March 22-28 is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week.  Addiction can happen to any person regardless of age.  It usually starts when a person is young.  According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is the result of changes in the brain that can come from substance abuse.  Addictions affect how people think and what they do.  There are no specific “type” of person who becomes addicted.  People can face addiction regardless of where they are from, or their social status.

Though this may be a difficult topic to discuss with a family member or friend, it is important to have this discussion as it may save a person from problems in the future that can include arrest, loss of employment, or even death.  Teens are especially vulnerable due to peer pressure from friends who may experiment with drugs and alcohol.  One important sign of addiction is that a person continues to use drugs even though it’s harming their life: physical health, performance at school or work, or relationships. They feel like they can’t stop using drugs, no matter what happens. Continue reading →

The Lady Lake Chamber will have their Installation and Annual meeting March 4. Here is the 2021 and 2022 executive Committee. President Vicki Kerley, Vice President Luke Emerson, Secretary Tiffany Jack & Treasurer Jeanne Lazo.

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The Sumter County raging tax battle has been temporarily stopped.It has been tabled until July. Three new Sumter County Commissioners Miller, Search and Estep have voted against the compromise that has been proposed. The proposed tax could have doubled the taxes for the residents and businesses in Sumter County.

Recently the Developer offered to pay $40% more of the road impact fees on every home they build. The compromise was denied by the County Commission. All three County Commissioners have their own idea of a fair taxation. Some of the increased taxes are supposed to assist with the New UF Health Hospital.

Commissioner Breeden has rejected any taxation on the people of Sumter County. Breeden said when we raised the ad Valorem tax we promised the people that we would not raise taxes for five years, that was in 2018.

Commissioner Doug Gilpin was not agree.

I guess we will have to wait till July to see how it is worked out.

Governor DeSantis was in Brownwood discussing the success of the amount of shots that were given. Now getting things ready for a new batch of Vaccines. Florida will be receiving 41,000 more doses on top of our normal allotment.

Earlier Gov DeSantis said the drive through’s work so well some will become permanent. It looks like there is a plan in place now if they will get the medication in the state.

The improvement of technology in today’s society has greatly benefited law enforcement and our society as a whole.  However, improvements in technology have led to a serious threat on our roadways – distracted driving.

Dialing numbers on cell phones or typing text messages requires attention that should be paid to the task of driving.  There are four main types of distraction: visual (taking your eyes off the road), auditory (hearing something not related to driving) manual (taking your hands off the wheel) and cognitive (taking your mind off what you are doing).  While all distractions can endanger drivers’ and fellow motorists’ safety, texting while driving is the most alarming because it involves all three types of distraction.  Shockingly, statistics show that texting while driving is just as dangerous as operating a motor vehicle while impaired.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it is estimated that 2,841 people were killed on our nation’s roadways and more than 400,000 were injured as a result of distracted driving in the year 2018.

Texting while driving has been proven dangerous beyond dispute.  Taking one’s eyes off the road for the average 5-6 second text, is enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 MPH.  It is clear that the dangers of texting while driving are serious.  A life is more precious than taking a call or responding to a text message.  It is imperative that we put the safety of others above our own need to access technology.  If you feel the need to send that message, safely pull off the roadway first. Continue reading →

Detectives with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office have been investigating the thefts from gravesites at the Edgewood Cemetery since the incident occurred on December 6. At the time of the initial processing of the scene, crime scene investigators collected items (to include cigars) that were left and sent those items off for laboratory DNA testing.

Detectives recently received information that DNA samples had been obtained from the cigars and that the samples were being submitted into the database for comparison. One sample came back as a match to 43-year-old Brian Montalvo Tolentino, who resides at 115 Walpole Loop in Davenport.

On January 6, Lake detectives contacted The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, whose detectives obtained a search warrant for mouth swabs from Tolentino for a direct DNA comparison.

Lake detectives then met with and interviewed Tolentino, during which he confessed to going to the cemetery with another individual, 39-year-old Juan Burgos Lopez, of 5170 Timberlane Road in Lake Wales, and committing the crimes. Tolentino stated that Lopez used a crowbar to open the vaults and then removed the heads of the deceased. He stated they removed four heads from the four graves and then returned to Lopez’s residence. He stated the heads were taken for religious practices.

Continue reading →

01/20/2021

Detectives with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a shooting that occurred at approximately 11:20 this morning at 51 Highland Avenue in Umatilla. The Umatilla Police Department requested the Sheriff’s Office to conduct the investigation.

The investigation has revealed that a black male suspect with shoulder-length dreadlocks shot the victim at the victim’s residence and fled the scene in a dark-colored passenger vehicle with tinted windows.

The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.

Detectives are asking for anyone with information concerning this incident to please call the Sheriff’s Office at 352-343-2101, or Central Florida CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS, where they could be eligible for a cash reward.

No further information is available at this time.

Released by John Herrell

www.lcso.org

By Kevin Yeo

The smoke is a rising on the horizon and gun oil is in the air.  The Cowboy Fast Draw Club, “.45 SideKicks” of the First Baptist Church of Lady Lake hosted a bunch of cowboys and cowgirls in January for a Snow Bird Shoot Out.   This year’s tournament marks not only the 3-year anniversary of the club’s creation.  But also highlights a unique way that the Church outreach program’s shows the community that God’s family does more than just get together on Sundays!!

Shooting started at 9 am, ended at roughly 1pm each day and the public is welcome.  A spectator will see participants dressed in cowboy and cowgirl garb from the 1880’s era while they compete in head-to-head duels.  Each gun fighter attempting to draw and fire their single action .45 caliber pistols faster than a real-life adversary.  For more information about the sport which has clubs across the United States.  Check out the Cowboy Fast Draw Association website at www.Cowboyfastdraw.com

For more information about the shoot out or to come to one of the .45 Sidekicks Tuesday night weekly practices and see how fast you really are.  Call Kevin at 605-999-7687

Pictured here is a fine group of people made up of owners, employees, customers, friends and Lady Lake Chamber ambassadors. The ribbon cutting and Grand Opening was for the Tropical Cafe located at 13721 N. US Highway 441 Suite #1 Villages. Good Luck!