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Tag: Nick Popham

  • Some fireworks could be more expensive due to Chinese tariffs

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Firework tents pop up all over the place when we’re ready to celebrate some major holidays. 

    Very few holidays are more “firework dependent” than our nation’s birthday.

    “We constantly are ringing up,” said Sarah Lozito, a tent operator for a firework stand in Crystal River. “I think we have two customers per minute is our average.”

    What You Need To Know

    • Firework sellers are dealing with tariffs for fireworks imported from China

    • It’s estimated that 99 percent of fireworks come from China, which are currently facing a 30 percent tariff

    • Despite these tariffs, a local firework vendor we spoke with says they saw some minor price changes in larger items, but smaller items saw no price change


    According to Lozito, she’s been a tent operator for about four years up in Citrus County, totaling about six seasons of fireworks sales for New Years and the Fourth of July.

    Even in this dreary weather, she’s surpassed her sales goals earlier this week with the anticipation of it really stepping up today.

    “It’s exhausting,” Lozito said. “But we survive, and it goes by fast.”

    For many operators, the exhaustion doesn’t stop with the long hours but whether the cost of these fireworks will drastically change because of tariffs with China.

    It’s estimated that 99 percent of fireworks are made in China and looking at labels of fireworks at Lozito’s stand It’s hard to miss.

    U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods got up to about 145 percent this year but are now down to about 30 percent for fireworks which is good news for firework vendors like Lozito, considering the alternative.

    “Some of the bigger items have went up a few dollars this year,” Lozito said. “A lot of our smaller stuff rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, sparklers have stayed the same.”

    While the smaller things are still the same price, those bigger items, Lozito says, have gone up anywhere between $10 to $40.

    “These are hazardous materials being shipped over, so they have passed on a little bit of the price on that,” Lozito said.

    Even with minor price hikes, Lozito says it was much worse following the pandemic, so she isn’t really concerned right now.

    Instead, her main concern is mother nature.

    “We just hope the rain stays away,” she said. “And then, of course, we got next year coming the 250th anniversary.”

    Which is expected to be a big year barring any drastic economic changes.

    Lozito says their tent will be open until midnight tonight and open tomorrow for people looking to still buy some last-minute fireworks.

    They’re located near West Norvell Bryant Highway and West Gulf to Lake Highway.

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    Nick Popham

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  • Solar expert concerned over outcome of ‘big, beautiful bill’

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    PALMETTO, Fla. — Some solar businesses in Florida are worried their work will be negatively impacted by the Trump administration’s so-called “big, beautiful bill.”

    What You Need To Know

    • Solar businesses in Florida are concerned about what will happen to solar tax credits should the Trump Administration’s “big, beautiful bill” pass

    • They say if it does, that, plus ongoing tariffs, would cause prices to go up 60% to 70%

    • President Trump campaigned on a promise to repeal the clean energy tax credits established in the 2022 inflation reduction act

    • Republicans who support the bill say the subsidy cuts would free up billions of dollars for other things


    They say, if passed, along with ongoing tariffs, prices could go up by more than 50 percent.

    “We’ve got a lot of a great deal of uncertainty in this line of work,” said Steven Rutherford, president and CEO of Tampa Bay Solar. “So, we’re working on executing what we have and then cautiously wondering what’s going to happen in the next month.”

    According to Rutherford, he has been paying close attention to the budgetary bill, and he says it would eliminate tax credits for people who choose solar.

    “In its current form,” he said, “it actually takes out the solar tax credit that was due to sunset in 2034.”

    Instead, he says, those credits would go away this year.

    On top of that, Rutherford says he is dealing with tariffs causing price increases so losing the tax credit and 30 percent tariffs would lead to 60% to 70% price hikes.

    “A lot of folks can handle a 5% or 10% increase in cost, but something as drastic as the way it’s currently written, will definitely have an impact,” Rutherford said.

    For places like the Manatee School for the Arts, they say tax credits give them the ability to go solar.

    “We as an organization or a business in general could not afford to do this otherwise,” said Timothy McMurray, Vice President of Finance for the Manatee School for the Arts.

    According to McMurray, he’s worried about the current legislation as it’s written, as well as tariffs, because the school doesn’t plan to stop with this project.

    “We’re still growing,” he said. “Currently, we’re planning another 80,000ft² of growth. We’re looking for, a phase two solar project to help us manage that going forward, to maintain our costs go down. If this legislation goes forward, we can’t afford it.”

    But Rutherford and his employees are being proactive.

    He says they’ve reached out to representatives, and he’s even going up to Washington next week to participate in a demonstration with the Solar Energy Industry Association.

    He says, if nothing changes, he’ll have to do a major company restructuring.

    “We’re going to see a dramatic loss in employment,” said Rutherford.

    Which he hopes won’t happen anytime soon.

    President Trump campaigned on a promise to repeal the clean energy tax credits established in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

    He says they are expensive, unnecessary and harmful to business.

    Republicans who support the bill say the subsidy cuts would free up billions of dollars for other things.

    The White House also released an article citing the National Association of Manufacturers defending the bill, saying that if it isn’t approved, there could be over a million lost manufacturing jobs.

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    Nick Popham

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  • Beloved Clearwater restaurant reopens following closure from hurricanes

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — As an adult, it can be tough to visit places that remind you of your childhood that take you back to a party after a little league game, or where you go to eat during spring break.

    What You Need To Know

    • Capogna’s Dugout has reopened after months of being closed following hurricane’s Helene and Milton

    • The restaurant was a staple for over 50 years, but the storms knocked out power to the business and cost them thousands of dollars in spoiled food and damaged machinery

    • Following months of closure, the Capogna’s is now partnered with a person who has taken over the business and has hired back many of the original staff


    That’s what Al Capogna takes pride in when people visit Capogna’s Dugout.

    “You start eating pizza and spaghetti here when you’re 6 or 7 years old, and we’ve been open 50 years, so that means we’ve had them for 43 years, you know, and then they start bringing their kids in. And we’ve got third generation that’s coming in,” he said.

    Al’s family opened the dugout in 1973 after his father fell in love with the area while they were vacationing in Florida from Michigan.

