Last Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, UF Health broke ground on its third emergency and urgent care center in the region, near the intersection of U.S. HWY 301 and CR 466 in Oxford.
From the publisher – This is one persons opinion and they have the right to see it in print!
Draft Letter to the Editor — The Villages & Local Newspapers
Subject: Concerns Over Promotion of Unlicensed Businesses in “The Villages Word of Mouth” Facebook Group
To the Editor,
I am writing out of deep concern for the safety and fair treatment of residents in The Villages, particularly regarding the growing issue of unlicensed businesses being promoted—and in some cases protected—within one of the community’s largest online recommendation groups.
“The Villages Word of Mouth,” a Facebook group with tens of thousands of members, has become a primary resource for residents seeking trustworthy referrals for contractors, and other service providers. Many Villagers, especially older residents, rely on these recommendations believing they come from an unbiased, community-driven platform. Unfortunately, recent experiences suggest the opposite.
As a long-time contributor to the group and a licensed business owner, I have watched administrators selectively allow certain businesses to be recommended while deleting legitimate concerns or negative experiences posted about others. Several businesses, despite being unlicensed or uninsured, are freely promoted—sometimes aggressively—while licensed competitors are silenced or removed without explanation. In my own experience, I was blocked from the page after pointing out that a promoted company was operating not in compliance with licensing and insurance requirements in the state of Florida. Meanwhile, the unlicensed business was permitted to continue advertising to unsuspecting residents. Continue reading
Jan 01
Open House
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Ellis Acres Reserve in Paisley
Nature center will be open and a naturalist will be on site to answer questions.
Jan 02
Exploration Hike
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Ferndale Preserve in Montverde
Join staff on a morning exploration of habitats and species at Ferndale Preserve.
Jan 03
Wetland Excursion
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Lake Norris Conservation Area in Eustis
Ring in the New Year with a hike at Lake Norris Conservation Area. Limit 15 participants. Reservations required. No facilities. Hike intensity: Moderate.
Jan 04
Exploration Hike
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM PEAR Park (Gateway) in Leesburg
Joint staff on an early evening hike to get some exercise while exploring nature at P.E.A.R. Park.
Jan 05
Take Flight, Birds of Winter
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Lake May Reserve in Eustis
Many bird species use Florida in the fall, winter and spring as they refuel and rest along migration routes.
Lady Lake Police use drone to locate driver who fled serious crash
LADY LAKE — Lady Lake police officers used drone technology Saturday night to locate a driver who fled into a wooded area after a two-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 27/441.
Around 7:40 p.m., officers responded to a crash where a Chevrolet Tahoe was seen driving at a high speed before rear-ending a Ford F-150 on U.S. Highway 441 near Longview Avenue in Lady Lake. Officers found the Tahoe unoccupied and discovered ammunition, an empty prescription bottle, and personal property inside the vehicle linking it to a local man. The Tahoe’s driver had left the scene on foot, according to witnesses.
Witnesses reported seeing a man run into nearby woods. Officers searched the area and deployed the department’s drone, which detected a heat signature in dense brush. Sgt. Heather Couch and Officer Steven Johnson located a man lying on the ground. Davis appeared impaired and was treated for injuries before being transported by EMS to Ocala Regional Medical Center.
The suspect will face several charges upon his release from the hospital and pending blood alcohol testing, including failing to stop for a crash involving bodily injuries and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
Chief Steve Hunt praised officers for their swift response and effective use of new department technology.
“Our officers showed exceptional professionalism during a chaotic scene,” Hunt said. “Their decision to deploy the drone allowed us to quickly locate the individual and bring this situation to a safe conclusion. This is exactly how technology enhances public safety.”
The Lady Lake Police Department is in possession of the following found or abandoned property. Unless ownership is claimed and verified, these items will be disposed of in accordance with Florida State Statute 705 on their scheduled purge dates.
If you believe any of these items belong to you, please contact the Evidence Section at (352) 751-1576 with proof of ownership.
An iPhone was recovered on October 16, 2025, on West Lady Lake Boulevard. If unclaimed, it will be purged on January 14, 2026.
A credit card was recovered on October 30, 2025, on Avenida Central. It is scheduled to be disposed of on January 18, 2026.
On December 15, 2025, an iPhone, identification cards, a passport, credit cards, and keys were recovered along U.S. Highway 27/441. These items will be purged on March 13, 2026, unless claimed.
A bicycle was recovered on December 19, 2025, on LaGrande Boulevard. If unclaimed, it will be disposed of on March 29, 2026.
Ambassadors
Board of Directors
Lady Lake Police Department and the Fruitland Park helping children shop for Christmas!
Our journey brings us into the elderly category. Healthcare problems, high insurance rates, high Doctor bills, ruthless Doctors trying to build a practice. My wife has a primary doctor she was sent to, a specialist for a work up, she was OK while there the doctor said she needed some test on her legs. She was tested and the recommendation was made to close off the vein’s, that was done After many trips, her in pain, months of travel, she was getting worse, then she had a stroke in her eye, what caused that? Maybe clot from her legs? We kept going back and suddenly we realized she has two primary doctors, hmmm. We decided to cancel the second one and she was told at that she could not come back??? I think the doctor was taking clients from our small town and sending into her main off in the large city close by. I am not happy! I think we were worked at the expense of my wife health. Lot’s of procedures on her legs and they put her on a maintenance program NO IMPROVEMENT! And we are not allowed to come back! They made their money.
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I was happy that the METRO CEP Ocala Chamber Partners were commenting to me about the Ocala DownTown newspaper. They said they saw all the great CEP information in it! Thanks for the Comments. I still have not met Mark McCormick the new CEO but I will, I’m looking forward to it.
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Why did 14,000 Amazon Big Tech employees lose their jobs? Very large lay offs from New York, California, New Jersey, and Washington represents nearly half of the layoffs were engineers. Someone from Amazon said they need to get rid of the Bureaucracy in their company. That might be but, I don’t believe that! Here is what I think. Continue reading
Artificial intelligence is still a relatively new technology. Still more and more people are using it to answer questions or look up information. Bob Paxton, a FAIRtax advocate in Ocala, is a former radio personality as well as a retired computer programmer. He is the founder of FAIRtax Power Radio, a weekly podcast and video stream, who decided to ask three separate AI application services to compare the current income/payroll tax system to the FAIRtax and then choose which system they would like to live under if they were a typical American taxpayer. Not surprisingly, all three chose the FAIRtax. Below are some excerpts that Bob received from those inquiries.
CoPilot:
“If I were an American taxpayer weighing the income tax system against the FAIRtax, I’d lean toward the FAIRtax – for some compelling reasons, though without caveats, if you’re someone who values economic freedom, simplicity and transparency, the FAIRtax is attractive. But if you prioritize stability, predictability and targeted redistribution, the income tax feels safer. Continue reading
