The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Andrew Powell

State to provide more toll relief for commuters

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(The Center Square) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that Floridians will receive additional funding for toll relief.

Toll relief began April 1 and will save some commuters who frequently drive through toll plazas hundreds of dollars over the course of a year after the state has promised to reimburse 50% of those toll costs back to drivers.

“We were able in 2023 to do the most significant toll relief program in the history of the state, we were able to rebate 50% of all the tolls from our commuters on a monthly basis,” DeSantis said.

(Chase Baker/Unsplash)

DeSantis noted that relief was only meant for Florida residents, and if that commuter met the required threshold, they would receive a refund. DeSantis noted that rebates were done this way to ensure Floridians were getting the relief and not visitors to the state.

“The visitors, we want them to pay, right? We’d rather have them pay than us…but if you’re here just working, and you’re getting to and from work, and you’re getting hit with these tolls, we wanted to be able to provide relief,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis noted that toll relief in 2023 was very successful, and it was one way that he and the Legislature could also provide Floridians with relief from inflation. DeSantis stated that commuters do not need to do anything, and they will begin to see savings.

The toll relief program is operated by the Florida Department of Transportation and is spread across the state from the Panhandle to South Florida. These toll roads include parts of Interstate 95, the Florida Turnpike, Interstate 4 in Central Florida, and some roads and bridges that are not state-managed, according to DeSantis.

“If you’ve had 35 clicks going through any of these toll facilities, which you figure if you’re working full-time, you’re gonna do that on a monthly basis no problem, and it also includes if you’re just doing leisure [travel],” DeSantis said.

DeSantis mentioned how Floridians are also receiving permanent sales-tax relief on items such as baby clothing, baby clothing, and baby equipment.

“This toll relief I think is really really significant, so we’re excited to be able to re-up this for a second year,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis further announced that the Golden Glades Interchange Improvement Program also started Monday, a decade ahead of schedule.

Published April 10, 2024

Young local talent shines bright at 41st ‘Spotlight on Talent’

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“Spotlight on Talent” held its 41st annual talent competition on March 16 showcasing some of Central Florida’s best young performing artists.

The prestigious competition featured over 120 students aged 6 to 18 giving performances as singers, dancers and instrumentalists, and offering contestants the option to compete as solo performers, as part of a group, or both.  

Kasey Lang won the $1,000 Pasco Heritage Scholarship with her piano performance during Category 3 of the Evening Show.

For many, it was their first time performing at a professional venue with a full audience and expert judges. The event is attended by over 600 people each year, and took place at the Wesley Chapel Center for the Arts, located on the Wesley Chapel High School campus.

Pianist Kasey Lang won the $1,000 Pasco Heritage Scholarship which is awarded to the Pasco County graduating senior who receives the highest combined score from the auditions and finals, after she placed first in Category 3 of the Evening Show.

Barbara Friedman, who served as the executive producer and publicity chair, shared with us more detail about the event.

The annual production is orchestrated by the non-profit Heritage Arts Center Association. A dedicated 15-member Board of Directors spent three months planning the event, with an additional 15 community volunteers contributing to the final production. 

Friedman was supported by Assistant Producers Lauretta Brown, Michelle Twitmyer, and Laurel Weightman. The event received support from 30 corporate and community sponsors.

The night was skillfully emceed by Ben Alexander and the performances were dedicated to the memory of Linda LaFayette and Vickie West, two members of the Heritage Arts Board of Directors who recently passed away.

Here is the full list of winners:

Matinee Show (younger students and groups)
Category 1
1st – Amber Luu – Piano
2nd – Rhys Ricardo – Vocal
3rd – Adelynn Erickson – Jazz Dance
4th – Addie Pereira – Piano

Category 2
1st – Savanna Nelson – Ballet Dance
2nd – Naomi Reed – Piano
3rd – Kaiya Bistany-Charles – Vocal
4th – Adina Polley – Vocal
5th – Annabelle DePolis – Vocal
6th – Chloe Adams – Lyrical/Ballet Dance

Category 3
1st – Tenley Ryman – Contemporary Dance
2nd – Fiona Lin Blackburn – Piano
3rd – Caitlyn Siers – Contemporary Ballet
4th – Nikki Lang – Piano
5th – Gabriella Reto – Vocal

Younger Groups
1st –  Libertango Trio – Violins and Piano

Evening Show (older students and groups)
Category 1
1st – Makenna Henry – Dance
2nd – Paul McGill – Piano
3rd – Maelee Scaglione – Contemporary Dance
4th – Autumn Hawkins – Dance
5th – Isabel Geskey – Ballet Dance
6th – Elyana Coriano – Vocal

Category 2
1st – Abigail Wallace – Contemporary Dance
2nd – Katie Young – Vocal
3rd – Conway Theel – Piano
4th – Anna Hutchinson – Jazz Dance
5th – Huy Duong – Piano

