Gate Petroleum & More Coming To S.R. 56

Gate Petroleum soon will open it's first Tampa Bay location on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.
Gate Petroleum soon will open it’s first Tampa Bay location on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.

A cleared area on the north side of S.R. 56 at the Cypress Ridge Blvd. intersection is beginning to take shape. The property, known as the Shoppes of Cypress Creek, part of the 400-acre mixed-use development which currently has available parcels on both sides of S.R. 56, soon will be the site of the first Gate Petroleum location in the Tampa Bay region. Gate, which is based out of Jacksonville, FL, has locations in six states across the southeastern U.S., including Georgia and the Carolinas, with the closest being in Lakeland. Continue reading

Orlando Woman's Body Found Near New Tampa

By Matt Wiley

The body of a missing Orlando woman has been discovered in nearby Hillsborough River State Park.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), around 10:15 a.m. on July 25, Darcy Arlene Miller, 30, of Windermere, left her condo in her white Honda Fit, never to return.Continue reading

Oak Ramble Murder Suspects Convicted

By Matt Wiley

The popular coming-of-age book Stand By Me, by Stephen King, tells the story of a group of boys who are asked if they have ever seen a dead body by the older, “cool” kids in their town. In 2009, here in New Tampa, a similar story played out, only the two kids showing off the body were the ones responsible for it and have now both been convicted of murder.

Christopher Cox
Christopher Cox
ejak web
Amer Ejak

On July 26, Amer Ejak, 20, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the September 2009 killing of Thomas M. Johannesen, 34, HCSO records state.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), on September 13, 2009, Ejak (who was 16 at the time) and Christopher J. Cox (22 at the time), both of Tampa, were arrested for the murder of Johannesen, who lived in the Oak Ramble Apartments, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just south of Tampa Palms.Continue reading

Arrest Made In May BBD Shooting

By Matt Wiley

Details have emerged and an arrest has been made in the shooting death of a Pasco County man who was shot in his car while driving on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in May.

Demetrio Earle
Demetrio Earle

According to the Tampa Police Department (TPD), Demetrio Earle, 27, of Tampa, was arrested around 3:45 p.m. on August 2, following an investigation into the May 31 death of 20-year-old Reggie Adams.Continue reading

HCSO Seeks Help Idenitfying Serial Robbers Who Knocked Over Kangaroo

By Matt Wiley

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is seeking the public’s help in locating two suspects they believe are responsible for a string of robberies dating back to July 22, including one just south of Tampa Palms on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

HCSO needs your help identifying these men who robbed three convenience stores.
HCSO needs your help identifying these men who robbed three convenience stores.

According to HCSO, just after midnight on July 22, two black male suspects of unknown age — one wearing a hockey mask and wielding a revolver, the other wearing a dark bandana — began a cross-county robbery spree in Valrico, hitting a Circle K on Lumsden Rd. The two confronted the clerk and demanded money and lottery tickets. They even stole a donation jar from the checkout counter.Continue reading