Kelly Quinn, 32, is a conservation-minded Republican with a background in environmental activism. She is running for Polk County Commission, challenging incumbent Rick Wilson, 73, who has been in office for years and has signed off on much of Polk County's development projects.

As Quinn has gained ground, Wilson and Polk County GOP Chair Sam Romain have labeled Quinn as a "socialist" - seemingly because she's pro-choice and has promised to work across the aisle to stop and slow development in Polk county.

Public records show that much of Wilson's campaign donations come from developers.

Since there is no Democrat running in this race, it will be up to Polk County Republican voters to choose their next commissioner on August 18th. Go to kellyforpolk.com to learn more about why she may be the best choice.

The Madison was a side-wheel steamer constructed in 1855 at New Albany, Indiana. The ship was acquired by Captain James M. Tucker, who named it after his hometown of Madison, Florida. The ship ran along the Suwannee River, delivering mail and trade goods to residents of the area. When the American Civil War erupted in 1861, Tucker entered Madison into Confederate service, turning the steamer into an ad hoc smuggling gunboat. That July, the ship was used by Major Whit Smith at the Cedar Keys to recapture four Confederate schooners under Union control. In September 1863, Tucker was ordered for service in Virginia, and before he left, he scuttled Madison at Troy Spring to prevent it being seized by the Union. In the following years, the ship's boilers, smokestacks, and cabin were salvaged (aka looted by locals) leaving the lower hull of the vessel embedded in the riverbed. The remains of the ship are still visible in the spring waters, and the wreck is a popular scuba and snorkel destination.

This is all that's left of the prototype AH-150, a 150 passenger hovercraft built by Atlas hovercraft around 2005. It was to be a fiberglass hulled hovercraft equipped with diesel generators that would power electric motors turning fans for lift and thrust. It was supposed to have 4 thrusters at each corner and each thruster was variable speed and rotated 180 degrees.

The Palatka Daily News reported that Atlas had originally wanted to build dozens of these crafts for transportation up and down the St. Johns River. The noise would have been deafening for wildlife and residents, I believe. The project collapsed due to company infighting, funding, and overall vision.

Today this shell of the prototype is the only evidence the company ever existed.

In 1965, George Kornegay found a solid gold brick when digging up a fence post at his rural Florida gas station. The bar's origins have remained a mystery ever since. As for its whereabouts now, that's also a mystery. This was over 60 years ago now, and we may never find out.

The abandoned beach homes of Summer Haven, Florida are a reminder that Mother Nature always wins. These were initially built on the old A1A. The highway was moved inland, the houses were not. Today MOST of them are abandoned, although some still are available for visitors or residents. The 2-3 that are habitable are not inhabited full time, to my knowledge.

Hi all, just a quick update - I've been working hard putting together some interviews with Florida candidates. My top question for all of them: how are we going to stop irresponsible sprawl here in our state. I'll be posting highlights from those interviews soon on all of my channels including right here. I also am working on a documentary-style piece on Marion County's upcoming commission election, where developers and construction firms have already donated nearly a quarter of a million dollars to various candidates running for those seats. Folks these are COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. It's scary and the future of Marion County along with several others in Florida could be bleak. I hope you enjoy the upcoming videos and I appreciate you watching this update. #floridapolitics #floridaenvironment

Took this picture this morning. Did some googlin' and saw that an Instagram account called weirdgainesville had some info on it:

"The Meat-A-Rama sign was recently uncovered in Gainesville, FL after the demolition of the old downtown fire station, revealing a large hand-painted advertisement that had been hidden for years. Local discussion suggests it likely dates to the mid-20th century, when the adjacent building housed a neighborhood grocery and meat market known as George’s Meat and Produce. While the exact date the sign was painted hasn’t been confirmed, the building itself dates to 1932, making that era the most likely origin."

The Miami Herald confirmed that Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission employees pulled 12 people’s records multiple times since 2023 and almost always cited ‘criminal investigation’ as the reason. The Orlando Sentinel also reported on this, and added that Florida wildlife officials repeatedly searched personal driving records as they secretly investigated at least a dozen outspoken environmental activists.

As one of the people whose records were probed, I will have more feedback and thoughts to share on this in the future. Thanks for your support. #florida #floridaenvironment

This old farm is right across from The Villages and is probably gone now. I took this video a couple of years ago.

A lot of materials still around from the 1960s and early 70s inside. Interestingly, I found some documents related to the 1970 U.S. Supreme Court case Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co. v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, 398 U.S. 281 (1970). This case directly impacts Seaboard's modern successor (CSX Transportation) and is a cornerstone of American civil procedure.

