Crime · The Villages, FL
Nicolas McCray, a physical education paraprofessional at Wildwood Elementary School, was arrested and charged with sexual battery and burglary following an alleged attack on an 83-year-old woman in The Villages. The investigation began after the victim reported the assault on Oct. 22 and installed security cameras that captured McCray attempting to re-enter her home three days later. Authorities linked McCray to additional incidents at a Wildwood retirement facility, leading to further charges including aggravated stalking and loitering. He is currently being held without bond in the Sumter County Detention Center.
Local Business · The Villages, FL
Elise Bowness is working to recover more than $500,000 her parents Richard and Mary Koch invested in Gerald Baum's Arenal Hills Costa Rica property venture through Baum Financial Services, beginning around 2011. The Kochs made an additional $50,000 investment as recently as December 2025 but received no returns. Bowness filed a complaint with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation on Oct. 2 after the elder financial abuse hotline declined to intervene. Baum's offices at Lake Sumter Landing in The Villages and in Brooksville have closed, and he denied rumors of fleeing to Costa Rica in an Oct. 18 statement. Other families have come forward reporting similar losses, including one elderly investor with $152,000 tied up in the venture.
Local Politics · The Villages, FL
Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds held a campaign rally at the Brownwood Hotel & Spa in The Villages on Saturday morning. He was joined by U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, who is campaigning for her special election seat. Donalds outlined policy proposals regarding property taxes, data center utility costs, and vocational education apprenticeships. The event drew a crowd of supporters to the venue.
Community News · Sumter County
Sumter County Public Works will host its next Amnesty Day Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Collection on Saturday, Nov. 7. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lake Okahumpka Park in Wildwood. Residents can dispose of items such as automotive fluids, batteries, propane tanks, cleaners, electronics, paints, solvents, and pool chemicals at no cost. Prohibited items include biological waste, explosives, radioactive waste, empty paint cans, and tires.
Community brief · The Villages, FL
The Villages will open the Merritt Field Recreation and Postal Center to residents on Thursday, November 5. Located at 7503 Busche Boulevard in the Village of Farmstead, the facility features an adult swimming pool with an ADA-compliant lift, shuffleboard and bocce courts, and a covered picnic pavilion. The complex also serves as a neighborhood postal hub with residential mailboxes and parcel lockers. This opening follows recent launches of the…
Community brief · The Villages, FL
The grassroots group Villagers4Democracy is hosting a rally from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at the corner of Morse Boulevard and Lake Sumter Landing near the roundabout in The Villages. The organization, which has been organizing protests in The Villages since 2020, describes itself as nonpartisan and includes Democrats, Republicans, and independents. Organizer Rochelle Larson said the group encourages residents to participate and "get out…
