THE VILLAGES

As the U.S. government debates whether to require higher staffing levels at nursing homes, financial records show some owners routinely push profits to sister companies while residents are neglected.

All four residents of The Villages charged with voting twice in the 2020 election have now admitted to the crime, court records show.

Not much more than an hour into existence, the new Mickylee Pitch & Putt already had its first hole-in-one. Tom Turner, of the Village of McClure, staked out a slice

Even before finishing their first dinner at Coastal Del Mar Seafood Grill on Jan. 4, Sherri Mulholland and Susan Gallagher were planning a return trip. “We will definitely be back

Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference Thursday in The Villages. The governor plans to speak around 10 a.m. from the Eisenhower Regional Recreation Center on Buena Vista Boulevard. Read: Happening Today: FEMA assistance deadline for Floridians impacted by Hurricane IanDeSantis will be speaking with Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo. These 113 people are missing from Central FloridaIt’s unclear what the news conference will be about. of Transportation investigating cause of FAA system outageChannel 9 will have a crew at the event and will provide updates on Eyewitness News.

Plan to import cheaper drugs still in stasis, DeSantis says

The holidays have a reputation for drawing the biggest shopping crowds of the season, with lines outside of stores on Black Friday and frantic shoppers searching for gifts in the

The midterms are over; the race to the White House is on. It’s a race that, one way or another, winds through Florida and The Villages. In fact, it’s arriving

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies shot a man after they responded to a domestic disturbance incident in The Villages on Thursday night, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators did not name the 35-year-old suspect but said he was taken to a hospital with injuries. MCSO said both deputies involved in the incident were “safe.”The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct an investigation into the shooting incident. WFTV has a crew at the scene Friday morning; stay with WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates on this developing story. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

Charlie Holzschuh wants people to know it’s never too late to become a Lion.

Fruitland Park has been one of Florida’s fastest growing cities for years, and it’s not slowing down.

A 27-year-old man was killed and three others were seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash on County Road 466 in The Villages, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

A 73-year-old man from The Villages was killed in a Lake County crash Saturday afternoon, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

When August rolls around, something begins to stir beneath the ground. A group of zombies led by Bonnie Stein emerges from its resting place, ready to dust off the dirt

With early voting in Sumter County set to begin Tuesday, misinformation and rumors continue to circulate surrounding the proposal to create an independent fire district in The Villages. The Villages

As a cold front closes in on Central Florida, early showers and storms are expected to strike Monday night.

Music is an important part of any culture.

DeSoto For Non-Profits, a charitable club in The Villages, held a food drive Sept. 17 at Ednas' On The Green to support the pantry. Unbeknownst to both the club and

The Evening Rotary Club of The Villages held a donation drive Saturday that brought in thousands off pounds of food to help local food pantries.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Publix locations in seven Central Florida counties will close early on Wednesday due to Hurricane Ian. Publix officials said locations in Sumter, Orange, Lake (717 N. 14th St., Leesburg and 1120 Bichara Blvd., The Villages), Seminole, Marion, Osceola, and Volusia counties will close at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Those locations are expected to stay closed through Thursday and reopen on Friday. Read: Hurricane Ian: County-by-county guide to shelter locations in Central FloridaClick here for the latest updates. Video: Last-minute shoppers find some shelves empty as Central Florida prepares for Hurricane Ian As many in Central Florida make last-minute preparations ahead of Hurricane Ian, stores are starting to fill up with last-minute shoppers.

THE VILLAGES, Fla. – As hundreds of thousands of Floridians evacuate parts of the western Florida coasts with the approach of Hurricane Ian, inland residents aren't sitting idly by. Rainfall totals could reach up to a foot along with hurricane-force winds, according to the National Weather Service.

The Sumter County Board of Commissioners approved a local declaration of emergency as Hurricane Ian is moving closer to the Florida gulf coast.

Paul Farineau remembers how he met his wife, Jeanne, like it was yesterday. “We met in the fifth grade and we were 10 years old,” Paul said.

A silver alert was issued Monday evening for a 91-year-old Sumter County man, according to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.

Using electronic data extracted from those voter rolls, “Totes Legit Votes” provided Florida elections officials with the names of 282 people who appeared to have voted in both Florida and at least one other state, emails reviewed by News 6 reveal.

Group visits same McDonald's daily and honors employee for her great service.

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — For the last two decades Steve and Alice Smith have enjoyed their quiet retiree life in “Florida’s Friendliest Hometown”, better known as The Villages. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<“It’s nice here, everyone gets to know each other, we’ve made a lot of good friends,” says Alice. “We received our renewal policy maybe a month or more ago, and since then, we were shocked when we got the bill,” says Alice holding up her homeowner’s insurance renewal notice to show a price increase of 69%. Additionally, starting September first, many homeowners using Citizens will see their rates climb too. “We are seeing more volatility in the homeowner’s insurance market today than we have seen in the last two years,” says Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute, noting that Florida resident already pay the highest average property insurance premium in the nation, at almost three-times the national average.

