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Good Morning From Lutz!

It’s one of those weeks where the seasons start to shift a little. The weather looks pretty cooperative around here, which is always nice this time of year when everyone starts finding excuses to be outside again. Don’t forget that Daylight Saving Time kicks in Sunday, so we’ll lose an hour of sleep but gain those longer, brighter evenings that make Florida feel like Florida.

Spring break is also starting to roll in across the region. That usually means a noticeable uptick in out-of-town visitors, especially our seasonal friends from up north who are chasing sunshine and warm weather. Restaurants get a little busier, parks fill up, and the roads can feel a bit more lively than usual.

-Mike

In this edition of the North Tampa Buzz:

🎓 Saint Leo University bringing AI training into every degree program
🌀 Local volunteers distribute 500 free hurricane preparedness kits
🏥 AdventHealth doctors perform 17 free surgeries for uninsured neighbors

…and more!

Access local events three different ways:

Community Calendar
Full List of Events w/Links
Join our Facebook Events Group

Feel free to follow us on Instagram for more local updates.

Spring Break Travel Surge at TPA

If you’re flying anytime soon, Tampa International Airport is about to get busy. Officials expect about 3.1 million travelers to pass through TPA between March 5 and April 13, with the busiest day likely March 22 when more than 90,000 passengers could travel through the airport.

To handle the rush, TPA is rolling out several upgrades including new airside shuttle cars, real-time security wait-time displays, and touchless TSA PreCheck ID technology for faster screening. Travelers can also order food ahead with TPA to Go, reserve parking in advance, and should plan to arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international trips.

A Huge Thank You to our wonderful local partners!

Rays Stadium Meetings Continue in Tampa

The Tampa Bay Rays have started hosting community meetings to gather feedback on their proposed $2.3 billion ballpark planned for Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry campus. Fans, students, and nearby residents recently met with team leaders to hear the proposal and ask questions about things like safety, parking, and how the stadium would connect with the surrounding community.

The Rays say they hope to break ground later this year, with a goal of opening the new stadium by spring 2029. Two more public meetings are scheduled for March 10 at Jefferson High School and March 11 at The Skills Center, both running from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Saint Leo Adds AI Training to Degrees

Saint Leo University is teaming up with IBM to bring digital and AI skills into every major starting in fall 2026. Students will build digital portfolios and complete training in areas like data analytics, cybersecurity, AI fundamentals, and digital collaboration through IBM’s SkillsBuild platform.

The goal is to better connect classroom learning with real workforce needs. The university also plans to expand internships and employer partnerships across the Tampa Bay region so students graduate with both industry skills and hands-on experience.

Lutz Cemetery Adds QR Code Stories

This is quite different. Something pretty unique is happening at Lutz Cemetery. The American Legion Post 108 has started a year-long historian project where young people research the lives of people buried there and create online biographies.

Once the research is finished, a stainless steel QR code is attached to the gravestone so visitors can scan it and read the person’s story. The cemetery, which has operated since 1911 at 201 5th Ave. in Lutz, is one of only two cemeteries in the country owned and operated by the American Legion.

Free Hurricane Prep Kits Given Out

A group of local volunteers recently handed out 500 free disaster preparedness kits to Tampa Bay residents as part of an effort to help families get ready for future storms. The kits were distributed at the AdventHealth Training Center and included useful items like flashlights, fireproof document bags, solar-powered battery packs, and dry bags.

The effort was organized by Rebuilding Together Greater Florida with support from Verizon and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Each kit is valued at about $65 and is meant to help residents start building their hurricane supplies before the next storm season.

17 Free Surgeries Change Local Lives

Something pretty powerful happened at two Tampa hospitals recently. Doctors at AdventHealth Tampa and AdventHealth Carrollwood volunteered their time to perform 17 free hip and knee replacement surgeries for uninsured neighbors through the national Operation Walk USA program.

More than 200 AdventHealth team members helped make it happen over two days, supporting patients from pre-op through recovery. For many of these patients, chronic joint pain had limited their mobility and independence, so these surgeries are helping them get back to everyday life.

Three Tampa Stages, One Month, and a Whole Lot of Herstory in Motion

Powerstories ignites Women’s history month beginning March 5 to 8 at Hillsborough College Theatre in Ybor City with its Voices of Women Theatre Festival, a four-day celebration of women playwrights. As that momentum builds, Hot and Bothered arrives March 7 at The Studio at Carrollwood Cultural Center with humor, honesty, and a fearless dive into menopause and midlife reinvention. The month then reaches a powerful finale March 25 and 26 with Women of Resistance at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, an immersive tribute to seven extraordinary women whose courage shaped history. Together, these productions create a rare moment when Tampa is not just observing Women’s History Month but participating in it. This is the time to sit in the room, hear the stories, feel the heat, and witness women’s voices leading the way.

Read the full story here →

Heads Up: US 98 Weekend Closure

Just a quick heads up if you’re driving through southern Pasco this weekend. A stretch of US 98 will be completely closed to through traffic from 8 p.m. Friday (March 6) until 6 a.m. Monday (March 9) for construction work.

The closure runs between CR 54 at the Polk–Pasco county line and Old Lakeland Highway. Drivers will be routed on a 7.9-mile detour using CR 54 and Old Lakeland Highway, so plan extra time if you’re heading that way.

I hope this answers the question, “What is there to do around town without having to drive down to Tampa?”

If you’re looking for everything happening around town, the full Community Calendar is still the best place to go. Or, you can find the full list here.

We’ll be on Instagram with updates wherever we end up. Feel free to slide into our DM’s.

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