Motorcyclist killed after crashing into tree on County Road 42
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A 36-year-old Ormond Beach man was killed Wednesday afternoon when his motorcycle ran off County Road 42 and struck a tree, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The man was riding a 2022 Ducati motorcycle eastbound on County Road 42, west of Central Camp Road in the DeLand portion of Lake County, at 1:40 p.m. when he attempted to negotiate a curve to the left, FHP said. The motorcycle ran off the right side of the roadway onto the grass shoulder and struck a tree, according to FHP. The rider was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Lady Lake woman, 82, dies after being struck by SUV Tuesday night
LADY LAKE, Fla. — An 82-year-old Lady Lake woman died after she was struck by an SUV while walking along Vermont Avenue Tuesday evening, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The woman was walking west along the north portion of Vermont Avenue around 7:30 p.m. while an 83-year-old Lady Lake man driving a 2012 Dodge Journey was traveling westbound on Vermont Avenue approaching Wales Place, FHP said. The driver did not see the woman walking along the roadway, and the front right of the SUV struck her, according to FHP. The woman was transported to UF Health The Villages Hospital,
VIDEO: Mount Dora pastor arrested for felony battery after confrontation at Tavares park
TAVARES, Fla. — A longtime Lake County pastor was arrested for felony battery after video captured him elbowing a man over 65 during a confrontation at Wooton Park earlier this week. Richard Edward “Rick” Pughe, 60, of Eustis, started HopeCity Church in Mount Dora with his wife and serves as its lead pastor, according to the church’s website. Tavares Police Department responded to Wooton Park at 1:39 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a battery at a gazebo, according to an arrest affidavit. The victim, who “became very animated,” told police he was at the gazebo with family members
20 years after Trenton Duckett disappeared, family to gather for annual vigil
LEESBURG, Fla. — Twenty years after 2-year-old Trenton Duckett disappeared from Leesburg, his family and supporters will gather Thursday night to once again light candles and hold onto hope that he will someday come home. The annual candlelight vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Leesburg Town Square. Trenton’s father, Joshua Duckett, and grandmother, Carla Fort, have continued the tradition each year since his disappearance. Two decades have passed since Joshua last saw his son. Trenton was 2 years old then. If he is alive today, he is 22. On Thursday, the 20th anniversary of Trenton’s disappearance, the National
Woman killed at Leesburg home identified; police say evidence supports resident’s account
LEESBURG, Fla. — A 23-year-old woman who was shot and killed while allegedly trying to enter a stranger’s home early Tuesday has been identified, and police say evidence collected at the scene was consistent with the homeowner’s account of the shooting. Ananda Conley of Leesburg was identified by Leesburg Police Department Wednesday afternoon. Conley lived approximately two to three blocks from the home in the 1600 block of Crest Avenue where she was killed. The current residents moved into the home in May and did not know Conley, Lt. Shannon Walsh said. According to Conley’s friend and roommate, Conley had
Woman shot, killed while allegedly trying to enter Leesburg home early Tuesday
LEESBURG, Fla. — A woman was shot and killed early Tuesday while allegedly attempting to enter a Leesburg home, according to the Leesburg Police Department. Leesburg police responded to a home in the 1600 block of Crest Avenue around 4:45 a.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a woman attempting to enter the residence. According to police, the homeowner said he repeatedly told the woman to leave the property and warned her he was armed. He told investigators the woman continued trying to enter the home, prompting him to fire a handgun through the door and break a window. Police
