend to be up, sales are mixed with single-family sales growing, and condos and townhouses declining.”

Some of the reasons for that include the reduced role of bulk investors — buyers who pick up multiple units at a time in hopes to rent or flip — and many families who are having trouble getting mortgage credit because of flat income.

“This market is sustainable, but either or both of these roadblocks must be removed if it’s to take off again,” Tuccillo said.

Just a little more than 10,800 single-family homes were sold in the quarter, up 3 percent from a year ago. Median prices, however, were much more flat at $156,000, an increase of 1.3 percent.

Statewide, single-family sales were up more than 7 percent, while median sales prices rose just above 5 percent at $180,000.

Of the regions Florida Realtors track, Ocala in Marion County still had the lowest median price for a home at $105,000, despite a 6 percent increase in price. The most expensive homes remained in the Naples and Marco Island area of Collier County, were the median price rose nearly 16 percent to $405,000.

The interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 4.23 percent for the second quarter, up from 3.69 percent the year before, according to Freddie Mac.

Another winning lottery ticket sold locally

By

Just days after a Lutz woman claimed a $1 million prize from a grocery store in Lutz, a Publix Super Market near Sunlake High School is boasting an even bigger lottery prize.

A Riverview man purchased a Flamingo Fortune scratch-off game ticket from the Publix, located at 18901 State Road 54 in Lutz, and won $3 million.

John Opliger, 35, chose to receive a one-time lump-sum payment of $2.3 million, while Publix earned a $6,000 bonus commission for selling the ticket.

Tickets for Flamingo Fortune cost $20, and offers more than $150 million in total cash prizes, Florida Lottery officials said. That includes six $3 million prizes, with five of them now claimed.

Last week, a Lutz woman won a $1 million prize from a scratch-off ticket she purchased at the Winn-Dixie at 18407 U.S. 41 in Lutz. Yu Lin said she won the prize just in time to celebrate her birthday.

Scratch-off games account for nearly 64 percent of overall lottery ticket sales, officials said. It generated more than $640 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund in the past year.

Sunrise seeks $350,000 grant from Humana Foundation

By

The Sunrise of Pasco Domestic and Sexual Violence Center is one of three charitable organizations locally up for a chance to receive a $350,000 grant from the Humana Foundation.

Online votes for the three nominees will count toward 20 percent of the group’s total score, and will be incorporated into the final round of the judging process, the Humana Foundation said in a release. A panel of community leaders will narrow the field of finalists down to one winning organization in each region.

Sunrise will compete with the Pinellas Education Foundation and youth advocacy group Starting Right, Now. Votes are being accepted right now by clicking here.

Sunrise became a safe haven for women and children feeling abuse more than three decades ago, according to the group’s profile on the Humana Foundation voting page. It has since grown into an organization with 34 employees and 160 volunteers, all working to help the men, women and children in the community be free from abuse.

Sunrise maintains a 40-bed emergency shelter to provide a safe environment for women and children in crisis to heal, operate a 24-hour confidential hotline to assist in safety planning, provide free counseling services for survivors of domestic and sexual assault, offer legal advocacy and personalized service plans to aid survivors in their transition to independence and safety, and foster a culture of non-violence, among other things.

All programs at Sunrise are offered free of charge

If Sunrise were to win the award, the organization would expand its health and wellness opportunities to the families it serves. That include a fitness track for women and children living in the shelter, developmentally appropriate play areas designed for the children at the shelter, and a wellness mentorship program.

 

Gas prices starting to stabilize despite declines

By

The winning streak for gas customers has now continued into its 40th consecutive day as the price for a gallon of regular unleaded continues to drop in Florida.

But with oil prices finally starting to stabilize, it might not be long before those prices halt their free fall.

The price of oil dropped just 23 cents last week, compared to more than $4 the week before, according to a new report from AAA’s The Auto Club Group. That put the price of barrel at $97.65, which would suggest that gas prices should stabilize, too. But that hasn’t been happening.

“Prices are falling at about a half-cent a day, and aren’t showing signs of slowing down,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “It’s unusual to see prices steadily decline in the late summer months, but increases in domestic oil supply are helping to offset fluctuations in demand during the busy summer travel season.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Florida was $3.37 Sunday, down from $3.41 a week ago, and $3.58 a month ago. It’s also well below the $3.54 Floridians were paying on average at the gas pump during this time in 2013.

