The CEP has been working over the last year to partner with businesses and governments in Lake County to create the Lake Economic Area Development (LEAD) Partnership. This public/private organization has been created and designed to lead efforts in further growing, diversifying, and uniting the Lake County regional economy. The organization will work closely with government, private businesses, chambers of commerce, educational and workforce organizations, and other related stakeholders to collectively drive economic growth in Lake County.
Lake County has experienced significant population growth over the last two decades. However, while the population has grown, the community has not seen a corresponding increase in the number of primary employers. For more than two years, business leaders from throughout Lake County have been meeting and discussing how to play more of a leadership role in the economic agenda for the community. This concept of leadership—leading on the diversification of the local economy, leading on better-paying jobs, leading to grow the tax base, leading to build a self-sustaining economic future—is the premise on which LEAD is built. Continue reading
Dear Friends,
The election season will officially conclude November 8 and we are very excited to bring this cycle to a close. We are grateful to live in America, where, even if we make a mistake about who we choose to lead us, we have the ability to choose differently in the next election. No one person can dominate the government for a lifetime. In Florida, we are grateful to have anti-incumbency laws in our constitution so that we are always ready to receive wisdom and fresh ideas from another who is willing to serve. We should not be afraid of those who do have experience serving in elected roles, they bring highly valuable insight and knowledge. We do recognize, however, that we cannot allow our state to operate as Washington D.C. does. There, men and women hold office for decades and become so entrenched that they lose all sense of what it means to be an average citizen. It is not true of all that serve in federal government, but it is a concern for many.
We are confident that we will have a smooth and fair election where voters can be assured that their ballot was counted accurately and that our elections are legitimate. The Florida Legislature has worked hard these last few years to ensure that it is incredibly difficult to cheat our elections. As the Chair of the Ethics and Elections Committee, your Senator had the opportunity to directly sponsor and/or oversee some of the largest elections changes this state has seen in decades. SB 90 (2021) and SB (524) fixed issues and loopholes surrounding drop boxes, ballot harvesting, and vote-by-mail ballots. In addition, we established an investigative unit on elections security within the Department of State that will weed out potential abusers of our elections. No system is perfect and our work is never finished. “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance”. In Florida, we will continue to make it easy to vote, but very, very hard to cheat.
Our prayers continue for our neighbors in the southern part of the state who, little by little, are piecing back together their lives after the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian. How Floridians have responded to such tragedy is truly amazing and it is a blessing to be serving some of the most hardworking and dedicated people in this entire country. Governor DeSantis did an amazing job coordinating the state’s response to this disaster and we are fortunate to have a leader like him for times such as this.
Thank you for your trust and confidence; it is an honor to serve you in the Florida Senate.
Onward & Upward,
Senator Dennis Baxley
Will it ever end?
Is it even real?
As I See It, most people accept that our Planet Earth has changed several times over its millions of years of existence.
But, for some reason, many intelligent, educated people insist that those changes have stopped and that the weather we have now is the same as it’s always been, and it will continue, unchanged for ever.
Unfortunately, ‘we, the people’ have no way of learning the ‘facts’ because, today, the ‘media’ (news, television, the internet), are firmly in the control of biased, extremists on both sides of every issue.
So, the ‘news’ we get is “There is no problem!” or ‘We have a total disaster!”
But, there are a few ‘facts’ which, I think, most people will accept.
The years 2016 and 2020 are the warmest years on record. Continue reading
The Last referral luncheon of the year was held last week. In looking at the picture it was well attended. I spoke about the “Inflation Buster” I sold a three month deal at that meeting. So if you have the right product and your not shy you can move a product or service. There are only 6 inflation buster ads left…Limited offer. Their a good bunch of business people, so go visit the Lady Lake Chamber next month at the Lady Lake Soccer field outdoor expo.
Belleview Chiropractic Clinic celebrated the grand opening of its new location with a ribbon cutting. Dr. Michelle and her friendly staff are ready to take care of you!
