News

A cancer diagnosis has forced the retirement of one of the Zephyrhills Police Department’s police dogs. It was a somber moment inside the Zephyrhills City Hall chambers when Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer on Oct. 12 officially retired 4-year-old K9 ...
Read More

The Pasco County Commission has approved spending $48,000 for an economic impact study related to tourism. During the board’s Oct. 6 meeting, commissioners approved a consulting services agreement with Downs & St. Germain Research Inc. (DSG), to perform the analysis ...
Read More

People who enjoy viewing public art might want to check out six hay bales — painted by artists of various ages — that have been stationed around locations in Dade City. The display is the Dade City Center for the ...
Read More

As Pasco County’s COVID-19’s positive cases surpassed the 10,000-mark, local officials continue to consider their best responses to the threats. The Pasco County Commission and the Pasco County School Board were both scheduled to take up the issue during their ...
Read More

Impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic have forced businesses to shutter, and others to regroup — but activity continues to hum along at the Cypress Creek Town Center, near Wesley Chapel. Located at Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 56, the ...
Read More

The COVID-19 virus era has changed the American workplace in the short term — and maybe in the long term, too. Safety precautions are paramount. Many employees are working remotely with new equipment, and a different process, overall. The upside, ...
Read More

A congested roadway in Zephyrhills is set to receive some long-awaited and seemingly much-needed improvements to ease traffic patterns and enhance safety overall. The City of Zephyrhills and Pasco County have come to a cost-sharing agreement for upgrades to a ...
Read More

The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce recently posted a notice on its website to clarify apparent myths regarding the Christmas Parade held in Dade City. “The chamber has withdrawn the application it submitted in May, to operate, staff and ...
Read More

Matthew Maggard will continue serving as the city attorney for the City of Zephyrhills, for at least three more years. The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously renewed an independent contract agreement with Maggard, which is effective Nov. 1 and runs through ...
Read More

Pasco County is embarking on its five-year strategic plan and is seeking feedback from its stakeholders and the public in general to help shape the plan. The county had planned to hold SWOT — Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats — ...
Read More

A conversation Jessica Valentin had with her daughter, Isabella, inspired the Wesley Chapel woman to write her first children’s book. Jessica said they were in the car on the way to an appointment, when she was encouraging her daughter to ...
Read More

Hillsborough County’s Office of Neighborhood Relations is now accepting applications for the 2021 Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program. During this application period, the program features new project categories that are aimed at bringing neighbors together and boosting community pride. The program provides ...
Read More

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board has approved a budget of $578,244 for fiscal year 2020-2021 — and identified a number of priority projects. The project is an increase of $91,234 over last year’s $478,010 budget. The increase is ...
Read More

The Pasco County Commission has granted an extension of 240 calendar days to D.A.B. Constructors Inc., to complete the construction of intersection improvements at State Road 54 and Morris Bridge Road and Eiland Boulevard. The project had been scheduled to ...
Read More

Here’s a friendly reminder from the folks at Hillsborough County Public Utilities: Pay attention to the county’s watering restrictions. Residents living in unincorporated Hillsborough County are allowed to water their lawns twice a week, and those restrictions are effective throughout ...
Read More

Dr. Timothy Bain dreamed of someday hoisting the NHL’s Stanley Cup, as he grew up in the Northeast and played and watched hockey. Little did he expect, however, to actually get that rare opportunity. “Who knew at 53 (years old) ...
Read More

It’s no secret that Florida’s tourism economy has been decimated from impacts of COVID-19, and Dana Young, president and CEO of Visit Florida, recently detailed tourism losses the state has suffered during a Zoom breakfast meeting with the North Tampa ...
Read More

A new kindergarten through eighth grade school that’s being constructed in the Starkey Ranch community now has an official name: Starkey Ranch K-8. The school is scheduled to open next fall, and will part of a complex that includes a ...
Read More

When people arrive on the campus of Sunlake Academy of Math & Science, in Lutz, they are greeted by a place that sets a positive tone. “Welcome back Ravens, we missed you,” proclaims a sign near the school’s driveway. “We ...
Read More

While it likely won’t generate quite the level of fanfare as Halloween Howl, Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., is working to salvage some type of celebration for the holiday. The full-on Halloween Howl has fallen victim to a concern for safety ...
Read More

