When Sarah Wheeler was walking a lap with her mother, Charlene, and a family friend at this year’s Relay for Life, they spotted a sign for a quilt raffle. Sarah, a self-described country girl, always wanted a handmade quilt. So, the trio went over to enter the raffle, a benefit for the St. Peter’s Episcopal […]
Continue ReadingMake-A-Wish Foundation grants Durant student trip to Italy
It’s one of the best birthday presents high-schooler Darby Hasting has ever received: a trip to Italy. Darby, a Durant High School student, left today for the trip, provided by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She returns just days before her 17th birthday. Darby was diagnosed two years ago with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a rare disease that […]
Continue ReadingTwo Plant City schools upload new electronics pilot program
For years, students have been told to power down their phones and tuck them away in the dark recesses of their backpacks. But that has all changed for nine schools in Hillsborough County. A new pilot program, called Bring Your Own Device, is encouraging students to bring their electronic devices to the classroom as a […]
Continue ReadingStrawberry festival adds more video surveillance
Even before the Boston Marathon bombing, officials at the Florida Strawberry Festival were taking steps to make Plant City’s signature event as safe as possible. Now, those steps seem more important than ever. General Manager Paul Davis said the festival’s newest security measures will come in the form of additional security cameras. Although he wouldn’t […]
Continue ReadingNRG wins Emerging Talent Showcase
Local pop singing group NRG beat out 20 acts to win the Emerging Talent Showcase April 26, at Howard W. Blake School of Performing Arts, in Tampa. Auditions to be in the showcase were held at the beginning of the month and open to dancers, singers and actors over 10 years of age. NRG auditioned […]
Continue ReadingCoyotes sighted in Plant City
Two years ago, a coyote killed Plant City resident Amanda Rodriguez’s box terrier chihuahua mix. She found it in the field around her house, the contents of its body eaten. For a long time after the incident, she and her husband, Frank, didn’t see the coyote. But now — what she thinks is the same […]
Continue ReadingCity secures $25,000 for train platform
A new plan to create a train-viewing platform next to the Plant City Union Depot is gaining steam. Members of the community, downtown merchants, Plant City and the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce met April 17, to discuss the details. The platform will be situated on the south side of the depot about 3 […]
Continue ReadingWLCA, city consider changes to Timberlane
The Walden Lake Community Association met with city officials Monday to work out a plan to alleviate traffic coming out of Walden Lake’s front entrance during rush hour. Originally, the WLCA heard from city officials that a left hand turn lane was to be added, knocking out the center median to the main gate. With […]
Continue ReadingHopewell to celebrate 143 years
Two sisters share the same memories of their beloved church, Hopewell Baptist. They have attended the church for decades, Martha Durrance since she was 5, and Lila Woods since she was 13. “In the old church, there were two doors,” Durrance said. “The women would come in and sit on one side, and the men […]
Continue ReadingNelson students chart their course
Students who trickle into Nelson Elementary’s multipurpose room can’t help but giggle and point at a map of Florida. Covering a 10-foot-by-15-foot space on the wall, the map isn’t made up of topographical features or highways. Instead, it’s a collage of student self-portraits shaped into the Sunshine State’s form. The map is part of a […]
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