    Over the years, it has grown, but this core restaurant has been here through the ups and downs of life — serving slices and other eats people crave.

    While it’s no secret running a restaurant is difficult, things were tough sledding in the aftermath of the pandemic.

    But the biggest blow was this past fall with Helene and Milton.

    “Lost everything,” Capogna said. “Everything. Cheese, milk, tons of cheese, chicken wings, everything.”

    They didn’t have power for days. Usually they’d run a generator, but Capogna says everything on the roof was destroyed from the storm.

    They lost thousands of dollars in equipment and food.

    “We just sat and looked, and we all agreed. Every one of us, we just can’t do this anymore,” Capogna said.

    As a result, in October, they posted this message to Facebook letting people know Capogna’s would be closing permanently, saying they took a hit they couldn’t recover from.

    “I thought it was it,” Capogna said. “I go, ‘Our dynasty is gone.’”

    But in the time they were closed, they kept receiving offers for help, but Capogna says nothing would have kept the business going long term until they met their partner, Sean Stoffel.

    He took over the restaurant and didn’t change a thing, letting folks know that Capogna’s 2.0 was now in business with Al serving as an advisor.

    “When this came up, you’re still a little kind of going, ‘Wow, is this going to be OK?’ Then you start thinking about it. And boy, is it worked out good. I mean, look, it’s all the same,” Capogna said.

    Al’s brother is still here to make the sauce and dough and many of the former staff have come back.

    Al is grateful his family dynasty can continue, especially for all those families that have shared so many childhood memories in these booths.

    Capogna is now working elsewhere but still lends a helping hand whenever needed, as do other members of his family who are so excited the dugout is back in business.

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    Nick Popham

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  • New Port Richey music lovers host 2nd annual record store crawl

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    NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Passion can be contagious.

    When you feel the excitement from someone who truly loves something, it’s tough not to be enveloped by their attitude.

    To find that passion, look no further than Jimmy Michaud and the vinyl records in his little red box.

    What You Need To Know

    • Eric Mullins and Jimmy Michaud are hosting their second annual record store crawl Saturday for National Record Store Day

    • The two live in New Port Richey and have a passion for music, especially vinyl

    • Vinyl sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, have grown for the 18th consecutive year, resulting in more than $1 billion in sales


    He hosts a vinyl night at a local spot in New Port Richey every week and has a collection of 500 to 600 records — that’s after weeding most of them out.

    “It has so much magic, honestly, to it that I really feel anybody, anywhere at any time could get involved with and they could find that feeling within themselves,” Michaud said. “It’s really cool.”

    The passion is shared by so many, but Michaud really met an equal in the love of vinyl with Eric Mullins.

    “He just so happened to bring his album in one day,” Michaud recalled. “And then, I mean, really, the band was made pretty much there.”

    Eric runs Mullins Music in New Port Richey, where he teaches kids and adults how to play music while sharing his love of the craft.

    Not too long ago, Mullins wanted to start an educational tour of sorts that centered around vinyl.

    “You kind of sit down, you let you get something to drink, relax, listen to it,” Mullins said. “You’re engaged in that experience. That’s why I really like vinyl.”

    He came up with the idea for a record store crawl around the Bay Area and asked Michaud to co-host it with him.

    “I’ve always loved to listen to music,” Mullins said. “You know, that seems kind of obvious for some. But I hope everybody has had that problem in their life.”

    That seems to be the case when you see the latest sales numbers.

    According to the Recording Industry Association of America, vinyl record sales have grown for the 18th consecutive year, resulting in more than $1 billion in sales.

    Mullins and Michaud are teaching people about the history of vinyl and how they’re made, and will then tour five different shops this Saturday for National Record Store Day.

    “For them to set up an event where they’re going to all the different going to several different stores in the Tampa Bay region, really, embodies a spirit of Record Store Day,” said Manny Kool of Kool Daddy Records in St. Petersburg.

    Kool didn’t hesitate when Mullins and Michaud asked to have the crawl come to his shop.

    For them, it’s a chance to share their passion in a spot that’s embraces and celebrates that excitement.

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    Nick Popham

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  • Popular YouTuber mourns the loss of close friend

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — How can pieces of paper hold so much meaning?

    What You Need To Know

    • Rhonda McDaris, a close friend of Travis Doodles, who rose to viral fame on the internet for her bubbly personality, has died

    • Travis, whose real name is Travis Settineri, has put together a funeral service for Rhonda this Thursday at 11 a.m. in Tampa

    • Rhonda and Travis’ videos garnered hundreds of millions of views, all centered around Rhonda’s life journey and Travis’ kindness in helping her out

    • Rhonda was 61 years old


    How can words on a page, or colors to a canvas, encapsulate what a person means to others?

    Well, regardless of quality, it’s quantity that really conveys to Travis Settineri what one woman’s life means to so many people.

    “This is just one of the boxes that I got,” he said while sifting through a box of letters.

    Travis is known online as “Travis Doodles” and has millions of followers online where his whole social media presence is centered on being kind.

    And one of those people where being kind, for him, was a given, was with Rhonda McDaris.

    “She went, you know, 60 years without anybody really noticing her,” Settineri said. “And then when the videos started taking off, people could see her personality, you know, and they fell in love with her.”

    Travis and Rhonda met at the end of 2022, where Travis helped Rhonda get some groceries and gave her a couple hundred dollars.

    She had been homeless for a lot of her life, lost her legs and had really been struggling.

    That initial meeting turned into a friendship where Travis would drive Rhonda around, spend time with her and even spend thousands renovating the bus she lived in into a nice home.

    When we met them in 2023, Rhonda couldn’t believe it.

    “I got really lucky,” she said at the time. “A lot of nice people and good people have helped me out. And really, it was a blessing.”

    She didn’t have an easy life, but these last few years were rich beyond her imagination, in part because her videos with Travis went viral, garnering hundreds of millions of views.

    “The internet just fell in love with her, and then she fell in love with making videos,” Settineri said. “So, she would constantly say, Travis, when can we make another video?”

    They made several.

    “Meeting Travis and everything,” Rhonda said. “It just changed my whole life.”

    Last month, Rhonda passed away. She was 61 years old.

