On March 10, 2026, Pasco County officials announced a significant donation toward the construction of two Gold Star family memorial monuments planned for Pasco County. Pasco Property Appraiser Chief Deputy Brendan Fitterer, Tax Collector Mike Fasano, Property Appraiser Mike Wells, Gold Star Families Memorial Chairman Jacques Hakim, and HR/Finance Director Lisa Shippy-Gonzalez celebrated the donation of nearly $7,000. The funds will support the memorials, which aim to honor families who have lost loved ones in military service.
The Pasco County Fire Rescue’s special operations team conducted a simulated high-angle rooftop rescue during an emergency drill at HCA Florida Trinity Hospital on March 2. The exercise was part of the team’s ongoing training to prepare for emergency situations. In other news, federal workplace safety regulators have cited a Land O’ Lakes petroleum tank services company, PCE Petroleum Contractors Enterprises Inc., after an employee died from exposure to toxic chemicals inside a fuel storage tank in Lake Worth on July 2025. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hit the company with 12 serious violations and proposed $60,242 in penalties.
The OSHA investigation found that PCE Petroleum Contractors Enterprises failed to develop a written permit-required confined space entry program, allowed workers to enter the tank without an atmospheric evaluation or required permit, and did not have a written respiratory program for employees required to wear full-face respirators. The company has contested the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Penalties and citations may be adjusted during the review process.
Some of the specific violations include:
- Failure to develop a written permit-required confined space entry program
- Allowing workers to enter the tank without an atmospheric evaluation or required permit
- Not having a written respiratory program for employees required to wear full-face respirators
- Failing to ensure workers knew the hazards and symptoms of chemical exposure
- Not implementing a hazard communication program
Vote-by-mail ballots are already out for Pasco County residents, and the deadline to request them is approaching.
Originally reported by Suncoast News – Dade City
Sources: Suncoast News – Dade City
