What's Happening, Hillsborough?

TogetHER event returns to Hyde Park Village

TAMPA — Hyde Park Village will host the fourth annual TogetHER event Wednesday, March 22, from 4-7 p.m., in celebration of Women’s History Month.

The event will include Mayor Jane Castor, The Helen Gordon Davis Centre for Women, and leading businesswomen from the Tampa Bay community.

TogetHER will kick off with remarks by Dr. Kerry Szymanski of The Helen Gordon Davis Centre for Women and award-winning reporter Java Ingram from WTSP’s 10 Tampa Bay will lead a lively panel discussion around “Embracing Equity” within one’s sphere of influence and what it means in the workplace as well as the community at large.

Closing remarks will be presented by Mayor Jane Castor.  

Admission is complimentary but advance registration is recommended at eventbrite.com.

Temple Terrace PD seeks input

TEMPLE TERRACE — Assessors from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation will arrive April 4 to begin a three-day evaluation of the city’s police department, Temple Terrace officials said in a press release.

As part of the examination process, comment from the public, department staff and other city employees is being sought. The comments must address the Temple Terrace Police Department's ability to comply with CFA standards and be submitted in writing to CFA, P.O. Box 1489, Tallahassee, FL 32302. A copy of the CFA Standards Manual, Edition 5.18, and more information can be found online at flaccreditation.org.

Once the CFA assessors complete their review, they will report back to the full commission, which will then decide whether the department is to retain its accredited status for the next three years.  

DEP sets April open house

TEMPLE TERRACE — The Southwest office of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will host an open house Thursday, April 6, at its office at 13051 N. Telecom Pkwy, Suite 101, in Temple Terrace from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Meet one-on-one with agency staff and technical experts to hear how DEP interacts with the community. Learn about topics important to Southwest Florida including the State 404 Permitting program, rule changes, Oculus and MapDirect. 

RSVP by March 31 at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/ef1e194915b340ccaacb3fa7ed557d6b.

Station 19 gets new vehicle

TAMPA — For the first time in 25 years, Tampa’s South of Gandy neighborhood will have a second rescue vehicle at Tampa Fire Rescue Station 19.

The new ambulance will help in reducing response times during emergency situations. Additionally, this vehicle may be used to assist in responding to water rescue operations in South Tampa, city officials said in a press release.

This additional resource is part of a broader effort to enhance emergency services in South Tampa, officials said. 

Fire Station 19 is located at 7910 Interbay Blvd.

14 from HCC get academic honor

TAMPA — Fourteen students at Hillsborough Community College have been selected to the 2023 All-Florida Academic Team for their academic achievement, leadership and service to their community, the college has announced. They are:

Gabriella Awadallah, Rachel Awadallah, Brilian Diaz, Thomas Erdos, Fahed Hamad, Luke Huff, Jezabell Noria,

Catherine Obrien, Sandra Pagan, Juan Penagos Marquez, Christian Piskadlo, Blake Pottmeyer, Juliana Shafer and Sabrina Telis.

Students are nominated by their respective colleges to the All-Florida Academic Team competition sponsored by the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. 

Hillsborough man wins $2M

BRANDON — Jeffrey Sanchez, 52, of Brandon, has claimed a $2 million prize in the Oct. 28 Mega Millions lottery, officials announced.

The winning ticket matched all five of the white ball numbers but did not match the Mega Ball number. 

Sanchez purchased his winning ticket at 7-Eleven, 1020 S. Kings Ave., in Brandon. The retailer will receive a $5,000 bonus commission.  

BayFirst to open ninth branch

CARROLLWOOD — St. Petersburg-based BayFirst National Bank has opened its ninth branch bank, at 16002 N. Dale Mabry in the Carrollwood area.

The two story, 6,600-square-foot branch is BayFirst’s second full-service banking center in Hillsborough County. It features two drive-through lanes, an ATM, a free electric car charging station, night drop and a “Collaboratory,” which is a free conference space available to BayFirst clients and community organizations for meetings and events.

This is the first of three new branches expected to open in 2023.

Carrollwood Elementary School to offer after-school meals

TAMPA —Carrollwood Elementary School now qualifies for the Department of Health after-school meals program, Hillsborough County Public Schools has announced. This program offers an extra meal to all students participating in after-school enrichment programs at Carrollwood Elementary School. The meals are offered at no expense to parents and allows for students to receive extra fruits and vegetables every day.

Vinik group to host hiring event

TAMPA — Vinik Sports Group will host a hiring event Wednesday, March 15, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on the main concourse at Yuengling Center.

Interested applicants are asked to arrive and enter through Gate B. Parking will be available in Lot 22F at no charge.

The hiring event is being held to fill positions for Tampa Bay Lightning, AMALIE Arena and Yuengling Center, and will be hiring for a number of positions in various fields.

Starting rates will be:

• Guest Services – $13/hour

• Retail – $13.50/hour (Yuengling Center only)

All positions are part-time and offer competitive hourly wages with incentives.

Candidates are asked to dress professionally and, if experience listed within the job description matches expertise, it is recommended to bring three copies of a resume, along with written references. 

Candidates are encouraged to pre-apply at viniksportsgroup.com/careers.

Board offers scholarships

Scholarships of up to $5,000 are available to Hillsborough County students from the Community Action Board.

Students can receive up to $5,000 for trade schools, community colleges, or four-year universities. Application deadline is March 24.

The scholarships are for the 2023 fall semester. 

To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must:

• Be between 16 and 24 years old and have a high school diploma or GED equivalent (16-year-olds may apply if they are a graduating senior). 

• Have a minimum GPA of 2.0

• Reside in Hillsborough County

• Household income must fall within 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines of the Community Services Block Grant. 

Students seeking a graduate degree, or a second bachelor's degree do not qualify. 

Applicants should read through the full 2023 Community Action Board Scholarship Application Package at hillsboroughcounty.org (search for “scholarships”) before applying online to ensure all documents are complete and requirements are met.