Wesley Chapel Woman Wins Big At World Taekwondo Tourney

By Matt Wiley

Wesley Chapel resident Carla Souza with her 1st and 2nd place medals that she won during the American Taekwondo Association's Class AAA World Championships on July 12 in Little Rock, AK.
Wesley Chapel resident Carla Souza with her 1st and 2nd place medals that she won during the American Taekwondo Association’s Class AAA World Championships on July 12 in Little Rock, AK.

Overcoming injuries can be a daunting task. Overcoming an injury and becoming world champion in a sport is another thing altogether.

Lexington Oaks resident Carla Souza, 41, knows this well, after becoming the American Taekwondo Association’s (ATA) Class AAA world champion in combat weapons and finishing second in sparring on July 12 in Little Rock, AK, during the ATA World Championships.Continue reading

Pair Charged with First-Degree Murder in Wesley Chapel I-75 Stabbing

Justin P. Gonzalez (left) and Jesse M. Blair are being held at the Land O' Lakes Detention Center on first-degree murder charges for the Sept. 7 stabbing of a man in their vehicle on I-75 in Wesley Chapel.
Justin P. Gonzalez (left) and Jesse M. Blair are being held at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center on first-degree murder charges for the Sept. 7 stabbing of a man in their vehicle on I-75 in Wesley Chapel.

By Matt Wiley

Two men are in custody after allegedly stabbing a man in a car while driving, just north of S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), on September 7, an off-duty deputy was traveling south on I-75 when he noticed a silver Acura sedan parked on the northbound shoulder of the interstate. The deputy doubled back and found Justin P. Gonzalez, 22, of Crossville, TN, and Jesse M. Blair, 23, of Lakeland, at the vehicle, along with a deceased man in the passenger seat with several apparent stab wounds to his chest and abdomen.Continue reading

Labor Day To Cause Garbage Collection Interruption

By Matt Wiley

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn picks up the trash at a customer's home. Photo: City of Tampa
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn picks up the trash at a customer’s home. Photo: City of Tampa

Labor Day will cause an interruption in solid waste and recycling collection schedules for Hillsborough County and City of Tampa customers.

According to the City of Tampa, there will be no garbage, yard-waste recycling, or blue-box/green cart recycling collection on Monday, September 2, 2013. The City will resume the regular collection schedule on the next scheduled service day, Thursday, September 5, 2013, and blue box/green cart recycling and yard waste collection will resume on Monday, September 9, 2013.

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New Tampa, Wesley Chapel T-Mobile Stores Burgled, TPD Seeks Public's Help

By Matt Wiley

Surveillance footage caught two robbers taking more than $10,000 in phones and phone cases from the Cellmasters, Inc. T-Mobile store, located in the New Tampa Centre shopping plaza, early in the morning on August 23.
Surveillance footage caught two burglars taking more than $10,000 in phones and phone cases from the Cellmasters, Inc. T-Mobile store, located in the New Tampa Center shopping plaza, early in the morning on August 23.

An after-hours burglary has left the Cellmasters, Inc., T-Mobile store in New Tampa, as well as the T-Mobile store in Wesley Chapel,  short thousands of dollars in stolen phones.

According to the Tampa Police Department (TPD), at around 6:45 a.m. on August 23, two caucasian or “fair-skinned” male suspects, clad in long sleeves, gloves and ski-masks, broke into Cellmasters, located at 19024 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in the New Tampa Center shopping plaza.Continue reading

Prudential Tropical Realty: A Local Leader In Residential Real Estate

By Gary Nager & Lauren Saslow

Whether you’ve just moved into the New Tampa area or you’ve been here for years, if you’ve ever had the pleasure of either trying to sell your home or house hunting before sitting down at the closing table and signing and initialing mountains of documents, you understand how daunting the process can be, — especially if you don’t have the proper help to get the job done right.

Managing Broker Dennis Derbes (left) manages both the New Tampa and Zephyrhills offices of Prudential Tropical Realty.
Managing Broker Dennis Derbes (left) manages both the New Tampa and Zephyrhills offices of Prudential Tropical Realty.

Prudential Tropical Realty (PruTrop) is an independently-owned franchise, with 16 offices and nearly 500 agents in four counties (Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Hernando), of the nationwide Prudential Real Estate. And, PruTrop’s hugely successful location in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza in Wesley Chapel (just south of the Shops at Wiregrass mall), can help you find the home of your dreams or sell the home you’ve loved for years at the best possible price, with the least possible amount of hassle and aggravation.

Dennis Derbes, the Market President and Managing Broker for both the New Tampa and Zephyrhills offices of PruTrop, manages a staff of 64 agents, 52 in the New Tampa office and 12 in Zephyrhills, although the market for our local office includes New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and Land O’Lakes.Continue reading