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NEW PORT RICHEY – Fehr & Peers is developing Safe Streets Pasco, a plan designed to reduce transportation-related fatalities and severe injuries. 

Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization won a $320,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant in 2023 from the U.S. Department of Transportation to create a safety action plan.

Kathrin Tellez, a principal with Fehr & Peers, shared her firm’s progress on the plan during the June 25 MPO meeting. Tellez said her firm will be engaged in public engagement in the months ahead.

“We know where crashes are currently happening,” Tellez said. “We have that data, but we want to understand where all those near-misses are happening, where people might not feel safe traveling. What are some of those conditions that we don’t quite know about? So, we want to layer on that lived experience onto the data that we already have.”

Once complete, Safe Streets Pasco will provide county leaders with a prioritized list of quick-build projects as well as long-term investments they can integrate into transportation plans. 

Tellez said the focus will be on improving a high injury network, which are the roads with the most of fatal and severe injury crashes. 

“We’ve developed a preliminary network, and we’re finding that over half of the fatal and severe injury crashes in the county happen on about 2% of the roads,” she said. “We don’t need to look at everything. We’re going to focus on those roads where we have the highest prevalence of crashes.”

Pasco County has had between 100 to 120 transportation-related fatalities each year between 2019 to 2024. Tellez said a preliminary look at 2025 revealed the numbers are trending downward. Comparing traffic fatalities per 100,000 people, Pasco is slightly below the state average but above the national average, Tellez said. 

She also noted the region has a higher rate of motorcycle fatalities than are reported statewide and nationally.

Once that high injury network has been identified, the plan will evaluate the characteristics that make these roads susceptible to crashes. This information could help leaders prevent problem areas in the future.

This can extend to driver and pedestrian behavior as well.

“We know, looking at the data, there’s a fair number of people who were killed that were not wearing their seat belts,” Tellez said. “Can we do more to have outreach to those folks to really encourage seat belt use and other safer behaviors on our roads?”

Pasco County leaders are scheduled to adopt the plan in spring 2026. Fehr & Peers will provide updates with the MPO in the meantime. 

DADE CITY – AdventHealth has formed a new partnership with Access to Fresh with the launch of the group’s new mobile market trailer, the Bounty Bus. 

Access to Fresh works to improve food access in underserved communities. Last year, Access to Fresh supported a variety of initiatives, providing seniors, students and food pantries with fresh produce.

The  partnership between AdventHealth and Access to Fresh aims to double the organization’s impact in providing fresh, locally sourced produce to families in need.  

“Our multi-year partnership with AdventHealth allows us to deliver fresh produce and nutrition education directly into underserved communities, strengthening local resilience and building a healthier food system from the ground up,” said Nichole Dube, co-founder of Access to Fresh. 

Dube is also behind Dube’s Mobile Market and Dube’s Farm and Market in Wesley Chapel, which has helped support AdventHealth’s Food is Health Program in counties across AdventHealth’s West Florida Division for the past five years. 

“Through this new partnership with Access to Fresh as well as our Food is Health program, we are committed to improving the health and well-being of our communities by increasing access to nutritious food options,” said Dean Whaley, executive director of strategic partnerships and community engagement for AdventHealth West Florida Division. 

A ribbon cutting for the Bounty Bus was held June 11 at the Lewis Abraham Lacoochee Boys & Girls Club. 

The event featured fresh fruit and vegetable tastings for children, an exercise demonstration and information about Access to Fresh’s summer nutrition program. 

“We are so excited to be selected as the first stop of the Bounty Bus,” said Eunique Byrd, Lacoochee Club director. “Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay serves 425,000 meals to youth annually, but we know there is still a huge need for fresh, nutritious food in the homes of many families we serve. The work that Bounty Bus and Access to Fresh do in the community is essential in ensuring that youth meet nutritional needs.”

ZEPHYRHILLS – Joel Torres Espinoza described his parents as the “perfect representation of the American Dream done right.” 

His dad worked countless hours to provide for the family while his mom stayed home and took care of Joel and his three older brothers. 

“My mom is the type of mother who would starve to make sure her baby boys were fed,” he said. “Now she knows she has four boys who would do anything for her.”

Espinoza said he developed his dad’s work ethic. That work ethic led Espinoza to earn the distinction of valedictorian at Zephyrhill High School. 

Espinoza told his classmates June 5 from the graduation stage that someone has a one in 400 trillion chance of being born and then a 4% chance of living in the United States. He urged classmates not to waste that opportunity they are blessed with and push themselves to operate at an elite level. 

Senior Class President Dylan Fleshood said he’s had so much fun at Zephyrhills High School, planning homecoming floats, organizing pep rallies, decorating for prom and coaching soccer. 

Fleshood encouraged classmates to keep striving for greatness in everything they do.

“Remember, your talent defines what you can do, your motivation determines how much you’re willing to do and your attitude will shape how well you do it,” Fleshood said.

Outstanding Senior Alyssa Rojas cautioned classmates about getting too fixated on the future that they overlook the beauty of the present. 

“We get caught up in the race to achieve and be successful that we lose sight of compassion and connection,” Rojas said. “Life isn’t just about reaching a destination. It’s about the journey, the lessons we learn and the memories we create. Let’s remember to cherish each step and find joy in living in the present.”

Principal Amanda McCoy said the Class of 2025 overcame challenges – some expected, others not – through resilience, creativity and heart. More than accolades, McCoy takes pride in the type of people they have become. 

She assured graduating seniors they are ready for what’s next. 

“Go forward with courage, dream big, work hard, stay kind and never forget where you came from,” she told them. “Class of 2025, we’re so proud of you. Congratulations and may your future be as bright as your spirit.”

DADE CITY – The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is investigating a deputy-involved shooting June 10 in the Rose Avenue area that resulted in the death of 25-year-old Cristian Javier Estrada Perez.

Deputies were trying to serve an ex parte order issued by a court at the request of Perez’s family due to threats he made to them, according to the sheriff’s office. Col. Tait Sanborn said deputies had to take Perez into custody for a mental health evaluation and previously attempted to serve the order on June 5, 6 and 9. 

“Deputies were made aware by family members that the subject was known to carry a firearm,” Sanborn said, noting there were around seven deputies on the scene trying to safely take him into custody. 

Deputies were there around 8:25 p.m. and attempted to communicate with Perez from the outside but he did not respond. 

“They were able to open a door and make visual contact with the subject, where they again made multiple attempts to ask him to come out to begin to have a conversation with him,” Sanborn said. 

Deputies eventually warned Perez that they would be deploying chemical agents inside the house. Then they deployed pepper balls.  

“They waited for a period of time, giving him additional opportunities to create a dialogue or exit the residence,” Sanborn said. “His response was to fire four rounds from a firearm, which we later learned he had strapped to his hand, so it could not be released.”

Deputies returned fire, hitting Perez. He died on the scene. No deputies were injured. 

In keeping with protocol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the deputy-involved shooting and the two deputies who fired the rounds have been placed on paid administrative leave.

The sheriff’s office said this was an isolated incident with no threat to public safety.