Clermont

Lake County prepares for Helene

Publisher’s note: This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

LAKE COUNTY, Fla.— Tropical Storm Helene, expected to make landfall Thursday as Hurricane Helene, is expected to bring wind and rain to Lake County and residents should finish storm preparations by Wednesday afternoon. How to get information and sandbags, along with closures are listed below.

 

Citizens Information line: 352-253-9999

AlertLake Notification System: sign up at https://alertlake.com/ or text ALERTLAKE to 888777

 

Closures:

Butler Street Boat Ramp, 55400 Butler Street, Astor, 5 a.m. Wednesday

City of Eustis, Thursday

City of Groveland, Thursday

Lake County Board of County Commissioners, Thursday

Lake County Schools, Thursday

Lake-Sumter State College, Thursday

Pearl Street Boat Ramp, 25140 E. Pearl Street, Astor, 5 a.m. Wednesday

Sandbag locations

All locations are self-service, bring your own shovel.  

Clermont

(Former public services facility, adjacent to West Park,) 400 12th St., Clermont, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday

Eustis

Eustis Fire Station 22, 100 West Norton Ave., Eustis, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday

Groveland

Lot next to 310 Crittenden St., Groveland, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday

Leesburg

Susan Street Complex, 940 Susan St., Leesburg, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday

Mascotte

161 Knight St., Mascotte, 8 a.m., to 5 p.m. Wednesday

Mount Dora

Frank Brown Sports Complex, 1245 East Pine Ave., Mount Dora, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weather permitting

Unincorporated Lake County

All locations open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, weather permitting

East Lake Sports and Community Complex, 24809 Wallick Rd. Sorrento

North Lake Regional Park. 40730 Roger Giles Rd., Umatilla

Astor Fire Station 10.23023 State Road 40, Astor

Minneola Athletic Complex, 1300 Fosgate Rd. (13930 Education Ave.) Minneola

PEAR Gateway Park (Front Entrance,) 26701 U.S. Highway 27, Leesburg

Four Corners Fire Station 112, 16240 CR 474, Clermont

Hickory Point Recreation Complex, 27315 State Road 19, Tavares

 

 

Waste collection

Groveland, Thursday pickup will shift to Friday, Friday pickup will shift to Saturday

Montverde, pickups are canceled Thursday and will resume Monday.

Lake County Office of Solid Waste, Thursday pickup will shift to Friday, Friday pickup will shift to Saturday

 

 

 

 

Lake County prepares for Helene Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: Lake County Schools closed Thursday

TAVARES, Fla.- Lake County public schools will be closed Thursday due to Tropical Storm Helene, which is expected to be a hurricane when it makes landfall, according to Lake County Schools.

After-school activities on Wednesday are not cancelled and a decision will be made about Friday following Wednesday’s mid-day briefing, LCS said.

BREAKING NEWS: Lake County Schools closed Thursday Read More »

Driver killed after tree falls on truck and causes crash near Clermont, 2 passengers hospitalized

CLERMONT, Fla.—A Groveland man was killed, and his two passengers injured, after a tree fell on the truck he was driving, causing him to crash into a dump truck Tuesday afternoon near Clermont, according the Florida Highway Patrol.

Shortly before 4:30 p.m., the 58-year-old Groveland man was westbound on County Road 474 in a 2017 Ford F-350 with a trailer attached, when a tree from the north shoulder fell on the truck, Trooper Migdalisis Garcia said. The impact of the tree caused the Ford to enter the eastbound lane, and the left side of the Ford collided with the left side of a 2004 Mack dump truck.

MAP: Florida Highway Patrol

The Ford’s driver, and his front seat passenger, a 40-year-old Groveland woman, were airlifted to Osceola Regional Hospital in critical condition. The man was later pronounced deceased, Garcia said. A second passenger in the Ford, a 34-year-old man, also of Groveland, was transported to AdventHealth Four Corners Hospital with serious injuries. The dump truck driver, a 47-year-old Kissimmee man, was not injured.

The crash closed County Road 474 between Cemex Sand Mine and State Road 33 for several hours.

Driver killed after tree falls on truck and causes crash near Clermont, 2 passengers hospitalized Read More »

Fatal crash shuts down CR 474 outside of Clermont

CLERMONT, Fla.—A fatal crash has shut down County Road 474 in unincorporated Clermont, according to the Lake County County Sheriff’s Office

County Road 474 is shut down in both directions, from Cemex Sand Mine, 11945 County Road 474, to State Road 33 while the Florida Highway Patrol investigates the crash that occurred around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

This is a developing story.

MAP: Florida Highway Patrol

Fatal crash shuts down CR 474 outside of Clermont Read More »

LCSO Master Deputy Bradley Link to be honored with run Wednesday night

TAVARES, Fla.—Lake County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Bradley Link is scheduled to be honored Wednesday night by a young man who will run his 1,550th mile in support of fallen first responders.

Zechariah Cartledge founded Running 4 Heroes Inc., a non-profit organization in 2019, to raise funds for fallen first responders. Cartledge is scheduled to run the mile at 8 p.m. Wednesday, at Tavares Middle School, 13032 Lane Park Cutoff Road, Tavares. Attendees are asked to arrive between 7 and 7:30 p.m.

LCSO Master Deputy Bradley Link to be honored with run Wednesday night Read More »

Celebration of Life and Service for fallen LCSO deputy held Saturday

CLERMONT, Fla.— “Let us remember Bradley as a true hero for his courageous actions.”