News Briefs
Mount Dora High to recognize partners behind $6 million stadium renovation
MOUNT DORA, Fla. — Community partners who helped make a $6 million renovation of Mount Dora High School’s football stadium possible will be recognized Friday during the Hurricanes’ game against rival Eustis High School. The newly renovated W.T. Bland Jr. Stadium at Mount Dora Community Trust Field, 700 N. Highland St., was officially unveiled during a ribbon-cutting last week attended by school district leaders and community partners. “This renovation was a massive undertaking, and honestly, it wouldn’t have happened without the hard work of so many people,” Mount Dora High School Principal Kyle Bracewell said. Those who contributed to the
FWC invites anglers to reel in recognition with Big Catch program
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is encouraging anglers to put their freshwater catches to the test through its Big Catch recognition program. The family-friendly program recognizes anglers who catch qualifying fish from more than 30 freshwater species found throughout Florida. Fish must meet or exceed qualifying length or weight requirements. To participate, anglers must catch a qualifying fish using an active hook-and-line method, take a photo and submit the catch through the Big Catch program. Participants receive recognition and a printable certificate. Youth anglers under 16 have separate, easier qualifying sizes, allowing younger fishermen
Lake County Fire Rescue to celebrate opening of new Station 71
LEESBURG, Fla. — Lake County Fire Rescue will celebrate the opening of its new Fire Station 71 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Sept. 2. The event is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. at the new station, 33661 County Road 473 in Leesburg. Members of the public are invited to tour the station, meet Lake County Fire Rescue firefighters and first responders, and view fire apparatus and emergency equipment. “Events like this allow our community to see firsthand the people, equipment, and facilities that stand ready to serve them when they need us most,” Lake County Public Safety
2 Lake County intersections transitioning to all-way stops
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Two Lake County intersections will permanently transition to all-way stops beginning Thursday, Aug. 20, as part of recommended safety improvements. The intersections are Radio Road and Treadway School Road in Leesburg and East Crooked Lake Drive and Country Club Road in Eustis. Message boards are already in place to alert motorists of the upcoming changes. Drivers are encouraged to use caution and be prepared for the new traffic patterns beginning Thursday.
Dinosaurs return to Mount Dora library through August
MOUNT DORA, Fla. — Dinosaurs are on display at the W.T. Bland Public Library through Aug. 31 as part of a free prehistoric exhibit for visitors of all ages. The exhibit includes a 20-foot-long Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, a juvenile T. rex, an in-flight pterosaur, a fossil dig panel and a giant dinosaur egg photo opportunity. Dinosaur-themed bookmarks and educational materials are also available. The library will host “All About T. rex” at 2 p.m. Aug. 29, featuring paleontologist Jimmy Waldron of Dinosaurs Will Always Be Awesome. The program is designed for adults and children ages 8 and older and will
Orlando Health South Lake Hospital to add Lake County’s first NICU
CLERMONT, Fla. — Orlando Health South Lake Hospital will begin construction in August on Lake County’s first neonatal intensive care unit, bringing specialized newborn care closer to home for local families. The 7,200-square-foot, 10-bed Level 2 NICU will be located inside the hospital’s Center for Women and Babies and is expected to open in 2027. The unit will care for premature infants, babies with low birth weights and newborns with other medical conditions requiring specialized treatment. It will operate in partnership with Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, allowing patients access to advanced neonatal services when needed.
