By Gary Nager
As a primary media sponsor of the event, Iโam thrilled to be able to announce that the Rotary Club of New Tampa, in conjunction with five other local Rotary Clubs (New Tampa Noon, New Tampa Evening, Wesley Chapel, Temple Terrace and Tampa North), will host the tenth annual โ and newly expanded (see below) โ โRotary PigFest,โโthe weekend of February 21-22, at the Primrose Park off Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms.
By Matt Wiley,
A Wesley Chapel man has been charged with driving under the influence, following a crash on I-75 in which his vehicle struck six people.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), John Hegarty, 47, of Meadow Pointe, was traveling south on I-75 in the outside lane, just south of the S.R. 56 interchange, in his 2004 BMW sedan.
At the same time, FHP reports, a 1997 Honda Civic was stopped in the outside lane of southbound I-75 with its emergency lights flashing. In front of the Civic was a 1998 Toyota sedan, which had a flat tire. The six occupants of the two vehicles all were outside, between the two cars, while the flat was being changed.
The FHP report states that, as Hegarty approached the vehicles, he tried to switch from the outside lane to the center lane, but lost control of his car. The front of Hegartyโs BMW struck the left rear of the Civic, propelling it into the back of the Toyota.
The colliding vehicles, the report states, struck all six of the pedestrians, with each sustaining varying degrees of serious injuries. Jerrick Vann, 24, Nagy Ferguson, 24, and Kenneth Collins, 19, were transported to Tampa General Hospital, while Brittany Vaughn, 19, Erica Berry, 22, and a 17-year-old were taken to St. Josephโs Hospital in Tampa.
Hegarty was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.10 (just above the legal BAC limit of 0.08) and was charged with felony DUI with serious bodily injury, driving with a suspended license with knowledge of it being suspended, failing to drive in a designated lane and violating business-purposes-only restrictions on his driverโs license. Hegarty also admitted to deputies that he had taken two Xanax pills prior to the incident. He since has been released from the Pasco County Jail on a $3,500 bond.
By Matt Wiley
A proposed development in New Tampa is one step closer to becoming a reality, as the Tampa City Council has initially approved the annexation and rezoning of the land that community will be constructed upon into the city limits, following the ordinanceโs first public hearing.
By Matt Wiley,
If you enjoy riding your bicycle anywhere in New Tampa, the Tampa Police Department (TPD) suggests closing your garage door.
According to TPD, bike thefts are a common crime in these parts, mostly due to how easy it is to just pick one up and ride away.
โWe are seeing spurts of this type of crime here and there,โ says TPD Det. Katherine Thiel. โThe assumption in some gated neighborhoods is that itโs safe to leave your garage doors open.โ
By Matt Wiley
One of the tallest points in New Tampa, the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) Insurance Southeast Regional Office facility stands tall above the trees in Tampa Palms and can be seen for miles in either direction from I-75.
San Antonio, TX-based USAA, which provides financial service products to past and present members of the U.S. armed forces and their families, has announced that it will be bringing an additional 1,215 jobs to the Tampa Bay area, as it plans to construct a massive new facility in Brandon, in addition to adding jobs at its existing New Tampa office, which is located just off I-75 on Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms.
According to a November 5 press release from Florida Governor Rick Scottโs office, in addition to the massive amount of jobs USAA is adding to the local economy, the company also will make an estimated $164.3 million capital investment in Hillsborough County by 2019.
โThe expansion of USAA in Hillsborough County will create more than 1,200 new jobs for Florida families, meaning 1,200 families will have the opportunity to live their version of the American Dream right here in the Sunshine State,โ Gov. Scott said in the release.
Currently, the Commerce Park Blvd. facility employs more than 1,900 people. The new facility, which will be located at the Crosstown Center, an office park near the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway and U.S. 301 in Brandon, will total more than 420,000 sq.-ft. and is expected to be completed by 2015.
USAA executive director of public relations Jen Becker says that at least some of the new jobs are likely to be coming to the existing Tampa Palms office.
โThe jobs will be spread across our facilities in the Tampa area,โ Becker explains, adding that company officials have not yet determined how many of the new jobs will be coming to each location
โUSAA is growing, as the demand for our financial products and services among the military community increases,โ USAA CEO Joe Robles said in the release. โWeโve had a great team of employees in Tampa for 40 years and we are excited to grow that team in this great military community.โ
Allen Brinkman, the chairman of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation โ who also is chairman, president and CEO of SunTrust Bank Tampa Bay โ also was quoted in the press release.
โUSAAโs decision to invest and expand in Hillsborough County is a statement of confidence in our community, and a tangible indicator of our economic vitality and momentum,โ Brinkman said.
For more information, please visit USAA.com.