Henry Grant Ratliff, 80, of Plant City, died Feb. 21, 2015, at Saint Joseph Hospital in Tampa. Born Dec. 14, 1934, in Pikeville, Kentucky, he was the son of the late Orville and Osie Adkins Ratliff. He was the husband of Jeanne Watkins Ratliff; she survives. Mr. Ratliff retired from the U.S. Army and served […]
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Obituary: Billie Joe Melvin
Billie Joe Melvin Jr., 66, died Feb. 21, 2015, at his home in Plant City. He was born to the late Billie Joe and Lulu Eloise (Driggers) Melvin. Survivors include his life partner of 23 years, Katherine Davis; and other loving family and friends. Online condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.
Continue ReadingObituary: Sonia Esmeralda Roldan
Sonia Esmeralda Roldan, 22, of Plant City, died Feb. 21, 2015. She loved her family, and enjoyed animals and living life. She is survived by her parents, Quintina and Victoriano Binzha; siblings, Marisol (Juan) Gutierrez, Lorena (Jose) Gutierrez, Almanela (Carlos) Gutierrez, Samuel (Ivett) Roldan, Juan Roldan and Isaias Roldan; fiancé, Antonio Rodriguez; dogs, Layla, Peanut […]
Continue ReadingBuy Local: Top Shelf Bar and Grill
Did you know that every $100 spent at a local, independently-owned store generates $45 of secondary local spending, compared to $14 for a big-box chain? This was first tested in 2003 by the Institute for Local Self Reliance and is nearly identical to later results across multiple Civic Economic studies. The Plant City Times & […]
Continue ReadingStrawberry Festival art show winners announced
Many have been anxious to learn the results of the judging for the 2015 Florida Strawberry Festival Fine Art Show presented by East Hillsborough Art Guild since they submitted their pieces to the competition Feb. 20. With thousands of dollars in prizes and multiple winners in each category, the show is sure to impress […]
Continue ReadingPHOTO GALLERY: Strawberry Festival Opening Day
A Sweet Welcome
For decades, the City of Plant City has been known around the globe for producing some of the sweetest, most beautiful strawberries in the world. Many say it’s our “claim to fame.” In fact, if you don’t know much about the abundant strawberry harvest in Plant City, one of our residents will be quick to […]
Continue Reading#FestivalFlashback
When the Florida Strawberry Festival was created in 1930, its founders simply wanted to celebrate the area’s annual strawberry harvest. If they could have seen what the event has grown into today, they undoubtedly would have been amazed. Members of the Plant City Lions Club made the first festival a reality in 1930, but World […]
Continue ReadingThings to do in Plant City
With so many things to do at the Florida Strawberry Festival, from rides to games, livestock competitions to A-list entertainment, it’s hard to lose interest. But in case you find yourself outside of the festival grounds and in the heart of the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World, you should check out these local spots […]
Continue ReadingFeed for the Future
Preparing for steer and swine shows is not an inexpensive hobby. In addition to costing exhibitors most of their free time, it takes a lot of money to keep those animals properly fed in preparation for a big event. The Burnette family bought Harold’s Feed and Pet Supply after its previous owner, Harold Stutzman, retired […]
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