Local Politics · Lake County
Voters in Lake and Sumter counties head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, for races including Florida governor, U.S. Senate, Lake County Commission Districts 2 and 4, School Board District 1, and mayoral contests in Clermont, Groveland, Bushnell, and Center Hill. Lake County voters face two ballot questions: a school district millage increase to one mill for four years and continuation of the North Lake County Hospital District for ten years. Sumter County voters decide on renewing local option fuel taxes and re-establishing a 2% tourist development tax on short-term rentals. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; voters must bring a valid photo ID with signature or may cast a provisional ballot.
Crime · The Villages, FL
The Sumter County Sheriff's Office arrested two sex offenders in The Villages as part of "Operation Ghost Town," a special enforcement operation conducted on Saturday. Curtis Lee Tibbetts, 40, was taken into custody for violating probation terms by using the PlayStation app to communicate with others, while Edward Wardingley, 65, was arrested for failing to report changed license plates on two vehicles. Both individuals were convicted of lewd and lascivious molestation offenses in previous years and are being held without bond at the Sumter County Detention Center.
Local Politics · The Villages, FL
The nonpartisan organization Villagers4Democracy held an election-eve mobilization rally on Monday, Nov. 2, at Lake Sumter Landing in The Villages, Florida. Demonstrators lined the west side of Morse Boulevard near the roundabout, holding signs urging residents to vote Tuesday. The group, active in The Villages since 2020, describes itself as including Democrats, Republicans and independents. Several participants voiced opposition to the current administration, while passing motorists honked horns in support.
