Margaret “Peggy” Oakes is celebrating a big milestone this week — marking her 100th birthday. Originally, the family planned to go on a cruise together, […]
Main Content
This Week
She finds her true joy in equestrian competition
Around the rim of Reagan Moore’s bedroom there are dozens and dozens of championship ribbons — different sizes, different colors — each telling the story of how her interest in horses went from immediate fascination to dedicated obsession. Moore, a 14-year-old Lutz equestrian, had her finest hour to date in August, at the World’s Championship […]
New residences popping up all over Dade City
Residential construction is on a roll in the City of Dade City, and officials are predicting that it will yield marked increases to the town’s ad valorem revenue across the next several years. Information shared during a budget workshop revealed some of the city’s timelines and projections for when new single-family housing and apartment complexes […]
Pasco County budget expected to surpass $1.5 billion
The Pasco County Commission gave first-round approval of a budget exceeding $1.5 billion for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The action came during the first public hearing on the budget, held at 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 8. The final public hearing on the budget will be on Sept. 21. The new budget takes effect Oct. 1. […]
Dade City budget is decreasing in 2020-2021
The Dade City Commission has adopted the city’s tentative budget for next year, and it represents an 8.2% decrease from this year’s budget. Commissioners had the first reading of the ordinance and first hearing on the proposed $17,710,000 budget in a virtual meeting on Sept. 10. Commissioners gave first-round approval and will have a second […]
Political Agenda 09/16/2020
Attempting to vote twice is illegal, Corley says Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley is alerting voters that it is illegal to try to vote twice. Corley issued a news release on the topic after recent media coverage of President Donald Trump suggesting that voters could test the integrity of the system by sending […]
Pasco eyeing Sunday morning alcohol sales
Pasco County is looking at lifting its ban on the Sunday morning sales of alcoholic beverages. Currently, packaged alcoholic beverages cannot be sold before 11 a.m., on Sundays in unincorporated areas of the county. But, Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey thinks the time has arrived for the county to change that. “A lot of counties […]
Discussion continues on Pasco BMX park
A BMX and bicycle park may not happen anytime soon in Pasco County, but officials appear to be interested in seeing what can be done to bring the idea to life. The Pasco County Commission heard a briefing on the concept at its Sept. 8 meeting. Delaney Morrison, president of the nonprofit Ride Local Inc., […]
Survey shows most would not use hurricane shelters
Pasco County issued a Hurricane Season Survey, and the results are in. The survey revealed that nearly 60% of respondents indicated it’s very unlikely they will go to a shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Pasco County news release. Still, the release notes, it remains critical “to have a plan and resources for […]
Pasco outlaws sale of dogs and cats at pet stores
Pasco County has amended a county ordinance to halt the sale of dogs, cats, kittens and puppies from retail pet stores. Commissioners adopted the change unanimously — after a public hearing on Sept. 8, which included opposition to the ban; opposition that the language in the ordinance didn’t go far enough; and, support for the […]
CareerSource Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Libraries to hold Virtual Employability Skills Workshops
CareerSource Tampa Bay (CSTB) and Hillsborough County Libraries are teaming up to hold Virtual Employability Skills workshops. The virtual workshops will be held on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 from 11:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. with four different employability sessions. The workshop will feature four speakers who will hold 20-minute workshops on the various topics: Modern […]
Front Page Photos
Making a name for themselves, on a new stage
Before these athletes hit the gridiron for their respective colleges, they were known for their skills on local fields. Find out more about what they are up to now. Check out our coverage on Sports.
This Week (cont)
If you want to help kids, Kiwanis Club wants you
A new Kiwanis Club in Wesley Chapel is looking for civic-minded people who want to help build leadership-related activities for school-age children. “If I asked you, ‘Would you like to be part of an organization that gives all of its money to children and the development of children’s programs,’ how can you say no?’’ said […]
Eagle Scout project yields outdoor classroom
Ashton Offutt was just in fourth grade when he came up with the idea of creating an outdoor classroom — but it wasn’t until he was a high school junior that the idea became reality. Ashton, who is seeking the rank of Eagle Scout, enlisted the help of volunteers and raised money to create an […]
New Main Street projects expected
Main Street Zephyrhills Inc. coordinator Paxton McCullough officially introduced herself, recently, to the board of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) . McCullough has held the post for about a month, and gave the CRA board members an update on what has been happening within the 501c3 nonprofit, which promotes storefronts and organizes large events […]
New recycling facility proposed for State Road 52
The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a rezoning to allow the construction of an industrial material sorting facility and commercial uses on a 65.71-acre site, in Central Pasco County. Specifically, the rezoning would allow recycling operations in a 500,000-square-foot industrial sorting facility and 150,000 square feet of commercial uses on the site. […]
Local Sports
Hometown kids to watch in college football
Before becoming college football standouts regularly seen on national television and in massive stadiums across the country, these athletes distinguished themselves on the gridiron locally, in Hillsborough and Pasco counties. Big-time college football has returned this fall — later than usual and with a pared-down schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But that won’t stop several […]
Fall prep football primer
Better late than never, and something better than nothing. In typical years, Florida’s high school football season kicks off sometime in August with a preseason game followed by a 10-game regular season schedule. This year isn’t like any other, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) weeks ago gave […]
Sports – Check This Out
Hillsborough reopening baseball, softball fields
Hillsborough County has moved a step closer to resuming baseball and softball at county-owned facilities — creating a process for youth and adult leagues to begin playing games and tournaments. To receive permission to resume games on county maintained fields, each league now can submit a plan to be approved by Hillsborough County Parks & […]
Gaither High tabbed as one of Florida’s top football teams in 2020
The Gaither High School varsity football program is projected as one of Florida’s best teams in the state this year, according to MaxPreps.com. In its preseason ranking of the state’s top 25 teams for the 2020 season, the high school sports website lists the Cowboys as No. 10 across all classifications. Gaither certainly seems deserving […]
Reasons To Smile
A tradition, with some new twists
Getting ready for the First Day of School typically means new back-to-school clothes, shoes and a backpack. This year — during the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic— it means a mask, too. Five-year-old Connor and 3-year-old Zachary Mathes, grandsons of Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, were among the millions of children across […]