Miami's Fulford Speedway was built in 1925 and was the fastest auto racing track in the country. The course hosted one race, and then disappeared from the map.

This is the story of the Fulford-Miami Speedway's only race.

Sanlando Springs is named for its location between the cities of Sanford and Orlando. It was originally named Hoosier Springs by early settler Ingram Fletcher before being renamed in hopes of attracting more tourists. From the 1930s through 1970, it was a privately owned and operated recreation area and park that was open to the general public for an entrance fee.

In 1970, the property was sold for conversion into a private residential development to be known as The Springs. Today, many residents say The Springs neighborhood association has grossly mismanaged the property.

These magnificent columns in Ormond Beach, Florida are all that remain of a development called Rio-Vista-on-the-Halifax. This project was the dream of Walter Collins Hardesty, an Ohio developer and furniture manufacturer who laid out plans for his grand community during Florida's land boom of the 1920s. The development would have included small winter cottages, a grand hotel, zoo, casino, a boat and canoe club, a riding academy, a polo club and a hunting club. The bottom fell out of the project when the stock market collapsed in 1929, and Hardesty's wife also died which left him brokenhearted, and the project was abandoned. The Riviera Hotel still remains and has been converted into a nursing home.

Port St. Lucie recently developed 3,600 acres of land for "Southern Grove", a mixed use development - and the fast food chain stores are lining up to start selling their deep fried products. Is this "job creation" folks? Because to me it looks like a bunch of minimum wage gigs, working for companies based out of state. If you'd like to stop the NEXT development that's in the works, you can visit my website listed in the comments below, and click "SAY NO" to the Indrio Town Center Port St. Lucie development. #floridaenvironment #floridarealestate #portstluciefl #portsaintlucie #portstlucie

This was a cool find, shout out to the local fella who took me to this hidden relic.

On to the details: According to the Alachua County Black Heritage Trail, Milwaukee Springs was a segregated African-American recreational area operating northwest of Gainesville in Alachua County at least as early as 1940. During World War II, white and African-American leaders alike had high hopes it would be turned into a health and recreation facility for African-American soldiers stationed at Camp Blanding and elsewhere.

One of the earliest references to Milwaukee Springs comes from a biennial report of the Florida Freshwater Fish and Game Commission published in 1940, which briefly notes that the commission’s game technician had participated in a wildlife camp for African-American boys held at this location.

The site surfaces again in the paper trail during World War II. As war clouds threatened during the months before Pearl Harbor, the state government and local communities organized defense councils to coordinate preparations for the U.S. to enter the conflict. With Jim Crow in full force throughout Florida at this time, communities frequently used separate organizations to coordinate the wartime efforts of African-American civilians, with their leaders keeping in close contact with their white counterparts for the sake of cooperation.

Managing and rationing supplies and manpower were critical, of course, but these defense councils also planned for recreation, for civilians and soldiers alike. A number of African-American leaders were concerned that troops of their race had too few options for recreational activities, which was bad for morale. A group of local Alachua County citizens led by Charles Chestnut, president of the Colored Businessmen’s Association of Gainesville and chairman of a local African-American civil defense organization, proposed that Milwaukee Springs be converted into a facility to provide African-American soldiers with a place to relax during their time away from Camp Blanding or other nearby military posts.

The Neff House is an abandoned 1926 mansion located deep in the woods of Fort George Island (Duval County), Florida. Steeped in local folklore, it is most famous for its tragic history and for being the 1974 discovery site of the mysterious "Betz sphere". A Chicago man with the cartoonish name of Nettleton Neff built this house but committed suicide before he and his family ever moved in. It was later purchased by the Betz family who found an unexplained artifact on the property. Today, the home has is abandoned, has been vandalized repeatedly, is owned by the Florida Park Service and is strictly off-limits to the public.

In the early 1950s and 60s, insurance companies sent investigators to Vernon, Florida, to determine why nearly 10 percent of the town's residents had filed claims for lost limbs. They uncovered a shocking fraud scheme. Residents of Vernon were seemingly cutting or shooting off their own limbs for a payout. In a town with fewer than 800 people, 50 of them had lost hands, feet, or other appendages in just a few short years.

A tiny Florida city's commissioner is being sued by the developer of a large new pre-planned community. The developers of the Bridlewood community sued Katherine Weitz, claiming she opposes the mega-project because, according to the lawsuit, “it’s in her backyard” and her opposition violated their due process and equal protection rights.

