— One person died after they were hit by a train near Dade City on Tuesday The Pasco County Sheriff's Office said deputies are investigating the crash The victim's identity is currently unknown There is no additional information available at this time but deputies said there is no known public safety threat and I feel like that's part of where the system failed" Henry Betsey Jr. is facing charges for marrying three Florida women in three different counties at the same time. Now saying the system that handles marriage licenses kept them in the dark Latest Pasco County News from ABC Action News Report a typo AdventHealth Dade City and AdventHealth Zephyrhills receive ANCC Pathway to Excellence Designation(photo courtesy: AdventHealth) “We are honored to receive the Pathway to Excellence designation AdventHealth empowers our nurses by valuing their feedback and making them an integral part of the healthcare team while also promoting workplace well-being and safety leading to better patient care,” said AdventHealth Dade City Chief Nursing Officer Our website uses cookies. Please review our privacy policy to find out more about the cookies we use Browsing our website means you accept these terms Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Just in time for Joy-Lan Drive-in to fire up its first feature of the night This mainstay of Dade City is celebrating 75 years of waiting for the dark “So I started my first job in the box office,” said Chip Sawyer and now heads the company running the drive-in 15 years later Drive-in movies may have peaked in the mid-20th century but they still maintain a presence in the Tampa Bay area And they got a shot of popularity during the pandemic but he was still a grandfather,” said Sawyer “I could always see him kind of look at me Spears started there in the 1950s and stayed until he passed away in 2017 “Everybody thinks it’s the crazy silver film reel Now we get digital files,” said Aiden Kender and Kender loads them into the projection machine “The whole movie’s right in there,” said Kender And a grandfather’s lessons keep customers coming back “He knew what was right and what was wrong as far as drive-ins and how to treat people,” said Sawyer We still use a lot of that philosophy today.” It’s a philosophy Sawyer believes will have customers coming in for another 75 years It shows first-run movies and family classics Wednesday through Saturday nights COMMUNITY PARTNER That’s So Tampa has been the most trusted local resource for discovering All Things Good in Tampa Bay – As Pasco County continues its rapid growth AdventHealth Dade City has unveiled its new Med-Surg 1 Unit designed to elevate surgical recovery care for the local community located just steps away from the operating rooms to streamline surgical operations and provide a dedicated comfortable space for patients recovering post-surgery The rooms are each equipped with state-of-the-art IV pumps bariatric-friendly accommodations and walk-in showers to provide the highest standard of care AdventHealth Dade City’s team members have been working hard to prepare the new Med-Surg 1 Unit educators and staff collaborated to ensure the highest standards of care for postoperative patients “Pasco County is growing and so are we,” said Shane Bedward chief executive officer of AdventHealth Dade City “I’m excited to feature this new Med-Surg 1 Unit which is going to take care of our patients across the region These 25 brand-new beds will revolutionize the care we provide and bring whole-person care to the community like never before.” “The team has spent quality time with our educators learning how to care for our postoperative patients,” said Amanda Martin chief nursing officer of AdventHealth Dade City “These rooms are equipped with the latest technology and designed with comfort in mind making it clear how committed we are to providing exceptional care for our community.” AdventHealth Dade City has been a trusted health care provider in the region for more than 50 years and is honored to continue supporting Pasco County’s growing population by providing innovative and compassionate care Learn more at AdventHealth Dade City | Formerly Florida Hospital Dade City Baby Mattie needed a liver transplant but was too sick to even get on the list For the nurses at AdventHealth for Children her organs were shutting down and her little body was fighting a battle that seemed insurmountable AdventHealth is expanding its nursing workforce enhancing hands-on training programs and reinforcing its commitment to exceptional patient care our organization embarked on multiple global mission projects that made a significant impact on the lives of two families in need AdventHealth Carrollwood has been awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group a national nonprofit upholding the standard of excellence in patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory.. Dozens of community members and several organizations came together to help support the AdventHealth Lake Placid and Wauchula Foundations during the 11th annual Clays and Camo fundraiser we honor the extraordinary acts of kindness and compassion demonstrated by our nurses across the region Three remarkable nurses from AdventHealth Avista's surgery center have embarked on.. AdventHealth is proud to join Nemours Children’s Health System as the official medical services provider for the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona A local nurse and a CEO were recognized by the Central Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce The spring 2025 Leapfrog grades have been released and four AdventHealth Rocky Mountain Region hospitals have achieved top honors for patient safety AdventHealth North Pinellas achieves elite national status as a straight- ‘A’ for patient safety  All AdventHealth hospitals in Pasco County continue to earn straight ‘A’ hospital safety grades from The Leapfrog Group — Gasparilla