At 10 a.m.: DeSantis to hold news conference with Florida’s Surgeon General in The Villages
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.
wftv.comMan shot after grabbing deputy’s Taser in The Villages, officials say
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.
wftv.comHurricane Ian: Publix stores in these Central Florida counties will close early for the storm
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.
wftv.com'People are just scared': Inland Florida residents brace for Hurricane Ian's impacts
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.
news.yahoo.com‘Totes Legit’ tipster found 282 possible voter fraud cases in Florida; few prosecuted outside The Villages
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.
Florida’s Homeowner’s Insurance Crisis Hits the Villages
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.
wftv.comPump Patrol: Gas prices continue to fall in Florida
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.
wftv.comWhy is The Villages rumored to be ‘the STD capital of America?’
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 ...
news.yahoo.comMan delivering newspapers in The Villages struck by own van, suffers fatal fall, FHP says
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.
Leesburg High School students celebrate Women’s History Month at suffrage reenactment
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.
Report: Rep. Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend enters Orlando courthouse where grand jury is meeting
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.
wftv.comVaccination site in The Villages moved to Sumterville
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.