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Titus Moore, 13, goes for gold practicing the long jump during a Westchase Cheetahs practice at Steinbrenner High on Feb. 23 as his coach, Scott Cunningham, watches. Moore, along with about 60 other young athletes, train with the Cheetahs, a track and field club that has been training athletes for competition, as well as improving in other sports, for nine years.<\/p>\n
Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The unpaved, dusty 20 Mile Level Road, in Land O\u2019 Lakes, was a hot-topic discussion at the Oct. 21 Pasco County Board of Commissioners meeting, since it will be the road that will lead to the now-approved 178-townhome community, Enclave at Livingston. Commissioners approved a rezoning request that will have Stanley Martin, the developer, realign 20 Mile with Livingston Avenue at State Road 54. Commissioners questioned if 20 Mile should be paved completely and left flexibility to do so if deemed feasible by county engineers and Stanley Martin.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Angeline Academy of Innovation student Dhwany Shenoy works at Achieva Credit Union in Land O\u2019 Lakes as part of her summer internship as a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor. A CCUFC can effectively counsel members on personal finance topics like budgeting, saving, debt management, and future planning.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n From left, Tristan Baldwin, Eli Miller, Riley Eckelbarger, Russell Albanese and Kevin Callahan watch a great play from the bench during a practice session of the Oakstead Elementary Ball Hockey Team on Jan. 10. The Otters have won several competitive tournaments and host the annual Fox Strong Ball Hockey Tournament, which honors former player Mason Fox, who passed in 2024 after a brief battle with leukemia.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lt. Cmdr. Richard Hall dances with his granddaughter Becky Williams during his 100th birthday celebration on Oct. 29 at Angels Senior Living at Connerton Court in Land O\u2019 Lakes.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mina Valds, 13, works on her fencing form and defense during a practice session of Land O\u2019 Lakes Fencing Academy at Land O\u2019 Lakes Recreation Complex in April.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Land O\u2019 Lakes flag football sophomore Kate Johnson, middle, and her fellow players cheer on their offensive teammates during the Gators\u2019 stunning 21-20 overtime upset of top-ranked Robinson at Land O\u2019 Lakes Recreation Complex on April 5.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greg and Maggie Lewandowski share a grateful hug as they recall the events of last June when Greg suffered a stroke and Maggie called 911 and kept her father stable until the paramedics arrived. Thankfully, Maggie had just received first aid training through her Girl Scout troop mere weeks before Greg\u2019s stroke. Because of her calm and quick actions, Maggie was awarded the Life Saving Award \u2014Medal of Honor from the Girl Scouts, given to a scout who has saved a human life or attempted to save it under circumstances that indicate heroism.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tampa Master Police Officer Christopher LaFramboise and his family \u2014 wife, Trish, sons, C.J. and Lewis \u2014 are escorted by the Tampa Police Motorcycle Unit and the Pasco Fire Rescue Colorguard to their new, mortgage-free home in Let Us Do Good Village in Land O\u2019 Lakes on Aug. 7.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Harry Wright, founder of Hungry Harry\u2019s Bar-B-Que in Land O\u2019 Lakes is officially retired, but it hasn\u2019t stopped the long-time local resident from celebrating the popular restaurant\u2019s 40th anniversary, which Wright opened after not being able to find good barbecue in the Tampa Bay area. Wright stepped back from running Harry\u2019s about five years ago, 15 years after having heart surgery following an attack, and after handing over the reins to his son-in-law, Chad Hudson.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A student walks to the new Skybrooke K-8 school in Lutz on the first day of school on Aug. 11. Pasco County\u2019s newest, and one of its largest schools at 170,000 square feet, was built at a cost of $68.8 million to ease crowding at Bexley and Oakstead elementary schools and Rushe Middle.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Devonte Tennell celebrates his first-place victory in tennis at the Area 5 Games held March 8 at Cypress Creek Middle High School.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sunlake sophomore center fielder McKinzie Smith takes a look at a pitch during a March practice, before the Seahawks finished the 2025 season 16-10.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 16-year-old swimmer Micaela Vasquez, a Zephyrhills High student and Venezuela native, trains at Land O\u2019 Lakes Recreation Pool in January with her swim club, Florida Elite Swimming. Though just a teenager, Vasquez is ranked third in her county in the 50M freestyle and will now train for the next two-plus years in hopes to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles for her home country.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Damion and Matilda Relyea, of Brandon, are happy with their hand-picked Christmas Tree at Ergle Christmas Tree Farm in Dade City on Nov. 23.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The new Rocky Creek Bridge on Upper Tampa Bay Trail near the Wilskey Trailhead opened June 17 and the $2.2 million project replaced a 112-year-old bridge that was deemed unstable by the county in 2024.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gaither High junior first class Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) cadet Audri Keister stands at attention with her rifle prop during a practice drill for the Cowboys\u2019 routine practice daily. Gaither\u2019s JROTC has won a record eight straight Area 7 state titles and now is vying for a National Championship the first weekend in April.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lake Carroll, in Carrollwood, is not only one of the largest local lakes that is monitored by Lakewatch, it has been sampled by volunteers since 1992 in Hillsborough County, which is the most sampled county in Florida by Lakewatch.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tarpon Springs resident Ray Camdiano aggressively saws through a log during the contest of the same name at the MidWinter Upper Tampa Bay Oktoberfest in Oldsmar on Feb. 1.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Actor, entrepreneur, and activist Wilmer Valderrama (“NCIS,” “Encanto,\u201d \u201cThat 70’s Show”) was on hand at West Park in Town \u2018N\u2019 Country on March 29, partnering with Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy Millan and Operation BBQ Relief for a community outreach event celebrating the resilience and spirit of a neighborhood rebuilding after back-to-back devastating hurricanes Helene and Milton. Valderrama, who was born in Miami, met with community leaders and citizens to show his support and assistance, hoping that communities can come together in the aftermath of disasters, such as the hurricanes or the Los Angeles wildfires that ravaged southern California in January.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Veterans Jose Rodriguez (blue shirt) and Oral Matthews (gray shirt) help Jonathan Snyder (center) back into his wheelchair at the Lesley “Les” Miller Jr. All People’s Community Park & Life Center gym during a practice session for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wheelchair Football Team. The team hosted a tournament at the Tampa Convention Center in late September.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sickles shortstop Jordan Yost accepts the 2025 Saladino Baseball, awarded annually to an outstanding performance by a Hillsborough County senior baseball player. Since 1971, Tony Saladino and his family, which also host the yearly Spring Break tournament, have selected the top player from the county. Yost becomes the third Sickles player to win the award, joining 2019 winner Dylan Eskew, and 2023 winner Caden McDonald.<\/p>\n Photos by MIKE CAMUNAS\/Tampa Beacon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A cigar roller from J.C. Newman Cigar Co. shows off her skills during the \u201cThe Science of the Cuban Sandwich\u201d event held annually at MOSI in September.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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