In the quiet auditorium of Knights Elementary, musician Cliff Brown tunes his guitar, preparing for one of the most educational performances of his career. Standing alone on stage, the students file in, murmuring about his instrument. He starts strumming. They stop talking. One 30-minute mini concert later, and the students are convinced they, too, want […]
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Cops Corner 11.28.14
The following information was gathered from incident and arrest reports obtained from the Plant City Police Department. NOV. 2 THE EDGE OF REASON 2900 Block Blain Acres Road. Found Property. Officers responded a suspicious vehicle stopping and the occupant throwing an object into a ditch. Upon arrival, the vehicle was no longer on scene. Officers […]
Continue ReadingBand honored at music awards
Larry Clark can be seen around Plant City playing saxophone and flute at open mic events and church services. But this represents only a fraction of his musical endeavors. He has been a member of a rhythm and blues band called The Sensational Epics since it formed in 1963 in South Carolina, and this month, […]
Continue ReadingLights of Love: Behind the Scenes
One night each December, McCall Park is set aglow with a sparkling Christmas tree and other decorations during Lights of Love, a fundraising event for the South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation. This year’s Lights of Love will be Thursday, Dec. 4, and proceeds will benefit the hospital’s surgery center expansion. Each year, the event goes […]
Continue ReadingBruce Rodwell named 2014 Christmas Parade Marshal
The Plant City Christmas Parade’s Board of Directors decided on the theme, “Celebrate the Season” for 2014, and the man to lead the festivities is Bruce Rodwell. “I consider it a great honor, and I’m looking forward to it,” Rodwell said. Rodwell, who spent more than 40 years working in the produce industry, came to […]
Continue ReadingFirst Baptist Church gets musical with Christmas concert
First Baptist Church is known for its annual Christmas play, but the church plans to mix things up in 2014. This year, an audience will be treated to the unique sounds of Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. “They’re a very talented Christian group,” Director of Technical Ministries Jay Ballard says. “They have a fresh […]
Continue ReadingBusinesses spruce up for annual contest
Plant City businesses are gearing up for what may be the biggest rivalry of the year: the annual Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Christmas Tree Contest. And although it pits different businesses against one another for the title of town’s favorite tree, the competition is a friendly one. This year’s contest will include 20 […]
Continue ReadingFlorida Governor appoints Preston Sparkman to masonry council
Gov. Rick Scott announced eleven appointments to the Florida Concrete Masonry Education Council, Nov. 14. Charles “Preston” Sparkman, 58, of Plant City, was among the appointments. Sparkman is the vice president of sales with Quality Precast Company. He fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning Nov. 14, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015. […]
Continue ReadingP.C. officials shut down Walden Lake homeless camp
Within the Walden Lake Community, one of Plant City’s most affluent residential areas, there is a hidden campground, complete with a makeshift bathroom and shower, and distinguished by a scattered host of items from shopping carts to weaponry. This fall, city officials shut down the camp, which had been occupied by homeless trespassers for at […]
Continue ReadingCold snap causes fish die-off
Residents of Whispering Woods noticed something fishy happening in their neighborhood the week of Nov. 3. But directors of the homeowners’ association discovered the situation was natural, though strange. First, residents of the community observed an unusually high number of waterbirds near a pond amongst the houses. Then, they realized that the pond was full […]
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