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March 30, the Daughters of the American Revolution Mary Ellen Robertson Chapter are hosting Welcome Home Vietnam Veteran Day, as a way to thank and welcome home all Vietnam era veterans in Lake County.

The 122nd Georgefest celebration in Eustis closed out its week-long festivities Feb. 24 with its Grand Parade. And for 106 years, the local Ocklawaha Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution has been a part of this event. The chapter was chartered on 1916, …

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If you grew up in Florida in the 1950s, you no doubt grew up with the U.S. Space program. We watched the launches and missions of the Gemini and Apollo missions from televisions in our classrooms. The astronauts were our childhood heroes. In fact, I even named my son after one. But did you k…

The last time the Florida Department of Health in Lake County issued a health alert for Lake Yale was Dec. 1, 2023, after a water sample showed the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in the lake. 

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Feb. 13, Lake County Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays announced the elections office has begun mailing Vote-by-Mail ballots for the March 19 Presidential Preference Primary. 

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Danny Sylvester hopes to bring a little camp life to the Lake County Historical Society and Museum this Saturday. He is a co-owner of a heating and cooling business in Marianna, Florida, which has been in operation for more than 30 years. 

The Florida Department of Health in Lake County sent out a press release Feb. 7 stating that it is responding to a bat-related incident at 15920 County Rd 455 Montverde, the address of gated golf community Bella Collina. 

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Honest communication is truly the key to a successful marriage—you can overcome any obstacle if you know what you’re dealing with and can talk through it. My husband and I have been married for 21 years.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. –There was an increase in the number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide and an uptick in fatalities in 2023 compared to the previous year. The University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File (ISAF), a scientific database of global shark attacks, confirmed 69 unpr…

Every year in America, February is set aside to celebrate the rich heritage, triumphs and adversities that are part of Black history. 

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What began at a Mount Dora City Council meeting last May came to fruition at a special city council meeting held Jan. 22: Patrick Comiskey, the city manager, was suspended, along with his assistant, Merry Lovern.

MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Jan. 16, 2024 – The annual Mount Dora Arts Festival will fill the streets of Mount Dora’s historic downtown shopping district once again. Mount Dora is known for being a walkable town with streets lined with small boutiques and eclectic restaurants.

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The gopher tortoise, which is federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, primarily due to loss of habitat, may get a boost of support if a proposed specialty license plate gets enough interest.

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Jan. 4, Eustis Mayor Michael Holland and Vice Mayor Emily Lee were re-elected to serve one more year. 2024 is the sixth year that Mayor Holland has held the position, with Vice Mayor Lee serving for her fifth year. The commission also appointed board and committee representatives for 2024. H…

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Two high school teachers and one middle school teacher were surprised earlier this month when a delegation of school representatives traveled to their schools to let each one know she’d been named as a finalists in the 2025 Lake County Schools Teacher of the Year program. 

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The 100-year-old botanical watercolors of Mount Dora resident Emma Collins Sears Marsh are gaining exposure, thanks to Lakes and Hills Garden Club of Mount Dora member Glenda Sumner, fine art specialist Lauren Stump and others who want the works exposed to a wider audience. 

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At the end of 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau projected the U.S. population to be 335,893,238 on New Year’s Day, an annual increase of 1,759,535 or 0.53%. By comparison, just before the nation’s independence nearly 250 years ago, the 13 colonies had about 2.5 million residents, according to the…

One of my favorite Christmas tales is Dr. Seuss’ story of the Grinch. I especially like the animated cartoon narrated by Boris Karloff (not the first name that comes to mind when you think “beloved Christmas figure”). It features a memorable song about his meanness by Thurl Ravenscroft, aka …

As the year winds down and thoughts turn to what the new year will bring, we don’t want to turn our backs on 2023, especially when it comes to evaluating the health and well being of local communities. 

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Last month, the Golden Triangle Moose Lodge #874 in Eustis held a Valued Veterans raffle with the Happy Hookers, a group of women who get together Thursdays at the lodge “to hook rugs into pictures into frames,” lodge representative Michael D. Barber said. the group donated a raffle basket w…

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Daniels Lab at the Florida Museum of Natural History was recently awarded two grants to help support pollinators ida will distribute $144,421 over three years to evaluate the establishment of pollinator habitat at its new solar site Alachua County.

