TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has added a count of victim tampering against a defendant already charged with human trafficking of a minor. While in pretrial detention at Wakulla County Jail, authorities intercepted three letters sent by Sky Skidmore to the victim, the victim’s mother, and Skidmore’s mother. These letters were intended to intimidate the victim.
“This defendant, who is currently in pretrial detention for committing heinous acts of human trafficking against a minor, chose to escalate his terrible situation by sending letters to intimidate and deter the victim from testifying at trial,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Our Statewide Prosecutors have added this additional charge for this human trafficker and will continue to work diligently to hold him accountable for his atrocious crimes.”
Last year, the Office of Statewide Prosecution charged Skidmore with human trafficking, lewd and lascivious bat-tery, encouraging the sexual performance of a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. Skidmore remains in pretrial detention.
Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Guillermo Vallejo is handling the case.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued subpoenas to RAD Diversified REIT, Inc., its subsidiaries, and its owners, Brandon “Dutch” Mendenhall and Amy Vaughn, arising out of allegations that RAD Diversified REIT, Mendenhall and Vaughn have violated Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act or other laws. Mendenhall and Vaughn are internet personalities who advertise seminars that encourage Floridians to invest in real estate through the RAD Diversified REIT and its subsidiaries.
“Our office has received complaints that a popular internet duo selling real estate investment services through their fund is pocketing cash instead of buying properties as advertised,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “This appears to be a Ponzi scheme, and with several individuals claiming they’ve been exploited, we are investigating to ensure Floridians are not being deceived by greedy fraudsters.”
Mendenhall and Vaughn, owners of RAD Diversified REIT, Inc. and its subsidiaries, post videos online and on social media to promote their fund, which is supposed to pool investor funds and invest in real estate. Additionally, Mendenhall and Vaughn host periodic in-person seminars that advertise RAD Diversified REIT, Inc. as a way for Floridians to invest in real estate if they do not have enough funds to buy property outright. However, many investors have complained that they cannot collect returns or get their money back due to roadblocks by Mendenhall and Vaughn. The investigation and subpoenas seek to gather information about these complaints and whether the company owns real estate equivalent in value to the amount invested by RAD Diversified REIT customers. Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier is launching an investigation into Robinhood Crypto, LLC. and issuing a subpoena to uncover internal documents. Robinhood Crypto allegedly is breaking Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Practices Act by falsely promoting its crypto platform as the least expensive way to purchase crypto—when there is evidence to suggest that is not true.
“Crypto is a vital component of Florida’s financial future, and President Trump’s efforts to advance the crypto market will make America stronger and wealthier. When consumers buy and sell crypto assets, they deserve transparency in their transactions,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Robinhood has long claimed to be the best bargain, but we believe those representations were deceptive.”
Robinhood is a cryptocurrency and stock trading platform. Instead of charging a commission, Robinhood generates revenue by routing customers’ trades to third-party firms. These firms pay Robinhood for the opportunity to take the opposite side of its customers’ trades, also known as payment for order flow or PFOF. Continue reading
Aug 01
Exploration Hike
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Ferndale Preserve in Clermont8/19/510/312/5
Join staff and explore the habitats and species of Ferndale Preserve. Hike intensity: Vigorous. Reservations required.
Aug 01
First Friday
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Downtown Eustis in Eustis
Join us for our Eustis First Friday Street Party from 6 – 9 p.m.! Our family-friendly monthly street parties host a wide variety of food, vendors an…
Aug 02
Wetland Excursion – Lake Norris
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Lake Norris Conservation Area in Eustis
Join us for a fast paced guided hike to explore diverse ecosystems. Hike Intensity: Vigorous. Reservations Required.
Aug 03
Exploration Hike
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM P.E.A.R. Park (Gateway) in Leesburg8/39/710/511/2 Plus More
Join staff on an early evening walk while exploring nature at P.E.A.R. Park. Hike Intensity: Light. Reservations required.
The Reilly Arts Center welcomes a variety of national and local artists for performances of rock, blues, soul and classical in August and September. Unless otherwise indicated, events are held at the Reilly Arts Center located at 500 NE 9th St. Ocala, FL 34470. Tickets can be purchased at reillyartscenter.com or by contacting the Reilly Arts Center box office at (352) 351-1606. Box office hours are 10 AM – 2 PM, Tuesday through Friday. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Reilly Arts Center during box office hours.
Unlimited Devotion: Celebrating the Music of the Grateful Dead
Friday, August 8, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Tickets from $28
Get ready to jam with Unlimited Devotion, Florida’s premier Grateful Dead tribute band! Blending the spirit of the Dead with their own jazz and funk influences, UD delivers high-energy, exploratory performances that keep fans coming back for more. From massive block parties to packed venues, this South Florida quintet brings the groove—and the good vibes—every time they hit the stage!
