Archived Gazettes

Night Work at Lumsden and Parsons/John Moore

Beginning at 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, 2026, construction crews will work overnight at the intersection of Lumsden Road and South Parsons Avenue/John Moore Road to reopen the intersection. During this time, flaggers will be on site to direct traffic. Motorists are encouraged to use caution when traveling through the area. 

Crews will continue removing equipment and restoring the area. The intersection will be reopened with its normal traffic pattern as early as Friday, July 3, ahead of the Independence Day holiday.  

The project team understands the Brandon July 4th Parade has a new route. Click here for information on the parade and related festivities. On behalf of the project team, thank you for your patience during construction. We wish you a safe and happy holiday as our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary. 

For more information and project updates, visit SouthHillsboroughPipeline.com.

Archived Gazettes

BNA Briefs

Event Updates

With the new year in full swing, we’re looking to update how we get the word out about our increased visibility in the neighborhood. Check out the Events tab on the left hand side of the navigation to see our full roster of events, and come back often as we update regularly!

Service Hours for Students

If you’re looking for a little help within your organization and want to offer service hours, make sure to reach out to Mindy Edgeman at Bloomingdale High School. She can help navigate you through the process so our students get the hours they need for Florida Bright Futures, and you get the most assistance from our Bloomingdale students.

Make Your Voice Heard

It’s no secret there’s a lot of changes going on in our neck of the woods. Stay abreast of what’s happening through our monthly meetings, where we invite those in the community to hear proposed intiatives from guest speakers, find out new events, and talk to our BNA board. We’re here to serve, and would love to have you with us on this journey!

Road Closures? Know Before You Go

Keep tabs on which roads are open and closed as the county begins construction on the new water pipeline. You can find closure dates and more information at https://southhillsboroughpipeline.com/

Archived Gazettes

Community Members Lend a Helping Hand for the BNA Seeds of Hope Fundraiser

Community members are invited to test their knowledge while supporting local families during the Bloomingdale Neighborhood Association’s annual Trivia Night benefiting Seeds of Hope.

The fundraiser will take place on Monday, July 20, at JF Kicks, 3345 Lithia Pinecrest Road in Valrico. Trivia begins at 7 p.m., and organizers encourage guests to arrive early to enjoy dinner or appetizers before the competition begins.

In addition to the trivia competition, attendees will have opportunities to purchase raffle tickets, with proceeds benefiting Seeds of Hope, a local nonprofit that provides food assistance and other resources to families in need.

This year’s event will also serve as a collection drive for the organization’s annual Back-to-School Backpack Program. Organizers are accepting donations of backpacks, new school supplies and nonperishable food items to help local students and families prepare for the upcoming school year.

Community members who are unable to attend the event can still support the Back-to-School Drive by donating new backpacks, school supplies or nonperishable food items through Seeds of Hope. Donations help ensure students begin the school year with the supplies they need while also assisting families experiencing food insecurity.

Seeds of Hope serves families throughout the Brandon and Valrico communities through a variety of outreach programs, including food assistance and seasonal initiatives.

Trivia Night is open to the public, and organizers encourage residents to bring friends, form teams and enjoy an evening of friendly competition while supporting a local cause.

For more information about the event or to learn how to support the Back-to-School Drive, contact the Bloomingdale Neighborhood Association or Seeds of Hope.

Archived Gazettes

Everyone Plays a Role in Mosquito Education and Control

Residents can help eliminate pests by spreading the word of best practices

Got mosquitoes again? They’re buzzing the family on the front porch and biting the chef at the grill? Believe it or not, there’s a good chance those mosquitoes are homegrown, whether in your gutter, a potted plant, or even a tarp that’s collected just a little rainwater.

The rainy season has returned and that means mosquitoes are back. Mosquitoes are a major nuisance and real health threat. To battle the dangerous and annoying insects, Hillsborough County’s Public Works team uses a three-pronged approach to keeping residents safe.

  1. Killing mosquito larvae before they can fly
  2. Killing adult mosquitoes
  3. Public Education to help residents eliminate mosquito breeding areas
Mosquito Lab

Hillsborough’s Mosquito Management Services staff uses a helicopter and a fleet of trucks to target known breeding grounds and eliminate larvae and treat for adults.

But the secret weapon of mosquito management is effective, easy-to-understand public education. Hillsborough’s mosquito management team is always working on public education to help residents learn how they can protect themselves.

Where does the mosquito safety education team go to teach Hillsborough residents about protecting themselves? Literally all over the county.

  1. At the parks, teaching kids at summer camp about how to protect themselves
  2. In neighborhoods, working with HOAs to teach residents (request the public education team to visit your neighborhood)
  3. On the road in their popular public education trailer at mosquitofish giveaways or other public events
  4. In the schools, talking to late elementary and middle school students about how they can interrupt a mosquito’s life cycle and protect students’ family and neighbors
  5. At the State Fair (or any number of other fairs and festivals that go on throughout the year where the team can share information)
Mosquito presentation

The most important takeaway for residents, educators say, is to empty out all of the standing water on your property and cover or remove items that collect rainwater.

This simple activity will wipe out most of the mosquito threat on your property before they get big enough to fly and bite.

A great way to keep safe this summer is to spread the word to family, friends, and neighbors about how they can protect themselves from dangerous mosquitoes.

Archived Gazettes

Hillsborough County to Host Hands-On Disaster and Recovery Community Expo

Family-friendly events help residents strengthen storm preparedness with expert guidance, interactive displays, and much more

Prepare today and recover faster by knowing how to keep your family safe before and after a hurricane. Hillsborough County is ready to help residents to do just that.

Residents are invited to take part in a hands-on, family friendly Disaster and Recovery Community Expo, 9 a.m. – noon Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Feeding Tampa Bay, 3624 Causeway Blvd., Tampa, FL 33619.

