Officer Vincent Wise has stepped onto the ground of the community by spending time mentoring three boys in foster care. In the fall, one of them, a 10-year-old, had been having a little issue in school. “I talked to him about it, and told him if he started doing better, we would make one of […]
Continue ReadingNews Briefs 01.08.26
Elks Lodge Hosts District Hoop Shoot Contest Plant City Elks Lodge 1727 hosted the Southwest Central District Hoop Shoot contest on Saturday, December 6 at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center. Hoop Shoot is a free-throw contest that allows children between the ages of eight and 13 to compete against each other with the ultimate goal […]
Continue ReadingNever Too Old To Step Up To The Plate With the Plant City Skyhawks
For Matthew DeRidder, baseball was an obsession. It was a way to connect with the community, make friends, and bring out his competitive side. Somewhere along the way, adulthood, responsibility, and distance from the game made it feel impossible to play again. That was until he found a way to reconnect his inner child with […]
Continue ReadingCitizen of the Year Award; A Brief History
Writers Program, Huang History Center Plant City History & Photo Archives Kiwanis Club of Plant City will host the 67th Annual Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award Luncheon on Wednesday, January14, at the Florida Strawberry Festival TECO Expo Hall. The doors will open at 11:00 a.m., and the buffet will begin at 11:30 a.m. The […]
Continue ReadingA Fresh Tradition Begins
Historic Downtown Plant City is kicking off a new community tradition in 2026 with the debut of the Plant City Main Street Farmers Market. The first of the monthly markets will take place on Saturday, January 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The market will be held at McCall Park in beautiful, historic downtown […]
Continue ReadingYear In Review: January 2025
To begin the New Year, Historic Plant City Main Street instituted a new tradition and celebration—the Strawberry Drop. An estimated 10,000 people flooded downtown for the event. U.S. Representative Laurel Lee offered mobile office hours on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The City of Plant City […]
Continue ReadingYear In Review: February 2025
The City of Plant City announced the qualifying period to run for city commission seats held by Mayor Nate Kilton and Vice Mayor Jason Jones. Laurel Lee, U.S. Congresswoman, came to town to host a ceremony honoring Plant City’s Fire Rescue at Fire Station #3 on N. Park Rd. Due to Plant City Fire Rescue’s […]
Continue ReadingYear In Review: March 2025
The annual Strawberry Festival Parade was the largest since the Covid Pandemic. At the Florida Strawberry Festival’s annual Governor’s Luncheon, U.S. Senator, and Plant City native Ashley Moody, and U.S. Representative for the 15th District, Laurel Lee, who served in Plant City as a judge, spoke to the assembly. The Florida Strawberry Festival held a […]
Continue ReadingYear In Review: April 2025
Mayor Nate Kilton followed through on his promise to allow himself to be tased in public if the Friends of the Plant City Police Department Foundation brought in more than $100,000 in its first year. The fourth annual Jazz Under The Trees happened in Bealsville to raise funds to preserve the history of Glover School. […]
Continue ReadingYear In Review: Best of Cops Corner
That You Cheech? – Drug Possession (THC oil) 100 block of Lake Blvd An officer located a suspicious vehicle at the above location and, upon contact with the vehicle, smelled the odor of marijuana, and a cloud of smoke exited the vehicle as the windows rolled down. Both occupants of the vehicle were taken into […]
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