Category 3
1st – Kasey Lang – Piano
2nd – Ylenia Giannini – Ballet Dance
3rd – Jasmine Crew – Contemporary Dance
4th – Larkin Mainwaring – Vocal
5th – Ashlyn Masson – Vocal

Older Groups
1st – Star Company – Acrobatic Dance
2nd – AIM Stars I – Musical Theater
3rd – AIM Stars B – Acting Comedy

Pasco Heritage Scholarship Winner 
Kasey Lang

Matinee Show, Category 1 first place winner Amber Luu – Piano.
Matinee Show, Category 2 first place winner Savanna Nelson – Ballet Dance.
Matinee Show, Category 3 first place winner Tenley Ryman – Contemporary Dance.
Matinee Show, Younger Groups first place winner Libertango Trio – Violins and Piano.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evening Show, Category 1 first place winner Makenna Henry – Dance.
Evening Show, Category 2 first place winner Abigail Wallace – Contemporary Dance.
Evening Show, Older Group first place winner Star Company – Acrobatic Dance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

State data shows electricity rates remain constant for most Floridians

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(The Center Square) — Florida’s electricity rates are set to decrease slightly over the coming months for some customers, while others will likely remain the same.

According to data from the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC), electricity rates remain steady for three of the four investor-owned electric companies in the Sunshine State.

These include Duke Energy, Florida Power & Light, Tampa Electric Company, and the Florida Public Utilities Company.

(Andrey Metelev/Unsplash)

Duke Energy’s base rate of $83.91 remains unchanged since January, and residential bills for 1,000 kilowatt hours of service average around $163.35. Florida Public Utilities Company remains one of the most expensive providers, with an average bill of $165.98.

The Tampa Electric Company has a base rate of $87.80, however, average residential bills are slightly lower at around $143.48 per month.

The state’s largest electric provider, Florida Power & Light , has two separate areas that are charged differently after the company merged with Gulf Power.

FPL’s former Gulf Power customers in Northwest Florida have an average bill of around $143.08, which decreased from an average of $149.70 in January. The rest of FPL’s residential customers pay the lowest monthly bills at $128.88.

FPL recently proposed lowering electricity rates, and the PSC is due to hear this proposal Tuesday. The proposal came after natural gas prices were lower than previously expected, and if approved customers could save a total of $662 million, with savings being seen on customer bills from May until December.

According to FPL’s website, customers could see decreases in April and then again in May, with residential customers using 1,000-kWh, having their bill reduced by over $14.

If the proposal is approved by PSC, Northwest FPL customers could see monthly bills reduced to $135.38 in May. FPL customers around the rest of Florida could see monthly bills decreased to $121.19 in May.

The company further states that the price decrease in April is due to the end of a temporary surcharge to pay for past hurricane restorations, which ended March 31.

The PSC also approved a $5 million refund to customers of FPL in late March, after they were charged “recovery” rates during outages at the power company’s nuclear power plants at Turkey Point and St. Lucie.

Published April 10, 2024

Public Works department recognized for innovation

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Pasco County works to maintain more than 600 guardrails across the county — each one different from the other — knowing the rails help keep the traveling public safe. Monitoring, repairing and upgrading guardrails is a major job, and Pasco’s Department of Public Works does it with its first-of-its-kind Guardrail Assessment Program, according to a news release.

The department recently announced it won the Technical and Management Innovation Award from the American Public Works Association (APWA) Florida Chapter – West Coast Branch and received the top honor at a ceremony on March 13.

The Public Works team spent months creating the Guardrail Assessment Program, reviewing materials from the Florida Department of Transportation and other agencies.

Training materials and assessment criteria for guardrails was developed and a guardrail ID inspection handbook was created.

“We’re extremely proud of our team for developing this top-notch program to make our roads safer,” said Public Works Director Jason Mickel in the release.

“We’re committed to keeping up this excellent work, knowing how instrumental it is in our pursuit for safety,” said Mickel.

Published April 10, 2024

Housing organization recognized as a top workplace

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Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas & West Pasco Counties has been named a 2024 Tampa Bay Times Top Workplaces winner.

(Courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas & West Pasco Counties)

Habitat Pinellas & West Pasco is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International and is part of a global nonprofit housing organization operated “on Christian principles that seeks to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities and hope,” according to its website.

The Times, partnering with Energage, surveys employees of top-rated organizations and businesses from around the Tampa Bay region to better understand work cultures and employee experiences.

“We are honored to be given the ‘seal of success’ as a Top Workplaces winner,” said Habitat president and CEO, Mike Sutton, in a news release.

“At Habitat, our culture code guides employees every day. We are determined to be a workplace where everyone is accepted and treated with dignity and respect,” said Sutton.

