Former New Tampa Sweetbay A Hotspot For Semi Trucks

*sweetbay trucksBy Matt Wiley

For more than two years, the former New Tampa Sweetbay supermarket (located off Bruce B. Downs [BBD] Blvd. next to Home Depot), has been sitting vacant. Yet, most days, it’s not uncommon to see the parking lot full of vehicles. However, these are not the cars and SUVs of suburban grocery shoppers, but semi tractor trailers, utilizing the open parking lot as a place to take a break from the road.Continue reading

New Tampa Vet Alex Dillman Retires

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Alex Dillman and his wife Holly, who live in Cory Lake Isles, listen to a speaker at Alex’s retirement ceremony on May 21 at the Gibbons Alumni Center at USF in Tampa.
U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Alex Dillman and his wife Holly, who live in Cory Lake Isles, listen to a speaker at Alex’s retirement ceremony on May 21 at the Gibbons Alumni Center at USF in Tampa.

By Matt Wiley

A thunderous round of applause erupts from a room of men and women in uniform, elected officials, friends and family members standing to face a soldier seated under an American flag. Decorated in medals—including the Purple Heart—Cory Lake Isles resident Staff Sergeant Alex Dillman listens as many in the room speak and salute him for his service and the sacrifice he made during his more than 10 years as an enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army during a retirement ceremony at the University of South Florida in Tampa on May 21.Continue reading