🌱 How this Villages Charter lineman battled back to earn college shot
The Villages, Florida Patch AM: a 4 min readCheers The Villages! We’re back, helping you stay up to date with what’s happening. Let's take on the day together! ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How this Villages Charter lineman battled back to earn college shot
- What led to a Villager’s DUI charge being reduced?
- What state inspectors just found inside Brownwood’s Fiesta Grande kitchen
Today's riddle: The top potato won what? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Sunday: Showers and a heavier t-storm, with a high of 88 and low of 73 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Monday: A shower and t-storm; humid, temps: high: 86, low: 76.
- Tuesday: Cloudy, humid; a p.m. t-storm, with a high of 88 and low of 72 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Villages Charter Battle-Tested Trench Man is Ready to Tackle College Ball (lakeandsumterstyle.com) — A senior right guard from The Villages Charter High School is capping a standout football and shot put career as he prepares to play at Valdosta University and study engineering. He reflects on overcoming a knee injury, earning FACA All-Star honors, and leading as a team captain, while sharing his love of fishing, airboating, church youth work, and classic country music. 
2. Retired NYPD cop gets break after golf cart crash in The Villages (villages-news.com) — A Village of Amelia resident recently received a reduced reckless driving charge and probation after a February golf cart crash in The Villages. Court records show her DUI charge was downgraded, and she must complete community service following the incident near Devonshire Way and Onslow Court.
3. Improper food handling catches inspector's eye at restaurant in The Villages (villages-news.com) — A recent state inspection at Fiesta Grande Mexican Grill in Brownwood found a cook handling cooked beef with bare hands, along with issues like raw chicken stored over raw beef and cheese held above safe temperatures. The manager addressed the most serious violation, but several lesser problems were also noted, giving diners important insight into current food safety practices in The Villages.
4. Takeaways from Tallahassee — Same time next week? (floridapolitics.com) — A Villages resident, prosecutor Brian Toti, has been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to a new judgeship on Florida’s 5th Judicial Circuit Court, giving the community a direct voice on a key regional bench. The broader roundup explains the new state budget, a looming Special Session on property taxes, and other statewide moves on healthcare, housing, and hurricane readiness that will indirectly affect Villagers’ wallets and services.
5. She Was Taken From Her Home and Given a New Name by Her Mom. 40 Years Later, Michelle Newton is Untangling Her True Identity (Exclusive) (people.com) — Residents may recognize that a woman recently arrested in The Villages has now been sentenced in a long-running child abduction case dating back more than 40 years. Her now‑adult daughter, who grew up under a different name, is reconnecting with her Kentucky family and working through the emotional fallout of discovering her true identity. The story highlights how her mother quietly built a retirement life in The Villages before being found.
📸 Around The Villages
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- It's nice to know that some people step up to help out!
My golf cart broke down at the intersection near Citizens Bank at Colony. My battery is only a year or two old? I contacted Kart Aid which took… (Nextdoor The Village of Poinciana) - Thought for the day!
Joke of the day... • Two guys walk into a bar. The third one ducked. (Nextdoor Ameila)
- Jacobs Solutions Inc. posted a job opening for Wastewater Operator in Training - OIT (Part-time)- The Villages, FL in The Villages. Apply here.
- Hooters, Inc. posted a job opening for Assistant Manager in The Villages. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near The Villages here.
Ok The Villages! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A championchip (Thank you Timothy G. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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