In addition to the Top Workplaces award, Habitat Pinellas & West Pasco was recognized with the 2024 Meaningfulness Award, and recently announced it received the 2024 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

To learn more about the organization, visit HabitatPWP.org and click on “Careers.”

Published April 10, 2024

DeSantis signs bill to help property owners more easily eject squatters

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(The Center Square) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Wednesday that he says will end the problem of squatters taking over homes in the Sunshine State.

DeSantis stated that squatters have taken over homes in states like New York and in some cases, have been murdering the homeowners when they attempt to evict them from their properties.

“Today, in the state of Florida, we say very simply, what passes muster in New York and California, is not passing muster here,” DeSantis said. “You are not going to be able to commandeer somebody’s private property and expect to get away with it.”

(Chris Anderson/Unsplash)

DeSantis stated that the “squatters’ scam” is going to be ended once and for all. He added that House Bill 621 would allow homeowners to quickly and legally remove a squatter from their property and increase penalties for those squatting.

DeSantis added that because of outdated laws, squatters knew there was a long process involved in getting them removed from a property and noted that the legislation would make this process more efficient.

“What you can do now if you’re the victim of squatting, you can simply fill out a form, give it to your local sheriff, and the sheriff is instructed to go and remove the people who are inhabiting your dwelling illegally,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis noted that because of the new legislation and the swiftness in which law enforcement can act, people will be more reluctant to occupy a dwelling in Florida illegally.

“You see these trends that happen in these other parts of the country, I think good leadership is looking and saying ok, we’re not gonna repeat what is going on in these failed jurisdictions,” DeSantis said. “So the Legislature was up to the task, and then here today we’re signing this into law, is gonna show the state of Florida is up to the task.”

DeSantis stated that he and the Legislature believe in the rule of law, and in private property rights and added that he thinks it’s good that people can aspire to own their own homes, including those who own seasonal homes in Florida.

“The squatters’ scam ends today with my signature on this piece of legislation and the state of Florida will be better for it,” DeSantis said.

Published April 10, 2024

Promote happiness with this Mother’s Day gift guide

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Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that can make one’s day. Use this Mother’s Day gift guide to promote happiness in your mom’s life:

(Ijaz Rafi/Unsplash)

Better Mornings
Coffee and tea have been scientifically proven to boost happiness. But if your mom is like many moms out there, she may get so busy taking care of others she forgets to drink her beverage before it gets cold. What if she could enjoy her coffee or tea from the first sip to the last at just the right temperature? A temperature-controlled self-heating mug, stylishly maintains an individual’s beverage at their ideal temperature — 130, 140 or 150 degrees Fahrenheit — for hours. Your mom will never have to reheat her tea or coffee again.

Endorphin Boost
Did you know that exercise is one of the best ways to promote happiness? Not only can it be a major confidence booster, it releases endorphins that offer a post-workout bliss. However, many people new to exercise don’t know how to start working out or have questions about doing so safely. If your mom is one of those people, consider gifting her a session with a personal trainer. In one session, the trainer can assess your mom’s current level of fitness and offer her a sensible routine to do on her own. Or, if your mom is social or loves variety, consider getting her a fitness membership to a service like ClassPass. This will allow her to take various types of fitness classes so she can see what style of workout she likes best.

Happy Faces on Rotation
Sometimes all one needs to smile is a reminder of a happy memory. Upgrade your mom’s photo display game with a digital frame so she can be treated to a slideshow of loved ones anytime she wants. With a model that connects to Wi-Fi, she can easily send photos to the frame through email or via online photo collections. As a thoughtful gesture, consider pre-loading it with some of her favorite family photos.

This Mother’s Day, honor your mom with thoughtful and fun gifts that will promote her happiness.

-StatePoint

Published April 10, 2024

Governor signs bill allowing larger bottles for Florida wineries

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(The Center Square) — Florida residents will be able to upsize their wine purchases after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Thursday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 583, which will allow Florida winemakers and distributors to legally sell bottles of wine up to 15 liters, almost four gallons. Previously, wine distributors and manufacturers were restricted from selling their products to everyday Florida customers in anything larger than a one-gallon container.

(Klara Kulikova/Unsplash)

“So, we’re here today to talk about wine and to talk about something that I know is near and dear to the hearts of many people in our state, and to be frank, it’s something that was near and dear to the hearts of a lot of people that founded this country,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis stated that historians have said that wine was used to toast the signing of the Declaration of Independence. They added that it was reported that George Washington would drink wine every evening.

“As somebody who has often cited Washington’s example as something people in political office should follow, I knew we had to work with the Legislature to ensure that Florida was living up to those great traditions,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis said the Legislature looked at laws that were not working for Florida businesses and for Florida consumers. DeSantis added that the previous laws were “odd” because a customer was able to order a 15-liter bottle online but not physically buy one in a store.