The Pasco County Commission has approved the purchase of 24.87 acres from Lennar Homes LLC, for $1.25 million, plus closing costs and $50,000 to be paid to Connerton Commercial Property Association, the closing agent. The property is part of the ...
Read More

Vouchers for a new specialty license plate bearing the iconic 4-H clover will be available for purchase at all county tax collector offices and license plate agencies in Florida, starting Oct. 16. The license plate will go into production once ...
Read More

Pasco County is conducting its annual Citizen Survey through Nov. 6, according to a county news release. The Citizen Survey, initially launched in 2009, is conducted annually to collect feedback on a variety of topics that affect the county’s future ...
Read More

For those of you who may have been wondering — yes, Spotlight on Talent plans to continue its tradition of giving young singers, musicians, dancers and artists a chance to compete and show off their skills. After all, Spotlight on ...
Read More

The Pasco County Construction Board (PCCB) is seeking volunteers to serve on its advisory board. There are several vacancies on the board, for both contractors and consumer representatives. The board hears and decides complaints about contractors, unpermitted work and appeals ...
Read More

With the holidays quickly approaching, Aging Solutions Inc., once again is hosting its Elves for Elders Gift Drive, to benefit the individuals it serves. Aging Solutions Inc., the Office of the Public Guardian, was established to provide guardianship and advocacy ...
Read More

The 2020 Sunshine Summit to End Hunger, presented by the Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger in partnership with Bread for the World and Florida Impact, will be hosted virtually for the first time ever, according to a news release ...
Read More

Pasco County Extension is operating out of a new building at the Pasco County Fairgrounds. The organization, which operates under a partnership between the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Pasco County, also has adapted its programming ...
Read More

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) has reported a record-setting spike in drug overdoses. A lethal dose of the painkilling opioid Fentanyl is 2 milligrams, almost imperceptible, but the PCSO Narcotics Unit removed 435,000 lethal ...
Read More

Pasco County commissioners recently directed the county’s staff to find a way to ease the burden of landscaping costs for small businesses, when they redevelop. Commissioner Ron Oakley raised the issue, noting that a small Dade City restaurant wants to ...
Read More

By the time Katharine Graham became publisher of the Washington Post in 1963, Margaret Bazzell had already been the publisher for The Dade City Banner for 20 years. Both women became owners of their family owned newspapers upon the deaths ...
Read More

Conveyor Consulting and Rubber Company in Pasco County, which opened in Pasco County in 2014, is constructing two new facilities at One Pasco Center, near Interstate 75 and State Road 52. The company is investing $2 million to construct a ...
Read More

Chambers of commerce representing the business communities in Zephyrhills and Dade City are beginning to explore the possibility of merging into a single chamber. The boards for the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Dade City Chamber of ...
Read More

The Pasco County Commission has directed County Administrator Dan Biles to take steps necessary to prepare to hire two lobbyists to represent the county’s interests. One lobbyist would pursue federal dollars, while the other would focus on funding opportunities at ...
Read More

The Zephyrhills City Council has approved a budget of nearly $60.5 million for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The annual spending plan is based on a millage rate of 6.35 million, which is the same rate as the city has had ...
Read More

The Zephyrhills Fire Department — as it has been known for some 100 years — has made its last service call. The department officially became part of Pasco County Fire Rescue on Sept. 27, through an interlocal agreement that was ...
Read More

Moss Construction has announced that it has been awarded the contract for the expansion of the Pasco County Detention Center, at 20101 Central Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. “We understand that this is an essential project for the county, and ...
Read More

Republican women’s group endorses Trump The Florida Federation of Republican Women has announced its support for the reelection of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the 2020 Presidential Election. The women’s political group also endorsed that ticket ...
Read More

Pasco County Offices will be closed on Oct. 12, for a staff development day. The staff development day allows county staff to take part in training and activities intended to help the county improve services for members of the public ...
Read More

The Pasco County Commission has reappointed Dr. Lisa Richardson and Cheryl Pollock to new three-year terms on the county’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The county board took the actions during two separate meetings in September. Richardson is ...
Read More

For Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley, it’s quite the busy time of year. His agency on Sept. 24 sent out its mass mailing of approximately120,000 vote-by-mail ballots to residents — roughly a third of the agency’s voter registry ...
Read More