Artistâs rendering of the future Gandy Connector shown at the Dec. 3 Pasco BOCC meeting. Photo: Hillsborough County MPO
By Matt Wiley
After receiving unanimous approval from the Pasco Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Dec. 3, the county will continue to study whether or not an elevated toll road that would connect eastern and western Pasco County can help solve one of the countyâs biggest traffic issues. The BOCC voted unanimously to approve a resolution to continue to consider the possibility of an elevated toll way that would connect New Port Richey at U.S. 19 to Wesley Chapel at Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. by expanding the S.R. 54/S.R. 56 corridor.
Pasco Hernando Community College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, opening Jan. 13 as Pasco Hernando State College.
By Gary Nager
Even though, at our press time, the new Pasco Hernando Community College (PHCC)âPorter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch (located on Mansfield Blvd. at S.R. 56), still looked like more of a construction site than a college campus, PHCCâPorter Campus Provost Stanley M. Giannet, Ph.D., said that school officials were expecting to receive the Certificate of Occupancy for the newest of Floridaâs 29 two-year college campuses on Dec. 10, with the building actually opening on Jan. 2 and classes for the Spring 2014 semester set to begin on Mon., Jan. 13.Continue reading
Dr. Stanley Giannet, Ph.D. The new Provost of the Pasco Hernando Community College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch
Even though, at our press time, the new Pasco Hernando Community College (PHCC)âPorter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch (located on Mansfield Blvd. at S.R. 56), still looked like more of a construction site than a college campus, PHCCâPorter Campus Provost Stanley M. Giannet, Ph.D., said that school officials were expecting to receive the Certificate of Occupancy for the newest of Floridaâs 29 two-year college campuses on Dec. 10, with the building actually opening on Jan. 2 and classes for the Spring 2014 semester set to begin on Mon., Jan. 13.
Dr. Giannet gave a complete update on PHCCââ which actually will be renamed Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC) when the five-campus community college receives its expected final accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Commission on Colleges later this month (which will transform the current four-campus PHCC into a fully-accredited, four-year state college the day it opens) â at the Dec. 4 meeting of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, which meets Wednesdays at noon at Ciao! Italian Bistro in the Shops at Wiregrass mall.
The high-energy Provost of the (for now) PHCCâPorter Campus explained that the new campus is playing an integral role in PHCCâs transition to a four-year state college because it will be the home of the new PHSCâs first two Bachelorâs degree programs â a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Management &âSupervision. And, although the many of the two-year Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree programs to be offered at PHSCâs Porter Campus will be in allied health fields, including pharmacy tech and surgical technologist programs.
âTwo full floors of the Porter Campus will be devoted to nursing and allied health courses and degrees,ââsaid Dr. Giannet. âAnd, we already have an affiliation in place with Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) and are still finalizing opportunities for our students at the new North Tampa Behavioral Health (NTBH) facility, both just a couple of miles from the school. This campus is really going to be fully tied in with this community.â
In fact, the Provost also was hopeful that the other two-year degree programs at PHSCâs Porter Campus, which will include paralegal, financial services, heavy workforce business programs and information technology, will help PHSCâgrads get jobs at the planned Raymond James Financial office nearby on S.R. 56 and the other large companies that may soon be coming to the area.
Pasco Hernando Community College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch scheduled to open for classes on January 13.
And, Dr. Giannet told the Rotarians, at seven stories tall, the beautiful main building at the 60-acre Porter Campus will be the tallest building in Pasco County when it opens, but âthe real story is everything that will be going on inside the buildings…and the people who will be staffing them.â
The Provost called those who already have filled the first 47 of 50 available positions at the Porter Campus, âa superstar team of faculty, professionals and staff,ââand thanked FHWCâCEO Brian Adams for the hospitalâs hosting of a three-evening information session about the school, attended by, âabout 180 people.â
And, speaking of people, although Dr. Giannet said the total 2014 enrollment at PHSC is expected to be about 2,500, âwe may have to up that estimate because weâve only been accepting registrations for three weeks (at press time) and already have 1,050 students registered for the spring semester. Weâre all very excited about opening.â
For more info about PHCCâs Porter Campus (2727 Mansfield Blvd.), call 527-6615 or visit PHCC.edu.
A woman has been charged with domestic battery after allegedly attacking her ex-boyfriend in the parking lot of a Wesley Chapel movie theater.
The Pasco County Sheriffâs Office (PCSO) reports that at around 10:30 p.m. on November 22, Mykhal Harris, 23, was walking to his car with a female friend named Shenee Peterkin after seeing a movie at the Cobb Grove 16, located in The Grove shopping plaza off Wesley Grove Blvd.
âOut of nowhere,â as Peterkin described the incident to deputies, Harrisâ live-in ex-girlfriend and mother of his child, Brittany Michele Lynch, 24, ran up to and began striking Harris in the face. The arrest report states that Lynch also attempted to strike Peterkin. At one point during the struggle, Lynch reportedly pulled Harris to the ground by his dreadlocks.
Harris and Peterkin were able to get into Harrisâ 2010 Dodge Charger, but the PCSO report states that Lynch began to kick the headlights of the vehicle, keyed the hood and driverâs side door and attempted to break the driverâs side window with her left fist. Harris dialed 9-1-1 and made an on-duty deputy at the movie theater aware of the incident.
PCSOâdeputies found Lynch to be belligerent and emotional when they came into contact with her. The arrest report states that she continued to yell obscenities at Harris and told deputies that she couldnât understand what made Harris think that he could be with other women. She also told deputies that an abrasion on her forehead was caused by Harris throwing her to the ground.
Lynch was arrested for domestic battery and criminal mischief, but the latter charge was referred to the State Attorneyâs office. She was released from the Pasco County Detention Center on a $250 bond.
Months of conspiring to steal surveying equipment from their employer has landed two Pasco County men in jail.
According to the Pasco County Sheriffâs Office (PCSO), Bradley Richard Ragsdill, 23, of Lutz, and Bradley Kinsman Perez, 23, of Dade City, were arrested at 4 p.m. on November 22 on charges of scheming to defraud.
Bradley RagsdillBradley Perez
The arrest reports state that between May 1 and November 25 of this year, Ragsdill and Perez conspired to steal surveying equipment from their employer, International Surveying Equipment, Inc., located off Cypress Ridge Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. The two duplicated a key to the business in order to gain unauthorized access to it and deleted inventory records of the products that they were planning to steal, according to the arrest reports.
In total, Ragsdill and Perez stole more than $26,000 in surveying equipment. Perez told deputies after his arrest that he stole the equipment because he thought that the business was going under and that he would sell the stolen products if he needed to âmake a few bucks,â the arrest report states. Ragsdill admitted to his crimes and apologized.
Both men were released on one charge each of scheming to defraud on $10,000 bonds.
