Local News

ZEPHYRHILLS – The Zephyrhills Daughters of the American Revolution has approached city leaders about allowing a permanent masonry burning pit to be built at Veterans Memorial Park to retire U.S. flags.

The Echebucsassa Chapter of DAR plans to pursue $40,000 through the America 250 Florida Grants program, according to Regent Marie Wunderlich. The program, offered through the Florida Department of State, is accepting grant applications through Aug. 6. 

“Currently, there exists no venue open to the public for them to witness such a ceremony, partake in such a ceremony by providing their flags, and educating the children about the U.S. flag,” Wunderlich told the city council July 28. “Not only why we raise it, why we salute it, why we pledge to it, but why we burn it.”

The U.S. Flag Code suggests burning a flag in a dignified way when it is no longer a “fitting emblem for display.”

Wunderlich said the grant would include eight benches, each representing the different branches of the Armed Forces.

“We would like to have signage educating the public on not only the Declaration of Independence,” Wunderlich said, “but Revolutionary period events – whether it would be the Liberty Tree, the different battles that took place – an educational experience devoted to the history of our veterans’ service, from Revolutionary War period to the current period.”

Wunderlich said these park upgrades can be used by all patriotic and civic organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Veterans of Foreign Wars. 

The council was receptive to the idea, saying that staff could make sure the grant proposal aligns with ongoing park plans. One member of the council offered to get his daughter, who has written grants professionally, to help with the application. 

 

Neighbor reports park abuse

Neighbor Michael Cooper has encouraged the City of Zephyrhills to do something about people riding motorcycles, ATVs and golf carts at Veterans Memorial Park. 

Cooper told the Zephyrhills City Council on July 28 that he and his wife enjoy walking at the park but people are driving on the grass and pavement all the time. 

“You call the cops – sometimes they show up, a lot of times they don’t,” Cooper said. “So I called the city manager, complained several times. He talked to them. When they do come out and catch them, they don’t do nothing to them. They just let them go. I don’t understand it. How are they going to learn not to do this?”

TAMPA – It’s easy to forget, down here where the change of seasons barely registers, that for most of the time humans have walked the Earth, to be cold was to die. And darkness was coldness. Every year, as the nights grow longer and the plants get browner and a chill starts to sharpen the air, our ancestors’ thoughts turned grim. But as lives got safer and we developed fear-as-entertainment, we learned to deploy that darkness to frighten  and thereby to thrill.

And yet if you’ve ever been on a Florida beach on an August afternoon, you know that light and heat can be shockingly scary too. Even dangerous. 

And because Tampa Theatre’s Big Picture series curators like being contrary, they’ve decided to lead into spooky season this year with a sampler of frightening films that all operate in the sunlight, though each in different ways:

• Aug. 6: This month opens with the new classic “Midsommar,” a discombobulating, trancelike nightmare that’s still the most straightforward horror film in the series. It’s a useful introduction to the vibe all these movies have in common: something about horrible things being completely visible makes them feel both more realistic and more surreal.
• Aug. 13: Next is “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” a groundbreaking and frequently imitated creature-feature that trades one kind of darkness for another. No matter how oppressive the heat and prickly the light is on land, go a few feet underwater and everything is dark and cold forever. The underwater scenes were filmed in Wakulla Springs, just south of Tallahassee, so this is practically a home movie.
• Aug. 20: Then we take a slight left turn to “No Country for Old Men,” not a typical thriller but a scintillating exploration of a much more recognizable kind of monster. Every shot is desiccated and sunbleached, with cinematography that’s lizardlike in its economy of motion. All you have to do is watch what happens.
• Aug. 27: And finally we wrap with “The Vanishing,” aka “Spoorloos,” a Dutch psychological stomach-churner about a woman who disappears at a rest stop during a sunny French vacation. It’s got the frank and wide-eyed perspective of security camera footage or a celebrity magazine profile, and Stanley Kubrick thought it was the scariest movie he’d ever seen.

Big Picture tickets cost $7 for Tampa Theatre members and $10 for others. Buy them at the Franklin Street Box Office and  at www.tampatheatre.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed HR 900, the Sinkhole Mapping Act, introduced by Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12) and Darren Soto (D-FL-09). 

