Driver from Mexico who lost license after DUI caught back behind wheel
A man from Mexico who lost his license after a drunk driving arrest was nabbed when he was caught back behind the wheel. An officer spotted 23-year-old Cesar Velazquez Portillo of Lady Lake in a pickup truck towing an enclosed trailer on Dixie Avenue around 6:10 p.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the...
Coleman man driving without license arrested at local 7-Eleven
A Coleman man was arrested after being stopped at 7-Eleven with a suspended license and an expired registration. An officer observed 32-year-old Lestettis Requal Caruthers driving a black Kia Soul northbound on U.S. 301 around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. A...
Marion County Man Accused Of Raping Teen Girl: Deputies
Marion County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl after she reported the incident to school officials. According to the arrest report for Donald Gates, 43, the inquiry began when the victim presented a note to the school detailing the sexual assault Gates perpetrated on her.
Ocala man attacks neighbor with table leg over barking dogs, deputies say
An argument over barking dogs ended with the arrest of a 58-year-old Ocala man after he allegedly attacked one of his neighbors with a wooden table leg. On Tuesday, October 7, at around 10 a.m., a Marion County Sheriff’s Office corporal responded to a home located on SW 58th Lane in Ocala in reference to an...
Ronald Exantus arrested in Florida after failing to register as a felon
An arrest warrant has been obtained for Ronald Exantus in Florida for failing to register as a convicted felon, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier reports.
Local Entrepreneur Uses Ice Cream Business to Shine Light on Sickle Cell Disease
Chozen Frozens and More owner Takeia Dixon built her business out of both love and necessity. As the mother of two daughters living with sickle cell disease, Takeia’s life revolves around their care. With hospital visits often unpredictable, holding down a traditional nine-to-five job became impossible. So, she built...
Renowned thoroughbred trainer dies at 80
Melvin James, hailed as a pioneer and trendsetter in the thoroughbred industry, and who trained the future Triple Crown winner Affirmed at Ocala’s Harbor View Farm, passed away on Oct. 6 at the age of 80. James was remembered as a quiet and patient man, a husband and father...
Cold front on the way to Florida. Here’s your forecast before and after it...
ORLANDO, Fla. – Another round of rain and coastal flooding is on the way before Central Florida finally gets a break from the heat and humidity. Rain chances are climbing again Thursday and Friday, with heavy downpours likely along the coast. The ground is already saturated from recent storms,...
State rejects Apopka’s growth plan, Publix to allow shoppers to carry guns in Fla....
Good morning, Central Florida. Here's what you need to know today. Unsettled weather resumes on Thursday as moisture deepens across Central Florida ahead of an approaching front. Onshore winds will help generate seabreeze-driven showers and storms, with rain most likely at the coast but scattered activity will drift...
Naked Villager found screaming near loading dock at Lowe’s
A naked Villager was found screaming near a loading dock at a Lowe’s home improvement store. Sumter County sheriff’s deputies were called at about 3 a.m. Wednesday to the loading dock area at Lowe’s on U.S. Hwy. 441 in Lady Lake where they found 43-year-old Lisa Powers, who lives on the Historic Side of The Villages.
