Sumter County News Digest

Safety Incidents

• Domestic Battery Arrest: An off-duty deputy witnessed and recorded a man dragging a woman from a vehicle and throwing her to...

• Heat relief: Sunday highs reach mid-90s with indices 100-105°F, below advisory levels.
• Storm outlook: Spotty storms start near I-75 around noon,...

An 86-year-old Villager was forced from her home after a microwave fire broke out while cooking a baked potato Friday afternoon.

• She safely...

A new event space called The Venue has opened on U.S. Highway 27 in Clermont, providing Sumter County residents with another option for weddings,...

Two recent arrests show ongoing impaired driving enforcement:

• Sumter County: 26-year-old fled The Villages disturbance after heavy drinking, failed...

Lake County's first Safe Haven Baby Box is now installed at Leesburg Fire Station 61, giving parents in crisis a climate-controlled, anonymous way to...

Citizens First Bank officially becomes Seacoast Bank on Monday after the Morse family sold it for $829 million. The change ends more than three...

An off-duty Pasco County deputy quickly intervened in a physical domestic altercation on northbound I-75 near Mile Marker 316, providing video...

School Nutrition

• 🔥 Free Meals for All Students: Sumter County School System will provide free breakfast and lunch to every enrolled student in...

Sumter County schools will give every student free breakfast and lunch next year through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision, removing all meal...

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for central Sumter County until 8:15 PM EDT on July 10.

• Hazard: 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-size hail...

A Summerfield man was arrested Wednesday after a traffic stop on U.S. 301 in Wildwood exposed his suspended North Carolina license and lack of...

Willy Buck’s Backyard Grill has doubled its owners' daily sales projections from opening day, drawing long lines of locals and prompting a second full...

Local Crime Incidents

• Boat Theft Arrests: Two teen boys were arrested in Sumter County after allegedly stealing a boat and hiding from deputies...

• Faith gathering: Temple Shalom hosts Shabbat service at Eastport Hotel on July 11 at 9:30 a.m.
• Sports action: Leesburg Lightning play free...

Publix has become its own landlord at Trailwinds Village, purchasing its supermarket site and two adjacent retail parcels for $32.5 million.

• The...

Sumter County faces three simultaneous weather pressures this week.

• Saharan dust is irritating lungs and worsening asthma, with peak impacts...

A 20-year-old Fruitland Park man was arrested after allegedly exposing himself to an Instacart shopper at Lowe’s on U.S. Hwy. 441 in Lady Lake,...

Two recent attacks underscore local safety issues:

• Villager James Stein, 74, allegedly racked a shotgun and threatened to kill a housemate despite...

Two teens, ages 14 and 17, were arrested after stealing a John boat and hiding in a culvert during a multi-hour manhunt in Sumter County. The owner's...