Rep. Daniel Webster faces two challengers: conservative firebrand Laura Loomer and Gavriel Soriano.

ORLANDO, Fla. — AAA announced Monday that Florida is seeing a 10th straight week of falling gas prices. “Gas prices are still falling, but not quite as fast as they did in recent weeks,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman of AAA-The Auto Club Group. During that time, the state average was in the $3.40s, which could be where pump prices eventually plateau,” Jenkins said. More Transportation HeadlinesOrlando has some of the lowest gas prices in the state, along with The Villages and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach, which are around $3.43 on average per gallon. Tallahassee, Naples, and West Palm are seeing some of the highest prices at $3.75 on average per gallon.

A crash in Bunnell on Saturday forced lane closures on State Road 100 West, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

The National Hurricane Center designated a disturbance in the the western Gulf of Mexico as Potential Tropical Cyclone Four.

A third resident of The Villages has admitted to voting twice during the 2020 election, court records show.

Friends up north and across Tampa Bay snickered when Brian Lafferty revealed where he’d bought a new home. His 30-year-old daughter in Boston called to express concern. Even his ex-wife asked him about it. “Without exception, every person I’ve told I bought a house in The Villages has asked the same thing,” Lafferty said. “‘Isn’t that the STD capital of the United States?’” The Villages, a ...

Rep. Daniel Webster faces two challengers: conservative firebrand Laura Loomer and Gavriel Soriano.

Volunteers pack shoeboxes of toys and school supplies to send off for Operation Christmas Child

Quinton Downing said others were reluctant to open a business in The Villages 25 years ago, when the community was just getting going. But he took a chance when he

A 75-year-old The Villages woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Marion County, troopers say.

To paraphrase a line Paul McCartney once wrote, his fans will still need him, when he’s 74 (plus six).

The Villages has always been good to anglers.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to sign off on Florida’s $112.1 billion state budget in The Villages Thursday afternoon.

A 76-year-old man delivering newspapers in The Villages suffered fatal injuries Sunday morning when he was struck by the door of a van he exited without placing in park first, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Major revitalization projects are underway in the north, jaw-dropping new amenities are breaking ground in the south and more businesses are joining the scene from one end of The Villages

The Villages’ popularity has again propelled it to the fastest-growing metropolitan statistical area in the nation for the past 10 years. The population here has grown 33.4% from 2012-21, U.S.

A statue of Dan Marino stands sentry outside the south entrance of Hard Rock Stadium, holding a football aloft as though saluting the Miami Dolphins faithful. And if you stand

The upcoming Middleton neighborhood will use the same form of local government that has been successful throughout The Villages.

Like the builders of The Villages, the community’s wildlife gardeners create homes.

A gray labradoodle named Vinnie recently got his 15 minutes of fame.

One of the largest resident lifestyle clubs in The Villages recently lent a helping hand to a popular community service group.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in The Villages.

Brian Breed was baptized last month as part of a formal water baptism ceremony at First Baptist Church of Leesburg’s South Leesburg Campus. Breed said the baptism was decades in

The Villages Public Safety Department has a brand new, bright and shiny crimson ambulance — the first of 12 to come. VPSD’s gold and black name and logo glittered in

Two Florida men confessed to committing voter fraud by voting twice in the 2020 presidential elections. Charles Barnes, 64, and Jay Ketcik, 63, are both...

Two residents of The Villages now admit they voted twice during the 2020 election, court records show.

Decked out in red, white and blue decorations, The Dachshund Club of The Villages prepared for its biggest event of the year.

Community United Methodist Church in Fruitland Park is opening up its Harvest of Hope Community Garden to city residents and needs a few green thumbs to make it a reality.

Leesburg High School students celebrated Women’s History Month by attending an important reenactment. First-year teacher Jacob Finegan learned about a women’s suffrage procession reenactment happening in The Villages, and immediately knew he wanted his students to experience it firsthand.

Sumter County detectives on Friday asked the public for help as they worked to identify a man they said was a suspect in an alleged battery in The Villages, according to the sheriff’s office’s social media.

A treatment long used to treat decompression sickness, serious infections and brain injuries is now being used to help veterans with PTSD at a clinic in The Villages.

Miranda Delee Farleigh, 25, was arrested in November after being indicted in federal court last month.

Not quite four months after Southern Oaks Golf Club opened, Tyler Krager acknowledges he’s still getting accustomed to the rhythms of The Villages’ southernmost golf offering. “That’s something we’ve been

Marshall Lindrooth went to a quarterly meeting at Freedom Pointe at The Villages for staff and residents on Thursday surprised to find out he was there to receive an award.