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Due to the evening arrival of the airplane carrying the remains of U.S. Army Air Force Staff Sergeant Franklin P. Hall, the previously scheduled Welcome Home Hero’s Highway procession to Hall’s final resting place in Leesburg has been postponed. Initially planned on the date of the flight’s …

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Dec. 10, Lady Lake Police officers responded to an armed robbery at the Circle K/Sunoco gas station at 413 S U.S. Highway 27/441 in Lady Lake. The incident took place at approximately 9:52 pm. Surveillance footage revealed a suspect entering the premises, brandishing a semi-automatic handgun.

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United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Bob Woodruff Foundation. The funding will support UWLS’ Mission United veterans’ resources program and is designated to provide emergency financial assistance to meet the urgent needs of veterans, service member…

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If you’re looking for an adventure in your search for a Christmas tree this year, consider packing a saw and sundry necessities and heading into the Ocala National Forest.

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Lake Technical College recently announced its November Students of the Month. They are Angelia Taylor, Sherieka Pollock, Saul Martinez, John Almanzar, Kaylah Murphy, Aaliyah Zafarali, Ryker Morgan, Liliane Mendes Vieira Da Silva, Ashley Shay, Amy Carpenter and Summer Ward. The students were …

Lake Yale’s stretch of unhealthiness continues. Nov. 29, a water sample was taken from the lake, and Dec. 1, the Florida Department of Health in Lake County issued a health alert due to the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in the lake. 

Dec. 3, the 19th Annual Toys for Tots Tournament will give boaters and non-boaters opportunity to collect boatloads of toys for local children and possibly win an award for most toys gathered.

Lake County Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays recently announced the winner of the 2023 High School Voter Registration Challenge for Lake County Public High Schools during the bi-weekly meeting of the Lake County School Board. Mount Dora High School Principal Marlene Straughan and Senior Gov…

University of Florida scientists plan to utilize $2 million from an initiative by UF President Ben Sasse for a Crop Transformation Center to help Florida farmers improve production of citrus and specialty crops.

Cardiovascular-related deaths due to extreme heat are expected to increase between 2036 and 2065 in the U.S., according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers, whose work is published in Circulation, predict that adults ages 65 and older and Black adults w…

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Oct. 24, the Kiwanis District 9 lieutenant governor, Brian Gruss, at right, installed David Ohnstad as treasurer, Shirley Dunne as secretary and Phyllis Anderson as president of the Leesburg Kiwanis Club. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers “dedicated to improving the world one ch…

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Joseph Mabry, Lake County Schools’ safety and security director, was awarded the Outstanding Program Support Award from Crimeline for leading the district’s partnership with the organization and encouraging the use of the SpeakOut hotline for campus safety. Students, staff and others can sub…

The 2023 Scarecrow Fundraising Contest was a huge success and generated interest and funds to support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Lake County, Florida, according to organizer Debi Weinert.

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Karen Cochran Beaulieu, who writes a regular advice column for this newspaper, has created a workbook to accompany her first book, “Moments that Matter, a roadmap for caregivers and their loved ones with memory loss.” 

Leesburg recently announced the hiring of Maggie Lyden as special event manager for the city’s new event division. Lyden brings a wealth of experience to the position and will lead a team of staff and volunteers tasked with providing high-quality events for the community following 28 years o…

The need for youth to speak up and make their voices heard about the issues they care about is as important as ever, which is why one student-led organization in Florida is leading the way in the fight against the tobacco industry and the addictive products that target youth.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently finalized a rule removing 21 species from the list of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act because of extinction.

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John Tyler Bryan, 29, of Umatilla, passed away Friday, February 24, 2023. Born in Leesburg, Florida, he was a lifelong resident of Umatilla, graduating from Umatilla High School class of 2012. He was a journeyman lineman for Service Electric. Tyler was a member of the International Brotherho…

SUZANNE MARY HOWARD, age 78 of Mount Dora, Florida passed away on May 22, 2022. Born on October 13, 1943 to Richard and Beatrice Howard in Columbus, Ohio. She was the wife of the late Randall Keith Stephens. Suzanne was a flight attendant with the National Airlines and met "Randy" a pilot. H…