Jimmy Robbins, a fifth-generation Floridian and owner of Robbins Jewelry and Pawn Shop with his father and sister, grew up in Plant City and has worked in the gem and jewelry business for almost 40 years. After years of driving to and from gem shows across the country, from Florida to Lebanon, Pennsylvania, or Tucson, […]
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After 28 years, Lone Oak pastor Kerry Beaty hands off a growing church
On his final Sunday as pastor of Lone Oak Missionary Baptist Church, Pastor Kerry Beaty watched three people be baptized, and four others join the congregation. It was a fitting close, he said, to 28 years in the pulpit. Beaty, who retired this fall, arrived in Plant City on the second Sunday of August 1998. […]
Continue ReadingAuto Review 10.08.26
It’s back after a four-year hiatus. And bigger inside out than its predecessor. Introducing to you the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, an inexpensive subcompact EV hatchback. We first tested the four-door, five-passenger ride when it was introduced way back in 2017. We were quite impressed then and now even more so with its larger 65 kWh […]
Continue ReadingSpooky Season Fall Festivals and Events
Break out the costumes and make room in the candy bucket. Plant City has a full calendar of fall festivals, corn mazes, haunted attractions and Halloween events this October. The headliner is Monster Mash, the city’s Halloween bash, which expands to two nights for the first time this year. It runs Friday, Oct. 23, from […]
Continue ReadingAround Town 10.08.26
We asked Plant City: Have your Halloween decorations gone up?
Continue ReadingObituaries 10.08.26
Myrtle Lee Keen Myrtle Lee Keen, 95, of Duette, born on July 22, 1931, in Wimauma, Fla., entered into eternal rest on Sept. 28, 2026. Expressions of condolences at www.HopewellFuneral.com. Christina Grace Thomas Christina Grace Thomas, 80, of Lithia, Fla., born on May 19, 1946, in Elkton, Maryland, entered into eternal rest on Sept. 27, […]
Continue Reading“Oh, Florida!” Author Craig Pittman Shares the Sunshine State’s Strangest Stories
Ask anybody in America which state is the only one with a government job listing for “Mermaid,” and they’ll likely guess, “It HAS to be Florida.” They’d be correct. That’s just one of the many strange but true facts Plant City’s Friends of the Library and guests learned about the state that’s become known as […]
Continue ReadingPlant City church offers bathing, toiletries with help of Tampa-based ShowerUp
Alongside its food pantry and ministry, Mount Olive Baptist Church — set in downtown Plant City off W. Ball Street — opened a new showering and bathing service for the community’s homeless and needy. Donna White, a coordinator for the service and a church member, said the idea came from recognizing a lack of accessible […]
Continue ReadingTimberlane Pet Hospital & Resort celebrates 20 years of caring for Plant City’s pets
Twenty years ago, a Plant City native with a veterinary degree and a big idea came home to open a pet hospital. Now Timberlane Pet Hospital & Resort is throwing itself a birthday party, and the whole town is invited. The free open house is set for St., Oct. 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 […]
Continue ReadingObituaries 10.01.26
Sue Ann Schopper Sue Ann Schopper, 88, of Lithia, Fla., born on Mar. 25, 1938, in Stigler, Oklahoma, entered into eternal rest on Sept. 26, 2026. Expressions of condolences at www.HopewellFuneral.com. Maurice Kelly Bland Maurice Kelly Bland, 76, of Lakeland, Fla., born on Mar. 22, 1950, in Adel, Georgia, entered into eternal rest on Sept. […]
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