isn’t the only festival taking place in the Tampa Bay area this weekend While the pirate-themed spectacle take over Tampa another festival will take place celebrating a certain fruit Dade City will be celebrating its 28th annual Kumquat Festival a significant event that plays a large role in the local economy a special open house took shape at the farm of Kumquat Growers Inc. with general manager and kumquat grower Greg Gude leading the tour because you do eat the peeling and all,” he said But you can see how it brings the sweetness to the peel and then all you do is pop that in your mouth and chew it up.” Gude said the fruit has been made sweeter thanks to chilly temps he said it can be made into just about anything “There’s kumquat jelly — we have kumquat strawberry marmalade," he said “You’ll come and visit to go to the festival and you’ll see some of the shops," said Vicki Wiggins president and CEO of the East Pasco Chamber of Commerce people will come back so that they can go through the shops and really explore what we have to offer.” Gude said his farm managed to avoid losing any crops from this past hurricane season He said disease has been a minor setback for the growers “The trees are getting better," Gude said "We’re making some headway with disease next year we’ll have more of the Meiwa round kumquat to take to the festival.” Dade City’s 28th Annual Kumquat Festival is free to attend with festivities getting underway at 9 a.m — Homeowners in Dade City are still feeling the repercussions from Hurricane Milton four months on The hurricane left residential areas completely under water leaving homeowners stranded and unable to get to their homes “We’re not able to access our property because we can’t get to it Barnes and her husband have been living on their property But nothing would prepare them for what they witnessed last fall and we had to rescue the people that lived here and the people that were here who had a toddler,” said Barnes “We had to keep going back and forth because we still had a cat in our house to feed and to take care of It took probably about mid-December for the waters to recede a little bit.” Their home and surrounding property was submerged under water after flooding of a nearby retention pond from Hurricane Milton had the county listened to their previous concerns fighting it and contesting it,” Barnes said it’s going to make things worse.’ Not only does it make it worse for us it makes it worse for everybody downstream It makes it worse because the water comes from here affects the people down in Hickory Hill and Fort King.” the couple’s attention is working on bringing back their home while remaining hopeful of a solution from the county “I have no idea what they can do to fix this,” said Michael Barnes it would displace insane amounts of water on other people.” The Barnes say they plan to stay on their property knowing full well what can potentially happen again “It’s just scary because we’ve lost our vehicles," said Kim I don’t want to be out of our home again.” A Pasco County spokesperson says following the hurricanes and heavy rain the state provided pumps and trucks to help relieve flooding in some areas those pumps were redeployed outside of the county in early December The county also says if homeowners applied for FEMA assistance Shane Bedward Named CEO of AdventHealth Dade City “Shane’s new role represents success and progress as the community and hospital continue to grow together,” said Murrill “I know he will continue to uphold and build upon our mission to ensure AdventHealth Dade City remains a preeminent choice for health care in eastern Pasco County.” Bedward most recently served as hospital administrator for AdventHealth Dade City physician relations and community engagement he served as chief operating officer for AdventHealth Zephyrhills and AdventHealth Dade City and was instrumental in aligning the two campuses to provide high-quality Bedward has served AdventHealth since 2014 when he began as a human resources management resident He went on to serve as manager of employee experience and has also held roles as director of organizational development administrative director of operations and assistant vice president of operations “I’m excited and honored to serve the Dade City community,” said Bedward physicians and team members have exhibited an unwavering commitment to delivering whole-person care and I know that together we will continue to make a positive difference in the lives of those we serve.” Bedward earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health service administration from the University of Central Florida and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives DADE CITY, Fla. — Snowcat Ridge At the Tampa Bay area's only alpine snow park, guests can experience snow tubing on the Snowy Slopes The slopes also have nightly music and a light show that can be seen throughout the park A General Admission ticket to Snowcat Ridge includes a 2-hour snow tubing session The Unlimited Snow Tubing Upgrade includes all-day snow tubing until the park closes View additional ticket information for Snowcat Ridge. There is also a Bunny Slope for riders under 42″ tall, which is designed especially for kids 3 years old and younger. Children can visit the Arctic Igloo for more fun which features an indoor snow play area for building snowmen Additional activities at Snowcat Ridge include ice skating and a variety of themed food and beverages You’ll find it — and much more — among the rolling hills of Dade City The Pasco County spot is home to the state’s annual kumquat festival in January but it’s also worth a visit any time of the year Dade City may be known for its annual kumquat festival, but the Pasco County locale is fun to visit throughout the year. [ GABRIELLE CALISE | Times ]While the city has a tradition of vintage activities like antiquing and drive-in movies, it’s also become a