    “I just can’t believe that I just can’t talk to her ever again,” Travis said.

    He has put together a service to celebrate Rhonda on Thursday because aside from the virality of her videos with him and the internet popularity, Travis wants to commemorate a dear friend.

    “She just started living with a purpose,” he said. “And she just, you know, she just started really living.”

    While videos with Rhonda really added views to Travis’ channel, to Travis that’s not as significant as their bond.

    It’s the bond these two formed that has given his life and so many others a special kind of kindness.

    Rhonda’s service is being held at Crossover Church in Tampa on Thursday at 11 a.m.

    Travis says people have reached out online saying they plan on driving over six hours just to attend Thursday’s funeral.

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  • FEAST Food Pantry opens new facility in Palm Harbor

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    PALM HARBOR, Fla. — After years of fundraising and planning, a Palm Harbor food pantry is opening its brand-new facility.

    What You Need To Know

    • FEAST Food Pantry held a ribbon cutting Monday to open its new facility in Palm Harbor

    • The new facility is on Nebraska Avenue and next to Grace Community Church

    • Along with the facility, it has four other donation boxes where people can donate food 24/7


    FEAST Food Pantry had spent the last nine months operating out of a fire department building and now has its own building ready to go.

    Just a can, can go a long way — especially if you’re hungry but can’t afford groceries.

    Obviously, one can of tuna isn’t exactly a feast, but the folks at FEAST Food Pantry see each donation and food item as a true gift for someone who needs sustenance.

    That’s why Joe Cilento has been volunteering here for nearly six years.

    “I feel proud,” Cilento said. “I feel very proud. The volunteers I’ve met here are great people.”

    Cilento suffered a stroke before volunteering and said if he got better, he’d find a way to do some good, which is why he’s here.

    “My official job is I pick things up, I put things down,” Cilento said.

    As you could imagine, Cilento is selling his work short.

    FEAST gets donations daily, sometimes by the truckful and has them sorted and eventually bagged to give to people.

    For the longest time, it was operating out of an old building where Cilento says there were holes in the floor and had just run its course.

    Now, that changes with this new building on Nebraska Avenue.

    “Before, we had two dilapidated trailers that were kind of cobbled together that were a mess,” said Tamara Black, executive director of FEAST Food Pantry. “And as we saw the growth, we knew we need a new building.”

    According to Black, last year they gave food to roughly 54,000 people, so the need to update and enhance their space was huge.

    “it’s been very fulfilling for me personally to see families in need who are suffering from food insecurity, be able to come here to a safe and welcoming environment and obtain food for their families,” Black said.

    But that suffering isn’t expected to drop in the near future.

    Back in March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled food deliveries to food banks and cut back assistance by hundreds of millions of dollars.

    While the funding isn’t impacting FEAST specifically, according to Black, they do anticipate that recent federal cuts will impact people in Pinellas County who will ultimately need food assistance as a result.

    “We’re projecting that we’re going to see 75,000 people in 2025 because of those cuts,” Black said.

    It’s something Cilento worries about, too.

    “We’re concerned,” he said. “The need is there. Every day we sign on, register more clients.”

    But even with that outlook, he sees the upgrades FEAST has made and knows higher ups, like Black, are moving the food pantry in the right direction to help as many people as they possibly can.

    Having that can-do attitude makes all the difference.

    FEAST Food Pantry’s building is right next to Grace Community Church in Palm Harbor.

    Along with the facility, it has four other donation boxes where people can donate food 24/7.

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  • Treasure Island Commission approves terrain modification program

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    TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — The Treasure Island City Commission has approved a series of ordinances related to a terrain modification program.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Treasure Island commission has approved its terrain modification program

    • The plan addresses sea level rise by using fill dirt to elevate homes

    • The program was unanimously approved, though Commissioner Chris Clark opposed the program as it’s currently written, but was unable to attend Tuesday night’s meeting


    It’s part of a plan to address sea level rise and has been something the commission has discussed for months now.

    The work has already been underway for some homes in Treasure Island.

    After Helene and Milton, some homeowners have chosen to lift their houses up to avoid flood waters when the next storm comes.

    But what hasn’t been allowed in the city has been fill dirt, but Tuesday night, a unanimous vote changes that.

    “We have 92 homes that have been demolished,” said John Doctor, mayor of Treasure Island. “And a lot of those homes are waiting for this ordinance to pass.”

    Doctor was one of those approval votes Tuesday night.

    He has seen the work people are already doing around town and says this would alleviate the process.

    “We see it as probably the most direct and the most timely way to actually get fill dirt in, because people are beginning to build their homes back up again and they’re going up higher, and they need that dirt to do so,” Doctor said.

    The commission had its first reading of this program last month, with commissioner Chris Clark opposing the program because he feels the current plan is too complicated.

    Clark had prior work obligations, so he wasn’t at tonight’s meeting but had a letter read aloud opposing the program.

    In his letter, Clark said he was hoping to pass something more simplified.

    Ultimately, with its approval, Doctor says even more work can continue on the island that’s eager to return to whatever normal is after a devastating storm.

    “You’re going to start seeing dump trucks all over the city because that’s what they’re waiting for,” Doctor said.

    Regarding Clark’s comments about the program being complicated, it did take the commission about 10 minutes just to read the entire program and its ordinances into the record.

    According to the city’s website, the use of fill dirt is completely voluntary and will be evaluated every two years.

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  • Saving Our Seniors opens first store for fresh produce in St. Pete

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Pinellas County nonprofit is opening its first brick and mortar store to sell fresh fruits and veggies at affordable prices.

    What You Need To Know

    •  Saving Our Seniors is opening a brick and mortar store in St. Petersburg called Your Neighborhood Produce

    •  The store will be a local shop where people can buy fresh produce at an affordable price

    •  The nonprofit’s founder anticipates the location will be open Wednesday-Friday


    The organization is Saving Our Seniors and is branching out to help as many people as possible, regardless of their age, get cheaper produce.

    It doesn’t matter if she’s waking up before the sunrise to go to a farmer’s market or delivering produce to seniors throughout Pinellas County, Kelli Casto’s mission never waivers.

