Pasco store clerk arrested in lottery ticket theft
A New Port Richey convenience store clerk is facing 17 charges after investigators say he stole a full book of scratch-off tickets and cashed them in.
Jason Irwin, a clerk at the Rebel #802 store, used a store-issued key to take tickets from the $15,000,000 Gold Rush Multiplier game out of a secured storage area during a May 20 shift, the Florida Lottery said. He never paid for them, the agency said, and later redeemed the tickets at several stores in Hudson.
Irwin was charged with one count of grand theft, eight counts of dealing in stolen property and eight counts of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
The case began when the retailer reported a suspected internal theft to the lottery’s Division of Security, which investigated alongside store management.
Student achievement
• Caitlyn Soong of Wesley Chapel earned a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from James Madison University, the school said.
• Jahnavi Prudhivi of Wesley Chapel, a member of Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s class of 2026, has completed a senior thesis required of all graduating students at the Massachusetts school.
Pasco lifts burn ban as rains ease drought
Pasco County has lifted its emergency burn ban countywide, effective June 2, after recent rains eased drought conditions.
Residents in unincorporated areas can again burn yard waste, light campfires and bonfires, and conduct open burns, Pasco County Fire Rescue said. Anyone planning an open burn must follow Florida Forest Service permitting rules.
Fire officials urged caution when burning outdoors. For rules and safety tips, visit mypas.co/OutdoorBurning or call Pasco Fire Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction Division at 813-929-2750.
Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club inducts five members
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club welcomed five new members during a candlelight ceremony at its spring luncheon May 28 at The Groves Golf & Country Club.
The new members are Larinda Forstad, Sandi Soule, Bernice Wilson, Meng Meng Pek and Grace Walters. The club is part of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and focuses on volunteerism and community service.
Pasco raises income limits for storm housing aid
Pasco County has again raised the income limits for its Better Future Individual Housing Program, opening the storm-recovery aid to more homeowners.
The program helps residents repair, rebuild or replace homes damaged by hurricanes Idalia, Helene or Milton. Households now qualify if their income falls within 120% of the area median — about $96,360 for one person or $137,640 for a family of four, the county’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resources said.
Applications get priority for households earning between 80% and 120% of the area median if a child age 5 or younger, an adult 62 or older or a person with disabilities lives in the home, or if the owner still cannot live there.
Apply at mypas.co/IHPApp or call 727-228-4936.
New Port Richey adds free wellness series downtown
NEW PORT RICHEY — New Port Richey is adding a free monthly wellness series, Thrive on the Square, to its summer lineup of community events.
The series runs the second Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to noon at Cavalaire Square. Sessions are beginner-friendly, open to all ages and led by local instructors. No experience is required, and the city suggests comfortable clothes and arriving a few minutes early.
The four sessions:
June 13: Krav Maga and self-defense with KMMA Studio Krav Maga & Martial Arts
July 11: Taekwondo with Master Lee’s United Taekwondo
Aug. 8: Tai Chi Gung with Lindsey
Sept. 12: Sound Healing with Nina
Details are at cityofnewportrichey.org.
Pasco offers free pet vaccines, microchips this summer
Pasco County Animal Services is offering free vaccine and microchip clinics at three parks this summer, with owners allowed to bring up to three dogs or cats each.
The clinics are first-come, first-served and limited to 100 pets per event. Core vaccines protect against rabies, distemper, parvovirus and other illnesses, and a microchip offers permanent, scannable proof of ownership to help reunite lost pets with their owners.
The dates and locations:
June 9: Robert J. Strickland Memorial Park, 6345 Clark St., Hudson
July 14: Anclote Gulf Park, 2305 Baillies Bluff Road, Holiday
Aug. 4: Elsie Logan Memorial Park, 15830 Greenglen Lane, Shady Hills
Pasco-area students win National Merit college scholarships
More than a dozen Tampa Bay-area students are among the 2,500-plus winners of college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships announced this week.
The awards, funded by the colleges each student plans to attend, pay $500 to $2,000 a year for up to four years of undergraduate study. They are part of a larger group of about 6,700 students nationwide who will receive National Merit Scholarships in 2026.
Local winners:
• Omar M. Mansour, Dade City, Universal Academy of Florida — University of Florida
• Jake M. Johnson, Holiday, Tarpon Springs High School — University of Florida
• Ashley R. Hodges, Hudson, East Lake High School — University of Central Florida
• Jack Fults, Land O’ Lakes, Jesuit High School — University of South Florida
• Luke J. Griffis, Land O’ Lakes, Land O’ Lakes High School — University of Florida
• Grant Kelly, Odessa, J.W. Mitchell High School — University of Florida
• Shreeya D. Patel, Odessa, Braulio Alonso High School — Florida State University
• Camden Battey, Wesley Chapel, Wesley Chapel High School — University of Florida
• Lakshmi Nooka, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch High School — University of South Florida
• Sarika Panthangi, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes High School — University of South Florida
• Jackson R. Purcell, Wesley Chapel, Wesley Chapel High School — University of Florida
• Gavin Sawall, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch High School — University of Florida
• Sahasra Vedhere, Wesley Chapel, Strawberry Crest High School — University of Florida