Local News

Pasco County wants to hear from residents

June 11, 2024 By Mary Rathman

The Pasco community is being asked to provide feedback on Pasco’s climate vulnerabilities, such as flooding. (File)

The Resilient Pasco Project is a planning initiative aimed to promote countywide resilience and sustainability planning around vulnerabilities to climate hazards, such as flooding, storm surge, sea level rise and extreme heat.

Pasco County will host public workshops for residents to learn about the results of the countywide vulnerability assessment and to provide feedback. All workshops are from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.

Workshop 1: June 18, at CARES Elfers Senior Center, 4136 Barker Drive, New Port Richey
Workshop 2: June 20, Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road, Hudson
Workshop 3: June 24, PHSC East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road, Building A, Room 240, Dade City
Workshop 4: June 26, Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway

For more information, visit MyPasco.net/resilience.

Published June 12, 2024

DeSantis asks residents to buy hurricane supplies during sales tax holiday

June 11, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Florida residents to take advantage of the state’s sales tax holiday for hurricane supplies.

DeSantis announced during a recent news conference in Fort Myers that many items will be sales tax-free to help residents prepare for potential disastrous weather events. Hurricane season started on June 1 and runs through Nov. 1.

“We are gonna be prepared,” DeSantis said. “We have put a lot of emphasis in this state on recovery and response. I know when Ian came, millions and millions of people were restored to power across the state within a matter of 48 hours.”

DeSantis said that this was the fastest restoration after a major hurricane in American history and added that local and state responders worked hard to get supplies and get major lifelines like bridges up and running again.

“There’s certain things that your local government will need to prepare for and execute and then, of course, the state, we have a role and we try to lead,” DeSantis said. “We don’t typically depend on the federal government for anything because we figure that’s not a place you wanna be.”

DeSantis said that individual Floridians have a role to play in ensuring they are prepared and emphasized the importance of having a sound preparedness plan. DeSantis added that they now recommend that households have at least seven days of food, water and fuel.

“We’re not just saying do this; we’re actually helping people make this happen,” DeSantis said. “We are now in the midst — and this goes till June 14 — of our disaster tax preparedness holiday for sales tax.”

Sales tax-free items include portable generators, power banks, batteries, flashlights, pet items, toys, tarps, water, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors and portable radios for less than $50.

DeSantis said that they have also added pet evacuation supplies to the disaster preparedness tax holiday. These include wet and dry cat and dog food, cat litter pans, water bowls, pet waste disposal bags, collars, muzzles, leashes and pet beds and carriers.

A second disaster preparedness sales tax holiday is slated to begin during the peak of hurricane season from Aug. 24 through Sept. 6 so residents can replenish supplies. DeSantis said it’s important for people to get what they need now.

Published June 12, 2024

U.S. Postal Service releases dog bite rankings

June 11, 2024 By Mary Rathman

Incidents involving dog attacks on U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees rose to more than 5,800 cases last year. Florida ranks No. 7 in the nation for dog bites, with 193 dog attacks on postal service employees in 2023, according to a news release.

As part of the USPS’ 2024 National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, which ran from June 2 to June 9, the organization offers information on how dog owners can be good stewards for safe mail delivery and ensure the safety of the postal employees. This year’s theme was “Don’t let your dog bite the hand that serves you.”

Letter carriers are exposed to potential hazards every day, including canine encounters. (Courtesy of U.S. Postal Service)

Dog owners can help with safe mail delivery
Letters carriers know all dogs can bite, even those perceived as nonaggressive. Dogs are generally protective of their turf and dog owners have a responsibility to control them.

Most people know the approximate time the letter carrier arrives every day, so dogs should be secured before the carrier approaches to minimize potential dangerous interactions.

Owners should keep dogs inside the house or behind a fence; away from the door or in another room; or on a leash.

Pet owners also should remind children not to take mail directly from the letter carrier, as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child.

Consequences of a dog attack
According to the most recent information available from the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost per insurance claim for a dog bite is $64,555, the release says.

When a postal employee suffers an injury, the owner could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering.

Stay focused on deliveringLetter carriers are trained to observe an area where they know dogs may be present, be alert for potential dangerous conditions and to respect a dog’s territory. Carriers are trained to:

Make a non-threatening noise or rattle a fence to alert a dog if entering a yard
Never startle a dog
Keep their eyes on any dog
Never assume a dog will not bite
Never attempt to pet or feed a dog
Place their foot against an outward swinging door to prevent a dog from escaping

If a dog does attack, carriers also are trained to stand their ground and protect their body by placing something between themselves and the dog — such as a mail satchel — and to use dog repellent if necessary.

