Pasco County Community Website — Local News & Community Updates

417 Homes, a Hotel and 42,800 Square Feet of Shops: 'Pomelo Square' Advances at a Busy Wesley Chapel Corner

A Minnesota-based developer is pitching a walkable mixed-use village at Old Pasco Road and Overpass Road near I-75, and the project is now headed into Pasco County's development review.

A Toddler Drowned at Pasco's SunWest Park During the Scallop Fest — and Families Want to Know Who Was Watching the Water

A 3-year-old boy died after drowning at SunWest Park in Hudson during the Scallop and Music Festival. As the county sends condolences and its investigation continues, parents are asking what water-safety steps are in place before the festival's next weekends.

Pasco Scallop Season Opens July 10 — Your Family Guide to Bag Limits, Charters and the Sports Coast

Bay scallop season on Florida's Sports Coast runs July 10 through August 18, and Pasco tourism officials say the 40-day window is one of the region's most popular — and affordable — summer traditions. Here's what families need to know before heading out.

Man Fighting for His Life After Lightning Strike at Lake Jovita in Dade City

A man was critically injured Monday afternoon when lightning struck him in the Palmilla Circle area inside the Lake Jovita community. First responders performed CPR at the scene as storms moved through the area.

Your 2027 Pasco Tax Bill's Ceiling Gets Set This Summer — Not in September. Here's Why That Vote Matters

Pasco commissioners are entering budget season, and the proposed property tax rate they approve this summer becomes the maximum printed on every owner's TRIM notice. Under Florida law, that rate can be lowered later — but never raised.

Post-Holiday Roadwork Blitz Hits Pasco July 5–11: Where to Expect Delays

State transportation crews have lined up daytime lane closures, night work and around-the-clock restrictions on some of Pasco's busiest corridors the week after July 4th. Here's a corridor-by-corridor guide so you can pad your commute and route around the worst of it.

Nine Candidates Qualify for Pasco School Board's Two Open Seats Ahead of Aug. 18 Primary

With two longtime members stepping aside, a crowded field is competing to shape Pasco schools' policies, budgets and boundaries — and one incumbent drew a single challenger.

County Files Plans for a Four-Way Traffic Signal at Prospect and Handcart as Pasadena Hills Growth Builds

Signalization plans for a new four-way traffic light with pedestrian crossings at Prospect and Handcart roads mark the latest sign of the Villages of Pasadena Hills taking shape in east Pasco.

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