    “I feel like I’ve been working on it so much,” said Casto, the founder of Saving Our Seniors. “But I guess you’re never prepared for the first day of doing something different.”

    Casto started her organization, Saving Our Seniors, to help seniors find durable medical equipment because of her background as an occupational therapist.

    It eventually grew into a nonprofit where she would help seniors get fresh produce.

    As she told Spectrum News last April, humble beginnings are an understatement.

    “We started our farmer’s market literally in our Chevy Malibu,” Casto said in 2024. “And we’ve grown it, you know, from just like 50 spots to we have over 180 different locations that we service monthly.”

    And while the hurricane impacted her donations, according to Casto, the goal for Saving Our Seniors, and ProducePac, where people buy produce which, in turn, funds feeding senior citizens in the area, is still going strong enough to begin this new venture.

    “During the hurricane,” Casto said, “I started helping families with SNAP. And I really kind of saw a greater purpose and mission, like for our nonprofit together.”

    Which is why we’re now seeing her shop, Your Neighborhood Produce, which is a brick and mortar where anyone can buy these products at affordable prices.

    For Casto, she says fresh produce helped her lose over 100 pounds, which is why this is such a big deal for her.

    “We’re all struggling,” she said. “I think even now more from the hurricanes and stuff. And if we can bring this to our community and provide fresh, accessible, not break the bank. And I think we’ll all be a little bit healthier.”

    In 2024 alone, her organization helped nearly 100,000 senior citizens, so she wants to expand that to more than just the elderly with this shop.

    “I’m a little overwhelmed,” Casto said regarding her grand opening of Your Neighborhood Produce, “but it’s going to be great. It’s going to be great.”

    When you see Casto in her element, surrounded by avocados, Brussels sprouts and kiwis, it’s what keeps her going and keeps that switch of hers in the on position every single day.

    Casto currently has about 25 volunteers and is hoping for more to assist her in her endeavor.

    She anticipates the shop, which is located on 49th Street South just south of Central Avenue, will be open Wednesday to Sunday.

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  • AI in the classroom: How artificial intelligence is helping teachers

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    NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Some of us only remember classrooms having chalkboards or whiteboards.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pepin Academies in New Port Richey is utilizing AI to help students answer questions and teachers plan lessons

    • The programming comes from Scholar Education, which now has its program helping 4,000 students in six different schools

    • A teacher who uses the resource at Pepin says the AI has helped her with student data collection that is required to see their progress in school

    • Dayspring Academy also uses this program


    It was a simpler time that Amy McBride saw when she started teaching in the 1990s.

    “There was no internet,” said McBride, who teaches U.S. History at Pepin Academies in New Port Richey. “So, I tell the kids I’m like, yeah, I went to college, there’s no internet and they’re like, how did you do anything?”

    It’s wild to think of a time when the internet wasn’t our go-to for everything and in the modern classroom, laptops and tablets are as ubiquitous as pencils.

    But something new is joining the curriculum at Pepin Academies and that’s BaxterBot.

    “He’s our AI,” McBride said. “And we just click it and they can ask him any question.”

    Think of him like a teacher’s assistant.

    When the kids are working on an assignment and, say, McBride is busy helping one specific student, the other kids can ask Baxter their question and he will either answer it or pose another question to get the kids thinking toward the right solution.

    “In the beginning they would ask, and he would just give them the answer,” she said. “Then he catches on that they’re not thinking it on there, and he’ll go, well, what do you think?”

    This programed pup comes from Scholar Education, which uses the likeness of two dogs, Baxter and Professor Bruce, to help the students with their coursework.

    It also helps McBride with lesson planning and data collecting.

    “It makes my data crunching at that time of year when, you know, we’re also doing exams and end of the course, you know, all the stuff they ask for us above and beyond the classroom,” McBride said. “It helps with that considerably.”

    That’s why McBride thinks AI like this isn’t detrimental to learning, because she says it actually helps students who may be shy and don’t want to speak up to ask questions, while also assisting kids with learning disabilities.

    “Never did I think I’d be, you know, relying on a dog to help me teach my class or help my students answer their questions,” McBride joked.

    But now that Baxter and Bruce are there, McBride says it has made the modern classroom an even better learning environment.

    McBride says this is the first semester she has implemented the program into her teaching.

    Aside from Pepin Academies in New Port Richey, Dayspring Academy is also using Baxter and Bruce.

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  • Odessa farm celebrates the Christmas season after Milton damage

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    ODESSA, Fla. — It’s not all that often you can see gingerbread houses next to a massive pig.

    What You Need To Know

    • Raprager Family Farms is celebrating its annual Christmas Festival; hours below

    • The festival comes following a difficult fall because of damage from Hurricane Milton

    • According to officials with the farm, that storm and the closure that came from it resulted in the farm losing about 40 percent of expected revenue

    • Despite that setback, things are in full swing for the Christmas season, and folks at the farm are optimistic about this event and future holidays


    But Raprager Family Farms is combining their love of the holidays with their love of farm life in their annual festival.

    “There’s really nothing more you could ask for,” said Kendall Rickert, operations manager for the farm.

    They’re in full swing right now, celebrating Christmas the only way a farm can — with lots of lights and animals and holly hay bales abound.

    But it’s been quite a journey to get to this celebratory mindset.

    “We’re definitely still kind of picking up pieces,” Rickert said. “You know, if you walk around the property, some pieces around kind of look like, you know, they’ve had some damage and things like that.”

    Rickert was talking about the damage they got from Hurricane Milton.

    While the Christmas festivities are going off without a hitch, their fall festival dealt with a lot of problems.

    “The property definitely took on some damage,” Rickert said, “especially the animal enclosures and things like that.”

    They also lost power, forcing them to cancel several nights in October.

    Halloween is their busiest time of year. According to folks at the farm, they lost 40 percent of their expected revenue because of Milton.

    “It was very difficult for everybody,” Rickert said. “But again, you know, we have an awesome staff, and everybody was just ready to come pick up and keep moving along.”

    Even though there are still some reminders of Milton at the farm, the Christmas spirit is still here with a mixture of the country and Kris Kringle.

    When night falls, the lights and the joy are all you see and Rickert wouldn’t have it any other way.

