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 ReadingNeighbors
Plant 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. […]
Continue Reading“Lady Bird” Deed: Best Way of Leaving a Home to Family?
If you own your home in Florida, you have probably wondered how to leave it to your children without the cost and delay of probate court. One tool that does this well is the “Lady Bird” deed. Its formal name is an enhanced life estate deed, but almost everyone uses the friendlier nickname. Here is […]
Continue ReadingVeteran takes Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., reflecting on decades of service
For James Hawkins, the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., alongside dozens of fellow veterans was a trip he had nearly forgotten he had applied for. Hawkins, a Plant City-area veteran and longtime member of several veterans’ organizations, applied for an Honor Flight last year. When he was selected for a flight this year, the news […]
Continue ReadingA Saturday Afternoon in Downtown Plant City, 1950s Style
Imagine it is a Saturday afternoon in Plant City in the 1950s. You get dressed, leave the house, and head downtown. You are not looking for a big shopping center or deciding which chain restaurant to try. You are simply going downtown to have breakfast, run a few errands, do some shopping, and see what […]
Continue ReadingAround Town 09.24.26
We asked Plant City: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? “Quit, don’t quit. Noodles, don’t noodles. You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There is a saying: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” – Master Oogway […]
Continue ReadingObituaries 09.24.26
Adolph ‘Biz’ Powell Adolph “Biz” Powell, 94, of Plant City, Fla., born on Sept. 15, 1932, entered into eternal rest on Sept. 16, 2026. Expressions of condolences at www.HopewellFuneral.com. Danny Rae Morris Danny Rae Morris, 58, of Plant City, Fla., born on Nov. 16, 1967, in Orange County, Fla., entered into eternal rest on Sept. […]
Continue ReadingWalden Lake resident raises concerns about alligators near neighborhood ponds
For more than three decades, Ken Lawrence has lived in Walden Lake without giving much thought to alligators. That changed about six months ago, when, for the first time since he moved there, he saw alligators in the ponds near his Emerald Forest home. Now, the retired businessman and former Emerald Forest homeowners association president […]
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