“There was really no public policy reason why we should have this regulation, and this is a regulation that was something that had been in place for many many decades,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis noted that this legislation is an example of Florida cutting through unnecessary red tape.

“We want our businesses to thrive, we want our consumers to be happy,” DeSantis said.

Bill sponsor Rep. Chip LaMarca, R-Lighthouse Point, stated that putting forward the legislation was an easy thing to do and just made sense.

Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Melanie S. Griffin thanked DeSantis for making it easier for more than 51,000 DBPR licensees to succeed in their businesses.

“Under the governor’s leadership, Florida continues to cut red tape and make it easier to do business in our state…I want to take a moment to emphasize how important it is to Florida businesses,” Griffin said.

Published April 10, 2024

 

State utility to refund $5M to customers over nuclear plant outages

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(The Center Square) — The Florida Public Service Commission approved a settlement Tuesday that will allow Florida Power & Light to provide its customers with a reimbursement.

FPL will reimburse its customers $5 million after they were charged “replacement” power costs when the Turkey Point and St. Lucie nuclear plants experienced outages between 2020 and 2022.

(StellrWeb/Unsplash)

According to PSC filings, the $5 million credit, including interest, would be included in the calculation of FPL’s fuel factors the next time the company resets them. In February, state regulators recommended that the PSC refund over $11 million due to an agency audit that cited mismanagement as the reason for more than 40 shutdowns at both power plants.

During a prehearing statement, the Office of Public Counsel, which represents customers, officially requested that PSC sign off on an agreement between the OPC and FPL to resolve the issue.

“The outcome is a win-win for customers and the utility. Customers benefit not just from the recovery of $5 million of replacement power cost but also from the FPL’s improved nuclear fleet for Florida, a fact acknowledged in the staff management audit back to 2021 and running through the present time,” Trierweiler said.

Trierweiler stated that the high level of performance benefits customers as they receive cost-effective, efficient, carbon-neutral nuclear power. He added that this enhances the reliability of the utility’s service and helps keep FPL’s electric rates lower than every other investor-owned ultimately in the Sunshine State.

Trierweiler noted that there is no doubt that FPL’s response to addressing outages in a timely and transparent manner helped return its nuclear fleet to operate once again at a high level.

The utility agreed to do a follow-up staff management audit no earlier than 2030, and Trierweiler pointed out that audits are important to ensure that the utility is running in an efficient manner while still delivering savings to customers.

“The purpose of a future audit is to provide a blinking light in the future, in the distance, to remind us that these performance metrics require constant vigilance,” Trierweiler said. “This reminder should only solidify FPL’s commitment to maintain and build on a continued high level of power plant performance, which will benefit customers.”

Published April 10, 2024

Speed Starz win big at Florida International meet

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The Speed Starz, a competitive youth track club, left their mark at the Florida International track meet held at IMG Stadium in Bradenton on March 23 and 24 — in a big way. The team scored the most cumulative points and took home first place for the entire meet. 

The Speed Starz sent around 40 young athletes to the Florida International track meet. Their cumulative efforts won them first place for the entire meet. (Courtesy of Speed Starz)

The meet is one of the biggest youth track competitions in the nation, hosting around 1,500 athletes during the two day event. The majority of the competitors come from Florida, Georgia and Maryland.

The Speed Starz athletes range in age from 4 to 18, with most of them hailing from Wesley Chapel. Around 40 of them competed at the meet in running and field events, scoring points in nearly all the events they competed in. 

The combined efforts of the whole team led to the victory, which included first place finishes from four young athletes.

Seth Williamson was one of four athletes who had first place finishes.

Seth Williamson competed in the 8 and under category, and dominated in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump, placing first in all three. It was another in a series of accolades for the young athlete, considered to be one of the best in the country, and the youngest track athlete to receive a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal.

Competing in the 9 and under category, Jakobi Desroches beat the pack, taking first in the 100-meter dash and long jump, and placing second in the 200-meter dash.

Lena Budzilek, competing in 11 and under, placed first in the 80-meter hurdles in her category, and Wyatt Chapman, aged 18, competed in the college open category, winning both the 100 and 200-meter dash.

The team trains at Cypress Creek High School, led by Head Coach Bernard “BB” Roberts and four assistants.

“What’s so unique and interesting about this track club is that we have a very diverse group of kids,” Coach Roberts said.

Roberts is a local legend himself, holding multiple sprinting records at Wesley Chapel High School. That’s on top of being a stellar football player for the Wildcats, who went 10-1 in 2003, the year he played.

He organized the Speed Starz in 2013 with the aim of training kids to get an early start on track, and to help them reach their athletic potential.

Published April 10, 2024

Head Coach BB Roberts
Zane Stalker, Bria Hamilton and Jeremiah Roberts
Lena and Amelia Budzilek