Wharton High Athletes Arrested For Burglary

Wharton High football stars Chase Litton and Rocky Enos were arrested on felony burglary charges on Feb. 8, in connection with recent burglaries of unoccupied homes and vehicles in the Hunter’s Green and Heritage Isles communities.

According to the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office (HCSO), each has been charged with three counts of third-degree felony burglary of items valued between $300 and $5,000, as well as several counts of burglary of unoccupied dwellings and conveyances and petit theft.

Litton, 16, was the sophomore starting quarterback for the Wharton Wildcats junior varsity football team this past season, and is currently a member of the school’s varsity basketball team (see page 43). Litton was arrested on a court order.

Enos, 16, a junior linebacker this past season for Wharton’s varsity football team, was arrested by the school’s resource officer.

Both were booked and released on their own recognizance from Orient Road Jail.

Editor’s Note – Under normal circumstances, the New Tampa Neighborhood News does not publish the names of juvenile suspects under the age of 17. However, because of the felony charges and the fact that the suspect’s names had been previously published both online and in print, we believed it would be irresponsible for us not to include their names here.

 

Construction Begins On New Hunter’s Green Gatehouse

By Matt Wiley

Hunter’s Green residents can expect to see some traffic changes in the coming months, as construction begins on the community’s new gatehouse.

For the past 18 months, the Hunter’s Green Community Association (HGCA) Board of Directors has been working on plans to construct a new gatehouse to further restrict outside traffic into the community. The new gatehouse will be constructed a few yards further into the community on Hunter’s Green Dr. and will allow room for a turn-around lane.

“Right now, they (people denied access to the community) have to go through the gate to turn around,” says Ann Johnson, manager of the HGCA. “This will help us better attempt to control and restrict traffic going into the community.”

Currently, all traffic that is denied access to Hunter’s Green has to pass through the existing gate to turn around. Some people take advantage of passing through the gate and continue into the community, despite having been “denied access” by the security guard. Johnson says the proposed turn-around lane will eliminate the problem.

The project, which, Johnson says, will cost $387,000 and is being paid for with Reserve Accounts, is slated to begin over the next 90 days and should be completed by the end of June.

In addition to adding a turn-around lane and rebuilding the gatehouse, the plans also include a realignment of the median at the Bruce B. Downs (BBD), Blvd. intersection with Hunter’s Green Dr. and resurfacing of the road. The new gatehouse, once completed, will boast new video cameras, scanning equipment and fresh landscaping.

Although new scanning equipment will be installed, the access requirements will remain the same. Visitors who desire access to the community between the hours of 6 a.m.-10 p.m. can call ahead with the name and address of the household they’re visiting. However, after 10 p.m., if a visitor isn’t on the community’s “approved visitor” list, the gatekeeper is required to call the resident before the visitor will be allowed access.

According to the community’s website, Hunter’s Green is home to more than 3,000 residents in more than 1,500 homes, apartments and condominium units.

Residents and visitors are being advised to check the Hunter’s Green website (HuntersGreen.com) or the community’s Facebook page for traffic and construction updates.

New Tampa Blvd. ‘Gateway Bridge’ Roughly Halfway Completed

By John McGurl

The outcries for a less congested Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (BBD) are being answered with the construction of the New Tampa “Gateway Bridge” over I-75 that will link New Tampa Blvd. in West Meadows and Commerce Park Blvd. The project, which appears to be about half-way done, has been funded by the Tampa City Council, and is a $14-million investment for the city. The construction contract was awarded to Prince Construction.Continue reading

Why Local Restaurants Should Be In The Taste Of New TampaÂź

Let me start by saying that the issue of New Tampa Neighborhood News that comes out every year a few weeks before the annual Taste of New Tampa¼ (like this one — this year’s Taste will be held on Sunday, March 11, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., at Wharton High; see page 1 for details) is always difficult for me. More on this below, but first, a little background music (or noise).Continue reading