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 of getting their name in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The winners from the district competition are, left to right, 12-year-old Charlotte Kenny, 9-year-old Shenenda Fleurimond, 11-year-old Baylor Mueller, District Hoopshoot Director, George Domedion, 13-year-old Jalen Gaddis, 8-year-old Benjamin Beverly, and absent from the picture, 10-year-old Kyus Gaddis.
The next step in their journey will be to compete in the state regional finals at the Florida Elks Youth Camp in Umatilla, Florida on January 24.
UNITY DONATES TO WHEELS
Unity in the Community donated $35,000 to Meals on Wheels to assist with meals delivered to seniors and others who need meal assistance. All of the delivered food is cooked, prepared, and packaged by Winn-Dixie.
ADDITION TO ART
On November 25, the Plant City Housing Authority hosted its annual Arts Festival. The purpose of the Festival was to celebrate art and culture. At the festival, the Housing Authority unveiled an electrical box that had been transformed into a vibrant work of art titled, “A Vision Revealed. A Future Honored.” This piece of art stands at the southwest corner of E. Alabama St. and S. Maryland Ave. A plaque has been added to the art that reads, “‘Breaking Out’ Into a world of limitless possibilities is meant to be both inspiring and transformative. It’s a powerful narrative of empowerment, envisioning a future where individuals transcend the confines of public housing to embrace opportunities in employment, education, and home ownership. Our hope is to have our diverse community members burst through barriers symbolizing the dismantling of limitations as they forge their paths toward their future. PLANT CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY November 25, 2025.”
Congresswoman Visits Food Bank
On Friday, January 2, the United Food Bank and Services was honored to have Congresswoman Laurel Lee pay a visit. She is a longtime supporter of the food bank, and having her take the time to come for a visit, take a tour of the facility and the operations, and even help fill some “kids weekend bags” truly shows her support of the mission of the food bank. Her daughter, Faith, and Faith’s friend, Giuliano, joined the Congresswoman, and they worked for over an hour helping to fill the weekend bags that are supplied to children in need of nourishment through the weekend.
Nominations Sought for Hillsborough Environmental Champion
Hillsborough County is asking for residents’ help in honoring those who have worked tirelessly to protect the environment.
Nominations are now being accepted for Hillsborough County’s Theodore Roosevelt Hillsborough Forever Conservation Award. The honor is given annually to an individual or group who exemplifies dedication to preserving the county’s natural resources. The award is named after Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the 26th president of the United States and noted conservationist who placed more than 200 million acres under public protection.
Nominees must live or work in Hillsborough County or have lived/worked in Hillsborough during the time of their achievements. They should be “someone who shows persistence and dedication to long-term conservation of the county’s natural resources, demonstrates integrity in performance toward conservation goals, and displays attributes of true conservation stewardship,’’ according to the award criteria.
Nominations will be reviewed by the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program General Committee, which will send a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners for approval. The Board will hold an award ceremony in the spring to coincide with National Arbor Day.
The deadline for nominations is Feb. 28. Nominations can be made online, or for more information, call (813) 672-7876 or email Ross Dickerson.
CSX Transportation Track Maintenance Project
The CSX Transportation project will include the installation of new railroad ties along parts of the CSX Lakeland subdivision. The project begins on Jan 12 and ends on/around Jan 30.
Railroad crossings will be closed anywhere from two to five days (unless otherwise noted), depending on the type of maintenance they are set to receive. Crossings will not be closed for the entire duration of the project. The estimated closure time frames are the best approximation at this time. These dates are highly subject to change with or without notice due to many of the unforeseen circumstances that can occur in the field once the work begins.
S Web Road – January 22
Hardy MFG – January 24
Gandy Glass Co – January 24
Maryland Ave – January 25
S Warnell St – January 25
Lake St – January 25
S Howard St – January 26
Sammonds Rd – January 13
Turkey Creek Rd – January 14
Forbes Rd – January 15
Sydney Dover Rd – January 15
McIntosh Rd – January 20
Road Closure
N Warnell St, between E. Baker St and E. Reynolds St, will be closed from January 5 to January 23. Phase one will be removing, cleaning, and storing existing bricks. Phase two will be curb replacement, sidewalk reconstruction, driveway modifications, and resurfacing. Then, brick restoration of roadways.
