An area has come into its own when it has added a hospital. And Connerton has taken a huge step in that direction.
Pasco County’s Development Review Committee has given an initial approval on the second phase of Connerton’s overall project — and that includes early plans for a 150-bed hospital.
“What we’re doing right now is securing approval of the entitlement limits so that can decide what they can put there, depending on the market at the time,” Connerton representative Stew Gibbons told reporter Michael Hinman. “It’s a great location, especially when Ridge Road goes through, which will give you access across the county.”
Florida Hospital owns a bunch of land in Connerton through its University Community Hospital Inc., name. And if anyone builds there at this point it would be them.
But are they ready do it? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available now in driveways and newsstands everywhere, or for free online with our e-edition by clicking here.
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis has spent a lot of time working on veterans issues, but now he’s focusing on yet another pressing matter that may not get the attention it deserves: mental health.
Bilirakis invited Pennsylvania congressman Tim Murphy to Land O’ Lakes recently to talk about a new bill he authored that could change the face of how we approach mental health care in the coming years.
“On any given day, half-a-million people in this nation are in jail with a mental illness,” Murphy told participants of a recent mental health roundtable at Rasmussen College, according to reporter B.C. Manion. “We have to stop pretending that we can just wish this away.”
Unfortunately, many people’s introduction to mental health care in the county is through the state’s Baker Act, which requires mental health institutions to release those under forced observation after 72 hours.
“Who came up with 72 hours for mental illness?” Murphy asked, adding that the time limit “doesn’t make clinical sense.”
Find out what can be done in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available now, or by reading our free online e-edition by clicking here.
And do you hear reindeers on your rooftop? Then that means Santa Claus is coming to town. And our very own Michael Hinman sat down with the jolly old elf himself to talk about what kids are asking for this year.
OK, so it wasn’t actually Santa Claus, but one of his many helpers — retired Q105 radio personality Pat George. He said history is starting to repeat itself because once again, boys are asking for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — something that probably hasn’t been on too many people’s minds since the 1990s.
But what about girls? Is there a new Barbie? Maybe something from the Disney movie “Frozen”? Or how about …
“A lot of them want guitars,” George said. “I don’t know what it is out there driving it, and I’m pretty up on a lot of music. But it might be because there are a lot of shows on television right now where girls are not only singing, but they’re playing instruments too. So maybe we have Taylor Swift to thank for that.”
So what is Santa’s secret? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, or read it online for free by clicking ho-ho-ho.
And finally, photojournalist Fred Bellet has some great pictures to share from a couple of events that you might be interested in. First in the final smaller edition of the East Pasco edition of The Laker, Fred offers a full-page look at the Pearl Harbor remembrance event in Zephyrhills. It’s something you don’t want to miss.
Then, Fred was out and about finding a number of great holiday moments in all different kinds of places. See a little of what he found by clicking here, and also by clicking here.
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.
