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- Issue #455: USF's Fletcher District Debuts | Pasco Bus Woes | Flu Treatment Breakthrough | Stevie Morgan’s Big Comeback
Issue #455: USF's Fletcher District Debuts | Pasco Bus Woes | Flu Treatment Breakthrough | Stevie Morgan’s Big Comeback
9/12/2025
Ted Grellner
12 Sep
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In this issue of NewTampa | WesleyChapel
Local Pulse
Our Event Calendar —> Feel free to post events of interest to our community; its quite easy to do.
Local News
— USF Launches Fletcher District, a Game-Changer for North Tampa
— Pasco Parent Speaks Out Over Daily Bus Waits Up to 90 Minutes
Medical News
— Antibody Cocktail Could Revolutionize Flu Treatment
Sports
— Stevie Morgan’s Comeback: From Defeat to World Champion
🎵 Useful Arts & Entertainment Event Links
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How 433 Investors Unlocked 400X Return Potential
Institutional investors back startups to unlock outsized returns. Regular investors have to wait. But not anymore. Thanks to regulatory updates, some companies are doing things differently.
Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 regular people invested an average of $2,730. Today? They got a 400X buyout offer from the company, as Revolut’s valuation increased 89,900% in the same timeframe.
Founded by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso’s co-ownership tech reshapes the $1.3T vacation home market. They’ve earned $110M+ in gross profit to date, including 41% YoY growth in 2024 alone. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
The same institutional investors behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay backed Pacaso. And you can join them. But not for long. Pacaso’s investment opportunity ends September 18.
Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.
USF Launches Fletcher District, a Game-Changer for North Tampa
North Tampa is set for a transformation as the University of South Florida’s Board of Trustees has approved the Fletcher District, a major 138-acre development on its former golf course. The project, located near Fletcher Avenue and N. 46th Street, will include student housing, multi-family apartments, retail, restaurants, a hotel, and a new academic research facility.
Phase one spans 27 acres and includes:
700 student housing beds
150 apartments
150-room hotel and conference center
4–6 restaurants/retail spaces
A research facility expanding USF’s academic reach
Positioned just steps from the future on-campus football stadium, the Fletcher District is designed to offer students, alumni, and visitors a vibrant place to live, work, learn, and play.
USF President Rhea Law highlighted the development’s role in boosting economic growth and enhancing the university’s impact across Tampa Bay.
Pending final approval from the Florida Board of Governors in November, construction is expected to start in spring 2026 and finish by fall 2028.
Pasco Parent Speaks Out Over Daily Bus Waits Up to 90 Minutes
Bus delays in Pasco County Schools are raising concerns for families like the Furlongs in Wesley Chapel. Parent Jeremy Furlong says his children’s school bus has arrived 30 to 90 minutes late nearly every day since the school year began, sometimes putting them at risk of missing class entirely.
Forced to rely on neighbors for rides, Furlong says the situation is unsustainable.
“It’s not acceptable,” he told 10 Tampa Bay News. “Thank God we got some really good neighbors.”
Pasco Schools acknowledges an ongoing driver shortage, despite recruitment events, raised pay, and efforts to rework routes.
Safety is also a concern, with children walking nearly a mile without sidewalks.
“Only ditches full of water,” said Furlong.
By contrast, Pinellas County reports a driver surplus, while Hillsborough has improved from a 100-driver deficit to just 30 short, aided by referral bonuses and job fairs.
Antibody Cocktail Could Revolutionize Flu Treatment
A groundbreaking antibody cocktail developed at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) has shown the ability to protect mice from nearly all tested flu strains—including deadly avian and swine variants—without triggering viral resistance.
Unlike traditional flu drugs, this therapy uses non-neutralizing antibodies to tag infected lung cells, prompting the immune system to clear infection rather than blocking it outright. The antibodies target a highly conserved region of the virus known as M2e, shared across nearly all influenza A strains.
Results were striking: even days after infection, most mice survived. The cocktail proved effective at low doses in both healthy and immunocompromised animals, and no mutations were found in the targeted viral region after 24 days.
Future trials aim to create humanized versions of the therapy, with potential as both a rapid-response treatment and preventative for high-risk groups.
This could mark a major step toward "off-the-shelf" flu protection in future pandemics.
Stevie Morgan’s Comeback: From Defeat to
World Champion
Tampa boxer Stevie Morgan has proven she’s more than a contender—she’s a champion. After a tough loss to world-renowned Amanda Serrano, Morgan didn’t walk away. Instead, she returned to the gym the following Monday.
“Job wasn’t finished,” she said.
Exactly one year later, Morgan captured the WBA Gold World Championship, capping off what she proudly calls her “vengeance tour.”
Morgan’s trainer, Monyette Flowers, said the turnaround came from building on her disappointment. “We fixed a few things,” Flowers said, leading to a 4–5 fight win streak against some of her toughest opponents yet.
Since going pro in 2022, Stevie has only lost twice—each time returning stronger. Now, she stands among the few world champions from Tampa.
“It’s cool to bring this back to Tampa,” Morgan said. “I get to be one of them.”
Her story isn’t just about boxing—it’s about resilience, grit, and redemption.
🎭 Tonight in Wesley Chapel & New Tampa: Film & Arts Spotlight:
New Tampa Performing Arts Center
– Annual Arts Festival <— click to see festival schedule
What’s happening: The 2025 Annual Arts Festival kicks off tonight, running from Friday, September 12 to Sunday, September 14, at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center located at 8550 Hunters Village Rd, Tampa. New Tampa Performing Arts Center
Useful Arts & Entertainment Event Links
The Arts
- USF College of the Arts
- USF Steinway Piano Concert Series
Theater
-NTPAC - New Tampa Performing Arts Center
- New Tampa Players
- USF School of Theatre & Dance
- Wesley Chapel Theater Group
- Carrollwood Players Theatre
Misc
For Kids
- Fun4TampaKids
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