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Featured Story

The Southshore World Tour

I’ll start this off with a declaration of my credibility. I’m about as Florida as it gets. I’m sure some folks have lived here longer than me, but I’ve called Florida home my whole life. I grew up picking oranges and eating them on the way home from school, became a ping-pong legend at the YMCA, caught dollar movies in Brandon, and water-skied up and down the Alafia (alligators included).

I say all that to remove any delusions that I’m new here. I’ve lived in Southshore specifically for nearly 30 years. I remember when the flashing light near East Bay and the smell of salt on the wind were the only things up past 9 p.m. I’ve lived in Riverview, Ruskin, Apollo Beach, and Gibsonton. (Give me 30 more years, Sun City.) Trust me when I say I know this area like the front and back of my hand.

The point is, I’m constantly all over South Hillsborough. Some people hear the Southshore moniker and think it gobbles up identities; I just think it’s an easy way to say you’re somewhere near the smokestacks (don’t correct me on this, let’s pretend there are still two and the last one is never going away). I’m in Apollo Beach one day, Ruskin the next, but always Southshore. And that’s why I like it.

Watching the place I’ve called home for so long grow and change has been hard, but change is inevitable and not always bad. If you remember when 301 was one lane or when Apollo Beach had a Dairy Queen and a Sonic, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve got high hopes for all the new businesses out here, and I’ll whisper a prayer every morning for the traffic to chill out.

Until then, let’s see how the Southshore subtitle fits. Like the kids say, “Try it, you might like it.”

Southshore Story Time

Southshore After Dark

Part 2: Las Vegas: Red Rock, Red Hands

The room smelled like new carpet and old luck. Lisa watched the roulette wheel kiss the green felt, counting breaths. Toby tracked camera sweeps and the rhythm of a guard’s shoes. A jammed cash cart bought them ninety seconds. The dealer blinked at the wrong time. The service door sighed. They slipped through.

They stepped into the desert night with a duffel they wished was heavier and a single high-value chip that was never in the plan. Lisa slid it into her pocket and swallowed the taste of regret.

“Keep up,” Toby said, sketching an imaginary line into the dark.

Inside, reality woke up. Phones rang. Suits started moving. Toby and Lisa Shuttles had just lost their advantage. Nobody stole from the Red Rock Casino and lived to tell about it.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

🌊 Still on the Table: Mosaic’s Deep Wells and the Phosphogypsum Road

Southshore | Environmental Watch

Quick reminder: these projects didn’t vanish, they just got quiet.

Mosaic’s Plant City and New Wales sites are still seeking approval for exploratory deep wells. They’re for testing now, but could become injection wells for treated wastewater later. Critics warn that what goes down might migrate. Southshore sits downstream.

Phosphogypsum road: EPA okayed a limited test road on Mosaic’s Polk County land using PG. It’s under monitoring, legal challenges continue, and no final results yet. If it’s greenlit, the idea could expand.

The impact to Southshore seems obvious. After last year’s storms, runoff from Mosaic’s Riverview facility reached Tampa Bay. What happens inland can reach our canals and water table. Both projects remain active and under review. We’ll keep you posted as things progress.

Southshore Spotlight

Noah Self of SDS Auto Detailing

We love shining a light on small business owners who make a big impact. Noah Self proves you’re never too young to start.

Born at Brandon Hospital and raised right here, Noah has lived the Southshore life from the very beginning. From hanging out at his grandparents’ spot, S&S Tacos in Ruskin, to eventually graduating early from Sumner, Southshore has always been home. When he isn’t working, you’ll catch him cruising, out on the boat, at the gym, or discovering new hangouts like The Diddy on the Alafia.

The business story starts with twenty bucks at Goodwill and a truck that needed love. At 12 or 13, Noah and his brother launched “The Belmont Brothers” in their Riverview neighborhood, detailing for donations and letting customers decide what their work was worth. When his brother stepped away, Noah kept going. In high school, he turned the side hustle into SDS Auto Detailing, and the rest as they say is history. LLC, insurance, cards, a website, and a fully paid-off mobile setup built from his own savings.

Now at 18 and fresh out of high school, Noah is looking to expand the business like a seasoned pro. Hiring employees, adding services, but never forgetting the little things that matter the most. Noah treats a Camry like a Lamborghini and has detailed plenty of both, from BMWs and McLarens to Bentleys, Corvettes, and G-Wagons.

What sets SDS apart is simple and rare. Obsessive attention to detail, clear communication, and honesty. Noah works until the car looks right, throws in free touch-ups when something needs extra care, and backs it with a 100% satisfaction promise. The reviews match the talk, with more than seventy 5-star ratings.

SDS serves all of Hillsborough County and will travel for the right job.

Want your car to feel new again and support a Southshore original at the same time? Book a slot with SDS Auto Detailing while he still has them.

Nominate your local hero by emailing us at [email protected]

We Know a Guy…or Girl

Southshore Services

Need a painter? A plumber? Someone brave enough to tackle that lightbulb orbiting 30 feet above your living room? We’ve got you. And the best part, they’re all right here in our community.

Interested in joining the list? Shoot us an email to [email protected]

“Keep it Local!”

Foodies Only

Your Restaurant

New menu items, promos, specials, events- feature them here. This is the place to tell 30,000 readers in Southshore what you've got. Only 20 spots for the year. Claim yours today.

If you’ve got a restaurant, food truck, or even a lemonade stand, it could be featured here. Email us at [email protected]

Local Sports

Football

Lennard vs Parrish Community, Friday 10/17 @7:30 PM - Away

East Bay vs Tampa Bay Tech, Friday 10/10 @ 7:30 PM - Away

Sumner vs Hillsborough, Friday 10/10 @7:30 PM - Away

Riverview vs Bartow, Friday 10/10, @ 7:30 PM - Away

Spoto vs Leto, Friday 10/10, @7:30 PM - Home

News or Events you’d like to share? Email us at: [email protected] 

Until next time,

Keep It Local.