The legislation directs the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct studies on the short- and long-term mechanisms that potentially contribute to the triggering of sinkholes, including extreme storm events, prolonged droughts leading to shifts in water management practices, as well as ongoing aquifer depletion, and other major changes in water use.

“In recent years, we have seen throughout Tampa Bay how dangerous sinkholes can be for neighborhoods,” Bilirakis said. “To improve public safety and consumer protection, we need to study the causes and remedies of sinkholes while developing geological maps to delineate the highest risk areas for sinkholes to occur.”

Sota also addressed the bipartisan legislation on the House floor. 

“It’s all about having a public website displaying maps depicting zones at greater risk of sinkhole formation, helping with communities, helping save lives, and getting us to have more resilient communities.”

Currently, there is no database displaying all sinkholes in Florida. Lawmakers say this presents challenges not just for land developers and residents but also for community planners and first responders. The Sinkhole Mapping Act also directs the USGS director to open a public website that displays maps depicting zones at greater risk of sinkhole formation, giving community planners and first responders access to critical information.  

The Sinkhole Mapping Act awaited a vote in the Senate as of the newspaper’s print deadline. 

In addition to Reps. Soto and Bilirakis, the bill was co-sponsored by Florida Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24), as well as Reps. Wesley Bell (D-MO-01), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Josh Harder (D-CA-09).

 

LAND O’ LAKES – Pasco County Schools is trying to finalize its 2025-26 fiscal year budget despite some challenging variables from state and federal governments. 

Staff has brought forward a $2.3 billion tentative budget to the school board. This represents a 2.3% increase from the 2024-25 budget and includes $1.1 billion for the general fund (primary operating fund) and $671.5 million budget for capital projects (construction/facilities fund).

“They are working,” Superintendent John Legg said of his team. “They put their numbers together, and it just seems like within a couple of hours, they have to adjust it because more information is coming.”

Legg said it seems like the district keeps getting new information due to the state budget being late and the federal government reviewing grants. 

Tammy Taylor, chief financial officer for Pasco County Schools, met with the school board July 22 to explain some of the state and federal impacts on the budget. 

 

Student enrollment  

Pasco County Schools projects traditional schools will see a 638-student decrease this coming year as interest grows in charter and private schools.

Taylor said the district expects to get $3.6 million less in funding due to declining enrollment. 

The district expects charter school enrollment to grow by 1,645 students. This comes as three new charter schools open in 2025-26: Imagine School at Trinity, Pinecrest Academy Connerton and Pinecrest Academy Connerton Middle School.

The district also anticipates an increase of 1,645 students receiving the Florida Empowerment Scholarship, a program that helps families pay tuition for private schools.

Taylor said the district accounts for approximately 79% of enrollment in the county with charter schools at 11% and Florida Empowerment Scholarship at 10%.

 

Florida Empowerment Scholarships

Funding for the Florida Empowerment Scholarship has grown from $33.9 million in 2023-24 to $51.2 million in 2024-25 to $71 million in 2025-26. 

“These funds are included in our budget,” Taylor told the scholar board. “It’s very difficult when we’re looking at balancing the budget and reserves when there’s this large sum of money in here that really never comes to us and becomes part of our budget.”

Taylor said the state didn’t budget enough for the scholarships in 2024-25, resulting in the district waiting on $1.5 million in anticipated revenue. 

“Our desire would be to see FES scholarship students as their own school, similar to Florida Virtual School, so the funds are not included in our budget,”  Taylor said. “It would be much easier across the state if they were set up as their own schools but we’ll see what happens.”

 

Employee health insurance & retirement rates

The district will contribute $8,801 per employee this year for health insurance. Taylor said this represents a 40% increase over the past 10 years. 

“The fund is experiencing a very bad year and is expected to have a $15 million shortfall,” Taylor said. “Discussions are still ongoing and subject to negotiations to bring the plan back into compliance with the required reserves.”

In total, the district expects to pay $112,807,393 in health insurance expenses for 2025-26. 

The district is also seeing an increase in retirement rates. 

Pasco County Schools projects $76.2 million in retirement expenses compared to $75.8 million in 2024-25 and $72.5 million in 2023-24. Five years ago, the district’s retirement expenses totaled $48.7 million.