    “It just really gives you the freedom to kind of, you know, dress it up and dress it down and do whatever you want with it,” she said.

    And no storm is going to take that away.

    This is the farm’s last weekend of its Christmas event before Christmas Day.

    It is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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  • Pasco County approves rebate to build Wesley Chapel downtown area

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    WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Things are moving in the right direction in Pasco County to create a downtown area in Wesley Chapel.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Pasco County Commission approved an ad valorem tax worth about $50 million for the Legacy Wiregrass Ranch project in Wesley Chapel

    • The project hopes to create a downtown hub for the Pasco County community just east of I-75

    • It’s a response to the quickly growing community, which, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is in a county that’s seen one of the highest levels of net domestic migration from 2022 to 2023


    The Pasco County Commission approved a $50 million tax rebate on Dec. 10 for Legacy Wiregrass Ranch, kicking off what hopes to be a central hub for one of the fastest growing areas in Florida.

    “I couldn’t be more excited to be part of the community,” said Avi Nannival, owner of Woof Gang Avalon Park in Wesley Chapel. “There’s new developments opening at every corner.”

    Soon, one of those corners will look to be the heart of Wesley Chapel.

    “In my mind, we’re building the downtown of Pasco County here,” said Kathryn Starkey, chairperson for the Pasco County Commission.

    Starkey, referring to Legacy Wiregrass Ranch, will be a few miles away from Nannival and Woof Gang.

    It’s a project expected to add hotels, entertainment space, retail, restaurants and places for people to live.

    “These funds could be used for green space within a mixed-use development capital, for new entertainment or sports venues or developments that could bring increased walkability, vibrancy and tax revenues to the county,” said Scott Sheridan of Wiregrass Ranch. “That is exactly what we believe Legacy Wiregrass Ranch will do.”

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Pasco County has seen one of the highest levels of net domestic migration from 2022 to 2023.

    This year, a study from Consumer Affairs rated Wesley Chapel the number one place to move to in Florida.

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  • Sam’s Beach Bar in Hudson ’98 percent restored’ following Hurricane Helene

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    HUDSON, Fla. — Along the shoreline of the gulf, it’s hard to fathom the quiet serene water in December doing something like knocking over sealed doors in September.

    What You Need To Know

    • Sam’s Beach Bar in Hudson is one of numerous businesses that were impacted by Hurricane Helene

    • Following that storm, Sam’s was closed for about a month so they could restore destroyed equipment and electrical

    • Its owner says they are about 98 percent of the way to completely restoring the business

    • They’re open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday


    “I had the hurricane curtains on the outside,” said Brad De La Osa, part-owner of Sam’s Beach Bar, while showing parts of his business. “[The doors] actually lifted up, flipped over.”

    De La Osa is one of the owners of Sam’s Beach Bar, which, according to him, has been in his wife’s family since they bought the place in 1981.

    They’ve dealt with storms in the past. It’s hard not to when you’re right on the water, but Helene was rough because they saw several feet of water, about three and a half feet, De La Osa estimates, go into the business.

    Ketchup bottles were floating all over and most of the items in the kitchen were destroyed.

    “Everything here is new,” De La Osa said when showcasing their replaced items.

    It forced them to close Sam’s for about a month, which is tough for any business to deal with — let alone one that’s off the beaten path for tourists.

    But when you spend some time at Sam’s, even as they’re opening and there are a handful of folks inside, you see stockings lining the wall with names of employees and you start to understand why this place means so much.

    “This is a way of life,” De La Osa said. “This is what feeds our families, feeds our employees, puts money on the table. So, it really does. Anything like this is a severe impact.”

    Which is why they immediately got to work spending thousands to restore Sam’s and taking that entire month to make sure they were back in business as soon as possible.

    “It’s a haven for everybody. I mean, this is to me, you find that one niche, the one place you’d like to go, that’s your place to go to, and that’s where you want to be.”

    And no storm will be changing that anytime soon.

    According to De La Osa, they’re about 98 percent done with bringing things back to where they want it to be.

    He says Milton’s wind damaged the tiki hut outside so that needs repairing, but he says spring is their busy season so they’re making sure they’re good to go for that time of year.

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  • Venice Theatre continues rebuilding its main stage following Hurricane Milton

    Venice Theatre continues rebuilding its main stage following Hurricane Milton

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    VENICE, Fla. — In its 75th season, going through a chain-link fence is not exactly what Kristofer Geddie envisioned he would do to showcase the Venice Theatre’s main performance space, the Jervey Theatre.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Venice Theatre continues to rebuild its main stage following the major damage that was dealt from Hurricane Ian
    • A major concern for the theater was that more damage might’ve happened when Hurricane Milton made landfall
    • Kristofer Geddie, the theater’s executive director, says the theater essentially suffered very little damage from the storm and they’re able to still do performances in their two smaller venues
    • According to Geddie, he hopes to reopen their main stage during their 76th season in 2026


    Each time he opens this gate, it’s a reminder of what happened.

    “The trauma, the daily trauma, is something that I can’t deny,” said Geddie, the executive director of the Venice Theatre. “It’s every day.”

    Because through the construction, the site is the empty shell of the Jervey. When Spectrum Bay News 9 visited the space a year ago, there were still some walls here and pieces of memories from shows gone by.

    Now, that’s all gone because of the destruction from Hurricane Ian.

    That major storm destroyed the roof, blanketed the space in water and left the Venice Theatre with a new and unanticipated $14 million project.

    “The walls have been taken out from last year, but the progress is slower than I would like,” Geddie said.

    There were some delays, which Geddie says they anticipated, but the last thing they wanted to see was another hurricane, this time, named “Milton.”

    “We at one point thought it was going to be a direct hit to Venice, and we didn’t think we would have survived that,” Geddie said.

    While storm surge and damage impacted most of Venice, with branches and debris on many street corners, the Jervey, for the most part, made it through unscathed.

    “We didn’t suffer as much as so many folks here in Venice,” Geddie said.

    Even with that minor bright spot, a lot more work is left to be done. Geddie says they need to keep raising money to fund the rebuild.

    One way they’re doing that is by following the number one cliché in theater: “the show must go on.”

