Sand bags available this weekend
BRANDON -- I love this much-needed rain we've been getting lately, but I'm hoping we don't get a repeat of Wednesday's downpour.
Still, county officials aren't taking any chances. The weekend forecast says we'll have a rainy weekend, so they'll continue to offer sand bags to people who live in flood-prone areas -- that includes Brandon, the South Shores area and Plant City.
Residents can pick up sand bags at the following County Fire Stations:
-- Station 4, 11826 U.S. 92 in Seffner
-- Station 18 1706 S Kingsway Road in Seffner
-- Station 26, 5302 W Thonotosassa Road in Plant City
-- Station 27, 4705 E Bloomingdale Ave. in Brandon
-- Station 12, 8612 Gibsonton Drive in Gibsonton
-- Station 17, 101 First Ave NE in Ruskin
-- Station 29, 626 Gulf & Sea Blvd. in Apollo Beach
-- Station 16, 9205 Kevin St. S in Riverview
They'll be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this weekend. The sand bags are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents should bring their own shovel and must fill the sand bags themselves. There is a limit of 25 bags for each household.
For more information, call public works customer service at (813) 635-5400.
Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer
(Photo: Times Staff files)
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State Road 60 has long been a defining feature of eastern Hillsborough County: commuter thoroughfare, shopping hub and dining spot. 60 & South offers an array of news, announcements, community activities, local sporting events from the communities north of State Road 60 to the emerging communities farther south. Visit this blog daily for information about your neighborhood and community.
Saundra Amrhein covers retirement living in Sun City Center and cultural and immigration issues in Wimauma, Ruskin, Dover, Brandon and Plant City. Before working in east Hillsborough, she covered police news in Tampa; social services and government in Pasco County; and growth and development in Hernando County. She's originally from Pittsburgh and is married to a professional magician. In her free time, she practices yoga and has been working toward a master's degree in Latin American Studies at the University of South Florida. You can reach Saundra at 
Sherri Day the Brandon Bureau Chief, loves suburban life. She enjoys leaving the urban jungle behind for the peace, quiet, sound of laughing children and random wildlife in her deed-restricted community. Though still fairly new to the bay area - she moved here in 2004 - Sherri knows what makes small communities special. She was born and raised in Tifton, Ga., a small-town in the southwest part of the state. Sherri received her bachelor's degree from Clark Atlanta University and her master's of journalism from the University of California at Berkeley. She moved to Tampa from Brooklyn and lives in the 'burbs with her husband, one-year-old daughter and two cats. Share your news & views with Sherri at 
When I first came to Brandon in 1988, I thought, "There's a McDonald's here, so it can't be all bad." After a year, I moved to St. Petersburg and then Lakeland. When it became time to return to Hillsborough County in 1993, I could have picked Carrollwood, South Tampa or Temple Terrace, but the "60 " South" area just seemed like home. Fifteen years and three kids later, our roots have taken hold in Seffner like a majestic oak tree. We couldn't be happier. You can reach Ernest Hooper at 
Chandra Broadwater covers growth and development, including the areas of
Riverview and Lithia. Chandra grew up in a military
family and the suburbs make her feel right at home, bringing back memories
of a childhood spent in the back of a minivan as her mother carted the
family around to countless after-school activities. (Just as her mother
predicted, she regrets that she didn’t stick with piano.) And now that she
drives herself, she enjoys exploring the "60 & South" area and meeting
everyone along the way. You can reach her at 
Jessica Vander Velde joined the Times in 2008 after graduating from the University of Florida. She grew up in the suburbs of Tampa, planning not to return. But she's back and loving it. Nothing beats Plant City strawberry U-picks and lazy afternoons kayaking down a local river. She'll readily pass on tips about fun things to do in southeastern Hillsborough County. Jessica can be reached at 
Kevin Smetanahas lived in Brandon most of his life, and he eagerly returned to the suburbs to join the Times in November after spending six months in South Carolina reporting for a newspaper, TV station and Web site. Kevin is a graduate of Bloomingdale High and USF. He covers news in the Brandon area, but on the blog he writes about local sports -- both team and individual. He's an avid runner and cyclist and a member of the FishHawk Road Runner's Club. If you have information on athletics, you can reach Kevin at 
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