By Matt Wiley
The body of a missing Orlando woman has been discovered in nearby Hillsborough River State Park.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriffâs Office (HCSO), around 10:15 a.m. on July 25, Darcy Arlene Miller, 30, of Windermere, left her condo in her white Honda Fit, never to return.Continue reading
By Matt Wiley
The popular coming-of-age book Stand By Me, by Stephen King, tells the story of a group of boys who are asked if they have ever seen a dead body by the older, âcoolâ kids in their town. In 2009, here in New Tampa, a similar story played out, only the two kids showing off the body were the ones responsible for it and have now both been convicted of murder.
On July 26, Amer Ejak, 20, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the September 2009 killing of Thomas M. Johannesen, 34, HCSO records state.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriffâs Office (HCSO), on September 13, 2009, Ejak (who was 16 at the time) and Christopher J. Cox (22 at the time), both of Tampa, were arrested for the murder of Johannesen, who lived in the Oak Ramble Apartments, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just south of Tampa Palms.Continue reading
By Matt Wiley
Details have emerged and an arrest has been made in the shooting death of a Pasco County man who was shot in his car while driving on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in May.
According to the Tampa Police Department (TPD), Demetrio Earle, 27, of Tampa, was arrested around 3:45 p.m. on August 2, following an investigation into the May 31 death of 20-year-old Reggie Adams.Continue reading
By Matt Wiley
The Hillsborough County Sheriffâs Office (HCSO) is seeking the publicâs help in locating two suspects they believe are responsible for a string of robberies dating back to July 22, including one just south of Tampa Palms on Bruce B. Downs (BBD)âBlvd.
According to HCSO, just after midnight on July 22, two black male suspects of unknown age â one wearing a hockey mask and wielding a revolver, the other wearing a dark bandana â began a cross-county robbery spree in Valrico, hitting a Circle K on Lumsden Rd. The two confronted the clerk and demanded money and lottery tickets. They even stole a donation jar from the checkout counter.Continue reading
By Matt Wiley
It appears as though the bustling New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC) in Tampa Palms, which was expected to undergo an expansion this year, will remain at its current size for the foreseeable future.
In his 2014 City of Tampa Budget presentation on July 25, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn announced that his recommended budget for the City is $830.9 million, with about $103 million devoted to capital improvement projects, which include government, transportation, utilities and parks & recreation projects.
However, the expansion of the 19,500-sq.-ft. NTRC, a hub for local gymnasts, did not make it onto this yearâs list of funded projects (although we mistakenly reported in our July 20 issue that the NTRC would be a funded project for 2013-14).Continue reading