Brandon & South Shore

Charity is all in the family for the Diaz siblings

VALRICO

It's not an assembly line that would rival one of the big three automakers in Detroit, but for four Valrico siblings the mission is no less important. • The Diaz kids like to set the production process on their dining room table instead of a conveyor belt. They often manufacture arts and crafts for …

Brandon area school notes

Golf fundraiser: The Golf Academy at the Boys and Girls Preparatory Academies will hold its fifth annual golf tournament today at 1 p.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd., Tampa. Participants will receive a box lunch. There will be door prizes and an auction. Proceeds benefit the Golf …

Pilot program gives middle school reading students a boost

It has only been a few weeks, but Kathleen Brown has already seen a difference in her students at Eisenhower Middle School. They listen and participate and come to class on time ready to learn.

What commercial customers can expect from new trash agreement in Hillsborough

TAMPA — Hillsborough County residents will enjoy a lower rate for trash collection costs thanks to the first new contract in 15 years, but it remains to be seen whether commercial clients will see a similar reduction.

Hillsborough summer camps

Berkeley Summer Program: Registration is open for Berkeley Preparatory School summer programs. The summer program runs from June 3-July 26. Camps are available in full-day sessions or one-, two- or three-hour a la carte selections. Most camps begin at 9 a.m., but some start later. Free early care from 8 to 9 a.m. …

Lowry Park Zoo director wants guests to get close enough to care

Craig Pugh loved the Detroit Zoo as a youngster. "It was my second home,'' says the executive director and CEO of Lowry Park Zoo. Pugh, 56, studied science with plans to be a physician, but working with a conservationist in Africa put him on a different path. While employed as managing editor in a textbook publishing …

Big-box foes near Bloomingdale Library gain small victory in bitter war

VALRICO — The neighbors fighting a proposed retail development near the Bloomingdale Library received a small concession from the Hillsborough County Commission on Wednesday, but it was hardly enough to stem their frustration.

Community supported agriculture provides fresh, local food for members

PLANT CITY — The heat filled the air even as the storm clouds rolled in. Cherice Ridgeway picked through the vegetables on the table, lovebugs flitting about, occasionally landing on her as she examined a carrot. Her local grocery store might be bug-free with air conditioning and no threat of rain, but the …

Fishhawk-Riverview Rotary stages crawfish festival

Three years ago, Rotary Club of Fishhawk-Riverview member Michael Broussard threw out an idea and it stuck in the service organization's craw.

Busy Bloomingdale Library begins expansion

VALRICO — One of the busiest libraries in Hillsborough County will soon have a facility that better meets its patrons' needs.