It was an exciting year in The Villages in 2014.
A review of website traffic over the past 12 months revealed the following top 10 stories of 2014 on Villages-News.com:
1. Sex on the Square
The arrest of a couple engaging in an intimate act in a very public place, dominated traffic on Villages-News.com in 2014.
The initial arrest, subsequent court action and a final interview when the woman in the case completed her jail sentence, drove more traffic than any other story on Villages-News.com.
Opinions on the incident at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square were strongly divided. Some believe the couple should never have been arrested. Others thought they deserved to have the book thrown at them.
But the arrest of the man and woman, who was nearly 20 years older than her younger companion, sparked numerous conversations and drew international media coverage.
You can read the original story here:
http://villages-news.com/pair-sex-arrested-lake-sumter-landing/
2. The death of Gary Morse
The death of Developer Gary Morse in October caught many Villagers off guard. Morse was seldom seen, but his impact on the quality of life of thousands was felt every day.
Morse created a lifestyle adored by the people who called The Villages home.
He was 77 when he passed away.
http://villages-news.com/villages-developer-gary-morse-dies-wednesday-night-age-77/
3. Sex on the utility box
Two Villages residents were arrested on Oct. 1 after they allegedly had sex on a utility box behind the wall at the Morse Boulevard circle off U.S. Hwy. 27/441.
When the news broke, it prompted plenty of “here we go again” groans.
But once again, traffic surged on Villages-News.com, making the story the third-most trafficked story on the site in 2014.
As in the original Sex on the Square case, the man and woman in the utility box episode were sentenced to six months in jail for their actions.
http://villages-news.com/villagers-arrested-sex-morse-blvd-el-camino-real/
4. Easter weekend sinkhole in Buttonwood Heights
A massive sinkhole opened up on the Saturday before Easter in the neighborhood of Buttonwood Heights, putting the entire neighborhood on edge.
Villagers seeking up-to-date information once again flocked to Villages-News.com.
Luckily, the story had a happy ending.
The homeowners on Chalmer Terrace were not present when the sinkhole opened and a continuous flow of cement into the enormous pit eventually stabilized the site.
http://villages-news.com/sinkhole-precariously-perched-two-homes-village-buttonwood/
5. The Villages of Fruitland Park
The Villages’ decision to build 2,000 more homes in Fruitland Park drew the curious to Villages-News.com in 2014.
The construction promises to be an enormous financial windfall for the city of Fruitland Park. The widening of County Road 466A and funneling of more golf cart traffic through the tunnel under CR466A to the already crowded Colony Plaza shopping center continue to raise concern and should continue to dominate news in 2015.
http://villages-news.com/fruitland-park-poised-big-2014-thanks-villages/
6. Traffic light on Colony Boulevard
The much-discussed traffic problem on Colony Boulevard, fueled traffic on Villages-News.com in 2014.
Elected supervisors looked at a variety of options to keep both automobile and golf cart traffic flowing smoothly and safely on the busy boulevard.
Eventually a traffic light was installed. In the meantime, Community Watch personnel directed traffic and not a single accident took place during their oversight.
http://villages-news.com/pwac-members-look-ahead-traffic-signal-launch-colony/
7. Lightning strikes in The Villages
Lighting strikes ignited several fires at homes in The Villages in 2014.
The silver lining to the story was that no one suffered injury in the blazes. Quick thinking by residents and rapid response from the Villages Public Safety Department prevented injury or loss of life.
But the blazes resurrected the ongoing debate about lightning rods and their possible role in protecting property.
The first in a series of blazes in 2014 erupted in June in the Village of Pinellas at Evans Prairie.
Homeowner Kris Boschert said she and her husband were racing home from Jacksonville when she received the “Breaking News” alert from Villages-News.com on her phone.
http://villages-news.com/sundays-fire-pinellas-stirs-debate-lightning-rods/
8. Republicans re-elect governor
On the eve of his re-election, Gov. Rick Scott appeared in The Villages with GOP stars Bobby Jindal and Rick Perry. But it was the steady work of Republican volunteers in The Villages that provided the momentum for turnout in the Tri-County area.
The GOP office in Lake Sumter Landing was ground zero for numerous phone banks and volunteers that helped Republicans continue to dominate in the Sunshine State.
http://villages-news.com/gov-scott-stages-major-rally-villages-eve-election-day/
9. Death of beloved member of Villages sales force killed on I-75
The death of 55-year-old George Phillips on Interstate 75 south of Ocala was a story of great interest to readers of Villages-News.com.
Phillips was a beloved and well-respected member of the the sales force at Properties of the Villages.
That tragic weekend he was on I-75 when he and a state trooper and tow truck driver were tragically killed.
It was a fast-moving story with readers returning time and again to Villages-News.com for the latest information.
http://villages-news.com/florida-highway-patrol-trooper-killed-75-accident-scene-south-ocala/
10. Villagers cheer reopening of Orange Blossom Hills Country Club
Readers of Villages-News.com closely followed developments at the long-shuttered Orange Blossom Hills Country Club. Needless to say, they were thrilled when the restaurant reopened in November.
The country club has a long, rich history on the Historic Side of The Villages, dating back to the days when Villages founder Harold Schwartz was a regular there.
Readers followed developments on Villages-News.com, from the release of architect’s drawings to the first reviews from readers on the cuisine.
http://villages-news.com/rejuvenated-orange-blossom-hills-earning-rave-reviews-villagers/