Category: News

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.

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

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.

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

By Matt Wiley

It appears as though the bustling New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC) in Tampa Palms, which was expected to undergo an expansion this year, will remain at its current size for the foreseeable future.

In his 2014 City of Tampa Budget presentation on July 25, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn announced that his recommended budget for the City is $830.9 million, with about $103 million devoted to capital improvement projects, which include government, transportation, utilities and parks & recreation projects.

However, the expansion of the 19,500-sq.-ft. NTRC, a hub for local gymnasts, did not make it onto this year’s list of funded projects (although we mistakenly reported in our July 20 issue that the NTRC would be a funded project for 2013-14).Continue reading

By Matt Wiley

Getting from Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. to Morris Bridge Rd. by car could get a lot quicker in the next two years, as the City of Tampa plans to widen the portion of Cross Creek Blvd. that currently is still one lane in each direction, making the entire 4.5-mile stretch four lanes.

The project, which has been in the works for several years, could begin as soon as May 2014, according to city documents. Currently, Cross Creek Blvd. which links BBD to Morris Bridge Rd., is a four-lane divided road for two miles, beginning at BBD east to just beyond Cory Lake Dr. at the entrance to the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center.

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