For July 2024
HEADLINE NEWS:

Feature Headlines

Lazy Day Pot Roast will make your kitchen smell good for...

In his book, Hearty Country Cooking, Mark Sohn, says: “To ‘pot-roast’ is to braise. Using several cups of liquid and a covered pot, I...

John Ricketson, longtime Apopka Chief/Planter publisher, dies at 84

Over his 45-year ownership of The Apopka Chief, John Ricketson left his mark on this city and thousands of lives.

Snowy egret flies over Lake Apopka

A snowy egret makes its home among the marshes of the Lake Apopka North Shore and Wildlife Drive, located on the North Shore of...

Fire chief to retire after 22 years with city

Apopka Fire Chief Sean Wylam will retire after serving 22 years in the Apopka Fire Department that includes five years in his current post.

OUR POSITION:

Chief Publisher ‘JR’ helped shape Apopka for generations
By Patrick McGuffin, Guest editorialist

Long-time publisher and owner of The Apopka Chief and The Planter newspapers, John “JR” Ricketson, passed away at the age of 84 and moved into his eternal reward on July 16, 2024.

THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY: OPINION & ARTICLES OF INTEREST

Vision 2050 is in planning stages
Christine Moore, County Commissioner District 2

Balancing the varying needs of healthy communities is required in good governance. The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) will likely submit two constitutional amendments regarding protecting rural lands and controlling excessive annexations to the citizens for their consideration this November. Read Moore on page 2A.


Schools need up-to-date info
Melissa Byrd, Orange County School Board, District 7

As usual, summer is flying by and we are quickly approaching the start of another school year. The 2024-25 school year will begin on Monday, August 12. Read Byrd on page 2A.


Plan was to make women, children dependent on government
Ike Hayden, Editorial

The great Greek philosopher, Democritus (470-370 B.C.) wrote that “cheats and hypocrites are those who do everything with words and nothing with actions.” That statement, although written many centuries ago describe Joe Biden precisely. Read Ike on page 2A.

Letters to the Editor:

Assassination attempt was made

Editor: We humans love to sanitize words, make them more palatable. Acceptable. Less threatening. Assassinate is one of those words that just can’t be sanitized.

 Police Beat: STAY INFORMED. Get the details: who, when, and why arrests were made in our community by


Lifestyle

FWC says there is three breaches to Emeralda Marsh on Lake...

Hello Folks, I hope and pray you are havin’ a great week, and you are plannin’ a fishin’ trip real soon. There are a few folks...

Lake Apopka is the perfect place for bird watching

The Lake Apopka Wild Life Drive is home to a vast variety of birds from herons to ducks to cranes to gallinules. If you...

Carrot cake with crushed pineapple, glazed, then frosted, is the best!

From, Susan Nethercote, a dear friend, we have Grampa’s Spaghetti Sauce! This comes from her own family documentary, The Jones-Morris Family Treasury (contributed to...

Sports

Apopka athletic legends join Scott at Froggers for fundraiser

Apopka football legend Sammie Smith (l) stands with Roger Williams (c) and Donald Scott (r) during the recording of Williams’ radio show “Talkin’ Old...

Jalen Carter’s youth summer camp gets better every year

Last weekend Apopka High School was home to Jalen Carter’s annual free youth football camp. From the campers to the Apopka players and coaches...

Blue Darter Football is only one month away from Kickoff

We are officially just a month out from the beginning of the Apopka Blue Darter 2024 football season. After falling to the Sanford Seminoles...