Local Candidates Meet Public During Forum At Wesley Chapel Nissan

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Wesley Chapel Nissan, located on S.R. 54, hosted a “Candidates Forum” on July 25 to give the public a chance to meet some of the names that will appear on the ballot on August 26 and in November.

By Gary Nager

In case you haven’t heard, there’s an important Primary Election coming up on Tuesday, August 26. A primary? Important? Continue reading

Swiftmud Holds Meeting About New Flood Plain Maps In Wesley Chapel

Flood plain maps filled the cafeteria of Wesley Chapel High School on May 22 during a meeting with residents to identify flood-prone areas in Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.
Flood plain maps filled the cafeteria of Wesley Chapel High School on May 22 during a Swiftmud meeting with residents to identify flood-prone areas in Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

By Matt Wiley

As the rainy season (and hurricane season) begins, we almost automatically can expect rain to be in the forecast on a regular basis. However, regular rain also poses the threat of flooding, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (or “Swiftmud”) is working with the public to draw the most up-to-date and accurate flood plain maps. Continue reading

S.R. 54/56 Toll Road Proposal Officially Axed

A concerned Pasco resident expresses opposition to the proposed S.R. 54/56 elevated toll road during a public meeting at Sunlake High School in March.
A concerned Pasco resident expresses opposition to the crowd and Pasco Administrator Michele Baker (left) about the proposed S.R. 54/56 elevated toll road during a public meeting at Sunlake High School in March.

By Matt Wiley

After months of speculation, negotiation and apparent opposition throughout Pasco County, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) officially has pulled the plug on the proposed S.R. 54/S.R. 56 (54/56) elevated toll road plan that would have linked U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills to U.S. 19 in New Port Richey along the 54/56 corridor (just a few miles north of New Tampa).Continue reading

Update: PACA & Residents Along S.R. 54/56 Protest Proposed Toll Road

Pasco development administrator Richard Ghering tries to control the angry crowd during the first town hall meeting to discuss the proposed S.R. 54/56 elevated toll road in the Sunlake High gymnasium in Land O'Lakes.
Pasco development administrator Richard Ghering tries to control the angry crowd during the first town hall meeting to discuss the proposed S.R. 54/56 elevated toll road in the Sunlake High gymnasium in Land O’Lakes in early March.

By Matt Wiley

Pasco County officials have a long road ahead of them if they want to quell the concerns of citizens living near the S.R. 54/56 corridor, which could house the county’s first privately-funded, elevated toll road—the FL 54 Xpress—in the not-so-distant future.Continue reading

Wesley Chapel High Hosts 2014 Special Olympics

*DSC_0577By Gary Nager

Although I’ve been doing my job for 20 years, I’m embarrassed to say that I had never attended a Special Olympics competition before I visited the 2014 Pasco County Special Olympics “Summer Games,” which were held on March 4 on the campus of Wesley Chapel High (WCH). And, what I saw was that the Special Olympics is more about love and friendship and the true spirit of competition than it is about winning medals.Continue reading