 

Florida Education Finance Program changes

Finance staff has had to adjust to state changes to funding categories, such as instructional materials, reading allocation and classroom supply funds. 

Another change, made this year, involves “academic acceleration options” that includes Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and similar programs. 

Taylor could not say at this time how this would impact the district. 

 

Federal Funding

Taylor said that $6.3 million in federal grants are being held for review. 

This includes line items for supporting effective instruction/teacher retention ($3.5 million), student support and academic enrichment ($1.9 million), language instruction for immigrants ($798,099) and migrant education ($83,840).

Not getting this funding will result in staff going back to the school board with budget changes. As many as 56 positions are funded through these allocations, Taylor said.

The district has received grants that were originally withheld, including the 21st century community learning centers ($2.5 million). Grant funding related to adult general education was received but reduced from $845,536 to $406,432. 

 

Millage rates 

The district will vote on a budget with a total millage levy of 6.274 mills, which is a 0.057 decrease from the previous year. 

Taylor said the owner of a $350,000 home would pay $2,039.05 in school taxes, a decrease of $18.53 from 2024 millage rates.

 

Salary referendum revenue

Pasco County voters approved a referendum to allow the school board to levy up to one mill in each of the four years of the referendum to increase salaries for teachers, bus drivers, nutrition staff and custodians. 

This has allowed a starting teachers’ salary to increase by $2,500 with an average teacher supplement of $5,800. 

“The district is very thankful to the voters for their trust and support of the school district in this effort,” she said. Without these funds, it would be an even more challenging year and the district could not remain competitive with our surrounding counties.”

The district projects $64,129,768 in projected revenue in 2025-26 from this move.

 

School board reacts

School board members did not express shock at Taylor’s presentation. 

District 2 Member Colleen Beaudoin credited Taylor and her team for keeping the board in the loop for several months. 

District 3 Member Cynthia Armstrong appreciated the staff’s conservative approach to budgeting, noting how preparing for worst-case scenarios positions Pasco County Schools better than other school districts. 

Superintendent John Legg reiterated that the biggest variable involves getting health insurance wrapped up from the previous year and forecasting for next. Legg said the district may get updated information about this in the coming days. 

The district is required to hold two public hearings for the budget. The first hearing, scheduled for July 29, is to adopt a millage and tentative budget. The second hearing, scheduled for Sept. 9, is to adopt the final millage and budget. 

“Employee salaries and benefits is the largest portion of the district’s budget and it accounts for over $667 million,” Taylor said. “Over 90% of the budget is appropriated to instruction and school level programs. A small percentage of our budget is going to other areas.”

 

ST. LEO – Saint Leo University biology majors who want to pursue a health care career have a clear path to medical, dental, pharmacy or podiatry school thanks to a new partnership. 

Saint Leo recently became an Early Acceptance Program partner of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, the largest osteopathic college in the United States. 

The nonprofit college offers doctoral programs in osteopathic medicine, dental medicine, pharmacy or podiatric medicine.

Through the partnership, Saint Leo students enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program in biology may apply to LECOM’s Early Acceptance Program before or during their junior year.

For students who have obtained specified scores on the SAT or ACT, the Early Acceptance Program waives the MCAT exam. If Saint Leo students meet the requirements, they will be granted provisional acceptance to LECOM and its College of Osteopathic Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, School of Pharmacy, or School of Podiatric Medicine.

“Early acceptance can help undergraduate students avoid some of the stress and cost of applying to medical school or other health care schools,” said Heather Parker, dean of Saint Leo’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Allied Services. “Like Saint Leo University, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine focuses on the growth of our students in mind, body and spirit.”

Osteopathic medicine takes a whole-person approach to health care and practitioners partner with their patients on their journey to health and wellness, noted Chery Kozina, associate professor of biology. She advises Saint Leo students majoring in pre-health profession.

“Several recent Saint Leo graduates are attending or have graduated from LECOM in the osteopathic medicine program,” she said, “and they go on to competitive medical residency programs. Lake Erie College of Medicine already was an attractive option for students seeking a medical school education after Saint Leo, and the Early Acceptance Program will grow this relationship even further.”

While LECOM is based in Erie, Pennsylvania, it recently opened a new campus in Bradenton, Florida, and will soon have another in Jacksonville, allowing Saint Leo students to continue their studies in the state.