PPL Motorhomes in Summerfield, FL hosted a ribbon cutting and grand opening event for their first location in Florida. The company is based out of Texas and recently acquired what was previously RV Swap Shop.
Rain Barrels Benefits
Supplement irrigation and save money over time
Reduce stormwater runoff which can lead to reduced levels of pesticides and fertilizers in our water
Help reduce the amount of water that may settle around the foundation of your home
Uses for Collected Water
Connect to a soaker hose (with the pressure-reducing washer removed)
Fill a watering can and hand-water plants, flower beds and gardens
Keep your compost bin moist
Rinse off gardening tools
How Do I Get Started?
Step 1. Start With a Drum
Many people make rain barrels out of inexpensive 50-gallon food-grade drums that were used to carry juices, olives, pickles, etc. Stay away from ones that were used to carry harsh chemicals. Often you can find barrels for around $10 from drum and barrel suppliers.
Be sure to get a heavy-grade plastic container that won’t let in light — clear or translucent barrels can speed the growth of algae, which can clog pipes.
Rinse the inside of the barrel with a mixture of 1/8 cup of bleach and 5 gallons of water to wash away food or juice remnants. Continue reading
By TomL
From The Internet
I thought three of the most trusted organizations are FBI / Department of Justice and the postal authority, employees and Inspector. I have heard stories about all of them in the last six months. If true, I am really ashamed, I never thought I would see the day we would drop to this level of corruption.
According to internet sources DOJ has arrested five IRS agents for stealing COVID related checks. They were buying expensive cars and expensive trips to Los Vegas. IN THE FUTURE if an IRS EMPLOYEE steal’s your COVID check and if you catch them they might shoot you with a government supplied gun and ammunition. They will accuse the person they shot as the offender. Let’s see if the ITS agents go to prison. How many did not get caught? This a great feather in Biden’s cap. I’m sure he is so proud of the agents, his son and brother. I feel strongly that he knows about it. Anyone making deals against our country is “TREASON!”
Should the penalty be a “Firing squad!” I am sure there would not be any problem getting volunteers. That probably stop the corruption.
November is military family appreciation month. During this month, families with members of the military, past and present, are honored and recognized for their commitment and contributions in support of our military and nation. November 11th is Veteran’s Day. Thank a member of the military for serving this country. It is important for them to hear your appreciation, but most of all, it’s respectful.
With the holiday season upon us, we should be thankful for the time that we have to spend with our family and friends. There are families that are separated because a member is away serving our country in the military or worse, they have sacrificed their life for our country. In reality, freedom is not free. It is important to reflect that these families have a difficult time coping with their situation. We should be thankful for those who make sacrifices and also for our families, friends, and the opportunities we have in this country.
November 24th is Thanksgiving Day. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest of the past year. It is important to spend time with family and friends. Remember that there are families that are missing members because of their sacrifice both here and abroad. Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that emergency repairs to the Sanibel Causeway have been completed in 15 days, more than a week ahead of schedule. As of this morning, access to Sanibel Island has been restored for residents, reconnecting Sanibel Island to the mainland. T
“The work that has been done to restore vehicle access to Sanibel Island has been historic,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Cutting through bureaucratic red tape and delivering on our promise to get Sanibel Island up and running has been a top priority. By restoring access over the causeway, repair crews, first responders, emergency vehicles, business owners and residents will be better able to expedite recovery from this storm.”
“I am grateful for our dedicated team members who quite literally built a road in the Gulf in 15 days,” said FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “While the bridges were largely undamaged by the storm, portions of the causeway which connect bridge structures together were washed away by Hurricane Ian, leaving the bridges unconnected to the mainland or the island. A project like this, under normal circumstances, could take months. However, FDOT, along with our law enforcement partners at the Florida Highway Patrol, Lee County and Florida Department of Emergency Management made use of strategic and innovative techniques to rebuild the causeways quickly. Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, and thanks to the hard work of hundreds of FDOT employees and contractors, we were able to relink Sanibel Island to the mainland.” Continue reading
