LATEST NEWS

A woman’s body was found early Wednesday morning by a roadway in Old Mill Creek, Illinois, officials say.

A noisy rodeo last month in Sumterville prompted Sumter County commissioners Tuesday night to retroactively revoke a permit for the rowdy event. Neighbors said the rodeo drove them out of their homes and loud music played until 3 a.m. the following day, way past the county’s 10 p.m. noise deadline. Sheriff’s deputies responded twice to noise complaints.

A Villager with a history of bizarre behavior has been jailed after repeated 911 calls. Linda Lincoln, 73, was booked Tuesday at the Lake County Jail on warrants charging her with misuse of 911 and resisting arrest. The warrants were issued earlier this month as the result of a series...

The Villages Christmas Parade brought out a big crowd Wednesday afternoon at Spanish Springs Town Square. The Villages High School Marching Band was a big hit playing the anthems of the season, including “Joy to the World.”. The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps also thrilled the crowd with a...

A bodybuilder accused of attacking her husband in The Villages now says she has an alibi. Donna Lynn Cacciatore, 58, was originally arrested in 2021 after she allegedly attacked her then-69-year-old husband at their home in the Village of Amelia. He told Sumter County sheriff’s deputies on the day of...

A homeless man was arrested after hanging around a local pain clinic. Sumter County sheriff’s deputies responded at about 11 a.m. Tuesday to the National Pain Institute at 13945 U.S. Hwy. 441 in Lady Lake where 39-year-old Samuel Garrett was “wandering around, circling the building,” according to an arrest report. An employee of the pain clinic has contacted law enforcement and said that Garrett, who was wearing a blue hoodie, was behaving in a suspicious manner.

FRUITLAND PARK, Fla. (TND) — Leave it to technology. A police officer in Central Florida wrote about getting an alert from an automated license plate reader that a car with a certain license plate “was traveling southbound within our city where the registered owner did not possess a valid license.”

• The remains of a missing Leesburg WWII soldier, Staff Sgt. Franklin P. Hall, have been identified after 80 years. • Hall was a left waist gunner on a bB-24D Liberator when it was attacked by German air forces in January 1944.

Florida’s Hometown USA Program Inc., a non-profit educational youth organization, has selected five students, elementary through college-age, to represent their hometown throughout Florida in 2024. Two of the students are from Lake County: Meagann Goodridge, from Fruitland Park, daughter of Tammy and Wayne Goodridge, was selected as the organization's...

A woman who pretended to be a nurse and ripped off a blind 86-year-old Villager is back behind bars after a hit-and-run crash. Sharon Ward DeMarsh, 44, was booked without bond Tuesday at the Lake County Jail for violating her probation on charges of practicing nursing without a license and exploitation of the elderly.

Stephanie Lopez, a 36-year-old US Army veteran, has begun an exciting new venture by opening Bargain Utopia, a thrift store that showcases treasures of all kinds, from antiques and furniture to home decor, jewelry, clothing, kitchenware, and much more. The store officially welcomed its first shoppers on Friday, November 17, with the aim of offering quality goods at affordable prices.

A caregiver who allegedly cashed more than $22,000 worth of stolen checks cashed some of those checks at a credit union at Walmart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza in The Villages. Aushanti Tumayia Woods, 26, of Ocala, had been caring for a man’s wife at a Brookdale memory care facility when he hired Woods as a housekeeper at his home, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The man later discovered that between March and October, Woods had stolen 24 checks and wrote them to herself, for an amount totaling more than $22,000. The checkbook had been located in a drawer in the man’s home. While the man had paid Woods by check, the 24 checks in question were not written by him and appeared to have a fraudulent signature. The man indicated that he had been paying Woods $19 per hour to work as a housekeeper and caregiver for his wife. He said that over the past several months she had earned $24,000 while working for him.

TAVARES, Fla.—Not even a month on the job and Tavares Police Department’s K9 Bruce has his first trafficking arrest under his collar. Around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, a TPD road patrol officer was patrolling the area of Burleigh Boulevard (U.S. Highway 441) and Sinclair Avenue when she spotted a black Dodge Challenger and ran a check on the license plate, according to an arrest affidavit.

In the heart of Clermont, Florida, lies a portal to the past, where the Historic Village stands as a tribute to the city's diverse history and cultural heritage. Maintained by the South Lake County Historical Society and the City of Clermont, this village offers a unique journey through time, allowing visitors to explore the lives of Clermont's pioneer families. Among the historic buildings, the Kern House, built around 1885, and the original Cooper Memorial Library, now a local/world history museum, provide a glimpse into the daily lives of early settlers.

Central Florida's booming sand mine industry is a double-edged sword, fueling the region's development while posing significant environmental risks. The high-quality sand from Astatula not only propels infrastructural projects like the Kennedy Space Center but also places the ecological health of areas such as the Green Swamp in jeopardy. This swamp, a vital part of Florida's water system and natural habitats, is under threat from the industry's attempts to bypass growth plan restrictions. Lake County's efforts to limit mining expansion reflect the acute need to reconcile economic and environmental interests.

If you are excited about the holiday season, there are fests galore this weekend. You'll find some highlights mentioned here and you can find more in our holiday events guide linked below. That said, if you're in the mood for something mellower, we have some some more laid-back suggestions, too. ...

MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Law enforcement activity at a Lake County home was connected to an investigation into a missing woman, Mount Dora police said on Tuesday. Interim police Chief Michael Gibson said the law enforcement activity on Strathmore Circle was related to the department’s ongoing missing person investigation involving Nicole Baldwin.

Face-Time Aesthetics celebrated its grand opening on October 19 at 205 Oxford Street in Wildwood with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Attendees enjoyed giveaways, exclusive discounts, live music, refreshments and were invited to participate in a drawing for a year’s supply of Botox. Face-Time Aesthetics promises to provide its patrons in Sumter County and beyond both cosmetic excellence and community engagement.

You can use the database to search by county or by restaurant name. Florida's restaurant owners are not required to post restaurant inspection results where guests can see them. So every week, we provide that information for you. For a complete list of local restaurant inspections, including violations not requiring...

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Nearly 1,200 feet of fire hose caused damage to multiple cars on Florida’s Turnpike when it fell off a Lake County Fire Rescue truck. According to Florida Highway Patrol, the fire rescue truck was traveling northbound around 11 p.m. Sunday when the hose dropped near mile marker 281.