Crime · The Villages, FL
A Nov. 5 hearing at Sumter County Court will determine whether Robert Edward Moore, 78, of the Village of Polo Ridge, can invoke Florida's Stand Your Ground law to gain immunity from prosecution in a 2023 fatal beating. The altercation occurred June 28, 2023, in the parking lot of Glenview Country Club, where Moore allegedly punched 87-year-old Dean William Zook after mistakenly believing Zook's vehicle had struck his Lexus. Zook was transported to UF Health-The Villages Hospital, then flown to UF Health-Shands Hospital in Gainesville, and died July 16, 2023, from injuries sustained. Moore fled the scene before deputies arrived and was later identified through surveillance footage and a published photograph; he remains free on $30,000 bond.
Community brief · The Villages, FL
Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds will hold a "Defending the Florida Dream" bus tour event Saturday, Oct. 31, from 9 to 11 a.m. at The Brownwood Hotel & Spa in The Villages, Florida. Doors open to the public at 8:15 a.m. Donalds faces Democrat David Jolly in the Nov. 3 election to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. This marks another campaign visit to The Villages, following an Oct. 19 stop at Sawgrass Grove and a September…
Community brief · The Villages, FL
An all-female volleyball team from The Villages, Florida, placed fifth among 24 teams in the highest bracket at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. The seven-member squad, known as Team Pass It On, competed in October despite having never played together prior to the tournament. Members of the team, who are active in the local District 1 Indoor Volleyball League, expressed interest in returning for next year's competition.
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.
