PLANT CITY TIMES &
bserver
Playoff run ends
SEE PAGE 12
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 4, NO. 19
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Color Your World Plant City High School held its first-ever color run. FOR MORE PHOTOS, VISIT PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM.
After meeting a fellow guitar player at Durant High School, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Jeremy Davis gave him a special gift.
YOUR TOWN Playing Your Song The Florida Strawberry Festival released its 2017 concert lineup Monday, Nov. 14. Tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, and can be purchased at FLStrawberryFestival.com, by calling (813) 754-1996 or at the Amscot Main Ticket Office, 2209 W. Oak Ave. Over 24 headline entertainment artists perform every year on the Wish Farms Soundstage and comprise one of the most popular attractions at the event. “We hope that whatever ‘your song’ is, you’ll be able to hear it at the 2017 Florida Strawberry Festival,” General Manager Paul Davis said. The 2017 Florida Strawberry Festival will be from Thursday, March 2, to Sunday, March 12.
THURSDAY, MARCH 2
10:30 A.M. Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra
EMILY TOPPER
3:30 P.M. Drifters, Platters & Cornell Gunter’s Coasters
STAFF WRITER
A
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016
ngel Garcia thought he was in
7:30 P.M. To Be Announced
trouble. The high school sophomore
FRIDAY, MARCH 3
3:30 P.M. Willie Nelson and Family
had been called into Principal Pamela Bowden’s office at Durant High School
7:30 P.M. Kip Moore
Tuesday, Oct. 4. Bowden, along with
SATURDAY, MARCH 4
Assistant Principal Gary Graham and
3:30 P.M. Kane Brown
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
7:30 P.M. 3 Doors Down
Cpl. Jeremy Davis, were waiting. One of Angel’s friends had told him
SUNDAY, MARCH 5
3:30 P.M. Clare Bowen/Charles Esten
the administration was looking for him. Angel was nervous — he’d man-
7:30 P.M. Little Big Town
aged to stay out of trouble for the en-
MONDAY, MARCH 6
tire school year thus far but had gotten
3:30 P.M. The Bellamy Brothers
in trouble his freshman year.
7:30 P.M. Jennifer Nettles
“I just didn’t care,” Angel said. “I was trying to find myself, but I
TUESDAY, MARCH 7 3:30 P.M. Brenda Lee
couldn’t figure it out.” He’d had a change of heart. He
7:30 P.M. NEEDTOBREATHE
started studying in the library during
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8
lunch. He joined the school’s Guitar
3:30 P.M. Tracy Byrd
Club. Outside of class, he could be
7:30 P.M. Scotty McCreery
found strumming a borrowed beater guitar.
THURSDAY, MARCH 9 10:30 A.M. Cab Calloway Orchestra
SEE GUITAR PAGE 5
3:30 P.M. The Oak Ridge Boys
Public hearing set for Highway 92 expansion The expansion project is part of a five-year plan. EMILY TOPPER STAFF WRITER
It’s been over 20 years since a project development and environment study re-evaluation was done on an 18-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 92. The last study was done in 1994, when the population of Hillsborough County was under 900,000 residents. Today, the population has grown to over 1.3 million people. In response, the Florida Department of Transportation announced plans to widen U.S. 92 in November 2015 as part of a five-year plan to relieve traffic from Interstate 4. Prior
to construction, the project development and environment study will be updated to review and consider socioeconomic and environmental impacts. City Commissioners were briefed about a public hearing on the study at a Monday, Nov. 14, meeting. The public hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at the John R. Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College. “This has been in the works for many, many years,” Mayor Rick Lott said. “We’re still getting all the information. Now it comes down to the finalization of the design and hearing from our public.”
THE PLAN
FDOT plans to widen U.S. 92 from east of I-4 to east of County Line Road. In total, the expansion will cover about
IF YOU GO FDOT U.S. 92 PUBLIC HEARING When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1 Where: John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Road
18.1 miles. The plan includes widening the roadway to four lanes, with the exception of Mobley Street to Maryland Avenue. Additionally, paved shoulders and sidewalks will be improved, creating improved walkability for pedestrians. “There are planned walkways on each side,” City Engineer Michael Schenk said. The planned expansion project is being done to prepare for Hillsbor-
ough County’s expected continued growth while also providing for faster emergency response and evacuation times. According to FDOT, the design plan for U.S. 92 from Park Road to County Line Road is funded in fiscal year 2017 at $1,800,000. The right of way and construction phases are included in Hillsborough MPO’s Imagine 2040 Long Range Transportation plan. From Park Road to County Line Road, right of way and construction is estimated to cost $58,160,000 between 2021 and 2025. The segment of road would be 50% over capacity by 2040 if nothing was done to improve it after 2018. Contact Emily Topper at etopper@ plantcityobserver.com.
7:30 P.M. The Blues Brothers
FRIDAY, MARCH 10
3:30 P.M. Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers 7:30 P.M. Elle King
SATURDAY, MARCH 11 3:30 P.M. Maddie & Tae 7:30 P.M. Patti LaBelle
SUNDAY, MARCH 12 3:30 P.M. Joe Nichols
7:30 P.M. Rascal Flatts “RHYTHM & ROOTS” Tour