The expo is designed to help attendees strengthen their disaster readiness and accelerate post storm recovery. County departments and community partners will provide an interactive learning experience suitable for all ages.

Attendees will receive:

  • Up-close views of County emergency vehicles and disaster response equipment
  • One-on-one conversations with the Office of Emergency Management and other County departments
  • Guidance on what to include in a hurricane preparedness kit
  • Informative breakout sessions on El Niño, rapid storm intensification, and new flood insurance updates
  • Step-by-step information on applying for the County’s Rebuilding for Tomorrow federal funding for housing recovery
  • Opportunities to connect with community partners
  • Engaging learning experience for children and adults through touch-a-truck tours
  • Hurricane supplies giveaways

For more information on disaster preparedness, HCFL.gov/StaySafe.

 
Archived Gazettes

Yard of the Month

Home of the Johnsons

Congratulations to our winner, Sybil and Gilbert Johnson of 4014 Eagles Nest! Don’t forget to nominate your neighbors and their beautiful yards for the chance at an ACE Hardware Gift Card, a free month from the Campo Family YMCA, and recognition in The Bloomingdale Gazette. 

Archived Gazettes

WUSF wins five regional Murrow awards, including for overall station excellence

TAMPA, Fla. (June 2, 2026) – WUSF this week was honored to win five regional Edward R. Murrow awards, including the top honor for overall excellence. This is the second year in a row the station received the award, which recognizes work from the entire news team.

WUSF Reporter Nancy Guan won two awards for her work on immigration, one in the hard news category and another for excellence in diversity, equity and inclusion.

WUSF’s “Your Florida” team that covers Florida state government won for excellence in innovation. As well, digital producer Meleah Lyden took home top honors in the sports reporting category for a feature on a golf course’s legacy for Tampa’s Black community.

The Murrow awards recognize journalism excellence produced in local and national broadcasting newsrooms, and they are considered the most prestigious broadcast journalism awards in the United States. WUSF competes in the Large Market Radio division in Region 13, which includes news stations in Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

WUSF’s news coverage winning honors:

— Overall Excellence: A compilation of some of the best work produced by WUSF in 2025

— Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Coverage of immigration issues

— Excellence in Innovation: Your Florida’s team coverage of state government

— Sports reporting: Swinging through history: How a golf course shaped Tampa’s Black community

Michael Cooper is shown helping junior golfer Terrence Cole in the 1990s. SOURCE: WUSF

These regional awards follow last year when WUSF won a national Murrow Award for overall station excellence, with WUSF competing against broadcasters from every corner of the nation. That award recognized the station’s performance in covering a number of tumultuous events in 2024.

“Our exceptional journalists continue to attract accolades and recognition at the highest level of the news-gathering profession, and we are tremendously proud of them,” said WUSF General Manager Leslie Laney.

A non-profit broadcaster licensed to the University of South Florida, WUSF is this region’s home for NPR, blending reports from around the world with local news stories. The local team of journalists is focused on the mission of serving the residents of Florida with clear and objective news and information broadcast on radio, online and mobile.
Archived Gazettes

Why Aren’t Crews Working During the Day on Boyette Road?

Residents on social media and in contact with the project team are asking why lanes on Boyette Road are closed if crews are not yet working. There are several reasons, but the most important reason is safety. 

Crews are working at night for several nights to close the westbound lanes of Boyette Road in phases to keep motorists and workers safe while traffic signals are moved, installed or retimed. They are also restriping travel lanes and placing barricades and barrels for the new traffic pattern. Closing the lanes in phases allows Hillsborough County and the project team to monitor the new traffic pattern and make adjustments before construction begins.  

While it may look like nothing is happening during the day right now, residents should know that the project team has carefully planned each segment of construction to ensure a safe traffic plan and a safe construction zone.  

Site preparation is an important part of that plan. Once the westbound lanes are fully closed, crews will: 

  • Trim or remove trees from the right-of-way or construction easements 
  • Deliver 25-foot segments of 4.5-foot-diameter pipe to the area 
  • Deliver heavy machinery to the area, including excavators, dump trucks, trench boxes and more 
  • Excavate small areas to confirm the locations of utilities beneath the roadway before major excavation occurs 
  • Install dewatering systems 
  • Remove asphalt and install the new pipeline 

Once pipeline installation begins, the contractor will work in a rolling operation with three sections: 

  • The forward section will provide space for materials and safety 
  • The middle section will be active construction 
  • The trailing section will be restored with a temporary drivable surface 

We know construction is disruptive and are working as fast as possible to install this pipeline to serve Hillsborough County’s needs by the end of 2028. For more information, visit SouthHillsboroughPipeline.com. 

Archived Gazettes

BNA Briefs

Event Updates

With the new year in full swing, we’re looking to update how we get the word out about our increased visibility in the neighborhood. Check out the Events tab on the left hand side of the navigation to see our full roster of events, and come back often as we update regularly!

Service Hours for Students

If you’re looking for a little help within your organization and want to offer service hours, make sure to reach out to Mindy Edgeman at Bloomingdale High School. She can help navigate you through the process so our students get the hours they need for Florida Bright Futures, and you get the most assistance from our Bloomingdale students.

Make Your Voice Heard

It’s no secret there’s a lot of changes going on in our neck of the woods. Stay abreast of what’s happening through our monthly meetings, where we invite those in the community to hear proposed intiatives from guest speakers, find out new events, and talk to our BNA board. We’re here to serve, and would love to have you with us on this journey!

Road Closures? Know Before You Go

Keep tabs on which roads are open and closed as the county begins construction on the new water pipeline. You can find closure dates and more information at https://southhillsboroughpipeline.com/