    “We use it a lot, but that is the word resilience,” Geddie said. “To know how quickly our team came up with an idea, came up with a plan and executed that plan to make this into a workable space.”

    They’re using a building that was intended for educational courses to hold performances.

    Right now, “9 to 5: The Musical” is in the spotlight, giving folks a reprieve from the trauma outside.

    “Folks are losing their homes,” Geddie said. “People are losing their businesses. We haven’t had that release to laugh.”

    While this space is far smaller than the Jervey, just having a place for art to flourish is what excites Geddie about the future of his theatre.

    Because soon, the chain link will be gone, and the shows will be back in the Venice Theatre’s main house.

    Geddie expects the main stage at the Venice Theatre to reopen in 2026, during the theater’s 76th season.

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  • USF opens hyperbaric chamber facility to see how it treats brain injuries

    USF opens hyperbaric chamber facility to see how it treats brain injuries

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    TAMPA, Fla. — The University of South Florida is embarking on a study to see whether hyperbaric pressure will alleviate mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries.

    What You Need To Know

    • USF has completed construction on its new hyperbaric chamber facility

    • The facility will be used for a double-blind study to test the effectiveness of hyperbaric medicine’s treatment for mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries

    • The study will last several years and is seeking 400 or more veterans to participate

    • If you’re interested in being part of the study, click here


    It’s research that will hopefully help hundreds of veterans in and around Florida.

    Blowing up a glove like a balloon may seem like a party planner’s idea of decorations, but Dr. Joseph Dituri is doing it to show what happens in this massive contraption.

    “We have two similar sized gloves blown up,” Dituri said. “And what we’re going to do is, we’re going to increase the pressure inside the chambers.”

    The chambers Dituri refers to are hyperbaric chambers, which essentially increase pressure inside their tubes while oxygen flows through.

    The gloves are here to show what adding pressure does inside the tube.

    “You increase that pressure,” he said. “You decrease that volume and that’s why hyperbaric oxygen works.”

    But this contraption is not just to decrease air inside a glove. It’s here to figure out if hyperbaric chambers will help people with mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries.

    This has been a passion project for Dituri for years.

    So much so that he spent 100 days underwater down in the Florida Keys to see what that kind of pressure does to a person.

    The results there showed improvements to most of his vital signs and gave a template on whether this study should be pursued.

    “We’ve been on the track of using this or trying to use hyperbaric medicine to increase blood flow for about 12 years now,” he said.

    In June, about a year after Dituri came back above sea level, he showed us the hyperbaric facility at USF as it was being built.

    There were signs of progress but still quite a way to go.

    Now, the chambers are in and he’s closer than ever to welcome patients to participate in this study.

    “We’re at the point where we have six functioning chambers and we’re ready to rock and roll,” Dituri said.

    This study will be focused on veterans.

    Dituri says over the next five years, they plan on having about 400 or so veterans participate in this double-blind study by having them sit in these tubes with the pressure being turned up to see how it affects them.

    “The comfortable they get to sit here and look at the TV at the right angle, and they get to be able to watch their favorite, catch up on their favorite Netflix show,” Dituri said.

    USF received two $14-million grants from the Florida legislature to help build and create this facility.

    Being a veteran himself, it’s important for Dituri to not only treat veterans, but to have a team of veterans working here.

    “The people that are wheeling you in and out of this thing know best what you’ve been through, because we’ve been through the same thing,” he said.

    That relatability is what he says will make participants comfortable as they blaze a trail in determining what hyperbaric medicine can do.

    It’s only a matter of time before the glove balloons come down and the real work begins.

    USF held the facility’s grand opening on Sept. 30.

    If you are a veteran with a mild to moderate traumatic brain injury who might want to participate in this study, click here.

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  • Wildlife center owner suffers home damage because of Helene

    Wildlife center owner suffers home damage because of Helene

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    MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — In July of 2023, Sonny Flynn suffered a massive loss when fire coursed through the Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center in John’s Pass, killing more than 100 animals.

    Now, she is dealing with additional heartbreak, after losing almost everything after Hurricane Helene left her home underwater.

    What You Need To Know

    • The woman responsible for a wildlife discovery center in John’s Pass suffered major damage from Hurricane Helene

    • The storm left Sonny Flynn’s apartment almost completely underwater

    • She said her rescue nonprofit, now named Tampa Bay Rescues, relocated to St. Petersburg and was not affected by the storm


    Spectrum Bay News 9 has been following Flynn and her story for more than a year now.

    No longer called the Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center, Tampa Bay Rescues and is now located in St. Petersburg.

    Even with a new home and a new name, Flynn, the organization’s leader, is now having to get over a new obstacle — recovering from Hurricane Helene.

    “This is what’s left of my home,” Flynn said, pointing to her John’s Pass apartment. “Almost the whole house was under water.”

    It was on her 60th birthday that Helene hit and completely filled her home with water.

    She said her fridge was tipped over, her cabinets were waterlogged, and the water line was still visible halfway up her wall.

    But, according to Flynn, none of that matters compared to what else Helene took.

    “I only had one picture of my mom and dad, and it’s gone,” she said. “I only had one picture of my brother and I. It’s gone.”

    Flynn said, though, that she was going to press on with her rescue center as she rebuilds her home.

    “I was given a reason to take care of these animals,” she said. “The animals are now a reason to take care of the community.”

    Flynn has rebranded her nonprofit animal facility into Tampa Bay Rescues and has opened a new facility in St. Petersburg, which was nowhere near the storm surge.

    Despite everything she’s been through, Flynn said her faith is still shining.

    “God has a plan and that’s how it laid out,” she said.

    The plan right now, without a home, according to Flynn, is staying with friends — or even in her car — while she figures out what to do next.

    “Wherever I can find a shower,” Flynn said. “I laugh about it, but I have to laugh so I don’t cry.”

    Flynn says if she can afford it, she plans on continuing to live in John’s Pass once the storm damage is repaired.

    Tampa Bay Rescues, meanwhile, is having its first fundraiser on Nov. 1. For more information on Tampa Bay Rescues, visit the Tampa Bay Rescues website.