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Stephanie Earley spoke about her dear friend and field training officer Master Deputy Bradley Link at his Celebration of Life and Service Saturday. Thousands of people were in attendance.

Earley spoke about the relationship she and her husband had with Link, and his wife, Brittany. The times they spent together playing Catch Phrase and, “our beach days together were the best,” she said.

PHOTO: Real Life Christian Church

Deputy Matthew Layman, who was Link’s zone partner when he was in the road patrol unit, spoke about Link’s incredible smile, his commitment to serve, and said “his first concern was always for others.”

Another zone partner and close friend, Deputy Preston Leonard also shared his feelings about Link also known as “Baby Boy.” He described Link as warm, inviting and charismatic, and “truly fearless in all his endeavors.” He spoke about Link “looking at the moon and stars on his telescope, his love for fishing and how Link felt he had not worked a day since his transfer to the Agricultural and Marine Unit because he “gets to do what he loves.”

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Preston Leonard speaks about his friend and colleague, fallen Master Deputy Bradley Link. PHOTO: Real Life Christian Church

Earley, Layman and Leonard each spoke about Link’s love for his wife, Brittany.

The couple met in high school, Brittany said, “Brad was an exceptional human being. Truly a living, breathing angel.” He was, “slow, to speak, slow to anger, and quick to understand.” He loved lights of all kinds, she said, from lights on a patrol car to Christmas lights, and “his heartbeat was fueled by humble servitude.”

She had a message for those who want to honor Link.

“Love each other without restraint, be kind to all, and have faith that God is good. Have Bradley’s heart for the needy, the broken, the rejects and the lonely.”

Brittany closed with, “I truly believe he is still taking care of me from Heaven, she said, “by sending me all of you.”

Sheriff Peyton Grinnell spoke about Link’s bravery and how his actions saved the lives of his fellow deputies. He was on his way home from a security detail when he heard a call out for extra deputies regarding a fight in progress outside of Eustis. He texted his wife, letting her know he was going to be a little late.

Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell speaks at fallen Master Deputy Bradley Link’s Celebration of Life and Service Saturday. PHOTO: Real Life Christian Church

After arriving at the scene, deputies believed a home invasion may have occurred at a nearby residence. Link and other deputies entered the home and Link, in the lead position, was met with gunfire from a high-powered rifle and collapsed, suffering multiple gunshot wounds. In a “hail of gunfire,” and crawling for safety, he fired upon the suspects, until he emptied his weapon, allowing other deputies to retreat to safety and then immediately try to rescue Link. One of those deputies, K9 Master Deputy Harold Howell was shot in the immediate rescue attempt. He survived his wound.

In a heartbreaking revelation, Grinnell said Brittany, unaware of this tragic event, called Link’s cell phone to check on him because it was getting late. One of the assailants answered his phone, and told her husband was dead.

“That will forever be the worst phone call of Brittany’s life.”

Grinnell said Link “faced danger without hesitation,” and “selflessly placed the safety of others above his own.” Grinnell awarded Link with both the Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart posthumously. He is survived by his wife, Brittany, his parents, Daniel and Christi, his brother, John and his sister, Brittany.

PHOTOS: Bonnie Whicher/Inside Lake

Celebration of Life and Service for fallen LCSO deputy held Saturday Read More »

Celebration of life and service for fallen deputy livestream available for those who cannot attend

CLERMONT, Fla.—A celebration of life and memorial service for fallen Lake County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Bradley Link will livestream at 11 a.m. today.

The livestream will be available for those who cannot attend in person. You may watch by clicking here.

Hundreds of people are attending the service, including community members, dignitaries and law enforcement officers from across the country, in addition to family and friends.

Link, 28, was a 2015 graduate of Lake Minneola High School, served in the Army Reserves and became a deputy sheriff for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in 2017. He was hired at LCSO in October 2019. He served in the Agriculture and Marine Unit at the time of his death.

Master Deputy Bradley Link and Sheriff Peyton Grinnell in October 2019.

Celebration of life and service for fallen deputy livestream available for those who cannot attend Read More »

Celebration of life and service announced for fallen deputy

CLERMONT, Fla.—A celebration of life and memorial service for fallen Lake County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Bradley Link has been announced.

It is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, at Real Life Christian Church, 1501 Steve’s Road, Clermont. For those unable to attend in person, LCSO will livestream the service, the agency said in a social media post.

Celebration of life and service announced for fallen deputy Read More »

VIDEO: Hundreds of people line U.S. Highway 27 in support of fallen deputy Monday morning

LEESBURG, Fla.—Hundreds of residents, law enforcement officers and firefighters lined U.S. Highway 27 to pay their respects and show their support for Master Deputy Bradley Link and his coworkers at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Monday morning.

Residents stood in the rain along the 15-mile trek from Leesburg to Minneola, waving flags and saluting Link as he was transported to the funeral home handling his arrangements, bringing tears to the eyes of deputies and residents alike.

 

VIDEO: Hundreds of people line U.S. Highway 27 in support of fallen deputy Monday morning Read More »

BREAKING NEWS: 911 down in Lake County

TAVARES, Fla.—Lake County Public Safety Communications (911) is experiencing intermittent outages due to Hurricane Debby. Residents may not be able to reach dispatchers in an emergency. If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call the non-emergency number at 352-343-2101.

BREAKING NEWS: 911 down in Lake County Read More »

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