The national average continues to drop as well, settling in at $3.48 compared to $3.50 just a week ago. That’s from a cost of $3.64 in July.

Gas prices late Sunday ranged from $3.19 at the Hess station on the corner of U.S. 41 and State Road 52 to $3.39 at the Shell station near the intersection of State Road 54 and State Road 56 in the Land O’ Lakes area, according to GasBuddy.com.

The Sam’s Club on State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard was the cheapest in the Wesley Chapel area at $3.18, while a Mobil station on County Road 54 near Oakley Boulevard checked in at $3.41. Gas in Lutz was slightly higher with $3.20 reported at the Citgo on U.S. 41 and Crenshaw Lake Road, with the high of $3.49 at the Shell station on North Dale Mabry Highway near Van Dyke Road.

East Pasco County continues to have some of the highest gas prices. Zephyrhills reported $3.29 at a Marathon station on the corner of Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road, while the 7-Eleven in downtown Zephyrhills was selling gas at $3.38.

Dade City was even higher, the Shell station at Cortez Boulevard and U.S. 301 charging $3.26 on the low end Sunday, while a BP station on the U.S. 98 Bypass offered gas at $3.41.

 

Wesley Chapel Walmart opens Aug. 13

By

A new store and 300 new jobs are coming to Wesley Chapel on Wednesday when the new Walmart at 28500 State Road 54 opens its doors.

The store will feature a number of amenities, including its Site to Store program, that allows customers to choose items online and then pick them up at the store.

Stephanie White will manage the Wesley Chapel location. She has worked at Walmart since 1988 when she started as an hourly cashier in Port Richey.

The new store will offer fresh produce and a full line of groceries, as well as Wild Oats organic food items. It also will have general merchandise, including electronics and toys, as well as a full-service pharmacy.

“A Walmart is long overdue in our community,” said Troy Stevenson, a member of the ambassador council of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, in a release. “Even other businesses are excited about it because it will generate more revenue for us by attracting more people to our area.”

The grand opening celebration includes presentations of $7,000 in grants from Walmart to local community groups. Recipients include the Wesley Chapel Lions Club, Wesley Chapel High School, Watergrass Elementary School, and Lily of the Valley food pantry.

To help celebrate the opening, Walmart will host a Big Family Welcome event Aug. 16 from noon to 3 p.m. It will include family activities and free food samples, while supplies last.

Getting a caffeine fix like this could be fatal

By

An 18-year-old high school senior died just before his graduation in May, stunning the community.

What killed him, however, was a new form of substance abuse that has been growing among teenagers — pure caffeine powder consumption. And the FDA is warning families about the lethal implications of abusing it.

“We feel sad for this young man and his family,” said Dorene Thomas, local chair of the LiveFree Coalition, in a release. “Even though caffeine is not an illegal drug, it can lead to serious health issues, even death.”

Caffeine powder produces are essentially 100 percent caffeine, according to a release. Approximately 3 grams, or a single teaspoon, is roughly equivalent to the caffeine found in 25 cups of coffee.

On average, there are more than 3,000 milligrams in one teaspoon of pure caffeine powder, comparing to only 74 milligrams of caffeine in one teaspoon of instant coffee.

Teenagers and young adults are exposed and even attracted to this substance, FDA spokeswoman Jennifer Dooren said, in a release. In order to achieve an extra boost, the pure caffeine powder is often taken before practices and workouts.

Partygoers take it to combat the depressant effects of alcohol or marijuana. And it’s also popular among college students as a way to help stay alert during late-night study sessions.

“These produces are not regulated yet,” Thomas said. “Teens can easily get these products online, and they’re very cheap. If parents don’t pay attention to what their children are consuming, tragedies may happen again.”

For healthy adults, the FDA recommends a caffeine limit of 400 milligrams, or about 20 to 28 ounces of coffee per day. Over-consumption of caffeinated beverages such as energy drinks also can lead to caffeine overdose.

Officials say it’s hard to measure if the consumption of caffeine is reaching lethal levels. Symptoms like rapid or dangerously erratic heartbeat, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, stupor and disorientation may indicate an overdose is occurring.

“We definitely suggest our parents warn their children on caffeine overdose,” Thomas said.