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  • Happy Tunes in Lutz closes after 33 years due to higher rent costs

    Happy Tunes in Lutz closes after 33 years due to higher rent costs

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    LUTZ, Fla. — It’s been a whirlwind of a 2024 for Marsha Hunt Jones.

    What You Need To Know

    • Happy Tunes Music & Hobbies has closed its doors after 33 years in business    

    • The closure, in part, was due to rising rent costs in the area

    • Their rent, if they stayed, would have gone up another $700

    • The co-owners of the store plan to continue instrument rentals online, using the store code “happy” for people looking to learn a new instrument


    So much so, that she and her husband, Don Jones, are still working on decluttering the Zephyrhills home that they moved into at the end of 2023.

    “We’re not really total pigs,” joked Marsha Jones.

    But even amidst the boxes and memories from decades past, there are pieces there that still bring back some great moments, primarily, in unexpected packages.

    “This is a 2002 edition,” Marsha Jones said while pointing to a vintage Star Wars electric guitar.

    A guitar featuring a stormtrooper may not be something you’d expect a woman born in the 1940s to have, but there’s a lot about Marsha Jones that would surprise you.

    For example, her family owned one of the oldest family operated circuses in the country.

    “That’s my dad’s ringmaster hat,” she said while pointing to old memorabilia in her home.

    Being part of the Hunt Bros. Circus was one of her first jobs growing up. It made her realize she wanted to be a self-made person.

    After meeting and eventually marrying Don Jones, traveling the country and starting other small businesses, the two of them settled on a business in Lutz; focused on music named Happy Tunes Music & Hobbies.

    “Music is not a destination,” she said. “It’s a journey. It’s the whole process.”

    For 33 years, that journey was something Marsha Jones figured she’d be doing the rest of her life, until this past June.

    “It’s been a very, very stressful burden,” she said.

    According to Jones, she and her husband were told that their rent would be going up by $700.

    It had been tough going for the couple even before this after the pandemic led to a 75% drop-off in clients.

    “We weren’t seeing enough increase to offset the additional expenses,” Jones said.

    After a lot of soul searching, over three decades of teaching more than 4,000 students along State Route 54, the Jones made the decision to close Happy Tunes Music & Hobbies for good.

    “The only answers I came up with were, it’s time to move on,” Jones said.

    Even though Happy Tunes Music & Hobbies is closed, they still plan on doing instrument rentals online.

    “I think we can still do enough stuff online to make it worthwhile, because you can’t live on Social Security alone,” Jones said.

    Amidst a whirlwind of a year, the couple won’t stop doing what they love. As partners in business and in life, they still want to keep doing things that will surprise everyone, except themselves.

    Happy Tunes Music & Hobbies is one of several music shops that have closed across the country.

    Back in May, Sam Ash Music store announced closing all of its 40 plus stores in the U.S. after being in business for 100 years.

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  • Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center still waiting on John’s Pass rebuild

    Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center still waiting on John’s Pass rebuild

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    MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — It’s been over a year since a devastating fire killed more than 100 animals at the Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center in John’s Pass.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center is still in their temporary space in Madeira Beach over a year after their original location caught fire

    • In February, the center thought they’d have to move out of their temporary home, which is an old bank, but the building’s owners extended their stay because the John’s Pass property has still not been rebuilt

    • Owner Sonny Flynn said the architect for the rebuild of the center’s original home submitted permits to the city late last month


    Despite all this time passing, the center is still in a temporary home, and no construction has happened at their original location.

    “We have had the year from hell, after the fire and trying to recover,” said Sonny Flynn, owner of the center which is temporary located in Madeira Beach.

    In July 2023, the center’s original home caught on fire, causing more than $2 million worth of damage, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 animals.

    When Spectrum Bay News 9 last visited the center in February, Flynn said they’d have to move out of this temporary space, which used to be a bank, by the end of March.

    The owners of the building, according to Flynn, have pushed the deadline back because progress at her home in John’s Pass has been slow.

    “We’re just in limbo,” Flynn said. “And it’s hard. This is a tight space for 160 animals.”

    It’s taken so long that some of her alligators that were being temporarily held by other facilities had to be given away.

    “It is heartbreaking because I couldn’t say goodbye to them,” said Flynn. “All of these are my babies. Every single one of them here.”

    Which is why she isn’t giving up.

    According to Flynn, she’s still going out to schools and organizations to tell them about the experiences folks can have at the center, while trying to fundraise and keep this place afloat, despite nearly depleting her savings.

    “I just want people to remember that we’re here and we’re here for a purpose,” Flynn said.

    Flynn says the architect for the rebuild of the center’s original home has submitted permits to the city to begin the project.

    If things are approved and all goes according to plan, Flynn said construction would only take four weeks.

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  • Manatee County works to beautify medians in south Bradenton

    Manatee County works to beautify medians in south Bradenton

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    BRADENTON, Fla. — Crews in Manatee County are wrapping up part of a beautification project in south Bradenton.

    What You Need To Know

    • Crews in Manatee County are beautifying a median on El Conquistador Parkway 

    •  It’s part of a two-and-a-half year project to beautify a portion of south Bradenton

    •  Officials say they’re using money from the southwest tax increment financing, or TIF, fund to pay for the project


    The median that lines El Conquistador Parkway is getting fresh grass and plants to enhance the area for drivers and people who live there.

    There’s something so satisfying about freshly laid grass, it’s like connecting nature’s puzzle pieces to create a beautiful green space.

    Joel Thomas, the head of median beautification installations for Manatee County, says connecting these squares connects medians like this with its surrounding community.

    “We try to mimic some of the style of some of the houses or the businesses around,” Thomas said.

    This is the 13th median in a two-and-a-half-year project that’s adding greener plant life to south Bradenton.

    “We scrape it down, grade it properly, and then we install new irrigation, and whatever plants and trees that the landscape design calls for,” said Thomas.

    The one Thomas is working on calls for grass and other native plants for our region.

    Even in the summer heat, Manatee County crews are making sure this spot looks better than before.

    “It makes a good first impression on Manatee County to see beautiful roadways as they come into the neighborhoods,” Thomas said.

    According to Thomas, they’re using money from the southwest Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, fund to pay for the project and he says once they’re done here, they’ll move on to another median.

