Photo Courtesy of Joe Lozoya 2025 Florida Strawberry Festival court member Olivia Paige Lawton, daughter of Jacob and Kinsey Lawton and Jamie and Jeremiah Brown, is a junior at Durant High School and dual-enrolled at Hillsborough Community College. Her life’s ambitions are to live life to the fullest and embrace opportunities to make meaningful contributions […]
Continue ReadingNeighbors
Meet 2025 Florida Strawberry Festival Court Member Abigail Lee Mullis
Photo Courtesy of Jose Lozoya 2025 Florida Strawberry Festival court member Abigail Lee Mullis, daughter of Franklin (Trey) Mullis and Lori Mull, is a senior at Plant City High School. Her life’s ambition is to work hard, be independent and be a role model, leave people and places better than she finds them and greet […]
Continue ReadingQueen and Court Crowned At 90th Annual Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Scholarship Pageant
Photo courtesy Jose Lozoya Ready to meet the 2025 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen and court? Five young ladies were crowned Jan. 18 at the 90th annual Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Scholarship Pageant, presented by Plant City Lions Club, at the Charlie Grimes Family Agricultural Center. Twenty-six contestants displayed poise, grace and confidence as they sought […]
Continue ReadingSimmons Career Acceleration Academy Graduation Rates Climb
When Simmons Career Acceleration Academy principal Sundy Chazares’ phone rang last Sunday night with congratulatory remarks from fellow high school administrators, he learned that his school had the highest year-over-year graduation increase in the county, climbing 16.5 percent. “For the state and the county to put it in writing and appreciate what we’re doing was […]
Continue ReadingYVONNE FRY IS A COMMUNITY HERO
On January 7, at its game against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Tampa Bay Lightning gave Yvonne Fry its Community Hero Award for her work in founding and leading Workforce Development Partners. “The Tampa Bay Lightning is such an incredible, generous organization that wants to invest in non-profits,” Fry said. “I am so thankful they recognized […]
Continue ReadingEDUCATORS WIN AWARDS
More than 10,000 people took part in the Florida Music Education Association Professional Learning Conference at the Tampa Convention Center. In early January, this crowd witnessed awards being given to two Plant City educators. Dennis Mayo, Principal of Marshall Middle Magnet School won the 2025-2026 Secondary Administrator of the Year Award. This award is given […]
Continue ReadingMeet Your 2025 Florida Strawberry Festival Junior Royalty Queen and Court
The stage was set, literally and figuratively, at the Charlie Grime Family Agricultural Center Jan. 11 as 118 contestants showed grace, poise and personality as they vied for a title in the 2025 Junior Royalty Pageant, sponsored by the Florida Strawberry Festival. Contestants participated in one of four age categories including Baroness (five to six […]
Continue Reading2025 QUEENS PAGEANT CONTESTANTS
HANNAH REBEKAH RICE DURANT HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR Daughter of ROBBIE AND RENEE RICE ADDISON LOVE GRIFFIN DURANT HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR Daughter of ARTIS AND JENNIFER GRIFFIN SAVANNAH KAYE WILLIAMS PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR Daughter of CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS & ASHLEY DALTON ALLISON ELAINE PARRISH PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR Daughter of CHRIS AND DESIREE PARRISH HAYVEN LEEANN HARRELL PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL […]
Continue ReadingAround Town 01.16.25
We asked Plant City: Is a hotdog a sandwich? Yes, it’s the same as a sandwich…it’s equal to a sandwich!! Evelyn Madonia Google says probably a sandwich. Cheryl Thompson If a hot dog is anything besides a hot dog, it’s a delicacy Cody Lenz No it’s a hot dog Chris Black A hot dog is […]
Continue ReadingObituaries 01.16.25
Martha Garva Martha Garva, 57, of Plant City, Fla., born on July 22, 1966, in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, entered into eternal rest on Jan. 7, 2025. Expressions of condolences at www.HopewellFuneral.com. Thomas “Tom” Millaway Thomas “Tom” Millaway, 71, of Valrico, Fla., born on Mar. 4, 1953, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered into eternal rest on […]
Continue Reading