Around The County
Motorcyclist killed after crashing into tree on County Road 42
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A 36-year-old Ormond Beach man was killed Wednesday afternoon when his motorcycle ran off County Road 42 and struck a tree, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The man was riding a 2022 Ducati motorcycle eastbound on County Road 42, west of Central Camp Road in the DeLand portion of Lake County, at 1:40 p.m. when he attempted to negotiate a curve to the left, FHP said. The motorcycle ran off the right side of the roadway onto the grass shoulder and struck a tree, according to FHP. The rider was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Lady Lake woman, 82, dies after being struck by SUV Tuesday night
LADY LAKE, Fla. — An 82-year-old Lady Lake woman died after she was struck by an SUV while walking along Vermont Avenue Tuesday evening, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The woman was walking west along the north portion of Vermont Avenue around 7:30 p.m. while an 83-year-old Lady Lake man driving a 2012 Dodge Journey was traveling westbound on Vermont Avenue approaching Wales Place, FHP said. The driver did not see the woman walking along the roadway, and the front right of the SUV struck her, according to FHP. The woman was transported to UF Health The Villages Hospital,
VIDEO: Mount Dora pastor arrested for felony battery after confrontation at Tavares park
TAVARES, Fla. — A longtime Lake County pastor was arrested for felony battery after video captured him elbowing a man over 65 during a confrontation at Wooton Park earlier this week. Richard Edward “Rick” Pughe, 60, of Eustis, started HopeCity Church in Mount Dora with his wife and serves as its lead pastor, according to the church’s website. Tavares Police Department responded to Wooton Park at 1:39 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a battery at a gazebo, according to an arrest affidavit. The victim, who “became very animated,” told police he was at the gazebo with family members
Motorcyclist killed after crashing into tree on County Road 42
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A 36-year-old Ormond Beach man was killed Wednesday afternoon when his motorcycle ran off County Road 42 and struck a tree, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The man was riding a 2022 Ducati motorcycle eastbound on County Road 42, west of Central Camp Road in the DeLand portion of Lake County, at 1:40 p.m. when he attempted to negotiate a curve to the left, FHP said. The motorcycle ran off the right side of the roadway onto the grass shoulder and struck a tree, according to FHP. The rider was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Lady Lake woman, 82, dies after being struck by SUV Tuesday night
LADY LAKE, Fla. — An 82-year-old Lady Lake woman died after she was struck by an SUV while walking along Vermont Avenue Tuesday evening, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The woman was walking west along the north portion of Vermont Avenue around 7:30 p.m. while an 83-year-old Lady Lake man driving a 2012 Dodge Journey was traveling westbound on Vermont Avenue approaching Wales Place, FHP said. The driver did not see the woman walking along the roadway, and the front right of the SUV struck her, according to FHP. The woman was transported to UF Health The Villages Hospital,
VIDEO: Mount Dora pastor arrested for felony battery after confrontation at Tavares park
TAVARES, Fla. — A longtime Lake County pastor was arrested for felony battery after video captured him elbowing a man over 65 during a confrontation at Wooton Park earlier this week. Richard Edward “Rick” Pughe, 60, of Eustis, started HopeCity Church in Mount Dora with his wife and serves as its lead pastor, according to the church’s website. Tavares Police Department responded to Wooton Park at 1:39 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a battery at a gazebo, according to an arrest affidavit. The victim, who “became very animated,” told police he was at the gazebo with family members
20 years after Trenton Duckett disappeared, family to gather for annual vigil
LEESBURG, Fla. — Twenty years after 2-year-old Trenton Duckett disappeared from Leesburg, his family and supporters will gather Thursday night to once again light candles and hold onto hope that he will someday come home. The annual candlelight vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Leesburg Town Square. Trenton’s father, Joshua Duckett, and grandmother, Carla Fort, have continued the tradition each year since his disappearance. Two decades have passed since Joshua last saw his son. Trenton was 2 years old then. If he is alive today, he is 22. On Thursday, the 20th anniversary of Trenton’s disappearance, the National
Woman killed at Leesburg home identified; police say evidence supports resident’s account
LEESBURG, Fla. — A 23-year-old woman who was shot and killed while allegedly trying to enter a stranger’s home early Tuesday has been identified, and police say evidence collected at the scene was consistent with the homeowner’s account of the shooting. Ananda Conley of Leesburg was identified by Leesburg Police Department Wednesday afternoon. Conley lived approximately two to three blocks from the home in the 1600 block of Crest Avenue where she was killed. The current residents moved into the home in May and did not know Conley, Lt. Shannon Walsh said. According to Conley’s friend and roommate, Conley had
Woman shot, killed while allegedly trying to enter Leesburg home early Tuesday
LEESBURG, Fla. — A woman was shot and killed early Tuesday while allegedly attempting to enter a Leesburg home, according to the Leesburg Police Department. Leesburg police responded to a home in the 1600 block of Crest Avenue around 4:45 a.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a woman attempting to enter the residence. According to police, the homeowner said he repeatedly told the woman to leave the property and warned her he was armed. He told investigators the woman continued trying to enter the home, prompting him to fire a handgun through the door and break a window. Police