The letter carriers also have a dog feature on a handheld scanner to remind them of a possible dog hazard. Dog warning cards must be used during mail sorting to alert carriers to addresses where a dog could interfere with delivery.

Holding the mail
When a postal carrier feels unsafe, mail service can be stopped. Until the carrier feels safe enough to restart delivery, the pet owner will have to pick up their mail at the local post office.

2023 dog attack rankings by city
The top five cities in Florida reporting dog attacks are: Miami, 21; Saint Petersburg, 15; Jacksonville, 10; Orlando, 9; and Tampa, 6.

Published June 12, 2024

Pasco Habitat for Humanity affiliate recognized for contributions

June 11, 2024 By Mary Rathman

Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco County has received the Malachi 3:10 Award, in recognition of the organization’s generosity, having contributed more than $500,000 in lifetime tithes to support the mission of Habitat for Humanity in a developing country. This milestone underscores the affiliate’s unwavering commitment to fostering global community development and improving lives through sustainable housing solutions, according to a news release.

From left: Habitat staff Jere Ferguson, program manager; Crystal Lazar, president/CEO; Terena Jones, CFO; John Mezzei, construction operations manager; and Jennifer Healey, AmeriCorps VISTA. (Courtesy of Melissa Parks/Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County Inc.)

A tithe is “the tenth part of agricultural produce or personal income set apart as an offering to God or for works of mercy, or the same amount regarded as an obligation or tax for the support of the church, priesthood, or the like,” according to the dictionary.

The Habitat Pasco tithes have been directed to Habitat for Humanity Macedonia, where they have played a pivotal role in funding housing projects, supporting local economies and empowering families to build a better future, the release says.

The award, named after the biblical verse that encourages tithing and generosity, is a testament to the affiliate’s dedication to making a meaningful impact beyond its immediate community. Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that it may be food in my house. Test me in this and see if I do not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

“We are incredibly grateful for this recognition and the opportunity to make a difference in Macedonia,” said Crystal Lazar, president/CEO of Habitat Pasco, in the release.

“Our commitment to tithing reflects our belief in the importance of supporting global communities and sharing our blessings. We hope our contributions inspire others to give generously and help transform lives through the power of decent, affordable housing,” said Lazar.

The volunteers and donors of the Habitat branch in Dade City, to date, have built 162 affordable homes in East and Central Pasco County.

For more information on how to get involved, visit HabitatPasco.org, or email .

Published June 12, 2024

Florida officials seeking public input on proposed energy rebate programs

June 11, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — Florida officials are seeking feedback from the public about the Florida Energy Rebate programs currently under development.

The program still awaits approval from the U.S. Department of Energy. Florida has been allocated $346 million to assist residents in reducing energy costs by improving their home’s energy efficiency through qualified upgrades, retrofits and high-efficiency appliances.

Brooks Rumenik, the director of the Office of Energy at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said during last month’s meeting devoted to the implementation of Florida’s Energy Rebate Program that it is designed to help businesses and individuals cope with rising energy costs.

“In today’s challenging economy, it’s important we provide opportunities for individuals and businesses to save on their energy costs,” Rumenik said. “Florida’s energy rebate programs will provide a unique opportunity to save money through increased energy efficiency.”

Rumenik added that the energy programs are designed to provide financial incentives that can lead to actual savings and the meeting’s objectives included engaging with stakeholders during the development of the programs, as well as the implementation process and aggregating and considering all feedback.

“The goal of Florida’s energy rebate program is to enhance energy savings for Floridians, while accelerating the transition to more affordable, efficient and resilient homes,” Rumenik said.

The programs will run until all the funds are exhausted or through Sept. 30, 2031, whichever comes first.

Deputy Director of the Office of Energy Tony Morgan said that they are still designing the specifics of the two programs and are waiting for guidance from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Morgan explained that the first of the two programs is the Whole Home Efficiency Rebate, which is a performance-based rebate opportunity for single-family or multi-family households that requires a minimum energy savings.

However, Morgan pointed out that the rebate amounts are low and might work better with other incentives. Eligible upgrades include heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, heat pump dryers and weatherization, and must increase efficiency by at least 20%.

The second program is Home Efficiency Appliances & Electrification. It is income-restricted, and only specific appliances, including insulation and air-sealing, electric load service, ventilation, and electric wiring qualify for the rebate.

The programs allow a maximum rebate of $14,000, including up to an $8,000 rebate for heat pumps.

