Leaf Filter was the Grand Prize winner at the Business to Business Expo. Pictured here is James Floyd, event emcee, and Shelly Scarbrough, Chamber Vice President, Christina Tucker from Leaf Filter, and Leslie DiCesare, Executive Director of the Lady Lake Chamber.

n 2024, Library Assistant Kourtney Fehr donates school supplies on behalf of the Lady Lake Library to Villages Elementary of Lady Lake Principal Gregg Dudley

LADY LAKE — For the third consecutive year, the Lady Lake Library is hosting its annual “School Supplies for Fines” drive in support of area children.

This program is a great way for patrons to pay off fines while giving back to the community. The library will waive overdue material fees in exchange for donations of school supplies.

Donations can include No. 2 pencils, colored pencils, markers, crayons, backpacks and more. There are no limits to the number of donations per person, though fines cannot be forgiven for library items that are lost or damaged. Those without fines are also encouraged to donate items, as each item will be used anonymously to forgive another patron’s fines.

“This month, the Lady Lake Library is proud to bring back a community favorite—School Supplies for Fines,” said Library Director Aly Herman. “This program is exactly like the successful countywide Food for Fines program, and is another way to continue to support children in our community.”

Last year, the Lady Lake Library donated over 800 school supplies to The Villages Elementary of Lady Lake. In exchange for donations from the community, around $800 in library fines were forgiven.

Donations will be accepted during regular business hours at the Lady Lake Library, located at 225 W. Guava Street through July 31.

For more information, visit www.ladylakefl.gov or facebook.com/ladylakelibrary225.

Lady Lake hosts free Back 2 School “Scoop” Event

LADY LAKE — The Town of Lady Lake is helping local families gear up for the new school year with a fun, free Back 2 School “Scoop” event on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 10 a.m. to noon at 237 W. Guava St.

This family-friendly event will offer a variety of resources to ensure kids are ready for a successful school year.

Highlights include:

• Free haircuts by local barbers and hairstylists
• Free eye screenings courtesy of Kids Sight
• Health information provided by the Florida Department of Health
• Free school supplies and backpacks full of goodies (must visit all vendor stations)
• Free ice cream sundaes for participating children

Local organizations will also be on site with program information and sign-ups, including Lady Lake Baseball and Soccer, Iron Dragon Karate, and the Lady Lake Library, which will be offering free library cards for kids.

“This is a great opportunity for families to access helpful services and start the school year with everything their children need,” said Events Coordinator Amy Alicea.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Interested businesses or organizations should contact Amy Alicea at events@ladylake.org.

Ken Racioppi

MCREC V. Chair / Legis Lead

This is a summary we used for a recent REC meeting, again student performance is affected by a multiple factors so the DOE 2025 data is one dimension of student innate skills.   However, the data provides insight to the symptoms that many of the County student skills are lagging.

We focused on third grade since education experts (not me) indicated this grade is a key marker for future success as students transition from learning to read to learning to learn.  Below is a “snip-it” copy of the summary for the meeting / I have also provided a ppt of the charts of state data (2025 DOE) we used to further our discussion of ways the REC could support our schools.

All the data taken directly from the DOE website excel tables for Marion County, just plotted the table into graphs of Level 1 and Level 2 student test data percentages, obviously there are many students on and above grade level across the County.

Feel free to contact Brigitte Smith or Len Racioppi  if there are any questions.

Lady networking luncheon was a great success. Pictures with two people standing are door prize pictures and people sitting are business people attending the luncheon. The attendee’s sit at different tables so they can learn more about each other’s businesses.

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Saving Lives Through Enforcement and Education: Florida Department of Transportation and Partners Launch 8^th-Annual Operation Southern Slow Down

Creating lasting changes in driver behavior through enhanced  enforcement and education

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is proud to announce the launch of Florida’s annual Operation Southern Slow Down campaign, which begins July 14. Through this campaign, FDOT aims to reduce the risk of speed-related crashes by leveraging the use of enhanced enforcement of speed limits and public safety messaging about the dangers of speeding. In partnership with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) and its division of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), FDOT’s Operation Southern Slow Down efforts are part of a broader initiative involving its counterpart transportation and law enforcement organizations in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

“Florida’s transportation system is meticulously engineered to maximize safety – it’s woven into every design plan, every education campaign, and every traffic safety law enforced by our law enforcement partners. Operation Southern Slow Down is a strong example of how each of these facets works together to create safer roadways,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “We encourage communities to join our efforts in creating a safer transportation future by recognizing the risks of unsafe driving behaviors, like speeding.xxxxxx Continue reading →

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LADY LAKE — The Town of Lady Lake’s Water Utility recently underwent a comprehensive sanitary survey inspection by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The review, conducted by three inspectors on June 6, included visits to all three of the Town’s water treatment plants.

The inspection evaluated all major aspects of the Town’s water system, including water sampling plans, maintenance records, emergency preparedness, and cross connection control. Lady Lake’s water utility staff provided documentation demonstrating that the Town is maintaining and operating its water system in accordance with state requirements and public health standards.

The inspection reviewed the Town’s: Continue reading →

LADY LAKE – On the two-year-anniversary of the Town’s only unsolved homicide, the Lady Lake Police Department is asking the public for help in solving this tragic crime.

20-year-old Bryson “Swift” Leverette was one of two victims shot at 104 Caroline Ave. on June 30, 2023. Lady Lake Police responded within minutes and performed life-saving measures, however Leverette was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim survived their injuries.

The initial investigation revealed that both victims were leaving the home in the Skyline Hills area of Lady Lake at around 12:44 a.m. when they were attacked by a group of suspects armed with several different firearms. The suspects fled the scene in unknown vehicles.

Since his death, Leverette’s girlfriend gave birth to their son. Leverette’s mother, family and friends continue to grieve their loss and eagerly await news of an arrest. Continue reading →