Email Cheryl Kozina, associate professor of biology, For information about the Early Acceptance Program.

Scallop and Music Festival returns

HUDSON – Thousands of seafood lovers, families and music fans are expected for the second annual Scallop and Music Festival, Pasco County’s signature coastal celebration. 

Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources and Florida’s Sports Coast are planning three festive weekends of entertainment July 24–27, Aug. 1-3 and Aug. 8–10 at Sunwest Park, 17362 Old Dixie Hwy. Parking costs $5 parking or get in with Pasco County Parking Pass.

Some of the attractions at the festival include a 5K race, crafts, games, kids zone, live music, kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming and a volleyball tournament.

Visit mypas.co/PascoScallopMusicFest25 to see the full schedule.

 

Apply for Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards

DADE CITY – The Tampa Bay Community Water Wise Awards Program recognizes individuals and businesses committed to water conservation and environmental protection. 

Participants use the best, most attractive, Florida-friendly landscaping as well as irrigation systems or techniques that minimize water waste. 

Applications are being accepted through July 31. Visit https://awards.tampabaywaterwise.org/ for details. 

 

Youth can audition for show

BROOKSVILLE – Live Oak Conservatory will begin holding auditions for its Youth Theatre Program due to the growing number of interested students.

A mandatory parent meeting and auditions start at 10 a.m. Aug. 23. Callbacks are set for Sept. 2 and 4 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Classes begin Sept. 9. Upcoming productions include “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr.” (Nov. 13–23) and “A Christmas Carol” (Dec. 11–14).

RSVP to to receive audition details.

Live Oak offers performing arts classes and private music lessons for ages pre-K to 18.

Details: liveoaktheatre.org/conservatory  

 

Tarpon Springs hosts Groovy Hippie Fest

TARPON SPRINGS – Break out the bell-bottoms … Hippie Fest returns with live tribute bands, a vintage VW car show, bohemian vendors, vegetarian eats and a hula hoop contest.

The free, family-friendly event celebrates peace, love, and retro vibes with music, photo ops, and handcrafted goods from 2 to 9 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks, 735 Dodecanese Blvd.

Visit the Tarpon Springs Hippie Fest Facebook page (facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064793226915) for updates.

 

UK comedian to perform at Tampa Theatre

TAMPA – UK comedy star Kevin Bridges brings his Live North American tour to Tampa Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7. 

With five tours, five specials, and over 1.5 million tickets sold, Bridges is known for his sharp wit and relatable humor. This marks his first U.S. tour. The show is for adults. 

Tickets range from $39.25 to $59.25 plus fees. Get them at the Franklin Street Box Office and TampaTheatre.org. 

 

Pretty Vee to perform at Tampa Theatre

TAMPA – Comedian Pretty Vee brings her Why Am I Like This? tour to Tampa Theatre at 8 p.m. Sept. 26. 

Known for her bold characters—like Sharoonnn, the no-nonsense Jamaican auntie—Pretty Vee blends comedy, storytelling, and raw energy in this one-woman show. 

Tickets went on sale July 18 at the Franklin Street Box Office and TampaTheatre.org. Prices range from $25 to $35; VIP tickets cost $78.50 plus fees.

 

New floating docks coming to Gandy Boat Ramp

TAMPA – Renovations have begun at Hillsborough County’s most popular boat ramp.

The project will replace the existing floating docks and gangways at Gandy Boat Ramp, 5108 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa. It is expected to be completed by Aug. 11.  

The Gandy Boat Ramp has a total of six lanes for boats; at least four lanes will remain open at all times while work is underway. No additional lanes will be added.

The $278,000 project is funded by a combination of fishing and boater registration fees collected under Florida Statute 328.72 that are returned to Hillsborough County for maintaining and operating boat ramps and boating facilities.  

 

IMAG celebrates 30 Years

FORT MYERS – The IMAG History & Science Center invites the community to its 30th Birthday Celebration with hands-on activities, animal shows, science demos, crafts, food trucks and a foam party.

Percy, IMAG’s 110-pound tortoise, will be there. Guests can also preview new fall STEM programs.

The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 16 at the venue, 2000 Cranford Ave. Get 30% off adult admission. Kids get in free. 

On the web: theIMAG.org