For more information, visit fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Florida-Energy-Rebates.

Published June 12, 2024

Pony up

June 11, 2024 By Randall Grantham

He’s a one-trick pony
One trick is all that horse can do
He does, one trick only
It’s the principal source of his revenue.
-Paul Simon, “One-Trick Pony”

My parents moved out to Lutz from Tampa in the early 1950s and bought a little one-room “honeymoon cabin” on Lake Hobbs to start a family. They built onto the house as the family grew and they bought a few acres of grove across the road from the house and made it into a pasture and garden.

Growing up in Lutz was a wonderful experience and I feel sorry for kids today who are being raised in a time when they are taught not to talk to any strangers and are not let out of their parents’ sight.

Randall’s sister Melinda with Cleve in 1968. (Courtesy of Grantham Family Archives)

While growing up in Lutz was different than growing up in other areas, just growing up in that era was different from now but remarkably similar across the country.

Going through some old pictures the other day, I came across a photo of me sitting in a little cowboy outfit on a pony. I have seen similar pictures on Facebook and other sharing sites of other people, from other areas, as children, sitting on what could have been the very same pony and it made me think — what was up with the kid on a pony gig?

Turns out itinerant photographers would co-opt a pony and go from neighborhood to neighborhood and from house to house taking pictures of the local kids sitting on the pony and sell the photos to the parents. They usually even had a suitcase full of cowboy outfits to dress the kids up for their big moment. This was a nationwide occurrence. You can find these pictures going from Michigan to Texas to Florida and beyond, and dating back decades before my experience.

They probably had better luck in the metropolitan areas than they did in rural farm country, as many countrified homes had pastures and animals, including sometimes horses and ponies of their own.

We mainly had cows and chickens but we did have a pony for a while. His name was Cleve and he was one ornery animal. He would bite you if you got too close to the front and kick the slop out of you if you got too close to the rear.

We would ride him, bareback sometimes, and I even rode him to “Downtown” Lutz a couple of times. On one such trip, as my next-door neighbor Cheryl and I cut through the groves where the Lutz ballfields stand now, Cleve decided he was going to take a dust bath. He plopped down to his knees and I realized what was about to happen. So, as I scrambled off of him and away, I grabbed Cheryl, pulling her with me, “saving her life,” as he began rolling around on his back in the sand.

At least that’s what I felt I had done, but there was no parade or celebration for my brave deed.

Another time, my entrepreneurial instincts got the better of me and I was charging kids at the little ball field that used to be behind Old Lutz Elementary to ride Cleve around the bases. He only threw off one kid and he didn’t really get hurt, but when my mom found out what I was up to, I couldn’t comfortably sit on that pony for a while.

Turns out there was something called “liability” that could have cost my parents big money.

I guess I could have taken Cleve from house to house and taken pictures of kids on his back with my little Instamatic camera, but after learning about that liability thing, I decided to become a lawyer instead.

Published June 12, 2024

Florida’s DeSantis signed 18 bills into law from busy legislative session

June 11, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — After a busy legislative session, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed 18 bills the week of May 27, including new initiatives for rural health care and economic development.

Senate Bill 644 creates a new hospital designation type, “rural emergency hospital,” and defines requirements for rural or critical access hospitals. The bill clarifies that these hospitals are required to provide emergency services and care for medical conditions following state law and are not required to provide care beyond 24 hours.

SB 566 provides additional protections for specified adults — a person 65 years or older or a vulnerable adult — who may be victims of suspected financial exploitation. The bill would allow financial institutions to delay disbursements or transactions of funds from an account belonging to a specified adult.

SB 808 amends Florida statutes to authorize firefighters, law enforcement officers, correctional officers and correctional probation officers to receive medical treatment from a medical specialist of their choosing for a compensable presumptive condition such as tuberculosis, heart disease or hypertension.

SB 812 requires certain counties with over 75,000 residents — except Monroe County — and municipalities with 10,000 or more residents to create a program to expedite the issuance of residential building permits.

House Bill 141 amends the Regional Rural Development Grants Program to eliminate the requirement that grant funds received by a regional economic development organization be matched each year by nonstate resources. The bill also removes the requirement that the Department of Commerce consider the applicant’s need for assistance when approving a program participant.

HB 705 revises the definition of “public works project” in relation to current law, which prohibits the state or political subdivisions from imposing certain requirements, such as minimum wages and single-source hiring of contractors, for competitively bid public projects that use state-appropriated funds.

HB 1049 requires the seller of any residential property to inform the buyer, at or before signing a purchase agreement, of any flood risks to the property, including informing the potential buyer that homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage.