Julie Schmied gets excited when she heads to LovExtension every month.

COVID-19 symptoms are not going away for millions of patients worldwide.

If you were at Lake Sumter Landing on Valentine’s Day, you may have spotted a group of adorable dogs dressed up and parading along the boardwalk.

A local Olympic competition that took place Thursday featured plenty of gold—and not just in the form of medals.

Police identified the body of a construction worker trapped in a hole at a bridge construction site in Lady Lake on Wednesday.

The Villages Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America is the largest chapter in Florida. But the members aren’t stopping there.

Egrets and ibises are not puppies.

Organizations like Your Humane Society, The Villages Parrot Heads and local crafting groups are planning to facilitate more adoptions for furry friends, donate more blood and craft more items for

Florida gives its youth football players passageways to the professional ranks better than any other state. The Sunshine State once again led the nation in NFL Draft selections in 2021,

Cat O'Neill's original path wasn't supposed to lead her to yoga, but these days she teaches classes throughout The Villages.

Baby, it's waaayyy cold outside.

The crime is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

The community’s newest fishable bodies of water are on their way to becoming fishing destinations. Villagers looking to cast their rods and reels close to home have more places to

In the Dr. Seuss book, “The Lorax,” the titular character speaks for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.

The Evening Rotary Club of The Villages is helping those who served the country by supporting a local program.

Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks to supporters at ‘America First’ rally in The Villages Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz took the stage in The Villages on Friday to address hundreds of supporters packed into a ballroom. ORLANDO, Fla. — An ex-girlfriend of Rep. Matt Gaetz entered an Orlando federal courthouse where a grand jury is meeting, alongside her lawyer on Wednesday, according to reports from CNN. CNN reported that a source familiar with the case previously said Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend, a former Capitol Hill staffer, was expected to testify before the grand jury investigating Gaetz. READ: Texts, voicemail link Rep. Matt Gaetz, former Seminole County tax collector Joel GreenbergMultiple people familiar with the case told CNN that a grand jury has been meeting at the George C. Young Federal Annex Courthouse regarding the Gaetz investigation. CNN reported that the lawyer for the ex-girlfriend, Timothy Jansen, declined to comment, as did a Justice Department spokesman.

Six people were injured in a Pine Hills crash on Wednesday night, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.

A man was shot and killed in Orlando on Wednesday night, according to the Orlando Police Department.

A man was shot and injured Wednesday afternoon in Orlando, according to the police department.

A fourth resident of The Villages has been arrested for allegedly casting multiple ballots in the 2020 election.

A man was shot and killed in southwest Orlando.

The cold front that brought in the rain will continue to move out of Central Florida Tuesday evening.

A short-lived tornado touched down in southwest Florida Tuesday morning, leaving more than $500,000 worth of damage in its wake, according to the National Weather Service.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a 15-year-old girl who was last seen Saturday morning.

An anonymous email sent to Florida’s secretary of state led to the arrests of at least three voters accused of casting multiple ballots in the 2020 general election.

Darrell Day and his wife, Lisa, are bringing their tie-dyed ice cream shop to a new Lake County community in 2022.

Multiple Orlando homes were struck by gunfire Tuesday night after a person allegedly fired shots from a vehicle, according to the Orlando Police Department.

A 72-year-old man from Deland was killed in a motorcycle crash this evening.

Several property development companies are bidding for a chance to construct the third phase of a riverwalk in Port Orange.

A nightmare come true: Christmas and Halloween join forces in a “creepy” maze running for its final weekend.

Three residents of The Villages have recently been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into voter fraud, court records show.

A fire at an Orlando apartment complex has displaced several families.

A man driving a golf cart in The Villages was seriously injured Saturday when it hit a curb and he was ejected from it, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Cases continue to climb in classrooms across Central Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the opening of another monoclonal antibody treatment center.

Osceola County sees the second largest population growth in Florida over the last 10 years, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

A sinkhole opened up over the weekend near a golf course in The Villages.

An 81-year-old man was seriously injured when he crashed a golf cart into a concrete wall in The Villages Wednesday afternoon, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – The vaccination site that was located on Wedgewood Lane in The Villages has moved to Lake-Sumter State College. AdLake-Sumter State College, located on 1423 CR 526A, is 16 miles away from Wedgewood Lane which may not be convenient for some seniors. “Global Medical Response is now vaccinating at Lake Sumter College, Sumterville Campus. This is a mobile vaccination site we are prepared to move when necessary. Appointment times will not be interrupted; however, the location may change over the coming months from time-to-time,” Global Medical Response said in a statement to News 6.