Pasco County Community Website — Local News & Community Updates

Lightning Strike Sparks House Fire on Ivy Lake Drive in Odessa, No Injuries Reported

Pasco County Fire Rescue crews knocked down a residential structure fire on Ivy Lake Drive in Odessa after a lightning strike ignited the home. Everyone got out safely.

Wesley Chapel Library Sets July 21 Grand Opening Party — Live Music, Balloon Art and Free Family Fun

Pasco County's newest library branch, open in Seven Oaks since February, will throw a free public "Family Fun Day" on Tuesday, July 21, with live music, craft stations and a photo booth for all ages.

Pasco Data Center Freeze Faces Final Vote July 14 — Here's What's at Stake for Your Neighborhood

Pasco commissioners are set to cast a binding vote July 14 on a 12-month moratorium halting new data centers, after residents raised alarms over water use, noise, power demand and flood-prone building sites. One more public meeting stands between neighbors and the freeze.

Two Sunwest Fireworks Shows, a Dade City Ceremony: Pasco's July 4 America 250 Plans

Pasco County marks America's 250th birthday with an all-day bash at Sunwest Park in Hudson and a patriotic ceremony and fireworks in Dade City on July 4 — here's the full rundown of times, activities and what to bring.

Crews Free Trapped Fawn While Battling Brush Fire Near State Road 52 and Ehren Cutoff

Pasco County firefighters and the Florida Forest Service worked to contain a lightning-sparked brush fire near State Road 52 and Ehren Cutoff — and rescued an injured baby deer caught in a fence along the way.

DeSantis Vetoes E-Bike Speed Limits and Four Other Bills, Leaving Pasco's Rules in Local Hands

Gov. Ron DeSantis rejected five bills in late June, including a statewide e-bike safety measure — meaning Pasco County and its cities keep setting their own rules on the increasingly common bikes.

Six-Building Retail and Restaurant Plaza Planned at SR 56 and Mansfield Boulevard

Developers have submitted a site plan to Pasco County for a 72,000-square-foot commercial center across from the new Orlando Health Wiregrass Ranch Hospital, with The Fresh Market named as the only confirmed tenant so far.

Ridge Road Extension Slips Again: Two-Lane Opening Now Eyed for 2027, Full Road in 2028

Pasco County has pushed back the next leg of the long-awaited Ridge Road Extension, with a partial opening now targeted for 2027 and the full four-lane road not expected until early 2028 — largely because of the new CSX railroad bridge.

Your Guide to Epperson Lagoon: Tickets, Prices, and What to Know Before You Go

Wesley Chapel's famous Crystal Lagoon is a tropical-style oasis right in our backyard. Here's how to get tickets, what it costs, and how to make the most of your visit.

Pasco Plans a Medical Magnet High School in Wesley Chapel to Open by 2028

Pasco County is planning a health care–focused magnet high school in Wesley Chapel, a roughly $80 million campus targeted to open by August 2028 and built to relieve two of the area's most overcrowded high schools.

Analysts Warn Florida’s Property Tax Amendment Could Squeeze Pasco County Services

Florida voters will decide in November whether to dramatically expand the homestead exemption — a change backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that supporters call overdue tax relief and that state analysts, county groups and local officials warn could pull billions of dollars out of the budgets that pay for fire trucks, deputies and roads. In fast-growing, property-tax-dependent Pasco County, the stakes are unusually high.

Pasco Is Growing — So Why Are Its Schools Cutting 500 Positions?

How Much Could Pasco Homeowners Save Under DeSantis’s Property Tax Plan? We Ran the Numbers

Walmart Supercenter Planned for SR 54 and Suncoast Parkway in Pasco County

First Tenants Open at The Hub at Lexington in Wesley Chapel; Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken

Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken opened May 20 at The Hub at Lexington in Wesley Chapel, joining five other tenants now serving customers at the new $24 million retail and dining center off Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco to Resign in November, Who will be Next Sheriff of Pasco?

Three Hospitalized After Stabbing and Shooting Inside Wesley Chapel’s The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch

A Friday morning domestic dispute inside The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch escalated into a stabbing and a shooting that sent three people — a 55-year-old man, a 53-year-old woman, and an 18-year-old man — to a local hospital, according to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. Deputies say all three knew each other and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Pasco Mosquito Control Director’s Pay Exceeds Budget, and Any Comparison of Similar Positions in Government

A documented gap between budgeted and actual 2024 compensation, combined with peer-district comparisons, has fueled fresh resident questions about oversight at the independent Pasco County taxing district.

Pasco County Hosts Disaster Preparedness Expo with Denis Phillips, Today!

Come out and see displays, vehicles, first responder equipment, local businesses, and more!

Double Branch Retail District Takes Shape at I-75 and State Road 52, Reshaping the Corridor North of Wesley Chapel

A 965-acre mixed-use development at the southeast corner of I-75 and SR 52 is becoming one of Pasco County's most ambitious retail projects, anchored by The Shops at Double Branch and a planned waterfront boardwalk district just minutes from Wesley Chapel.

Brush Fires Surge Across Tampa Bay as Drought Keeps Pasco County on High Alert

Reports of another brush fire in the Starkey Ranch area on Sunday added to a growing list of blazes flaring up across the Tampa Bay region, as fire officials urge Pasco County residents to stay alert during one of the most active wildfire stretches Florida has seen in years.