The Art of Aging opening reception Friday, August 2nd. Marion Cultural Alliance and Marion Senior Services. This is the 9th Annual event. Be sure to check it out at Brick City Center for the Arts 23 SW Broadway Street, Ocala, FL 34471
The pictures were taken by CK Johnson
LADY LAKE – As part of ongoing efforts to ensure the highest standards of road safety and quality, the Town of Lady Lake has contracted with Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoat-ing, Inc. for road resurfacing work. The milling and paving work is scheduled to begin on Sept. 16 and is expected to continue through Sept. 25. During this period, work will be car-ried out between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Residents are asked to ensure that no vehicles, boats, trailers, or debris are left in the road-way during the hours of operation to allow paving to proceed efficiently, safely and on time. There will be limited access to these roadways during working hours, with full access avail-able during non-working hours. Affected residents will be notified directly.
A full list of the roads affected by this project is on the Town’ website at www.ladylakefl.gov/167/Town-Projects.
The Town of Lady Lake is proud that its proactive road improvement initiatives have again yielded impressive results, with the town’s roads rated as “excellent,” with a score of 83 out of 100. This rating reflects the town’s commitment to maintaining and enhancing infrastruc-ture to benefit both residents and visitors.
The Town appreciates the community’s cooperation during this time. For more information or immediate assistance during the project, residents may contact Gordon Young at (954) 591-3971.
LADY LAKE – Over the weekend, the Lady Lake Police Department was dispatched to The Village of Silver Lake for a series of car burglaries. A total of 12 incidents were reported, with 10 investigated by LLPD and two investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, due to jurisdiction.
The burglaries, which happened overnight on Aug. 10-11, occurred on Silver Oak Avenue, Tarson Boulevard, Ann Avenue, Mark Drive, and Jennifer Drive.
All vehicles involved had been left unlocked and were rummaged through, with primarily loose change stolen. One vehicle was stolen; however, LLPD has since recovered it.
Residents are reminded that vehicles with unlocked doors are easy targets for criminals. To prevent future incidents, the Lady Lake Police Department urges residents to take the following precautions:
- Lock Your Vehicles: Always lock your car doors when the vehicle is unoccupied.
- Remove Valuables: Do not leave keys or valuables in your vehicles.
- Be Aware: Turn on exterior lights and set your security alarms.
- Residents are encouraged to adopt the “9 p.m. Routine,” a nightly practice of securing their homes and vehicles. By doing this, residents can significantly reduce the risk of becoming victims of crimes of opportunity.
The Lady Lake Police Department relies on the vigilance and cooperation of the community to keep the area safe. If you observe any suspicious activity, please contact the Lady Lake Police Department immediately. Your awareness and prompt reporting can make a difference in protecting your neighborhood.
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
