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  • Issue #373: Pasco Faces Backlash After Bullying Incident | Local Bigamy Case Unfolds | Speedy Grandma Turns Heads | Tampa vs. Jax Roller Derby

Issue #373: Pasco Faces Backlash After Bullying Incident | Local Bigamy Case Unfolds | Speedy Grandma Turns Heads | Tampa vs. Jax Roller Derby

5/12/2025

Author

Ted Grellner
12 May

Keep your finger on the Pulse!

GOOD MORNING

Dr Ted
USAF Retired


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In this issue of NewTampa | WesleyChapel
Local Pulse

Our Event Calendar - currently “under the weather”

Local News

— No Contact, No Consequences: Pasco Schools Under Fire in Bullying Case

OMG!

— Match, Marry, Repeat: Man Pleads Guilty to Bigamy in 3 Counties

Of Interest

— Radical Grandma: Tampa Racer Defies Expectations at Full Speed

Sports

— Tampa Tantrums Face Off Against New Jax City Rollers in Home Derby Showdown

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No Contact, No Consequences: Pasco Schools Under Fire in Bullying Case

A Wesley Chapel mother, Tosha, says her 13-year-old daughter faced relentless bullying and cyberbullying at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School, with racial slurs, locker room photos, and emotional distress that drove her daughter to unhealthy habits. Despite repeated pleas to Pasco County Schools, including meetings and a no-contact order, the abuse persisted—even after a judge issued an injunction.

When the school confirmed the bullying, the only remedy offered was for Tosha to move her child. Overwhelmed and unsupported, she sent her daughter back to live with family in Ohio. “I feel the system failed her,” Tosha said.

The school district cited confidentiality laws in response but affirmed compliance with state anti-bullying policies. Tosha says other parents have since pulled students from the school due to similar experiences.

A Hope Scholarship was offered but without transportation—a barrier for the single mother of three.

Match, Marry, Repeat: Man Pleads Guilty to
Bigamy in 3 Counties

Henry Betsey, Jr. pleaded guilty to bigamy in Hernando County Circuit Court after it was revealed he had three wives in three different counties, all unaware of each other. The women—Michele, Brandi, and Tonya—each met Betsey on dating sites between 2020 and 2022 and married him within weeks. None of the marriages were annulled or dissolved.

The scandal unraveled when one wife began researching public records and discovered Betsey’s other marriages. All three wives say Florida’s lack of cross-county safeguards enabled the deception.

Betsey’s guilty plea was made without a deal—his sentence, which could range from probation to one year in jail, will be decided July 31. The hearing will allow the women to speak directly to the judge.

Clerks say Florida’s marriage system relies on self-reporting, making enforcement against bigamy difficult without a national registry.

Radical Grandma: Tampa Racer Defies Expectations at Full Speed

Marta Hansen, a Tampa-based architect and soon-to-be grandmother, is tearing up the track in a $135,000 Radical race car at The Motor Enclave, Florida’s only dealer for the high-performance brand. Inspired by years of bonding with her son Wes over car shows, Hansen’s interest grew into a serious passion—eventually enrolling in track-driving classes and outpacing many male drivers.

Radical’s cars, described as giant go-karts, boast up to 425 horsepower and are prized for their aerodynamic precision. Hansen loves the thrill of racing and the connection it gives her to the track. “It’s like a dance... not just cerebral, it’s seat-of-your-pants,” she says.

While thrilled to become a grandmother, Hansen hopes to encourage more women to enter motorsports, an industry she says still lacks female representation.

With her first grandchild on the way, she just might be the fastest grandma in Florida.

Tampa Tantrums Face Off Against New Jax City Rollers in Home Derby Showdown

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 18, as the Tampa Tantrums take on the New Jax City Rollers in a thrilling morning roller derby match at the Brandon Astro Skate Family Fun Center. Doors open at 9:30 AM and the action kicks off at 10:00 AM sharp. With limited home games, this is a rare chance to catch the Tantrums on their own turf.

Tickets are $15, and seating is extremely limited—bring your own chair. Concessions will be available on-site, but no outside food or drink allowed.

After the game, fans are invited to an after-party at 1916 Irish Pub Brandon, featuring $2 mimosas and $5 Bloody Marys.

Group rates and volunteer opportunities are available. For more info, contact [email protected] or [email protected].

Tampa Roller Derby is a proudly inclusive, zero-tolerance organization.

Here's an astonishing but lesser-known fact about roller derby:

Roller derby is one of the few full-contact sports in the world where the majority of governing bodies are player-run.

Unlike most sports with top-down management, leagues like the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) are democratically operated by skaters themselves, meaning the athletes not only compete—they write the rules, organize events, manage safety standards, and shape the future of the sport. This DIY, skater-led model has helped roller derby maintain a strong culture of inclusivity, activism, and community empowerment.

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