Housing & Development · The Villages, FL
The Villages Community Development Districts are soliciting contractors for approximately $8 million in renovations at five executive golf courses: Hawkes Bay and Oakleigh (Village Center CDD) and Southern Star, Yankee Clipper, and Tarpon Boil (Sumter Landing CDD). Work includes rebuilding greens to USGA specifications with significant elevation changes, overhauling irrigation and drainage systems, reshaping bunkers, and replacing cart paths. Contractors must have at least 10 years of golf course renovation experience and Golf Course Builders Association of America certification, with 180 calendar days per course once work begins. Sealed bids are due to the Purchasing Department by 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Crime · Belleview, FL
The Marion County State Attorney's Office announced it will not prosecute a 77-year-old man accused of displaying a firearm during an argument at the Market of Marion in Belleview. The incident occurred on August 2, when deputies responded to reports of aggravated assault involving Leonard Goldstein and another vendor. While surveillance footage captured the verbal altercation, it did not clearly show the weapon, leading prosecutors to determine that the likelihood of conviction was slight.
Community brief · The Villages, FL
Elizabeth "Betsy" Nolan, a retired U.S. Navy commander and resident of The Villages, Florida, will be inducted into the Florida Veterans' Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet unanimously approved the five inductees at a Sept. 29 meeting. The formal ceremony is set for 10 a.m. on Nov. 5 in the Cabinet Room of the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee. Nolan, the first woman to serve as Chief Pharmacy…
Community brief · The Villages, FL
The El Santiago Executive Golf Course in The Villages will reopen on Nov. 20 following a major renovation. Work included reconstruction of greens, tees, and fairways; full-course re-grassing with Certified TifEagle Bermuda grass; extensive earthwork and re-grading; irrigation modernization; and drainage basin restoration.
