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

My Sister Bonnie, aka ‘Lady Wolverine,’ On Her Way To Recovery

neck 2By Gary Nager

Long-time readers of this publication know that I have only one sibling — my sister Bonnie — who lives in Villanova, PA. Because it’s probably been a dozen years since I wrote anything about her in these pages, you may not know that Bonnie won her first of about 30 amateur, all-natural (drug-free) bodybuilding titles in her 30s and 40s, the last about a dozen years ago. Continue reading

Wiregrass Ranch Commercial Development Update: Chase Coming, Publix Moving

The Dowd Companies, which is developing two retail centers in Wiregrass Ranch (including one indicated by a star in the map above), posted this map of planned development to their website.
The Dowd Companies, which is developing two retail centers in Wiregrass Ranch (including one indicated by a star in the map above), posted this map of planned developments to their website.

It’s been nearly a year since the new Walmart opened along S.R. 54 in the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) in Wesley Chapel, and it’s no secret that more development would follow.

Since Walmart opened last August, Chili’s opened its doors out front in February, a new Advanced Auto Parts store has sprouted, along with a new Bank of America branch that’s scheduled to open sometime in July. However, the latest news about that section of Wiregrass Ranch is much bigger.Continue reading

New Schools Coming To Growing Wesley Chapel

Pasco School Board member Allen Altman addresses the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce during the group's Economic Development Briefing on May 28 at Hoosier's Grille.
Pasco School Board member Allen Altman addresses the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce during the group’s Economic Development Briefing on May 28 at Hoosier’s Grille.

By Matt Wiley

It’s no secret that Wesley Chapel (WC) has seen serious growth the past several years. In fact, the growth has been so significant that the area’s schools once again are struggling to keep up with the amount of students who continue to enroll in them, as more and more families arrive and expect their students to attend specific schools near their homes. Continue reading