Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How deputies tracked down the suspect after the Brandon bank robbery

And on the Brandon Patch calendar - Healthy Kids Running Series Fall 2026 - Valrico, FL

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Saturday October 3rd Patch AM
Saturday October 3rd Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Cheers Brandon! We're back, helping you stay up to date with what's happening. Let's take on the day together! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How deputies tracked down the suspect after the Brandon bank robbery
  • How to protect Brandon trees from fast-spreading laurel wilt disease
  • Bahama Breeze in Brandon is slated for a full restaurant makeover

Also on today's calendar: Free Dog Training Class and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What has a cap but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: A shower and thunderstorm, with a high of 89 and low of 73 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Sunday: Humid; a p.m. t-storm or two, temps: high: 89, low: 72.
  • Monday: Humid with a heavy t-storm, with a high of 88 and low of 74 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Man Arrested After Brandon Bank Robbery, HCSO Says (patch.com) — A Wells Fargo branch on South Kings Avenue in Brandon was robbed at midday Wednesday, and deputies quickly arrested a 59-year-old Gibsonton man nearby after he matched the suspect description. Investigators say he admitted to the robbery and now faces a new charge on top of an existing felony warrant, ending what the sheriff describes as a decades-long pattern of similar crimes.
   

• Laurel Wilt Is Here — What Every Homeowner Needs To Know (ospreyobserver.com) — Laurel wilt disease has reached Brandon's preserve edges, threatening redbay, avocado, camphor, and sassafras trees in local neighborhoods. Homeowners are urged not to move firewood, to chip or dispose of infected wood on-site, and to report suspicious wilting redbays along Brandon trails to the Florida Forest Service to help slow the spread.
   

• Olive Garden sister restaurant confirms October closures of two restaurants – and there are more to come (newsbreak.com) — Brandon's Bahama Breeze is among several locations slated to close as parent company Darden converts the Caribbean-themed chain into Yard House or Chuy's restaurants. While exact dates for the Brandon conversion aren't given, local diners should expect the Brandon site to shut down as part of a nationwide phase-out through 2027.
   

📸 Around Brandon

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Brandon

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Brandon Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Brandon PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Lost my wallet last weekend at the county fair and it had my credit and debit cards inside.
    Someone found it in the vet clinic's parking lot and handed it over to the staff. I am truly grateful there really are so many kind, honest people in… (Nextdoor Village - Climate)
  • Rasmussen College posted a job opening for Associate Dean of Nursing in Brandon. Apply here.
  • Siemens Energy, Inc. posted a job opening for Manufacturing Technician Finish Visual Inspector 3rd Shift M-F 10pm to 6am (P) in Gibsonton. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Brandon here.

🗞 Nearby News

South Tampa

  • Q&A: Daniela Simic, Hillsborough County School Board District 2 Candidate (patch.com)
  • Tracked Phone, Fatal Encounter: Why A Florida Homeowner Won't Face Charges In Teen's Death (tampafp.com)
  • Now That Days Have Passed And Snap Reactions Are Behind Us ... Bobby Fenton Sill Thinks The Bucs Season Is A Flying Coffin. Why, And What's Next, On This Week's Free Stretch (joebucsfan.com)

Valrico

Tampa

  • 'FL Super Soaker': Stormy Weather, Heat Expected This Weekend (patch.com)
  • Man Arrested After Brandon Bank Robbery, HCSO Says (patch.com)

Ok Brandon! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What has a cap but no head?" — A bottle (Thank you Glo M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what's happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Brandon