Largo Leader

LARGO — Nolan Willoughby has been appointed chief executive officer of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Largo. The 70-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital is located at 901 Clearwater Largo Road N. Willoughby started with Encompass Health Largo in 2022 as the hospital’s controller. He then moved into the associate administrator role and most recently served as interim CEO. “I am proud to be part of the Encompass Health Largo team,” Willoughby said.

Largo City Hall will reopen to the public on Monday, April 20, following a temporary closure due to a significant maintenance issue. Commercial testing has confirmed the building is safe for occupancy, and team members will also return to City Hall on this date. The City extends its thanks to the public works team for their quick and thorough work in addressing the issue and preparing the building for reopening.

LARGO — The city will spend $1.9 million to replace the aging playground at Largo Central Park, one of the region's most heavily used play areas, after the City Commission unanimously approved three bid agreements April 7. The 15-year-old playground at 101 Central Park Drive draws hundreds of thousands of children a year and has reached the end of its life cycle, officials said.

LARGO — After watching his young Packers baseball team go winless during the fall season, Largo head coach Taylor Layner expected growing pains this spring. He never imagined a record-breaking year.

LARGO — A clogged sewer line flooded the first floor of City Hall last week, forcing employees to evacuate the building at 201 Highland Ave. and prompting officials to redirect meetings and services to other locations while they weigh whether to repair the aging structure or accelerate the move to the new Horizon West Bay complex downtown. The leak, which Mayor Woody Brown said was caused by "a big ball of sanitary wipes," shut down the 49-year-old building April 7.

LARGO — Over the past decade, schools across the country have installed new safety equipment and procedures in response to mass shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, among others. When perimeter fences with locking gates first went up on school grounds, or resource officers began patrolling hallways, confusion, anxiety and backlash typically followed.

The city of Largo will host a one-time, drive-through Sandbag Giveaway and Preparedness Event on Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m.–noon at the Starkey Road Recycling Center, 1551 Starkey Road. Participants will receive up to 10 pre-filled sandbags per household to help protect against localized flooding this storm season. Sandbags will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

LARGO — A developer's bid to clean up a contaminated property on Eighth Avenue Southeast and build 168 apartments under the Live Local Act stirred up hard feelings among city commissioners March 17. Despite their concerns, commissioners said the environmental benefits of designating the property a Brownfield area outweighed the potential for added traffic and congestion, and they voted 4-2 in favor of the move.

It’s a chicken! It’s a man! It’s ... a movie about a half-chicken, half-man murderer at Heritage Village? “Chicken Head,” a horror-comedy mockumentary from Corin Nemec, is being filmed around Pinellas County. Most of the scenes were filmed this month during a weeklong shoot at Heritage Village in Largo.

LARGO — Mayor Woody Brown will host golfers of all skill levels Saturday, May 2, at the 27th Annual Mayor’s Golf Tournament at the Largo Golf Course. The event kicks off with the Sponsorship Tournament from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by the Community Member Tournament from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. “This year’s tournament brings a little Southwestern spirit to the course with our ‘Southwest Scramble’ theme,” said Brown.