HB 775 authorizes a parent to surrender an infant with medical staff or licensed health care professionals at a hospital after delivery. Parents can further surrender an infant by dialing 911 and requesting that an EMS provider meet the parent to take the infant into their care.

Published June 12, 2024

Review: Substituting action-movie tropes for lasagna feasts, ‘The Garfield Movie’ could use more lard

June 11, 2024 By Asher Luberto

Animated movies can either be wonderful works of art or obnoxious cash grabs intended to capture the short attention spans of children. Sometimes you’ll get a profoundly resonant Pixar movie like the nuanced “Incredibles” or a poetically resplendent Ghibli movie (like the lyrical “Ponyo”), but too often you get “The Garfield Movie,” a hectic animation that gives you the feeling of a queasy sugar rush.

Starring Chris Pratt as the voice of the talking cat, “Garfield” is the latest adaptation of Jim Davis’s comics, and it’s far from purrfect. No one is expecting Ghibli when they walk into “Garfield”, but they are anticipating a certain brand of reserved wit. It’s hard to imagine what the writers were thinking when they decided to morph a cat who eats lasagna, mutters jokes and does nothing all day into a super spy, the equivalent of turning Charlie Brown into Liam Neeson. Did they not remember what made Davis’ comics so effective? What happened to the lazy, sarcastic lard who hates Mondays? Now he’s jumping off trains like he’s an action hero.

Fans are likely going to be scratching their heads when, after a greatest hits montage of Garfield shoveling food and napping on the couch, he gets kidnapped in a chaotically edited action sequence. What next? Garfield embarking on a heist? Yep. Garfield and his pals are snatched by gangsters associated with Garfield’s father (Samuel L. Jackson) who abandoned him on the streets as a child. Now he and pops are robbing dairy farms, which gives the writers an excuse to milk jokes about espionage, comparing Garfield to Tom Cruise as he climbs through vents and hangs from ceilings. Garfield is the key to everyone completing this mission, somehow, an attempt to create an entirely new image of Garfield for younger audiences, phone-addicted children who constantly need to be stimulated by action and know nothing about the tone of Davis’ comics.

Written by Paul Kaplan, Mark Torgove and David Reynolds, and directed by Mark Dindal, the result is extremely overwhelming, sporadically moving from place to place before you can settle into a single setting, which is what you expect from the director of “Chicken Little”. At 95 minutes, it’s basically just a bunch of childish vignettes strung together by spy movie tropes. As Garfield gets mixed up with a menagerie of thugs, including some bullish henchman, a bull who tries to rescue his wife, and a kitten who orchestrates the entire operation, you’ll likely be panting as you try to keep up with everyone on screen, which isn’t very “Garfield” of the filmmakers.

The film does have some amusing gags, like when Garfield realizes he’s been wearing dog tags under his fur, and the rudimentary animation does offer occasional delights — some of the background elements are eye-popping. The use of orange colors, in particular, is a nice dollop. But unfortunately, this bright, bonkers movie overstays its welcome, and it’s exactly the kind of hyperactive drivel that’s derailing the genre. That may be fine for young viewers, but it’s going to be a headache for sentient adults.

Published June 12, 2024

Florida regulators to seek customer input on proposed Tampa Electric rate hikes

June 11, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — Florida regulators will hold meetings for ratepayers after one of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities requested a rate increase.

On April 2, the Tampa Electric Company filed an application with the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) requesting an increase to its base rate. The increase would allow the company to recover operating costs, while providing a return for its investors.

Tampa Electric has a 2,000-square-mile service area and provides electricity to over 800,000 customers in Hillsborough County and portions of Polk, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

The Office of the Public Counsel (OPC), an independent entity from the commission, disagrees with the rate increases and stated at a previous hearing with the commission that the utility was “not entitled” to raise rates beginning January 2025.

Tampa Electric’s last rate increase was in 2021, and according to the FPSC’s rate case overview, the company estimates that base rates will continue to increase yearly until at least 2027.

Currently, residential customers who use 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month pay an average monthly bill of around $136.44, which includes a base rate of $87.80.

If the base rate request is approved, it is estimated that as of January 2025, the same amount of electricity use will cost residential customers $153.90 per month, with the base rate increasing to $107.01.

Fast-forward to January 2026, and the average monthly bill will cost $160.73 for 1,000 kWh, including a base rate increase of $113.67. By January 2027, estimates expect that base rates will reach $118.15, for a total cost of $165.32 per month.