Press Images Available.
Girls Night: The Musical
Saturday, August 9, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Tickets from $40
Grab your friends and get ready to laugh, cry, and dance in the aisles—GIRLS NIGHT: THE MUSICAL is the ultimate night out! This Off-Broadway hit follows five friends on a hilarious and heartfelt journey through love, loss, and friendship, all set to a soundtrack of favorite hits like “It’s Raining Men,” “I Will Survive,” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.” It’s Mamma Mia meets Sex and the City—and it’s a party you don’t want to miss!
Press Images Available. Continue reading
Field Trip Add-On Programming
StarLab Planetarium
Explore the wonders of the night sky, tour the solar system and hear the myths behind our favorite constellations in our inflatable planetarium set up in the exhibit gallery. Up to 25 people can be accommodated with on-floor seating. ADA access is available and chairs can be made available upon request.
Animal Meet & Greet
Get to know some of our animal residents with a hands-on presentation. Students will have an opportunity to get up-close and even touch a few of our animals.
Animal Adaptations
Discover more about how animals adapt to their surroundings with a series of hands-on classroom activities that will challenge students from a new perspective.
NASA Space
Description: NASA Space is the classroom version of our StarLab Planetarium. Travel across our solar system on the big screen! Ask your curiosities about space while getting up close to our planets and let your imaginations run wild. Ideal for groups larger than 25.
Ends Aug. 30
Every bug – and every person – has unique abilities and traits that make them super. Bug Squad will create excitement about learning by immersing children in an exhibit inspired by fictitious superheroes and factual science. In this imaginative world, insects don’t just have super abilities, they are real superheroes! Kids will be introduced to a squad of uniquely characterized bugs that are designed to inspire a love for science and an appreciation for diversity.
Bug Squad was produced by Omaha Children’s Museum. Omaha Children’s Museum is a special place where children can challenge themselves, discover how the world works and learn through play. The mission of Omaha Children’s Museum is to engage the imagination and create excitement about learning.
Child playing with clay molding shapes, learning and play
By Alexis Treat
(NAPSI)—For school-aged kids, summer is about relaxing after a long school year and recharging for the next one. Playdates, pool time, or afternoons at the park may be some staple components of your family’s summer power-up. Reading should be as well. Research has shown that summers spent without exposure to reading can drain your child’s literacy battery—a phenomenon known as the summer slide. Here are some fun ways to ensure your children have enough reading juice to start the fall with their minds revving and ready for action!
Early Readers
Sound Hopscotch: Exercise your mind and body! For easy indoor or outdoor play that still gets your kids moving, write letters or letter pairs, such as ch, on sheets of paper and place them on the ground. Then have children say the sound the letter makes as they hop from one to the next. Bonus points if they think of a word that starts with the sound.
Go Fish: Help your reader identify the letters of the alphabet with uppercase/lowercase letter pairs. Make pairs of cards together, i.e. A/a, G/g, R/r. Then, shuffle the cards and play Go Fish! Urge them to share a word beginning with the letter after collecting a related pair. You can even up the ante by having them make a full sentence with the word. Continue reading
(NAPSI)—When school years come to a close, many families hit the road for vacations, camps, and college visits. This makes summer an excellent time for drivers to do a routine check to make sure their vehicle is safe—checking the tire pressure, lights, and fluid levels; confirming that there are safety supplies in the trunk; and making that scheduled visit to a dealer or mechanic to change the oil or replace the wiper blades.
One important step drivers often forget is checking for vehicle safety recalls. Unlike other vehicle maintenance, repairing a safety recall is completely free at any authorized dealer.
The Problem
A recent public opinion survey commissioned by Stellantis, maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram, found that 43% of American drivers don’t know how to check if a vehicle has an open safety recall. Continue reading
(NewsUSA) – As we get back to summer travel, cookouts, and time with friends and family, COVID-19 is still something to watch out for. While the virus may not be making big headlines, it hasn’t gone away. In fact, in each of the last four years, COVID-19 rates have gone up in July and August.
Why does this happen? The summer heat often means more indoor get-togethers and events in air-conditioned spaces, more travel, and more time spent around other people. These are just a few of the things that give the virus more chances to spread.
While a mild case of COVID-19 may feel like a bad cold for some, it can lead to serious health issues, hospitalization, or even death for many others. Doctors say nearly 3 out of 4 U.S. adults are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19. This includes people with common health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, asthma and other lung problems. Even adults over age 50 have a greater chance of getting sick enough to need medical care.
Vaccines are still a strong defense against COVID-19. But they may not fully protect everyone, especially those with other health issues. And whether someone’s vaccinated or not, it’s important to be prepared and know that there are antiviral treatments that can help. Continue reading
