On the evening of Aug. 12, four subjects committed a Grand Theft at the Sam’s Club, located at 755 N U.S. Highway 27/441 in Lady Lake. The four unidentified subjects stole over $1,000 in liquor from the store and assaulted the store employee in the process.
The suspects left in a black Mercedes-Benz, Florida tag# L5RTU, traveling south. The vehicle is registered to a transient white male in the Orlando area. Similar incidents involving the vehicle and suspects of similar description have occurred at other locations in Florida, most recently in Palm Beach Gardens, and are believed to be related.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Lady Lake Police Detective Jim Dunagan at (352) 751-1565 or via email at jdunagan@ladylake.org
Elisha Pappacoda
Virtual tour of library expansion: Lady Lake Library Expansion (youtube.com)
Lady Lake – The Lady Lake Library is proud to announce it has been awarded a $1 million Lake County Library Impact Fee grant to support its ambitious expansion project. This allocation will contribute to the Children’s Library portion of the project, with the Town of Lady Lake funding the remaining cost that includes an expansion of the Information Technology Department and addition of the Growth Management annex.
The project aims to enhance the library’s offerings by enlarging the youth library area from 4,560 sq. ft. to 7,697 sq. ft., a 69% increase. It includes an expanded lobby, an additional public elevator, and a landing area for the new second floor Children’s Library, adding more than 3,000 sq. ft. to the public spaces.
“This expansion is crucial for meeting the growing needs of our community,” said Library Director Aly Herman. “We have quickly outgrown our current youth library, and this project will allow us to significantly enhance the library’s collection and programs, benefiting all our patron’s
The county’s impact fee grant is justified by the library’s extensive reach and the expected Town population growth. The Lady Lake Library, part of the Lake County Library System, serves over 16,000 registered cardholders and welcomes approximately 14,500 visitors each month. With the town anticipating a dozen new development projects with an estimated population increase of 8,500 people within the next four years, the expansion is timely.
“The Lady Lake Library is a vital resource for our community,” Town Manager Bill Lawrenc Continue reading
SARASOTA, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis announced “Activate Hope,” an expansion of Hope Florida to serve Floridians recovering from the impacts of disasters. Serving as the emergency response arm for the Hope Florida initiative, Activate Hope pulls together the private sector, nonprofits, and government resources to help Floridians get back on their feet following disaster. Activate Hope helps connect Floridians with outside resources to provide food, household goods, home repairs, and more.
“The state of Florida leads the nation in storm preparation and disaster response,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “The launch of Activate Hope through Hope Florida and the Florida Division of Emergency Management will enable us to strengthen our recovery efforts and rebuild stronger communities by utilizing the existing Hope Florida network to help those impacted by disasters find the help they need.”
“With today’s launch of Activate Hope, we can now bring Hope Florida directly to a community in exceptional need—like those dealing with the impacts of a storm,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “This new Hope Florida expansion will ensure that in the future, Floridians impacted by storms or other emergency situations can readily connect with Hope Navigators and receive the help, services, and supplies they need. On the flip side, Hope Florida can rally communities and empower them to help their fellow Floridians in need, especially during a disaster.” Continue reading
Dear Neighbor,
Where did the time go? Just like that, August is nearly over and the House will reconvene on September 9.It’s been an incredibly productive district work period and I’m thrilled to keep the momentum going into the fall.
This week marked the three-year anniversary of the deaths of 13 American heroes at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan. After the Biden-Harris administration hastily removed troops from Afghanistan with no withdrawal plan, we lost 13 service members in a deadly attack that could have been prevented. As we remembered them this week, we keep their family members and friends in our thoughts as they embark upon another year without their loved ones.
Back in Florida, our community remembered the life of USPS Carrier Pam Rock. Pam Rock served as a postal worker in Putnam County and was tragically killed in 2022 after being attacked by dogs while on her mail route in Interlachen. Together with Representative Aaron Bean and Senators Rubio and Scott, we passed legislation to rename the Melrose Post Office after Pam. Take a look at photos from the ceremony earlier this week below. Continue reading
Dear Neighbor,
This last month brought our first serious storm of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Our first responders and National Guard troops were prepared and on the ground working to ensure our safety after the storm while linemen from across the southeast got to work quickly to restore power. These folks’ service has been tremendously appreciated this week.
I and several members of our team fed dinner to our local linemen earlier this week to thank them, and yesterday, Senator Rubio and I were in Live Oak to thank the National Guardsmen and women who came to Florida’s aid. You can take a look at my message to all of those who have been helpful below.
With hurricane recovery top-of-mind, if you are still in need of recovery assistance, please call my team in our Gainesville office at (352) 505-0838. We are here to advocate for you and provide you with the resources you need to take care of your family, your business, and your property. Continue reading
Ahead of National Senior Citizens Day, Attorney General Moody is asking older Floridians to watch out for fraud. Florida is home to more than 5.5 million seniors. Attorney General Moody is highlighting efforts to protect these Floridians from fraudulent schemes. After taking office in 2019, Attorney General Moody launched Florida’s Senior Protection Team, an intra-agency group of experts working together to fight fraud. Last year, the team secured more than $1 million in financial relief for Florida seniors.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Florida may be known as the Sunshine State, but we are also a silver state—and we prioritize protecting those who choose to live out their golden years here. Ahead of National Senior Citizens Day, we’re asking older Floridians to watch out for fraud and highlighting efforts to help seniors avoid falling victim.”
