A proposed $5.9 million state rail grant puts new attention on Southland, where limestone excavation and promised water benefits face separate reviews.

By Jeremy Scott | OurSumter.org | October 18, 2026 Golf-cart lanes will be widened along a busy section of Morse Boulevard. The project has county approval, but questions remain about safety, funding, and long-term maintenance. Sumter County commissioners have approved an agreement to move forward with a $1.5 million safety project on Morse Boulevard in…

By Jeremy Scott | OurSumter | October 18, 2026 Bushnell water customers received a notice saying the city missed required testing for lead and copper during the first half of 2026. The notice lists zero samples taken during the required January 1–June 30 testing period. It says samples were collected in September instead. This is…

By Jeremy Scott | OurSumter | October 15, 2026 A new landfill lawsuit in Texas raises a question for Sumter County: could a federal waste law offer additional protection for people living near the Heart of Florida Landfill? Harris County filed a federal lawsuit October 13 against USA Waste of Texas Landfills, Inc., which operates…

By Jeremy Scott | OurSumter | October 15, 2026(Read the full October 13 meeting text below the article) Sumter County commissioners approved a truck restriction on CR 526, zoning changes, road-related agreements, and other business on October 13. Residents also pressed for answers about landfill odors, the injection-well project, and clean water. Here are the…

By Jeremy Scott | OurSumter | October 15, 2026 Residents following the Heart of Florida Landfill and two separate development projects need clear records showing what agencies know, what remains under review, and what happens next. These are three different matters. Questions about one project do not establish a problem at another. The documents reviewed…

**By Jeremy Scott \| OurSumter\.org** *Part 1: The competing claims* A court fight between CompostUSA and the operator of the Heart of Florida Landfill puts two questions in the spotlight: Who is responsible for objectionable odors, and does CompostUSA still have the right to operate on the property? CompostUSA of Sumter County, LLC has sued…

October 14, 2026 | OurSumter.org Following The Villages Health bankruptcy and reports of physician departures, another major financial transaction raises questions about the future of local healthcare. A major change is underway at CenterWell Senior Primary Care, the company that acquired the former Villages Health medical network. On October 13, Humana announced a $2.8 billion…

By Jeremy Scott | October 13, 2026 Twelve million gallons of landfill liquid in one year. A Miami-Dade agreement calling for 4,800 tons of waste per week by rail to Heart of Florida. Thirty elected officials contacted—and replies identified from just three offices so far. Those numbers deserve attention. They also need careful explanation. Tonight,…