hotspot for young creatives with new business ideas. Literature-themed craft beer Here are some of our favorite ways to spend a day in Dade City You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. Helen Freund is the food and dining critic, reporting on and reviewing restaurants throughout Tampa Bay. Reach her at hfreund@tampabay.com. — A Dade City man was killed in a Pasco County crash on Friday after he lost control of the car he was driving According to a Florida Highway Patrol report the 42-year-old motorist was driving a Toyota Tacoma northbound on the Interstate 275 entrance ramp leading to Interstate 75 at about 6:46 p.m. overturned and came to rest in the northbound I-75 travel lanes and was taken to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead — There’s a question even the strongest believers ask Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people Inside the Dade City home where Tommy Fitch lives most people would quickly ponder that question Walls and doors are peppered with black mold “There is a lot of mold everywhere,” Fitch said The home — and noxious smell of mold — will choke you up in more ways than one and I was crying for a couple days when I saw this,” he said He hoped to live the rest of his days there and eventually pass the family home onto his son When nearby rivers crested from Milton’s rain it flooded much of the area and surprised families like the Fitches It destroyed their homes and most precious belongings even the family Bible was soaked to its core It’s hard,” he said with tears welling in his eyes It would be easy to question God in a situation like this he was in the middle of prayer when he got a joyful phone call “This has given us an opportunity to live out our faith and put our faith in action.” But the local priest didn’t call Fitch to offer a sermon Rojas will lead a team of volunteers to start the process of removing damage from ten — maybe 15 — homes across Dade City “We’ll have to go inside and gut everything Rojas needs additional volunteers and donations of person protective equipment like masks If you’d like to participate in the clean-up You can also donate to the church’s effort at this link any help represents an answered prayer — a reason to keep the faith and hope for a brighter tomorrow Picture hundreds of glowing lanterns lighting up the night sky over Dade City "And at last I see the light!" Ever wanted to live out the dreams of Rapunzel in the Disney movie Tangled Well you'll have your chance to live your princess dreams at the Siagon Night Market Floating Lantern Festival in Dade city on March 15 & 16 but whenever I hear about a lantern festival my mind immediately thinks of the Disney classic The fun starts at noon and goes until 10 p.m. each day. The big moment comes at 8 p.m. when everyone releases lanterns into the night sky. You can buy tickets ranging from $6 to $22.50 online ahead of time cleanup teams will pick up any fallen lanterns from the area The lanterns are made with eco-friendly materials that decompose naturally keeping local wildlife safe and helping protect the environment People can enjoy real dishes as food vendors serve up favorites from all over Southeast Asia folks of all ages can play games or enjoy rides spread across the grounds Safety is top priority - staff members will show everyone how to handle the lanterns properly Kids need to stay with their parents during the nighttime release With people coming from all around Tampa Bay, this festival looks to bring communities together while brightening up the Florida night. Get more info here — Construction continues on a section of U.S 98 in Pasco County called the Dade City Bypass to widen the road from two lanes to four But a nearby business owner has concerns about what will change there “This is people’s love," Woodard said "They’re making things with their hands for people that they love." Woodard has built the business into a destination for those into quilting and in need of fabric “We have some very loyal customers," he said "Our typical customer drives an hour to get here But then when they get to Dade City and hit the construction they’re a little bit frustrated when they walk in the store." That construction he is talking about is on the Dade City Bypass east of downtown that started in March 2023 The Florida Department of Transportation is widening the road from two lanes to four between Seventh Street North and Seventh Street South to account for growth in the area That’s something Woodard never thought he would see in Dade City "Now they’re two lanes and talking about four lanes But the roadwork has caused some issues for his customers finding the shop due to road blocks and detours Woodard also has concerns about the two roundabouts that will be added One will be at Seventh Street South and the other will be on Old Lakeland Highway According to the project website the road is expected to be done in the fall of 2026 Woodard’s hope is that when the project is finished the final result is a positive for his business and his customers “I want them to have confidence in coming into the store and enjoying their experience,” he said — Looking for evidence of ancient cultures isn’t something exclusive to remote spots in faraway lands the ground is releasing evidence of people living here thousands of years ago Rob Jones of Big Dig Florida is looking for it “What we are really after are the tools used by ancient Native Americans — arrowheads projectile points and tool that they used to skin hides,” said Jones Jones started looking for artifacts in Florida as a teen — turning a hobby into his profession this year The first artifact Jones found was at 19 in a Gainesville backyard while studying at the University of Florida We have about 50-55 acres that are dry that we can dig on,” said Jones Nearby sites made this area attractive to Jones So he leased the land and started moving it to find artifacts “And