Attorney General Moody’s Senior Protection Team consists of members from the Office of Statewide Prosecution, Consumer Protection Division and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Together, the team fights elder abuse and fraud as well as develops strategies to help seniors avoid falling victim to scammers or criminals. Since Attorney General Moody took office in 2019, the Senior Protection Team secured more than $8 million in financial relief for Florida seniors. Continue reading
As colleges and universities begin a new academic year, Attorney General Ashley Moody today sent a reminder to higher education officials in Florida about their duty to protect Florida’s Jewish students from harassment, intimidation and other incidents of antisemitism. The reminder comes in the wake of radical antisemitic protests continuing around the nation and following the destructive protests witnessed at colleges and universities in the previous academic year.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Last year, my office circulated a memo advising higher education officials of the zero-tolerance policy for antisemitism in our state. Florida offered an example to the rest of the country with swift action while other states witnessed their colleges and universities overtaken by chaos and, in some instances, crime. Let this serve as a reminder, there is no room in our state for lawlessness or antisemitism. As a new school year begins, we are renewing our commitment to making Florida a safe state for Jewish students.”
The letter states, “In the days and months following the horrific October 7 attacks on Israel, America saw university administrators across the country utterly fail to protect Jewish students and maintain law and order. Many schools allowed encampments and demonstrations to disrupt student life and school operations…Some of these schools even tolerated overt acts of antisemitic harassment and violence. And because school administrators allowed this unconscionable conduct to continue throughout the entire school year, some universities were forced to cancel graduation ceremonies.” Continue reading
Attorney General Ashley Moody today in Orlando encouraged vigilance in spotting and reporting voter fraud at the Florida Tax Collectors Association Annual Conference. Tax collector offices around the state are where Floridians go to interact face to face with government. In Florida, tax collectors are independent constitutional officers duly elected by registered voters.
These county government leaders do more than collect taxes. In tax collector offices, Floridians can receive vehicle tags, hunting licenses, driver’s licenses and even submit voter registration forms. With the 2024 presidential election around the corner, Attorney General Moody is encouraging tax collectors to display information about reporting voter registration crimes to Florida’s Voter Fraud Hotline: 1(877) 868-3737.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “For many Floridians, tax collectors are the face of the government. Tax collectors help them obtain their first driver’s license and can even help them register to vote. Florida has taken great steps to ensure the integrity of our elections. Today, I encouraged tax collectors to help us keep Florida elections secure by posting information about Florida’s Voter Fraud Hotline—so Floridians know how and where to report suspicious activity.” Continue reading
(NAPSI)—For more than half of her life, 43-year-old Megan Bettor dealt with bouts of excruciating low back pain. She doesn’t remember a specific accident or injury that caused the initial pain – all she knows is that it was a constant part of her life.
Megan’s pain was centered in her lower back and was aggravated by sitting, bending forward or with physical activity. For many years, she managed it with conservative treatments such as over-the-counter medications and physical therapy.
As the pain worsened, these treatments stopped working. When this interior designer and mom of two wasn’t busy, she often found herself spending weekends laying in bed unable to move due to her pain.
“There wasn’t just like a bad week,” said Megan. “It was every day, every morning [where it was] nearly impossible to get out of bed, brush my teeth and feed our dog.”
Megan knew something had to change and began exploring surgical options, including a disc replacement, an invasive and expensive treatment that may or may not address her pain.
That’s when she met Ramana Naidu, M.D., director of pain management, MarinHealth Medical Center and interventional pain physician and anesthesiologist. Dr. Naidu not only offered Megan a clear diagnosis of vertebrogenic pain but also a proven treatment. Continue reading
(NewsUSA) – It’s that time of year again! The time between summer and fall when some people start thinking about leaves and football, while others aren’t quite ready to trade in their flip-flops for flannel.
Join us in raising a glass to “sum-all” season! It’s the perfect time to enjoy the best of both worlds, blending the warmth of summer with the crispness of fall. Whether you’re clinging to those last beach days or eagerly anticipating cozy evenings by the fire, this season lets you do it all. So, grab your drink of choice, fire up the grill, and make the most of this special time of year.
Check out this sampling of sum-all favorites made at the Genesee Brewery in Upstate New York and available at select retailers across the U.S.
-Black Cherry flavor provides bridge to fall. Genesee Black Cherry Vanilla Kellerbier continues the Genesee tradition of releasing seasonal beers on the cusp between seasons. The Black Cherry Vanilla Kellerbier combines the tart sweetness of black cherry with a hint of smooth vanilla that is refreshing on a warm summer day and also a perfect complement to a brisk fall game day afternoon.
-Light beer wins through late summer. Labatt Blue Light Grapefruit, a summer seasonal beer, is perfectly suited to shift into fall and enjoy on the golf course. Continue reading