    At the same time, they’ll take pride in the work they just accomplished in beautifying this portion of Manatee County.

    “When you see what the median looks like before you start to when you finish, it’s definitely an improved product,” Thomas said.

    And that’s as satisfying as connecting those final puzzle pieces together.

    Thomas says he wants the public to get involved by giving their opinion on medians that could use some beautification.

    He hopes that once this project is fully done, it might be able to expand to other parts of the county.

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  • Theatre Winter Haven receives anonymous donation of $35,000

    Theatre Winter Haven receives anonymous donation of $35,000

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    WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Anonymous donors are stepping up to help fund the arts in Polk County after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed funding arts and cultural grants in the state’s budget.

    What You Need To Know

    •  Theatre Winter Haven is one of several arts organization in Polk County that is receiving money from anonymous donors

    •  The donation comes in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto of arts and cultural grants in the state’s budget

    •  Theatre Winter Haven received $35,000 in anonymous donations after losing about $145,000 in state funding


    Theatre Winter Haven, for example, $145,000 in expected funding from the state. Now, though, $35,000 in anonymous donations are helping to offset the loss.

    Theatre Winter Haven’s assistant technical director Kadesh Lewis said there was inspiration to be found, even while laser-cutting plywood.

    “It makes me be very creative in many ways,” Lewis said. “Like, I get to be here in the shop. I’m actually an actor, too, so I get to be on stage and do basically anything I want to, and that’s just keeps the creativity flowing.”

    Kadesh wears a lot of hats, and helping design and build sets in Theatre Winter Haven’s shop is part of his job.

    “You can tell that everybody here really just loves being here, loves the energy that brings in,” Lewis said. “And it just kind of brings a joy to everybody. And it’s hard to, you know, just live without that.”

    DeSantis’ decision to veto money in the state budget that would fund arts grants was concerning for some in the Polk County arts community.

    “I think many people who come to a theater don’t recognize the scope of an operation that it takes to do the shows, such as we do,” said Dan Chesnicka, Theatre Winter Haven’s executive director.

    Chesnicka said the vetoed grant money could potentially impact the theater’s ability to do non-revenue-generating outreach programs for senior citizens or children from lower income backgrounds.

    But now, even though the theater lost about $145,000 from the grants, it’s gaining $35,000 back through anonymous donations.

    “To have that $35,000 given back to us has really put some wind in our sales,” Chesnicka said.

    He said it’s just part of a donation that’s going to numerous arts organizations in the county.

    With the new funding, Chesnicka said the theater can afford to pay the royalties that come with bringing a popular show to the theater.

    “It’ll really be helpful in going toward that,” he said. “And it’ll ease the pain of running a whole season knowing we have some money up front, and that we can count on, means a world of difference.”

    Chesnicka said they still plan on doing other things to cut costs, like digitizing show programs and cutting back on their marketing budget, all the while making the promise that money will not be taken from the stage productions.

    “We will never stop,” Chesnicka said. “And we will keep going, and we will find ways to serve this community come hell or high water.”

    All this comes as Theatre Winter Haven plans on taking over the Historic Ritz Theater in the city’s downtown.

    Chesnicka says they’ve also secured a partnership with Bond Clinic to give away unused tickets for future shows to patients.

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  • Popular Polk County YouTuber opens mobile barbershop for free haircuts

    Popular Polk County YouTuber opens mobile barbershop for free haircuts

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — After spending two decades cutting hair, Travis Settineri feels very comfortable in a barber shop. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Travis Settineri, better known as Travis Doodles, is offering free haircuts through a mobile barbershop

    • His nonprofit, Worth and Purpose, is based out of Lakeland, and now the YouTuber is adding a mobile barbershop to bring around Polk County for outreach and to help people get back on their feet

    • According to Settineri, he plans on keeping the shop at the Gospel Village in Lakeland while occasionally taking it to different outreach opportunities in the future

    • Right now, haircuts at his shop are done by appointment only, with him ideally having it open every day with a rotation of barbers coming in to cut hair


    “Probably keep cutting hair until the day I die,” he said. “I love it.”

    That statement may be surprising, considering that being a barber isn’t his actual job — Settineri is a popular YouTuber who goes by Travis Doodles online.

    He has more than 8 million collective followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, where his whole social media presence revolves around kindness.

    Through his social media and philanthropy, Worth and Purpose, Travis Doodles has become a household name in Lakeland.

    Now, he is expanding his giving through a mobile barbershop.

    “I think it was always part of the goal to cut hair again, but not to make a living, more to just give back,” he said.

    But that original goal was to cut hair out of his office — his mobile shop was a surprise.

    “I couldn’t believe it,” Settineri said. “Like, it’s just too good to be true.”

    About six months ago, a barber from Montana came to Travis’ office after seeing his charity work and wanted to donate a mobile barber shop.

    And about six months after that, it arrived at the Gospel Village in Lakeland.

    “I was like, ‘Wow, this is really happening right now,’” Settineri said.

    Now, after giving the outside of the trailer a makeover, the inside is welcoming people looking for their own kind of makeover.

    “This is the only person that actually gets me,” said Russell Miller, who has received assistance from Settineri before.

    Miller has autism and for five years he was living on the streets until he met Settineri, who helped him get a trailer. 

    “He brings a lot of good out of me,” Miller said.

    According to Miller, getting a fresh cut can help folks in similar circumstances find a job and get back on their feet as well. 

    “It gets noticed and people are like, ‘Oh, that’s awesome,’” Miller said. “And people notice you when you get your hair cut.”

    Other barbers are taking notice too, with about 20 joining Settineri’s effort.

    For example, Jesse Lima, the owner of 6ixthelement Barbershop in Brandon, didn’t hesitate when Settineri reached out to him to see if he wanted to cut hair in Lakeland for free.

    “Changed my schedule around,” Lima said. “I had to come here.”

    For these barbers helping people is their style.

    “I just know how much a haircut can change somebody’s life and how important it is,” Settineri said.

    According to Settineri, his barbershop will mostly stay at the Gospel Village in Lakeland, but he says he plans to take it to different outreach events in the future.

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