come to find out it’s absolutely rich with them,” said Jones Jones teaches visitors about ancient Florida at his different sifting stations “And so this area was under water for millions of years That’s how ancient people found and used fossilized coral for tools and weapons 800-years-old all the way up to about 11,500-years-old,” said Jones Jones hopes activities like this will make people excited about history — the ancient history of the Sunshine State If you are the site owner (or you manage this site), please whitelist your IP or if you think this block is an error please open a support ticket and make sure to include the block details (displayed in the box below) so we can assist you in troubleshooting the issue — This week marks National Farmworker Awareness Week which is a time to shine a light on the contributions farmworkers make to the agricultural industry One organization in Dade City has served farmers for four decades Farmworkers Self-Help in Dade City has continued to support farmworkers in the area for more than 40 years but their mission to give back is still the same today Margarita Romo jokingly describes herself as the officer on duty at this food pantry “I feel like the police sometimes because I got to be careful to make sure there’s enough food for this time and enough food for the next time,” she said A partnership with the Rez house allows them to serve food to farm working families and those who may need groceries “Today we can serve 150 families every Thursday and know that we’ve done something good for someone else,” she said A good deed is what started it all for Romo “Norma Godinez died before she was 5 and she was a very dear little friend of mine," she said "I used to go to the farmworker camps and read Bible stories and sing songs to the children." Romo wanted to do something for people in a similar situation According to the Association of Farmworker opportunity programs farmworkers pick 85% of the country's fresh fruits and vegetables Romo said her organization is their helping hand They have a building dedicated to teaching life skills to the workers’ children “We’ve put a lot of kids in college," she said "A lot of our kids have come back to help now." a clinic opened to help families who don’t have health insurance maybe not in my lifetime because I’m 88 already The organization’s next expansion will include a school for kindergarten through eighth grade DADE CITY, Fla. — Ahead of St. Patrick's Day, the Bay Area Renaissance Festival is getting into the spirit of Shamrocks and Shenanigans.  Shamrocks and Shenanigans," said Buttercup ready to invite one and all to the festival.  but she got drunk at the pub," said Buttercup because there are many other performers ready to entertain at the festival — over 100 different artisans.  imagine a town that was just transported back in time," said Buttercup but the family friendly festival also includes food The festival will take place rain or shine each weekend until the end of March from 10 a.m For ticket information click here — Four people were hurt after a shooting occurred Wednesday night in Dade City neighbors who knew each other got into an argument in the Starline Drive area the Pasco County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) said in a news release four people were hurt in the shooting and transported for medical attention PCSO said the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident as the people involved knew each other Deputies will continue to investigate the shooting The safaris at the Giraffe Ranch in Dade City could make you a hero The working ranch and preserve boasts animals from around the world The menagerie “meet and greet” begins the moment you arrive with otters who vocalize and poke their hands out of their enclosure They sign up for a feeding,” said guide Chris Landry Each stop on the safari is a learning opportunity “I always want to go into the animal field I didn’t think I was going to get this close,” he said “This close” is a giraffe lowering its neck and ducking into the safari truck to nuzzle while scanning the truck for leaves Landry introduces us to his animal pal — the giraffes Kai and his roommate Everdale And around the corner is Phil the giraffe and his family She’s about a year-and-a-half,” said Landry “Georgetta is his mate- she’s due to give birth any day Now the baby is going to be about 6 feet tall and weigh about 150 pounds.” Georgetta will be pregnant for more than a year That’s different from the nearby meerkats — it’s 11 weeks for them only the dominant female gets to have babies Feeding the animals inside their enclosure is one of the animal experiences offered at the ranch Landry explains how to make sure the animals stay comfortable You don’t reach out and grab or try to pick anyone up one could understand why Landry has remained at the ranch for so long It’s life unfolding — but better because it’s with animals A Dade City motorcyclist was killed in a fatal collision with a vehicle in Winter Haven Sunday morning Polk County deputies responded to a two-vehicle accident near Country Club Road and Crump Road in Winter Haven about 10:30 a.m A group of five motorcyclists was traveling south on Country Club Road behind a Ford Focus according to witness statements obtained by Polk County Sheriff's Office The driver of the Ford Focus began to make a left turn onto Crump Road Witnesses told PCSO the Ford's driver had his left turn signal on witnesses reported the motorcycle driver crossed over a double yellow line in attempt to pass the Ford on the left Domestic violence call: Polk deputy fatally shoots man beating woman with a hammer in Eagle Lake, Polk sheriff says The motorcycle struck the car's driver's side door and the motorcyclist The Dade City man's identity has not yet been released by Polk County Sheriff's Office Traffic homicide detectives responded to the crash scene and opened an investigation