Customers on the higher end of electricity use, who use more than 3,000 kWh per month, could see their monthly base rates jump from $243.84 in June 2024 to $303.65 by January 2027. This would increase the total monthly bill from an average of $409.77 to $464.38 in that time period.

In-person and virtual public hearings by the FPSC started on June 10 and are ending on June 13. Customers can give feedback to the commission about Tampa Electric’s quality of service and the rate-setting process. The OPC is representing customers who wish to provide feedback. For more information, visit https://www.psc.state.fl.us.

Published June 12, 2024

Pew: Florida tax revenue outperforms long-term trend

June 11, 2024 By Bethany Blankley

(The Center Square) – In a new analysis on state tax revenue trends, 18 states reported falling tax revenues, with California reporting the lowest. Meanwhile, tax revenue remained strong in the two largest red states. Both Texas and Florida were among 32 states whose total tax collections outperformed their long-term trend.

According to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Fiscal 50 project, state tax revenue outperformed its long-term trend in 32 states, with Alaska leading all states by far. It collected more than 11 times, 1,041% more than, its long-term trend level, the report found. The states with the next-highest collections compared with their long-term trends were Wyoming (37.7%), New Mexico (32.5%), West Virginia (10.6%), and Montana (10%), the report found.

(Joshua Doubek, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

The analysis evaluated tax revenue trends, which measure the difference between recent state tax collections and a 15-year trend level, Pew explains. The data is adjusted for inflation and seasonality. “This approach provides a window into how current conditions compare with a state’s long-term trajectory over the previous 15 years and may paint a different picture than recent state forecasts and relatively volatile quarterly and annual percentage changes,” the report states. “A deeper understanding of long-term trends can help state leaders judge whether their budgets are on a sustainable path and allow for better-informed fiscal planning and policy formulation.”

When tax revenue in the second quarter of 2023 was compared with 15-year trend levels, adjusted for inflation and seasonality, California had the weakest tax revenue of -16.2%, followed by Minnesota (-4.9%), New York (-4.8%), and Connecticut (-4%).

“California’s underperformance is partially attributable to the recent delay in the income tax filing deadline for state residents, which pushed large sums of personal and corporate income tax payments from April to November,” the report notes.

Overall, the number of states performing below their long-term revenue trends shifted dramatically, from four in the previous quarter to 18, according to the report. Fifteen new states reported below their long-term revenue trend: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Revenue in California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin was already below trend, the report notes.

The long-term trend value is defined “as the 15-year linear trend of tax collections leading up to each quarter, after adjusting for inflation and seasonality,” the report explains.

Overall, total state tax revenue growth was 1.2%, or $4.2 billion, in the second quarter of 2023, below its 15-year trend, according to the report. Additionally, it points out: “For the first time since 2000, no state had fewer than a month’s worth of operating funds in its total balances. Between fiscal years 2007 and 2021, 8 states ran long-term deficits, carrying forward costs of past services and government operations.”

Among the 45 states that collect sales tax, Texas and Florida were among 40 whose sales tax revenue exceeded their long-term trend.

Their growth “stands out especially since state tax collections across the nation were 1.2% below their long-term trend,” Alexandre Fall, senior associate with The Pew Charitable Trusts, told The Center Square.

As of the second quarter of 2023, Texas’ tax collections soared 9.6% above its 15-year trend, bringing in an additional $1.9 billion. “The major contributor to Texas’s strong performance was above-trend sales tax revenue, which accounts for 62% of the state’s tax collections,” she said. “These revenues were up 8.5%, or $1.1 billion, above the state’s 15-year trend. Nationally, sales tax collections were 4.9% above their long-term trend.”

Over the same time period, Florida’s tax collections were also “notably strong, exceeding the state’s 15-year trend by 6.5%, or $983 million,” Fall said. “A significant factor in Florida’s growth was above-trend sales tax revenue, which the state depends on for 61% of its tax collections. These revenues were 8.9%, or $847 million, above the state’s 15-year trend. Nationally, sales tax collections were 4.9% above their long-term trend.”

Overall, Fall said, “Understanding long-term trends helps state leaders determine if their budgets are sustainable and supports smarter fiscal planning. It’s critical that policymakers consider why tax revenues are deviating from long-term trends—both overall and for specific revenue streams. This means looking at whether changes are due to policy shifts, external forces like demographic changes, or a mix of both. To ensure long-term fiscal health, lawmakers should also figure out if these deviations are due to temporary factors or if they signal a more lasting structural change that requires policy adjustments.”

Published June 12, 2024