Life Around Southshore This Week

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TLDR: THE SKINNY

• Traffic: Tuesday at 10 PM - Wednesday 5 AM, I-75 South exit to the Selmon Expressway will be closed

• Florida is hitting the books

• Your Monday Money Minute

• The Rays are still making headlines

Featured Story

Florida is Reading Again

Hillsborough County libraries see record visits and checkouts as more residents return to reading and community spaces

If you grew up around here, you’ll recall the Book IT! program that Pizza Hut used to do. I’m assuming that’s why folks in my generation are still voracious readers and equally voracious pizza eaters. I’m not sure how this new generation gets along these days.

But apparently, someone has been leading these kids in the right way because Florida libraries are putting up record numbers.

Hillsborough County libraries saw more than 2.7 million visits last year, and more than 9 million items checked out. In a time where it feels like attention spans are getting shorter and everything competes for a few seconds of focus, that’s actually pretty encouraging news.

Libraries today also look different than the ones many of us remember. Yes, there are still shelves full of books, but there are also community programs, study spaces, digital resources, and places where people can learn something new without needing to spend money to be there. For growing areas like Apollo Beach, Riverview, Ruskin, and Wimauma, those kinds of spaces matter more than people realize.

Speaking as a writer, I’m completely behind this. Reading is one of the few things left that forces you to slow down, think, and spend time inside someone else’s perspective for a while. That’s good for kids and honestly, just as good for adults.

If you haven’t been to your local library in a while, it might be worth stopping by. You might be surprised by what you find.

Monday Money Minute

Financial Wellness Isn’t About Being Rich

Most people think financial wellness means having a lot of money. In reality, it usually just means sleeping better at night.

Financial stress doesn’t come from one big decision. It usually comes from a bunch of small ones that slowly pile up. Unexpected bills, credit cards creeping up, or just feeling like your money disappears faster than it comes in.

Financial wellness is really about balance. Being able to handle today’s expenses, prepare for surprises, and still move toward bigger goals like buying a home, paying off debt, or eventually retiring without panic.

The basics aren’t complicated, even if they aren’t always easy. Know where your money is going. Save consistently, even if it’s small amounts. Manage debt intentionally. And give your money a purpose instead of wondering where it went at the end of the month.

The biggest mistake people make is thinking they need to fix everything at once. You don’t. Financial wellness usually starts with one habit done consistently. A budget you actually follow. Automatic savings. Paying a little extra toward debt each month.

Small changes create breathing room. And breathing room creates options.

And that’s really the goal. Not perfection. Just progress.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Yes, We’re Still Talking About The Rays

New Rays stadium renderings reveal plans for a Tampa ballpark and what it could mean for Southshore baseball fans

We’ve talked about the Rays stadium situation before, and if you’ve been following along, you already know this thing changes almost daily. One week it feels close, the next week it feels like it’s drifting again. Now we finally have something new to look at instead of just hearing about it.

The Rays released early renderings of a proposed new stadium and surrounding development near the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campus. The current vision centers around a 31,000-seat domed ballpark that would anchor a much larger mixed-use district spread across roughly 130 acres. The stadium itself is part of a larger plan estimated at around $2.3 billion, with funding expected to come from a mix of private investment and public support that is still being worked out.

What makes this proposal different is that it’s not just a stadium. The plan breaks the area into several sections, including something called Champions Quarter, where the ballpark would sit, along with entertainment and gathering spaces designed to bring people in before games and keep them around afterward. There’s also The Row, a central street running through the development meant to connect restaurants, retail, and fan areas, and The Canopy, an open park space built around shade and green space so the area works even on days when there isn’t a game.

For Southshore baseball fans, this is where it actually starts to matter. A Tampa location makes games far more realistic for weeknights. Anyone who has tried to get to St. Pete after work knows it turns a simple game into a full evening commitment. A stadium on this side of the bay suddenly makes stopping by for a few innings after work feel possible again.

There’s also the bigger picture. Projects like this tend to bring jobs, development, and more people into the region. And historically, when Tampa grows, Southshore feels it not long after through housing, traffic, and new businesses following the momentum.

Nothing is finalized yet, and there are still plenty of hurdles ahead. But for the first time in a while, this feels less like another stadium rumor and more like something you can actually picture. And for baseball fans down here, that alone makes this worth paying attention to, as it keeps evolving.

Southshore Spotlight

Military Family Support

Military Family Support is a nonprofit organization focused on helping active duty service members, veterans, and their families when they need it most. Through scholarships, career grants, and partnerships with local organizations, they provide financial assistance, education support, and programs aimed at improving stability and opportunity for military families. The organization has been serving military communities since 1992, with a mission centered around giving back to those who have served and supporting them both during and after their time in uniform.

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

Olmecca Express

Taqueria Olmeca has quietly built a reputation around Southshore for doing the simple things right. Fresh ingredients, authentic flavors, and the kind of tacos that make you immediately start planning what you’re ordering next before you’ve even finished the first one.

If you know, you know. And if you don’t, this might be your sign to fix that.

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

Our area high schools boast state champions and multiple division titleists. Come out and show your support for these teams and for our community.

Got news, events, or press releases that the Southshore needs to know about? Submit them here. (We’ll do our best to add press releases in our regular rotation.) If you’re looking to run an actual ad, go here instead.

Until next time,

Keep It Local.