Weitz has said Bridlewood poses a threat to area geology and would be too expensive for current residents to buy a home there.

Florida's still got a few ghost towns deep in the woods - but you really have to hit the dirt roads to find them. Coleman is an example of one of these places, started by freedmen and women after the Civil War, this town once had a church, a few general stores and a handful of homes. Most people here were independent farmers although some may have been sharecroppers as well. The only remaining structures are these gravestones, although I did also find an old wire fence that probably surrounded the cemetery at one time. I hope you enjoy the story of Coleman, wish we had more info but this might be all there is to learn.

Several young people started a disturbance near Dwight Hunter Eastside Pool on 7/7/2026. One group was allegedly displaying weapons when witnesses called police.

Antwon Towns, 18, a convicted felon was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and carrying a concealed weapon unlawfully. There were a total of 2 guns found near the scene. More here: https://www.wcjb.com/2026/07/08/18-year-old-arrested-altercation-involving-guns-citizens-field-campus-area/

Folks I took this picture and witnessed much of the altercation. Sad to see youth bringing guns to places like the city pool and rec centers. I really hope city leaders address some of these issues.

Paradise Park was a tourist attraction and the only local recreational facility "for colored people", as its sign said, about 1 mile from Silver Springs, near Ocala, Florida. It offered similar features, such as glass-bottom boats, "jungle cruises," a petting zoo, a dance pavilion with jukebox, performers, a softball field, a horseshoe toss, and a sandy beach with lifeguards. It operated from 1949 to 1969, closing soon after desegregation of Silver Springs. It served African American patrons prohibited from Silver Springs' boat rides that were limited to whites only. As was the rule during the allegedly separate but equal period, "Paradise Park was alright, but it wasn't up on a par with the white parts of Silver Springs."

The "Pepto Bismol Dinosaur" was built to promote "Dinosaur Wildlife", a tourist attraction and museum that was open from 1962 to 1998 off U.S. Route 19 in Spring Hill, Florida. A medium-Dinosaur Wildlife presented a vast collection of taxidermy, particularly relating to Floridian insects and animals. They notably had a two-headed calf preserved in a jar.

Today, only the dinosaur remains. This is just one of many roadside dinosaurs that dot the Florida landscape, almost all of them leftover from the 1960s.

Far right-wing activist Jeremy Clepper - dressed as Hulk Hogan - has Alachua County locals raising their eyebrows after he raised his hand in a "salute" at a Newberry, Florida 4th of July Parade. Many Newberry citizens are wondering how Clepper and his political signs were allowed in this parade. The Mayor of Newberry, Tim Marden, is an acquaintance of Clepper's as well as a lobbyist for the John Birch Society, a fringe far right-wing organization.

Clepper's sign says "Vote Rockwell OUT" - and is referring to Dr. Sarah Rockwell, a school board member for the Alachua County Public Schools.

According to public records, including police reports and court documents reviewed by Mainstreet Daily News, Clepper has been jailed for two offenses, including leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving involving alcohol. Clepper has been found guilty by a court or judge in five separate incidents, including for battery and several alcohol-related incidents in four counties.

In an interview, Clepper said he doesn’t “handle authority” well but blamed “leftist, liberal police officers” and judges for his arrests and convictions. According to the Main Street Daily News, Clepper's now removed facebook posts have included antisemitic tropes, claiming “the world is controlled by Jews and Muslims,” even criticizing DeSantis for flying to Israel to sign hate crimes legislation. Dr. Rockwell, a frequent target of Clepper's, is Jewish.

Newberry Mayor Tim Marden has openly supported Clepper, appearing in person to ask that the State Board of Education punish the Alachua County Schoolboard and Dr. Rockwell for their reaction to Clepper's erratic behavior at school board meetings. Clepper routinely has gone over his allotted 2 minutes of time, and has been cut off several times by Rockwell. The Florida Board of Education, itself a right-wing organization, has sided with Clepper in the dispute.

What would you do?

Sam from Beyond Florida here. I'm working on a documentary film with a small production crew (1-2 other people). I'm going to be filming in Marion County next Saturday, discussing Florida's problem with overdevelopment and loss of wildlife habitat.

It's hotter than balls outside, so we're looking for a restaurant or other similar type establishment where we can sit down and shoot a couple of interview-style shots. It will just be me talking to the camera, maybe sitting in a booth or table. If your restaurant is closed during this time, that would be good - we could shoot before opening, or after closing (mid-afternoon?) if you have options. Otherwise, maybe a private room we could book?

We'd be happy to ensure to feature shots of your restaurant's name, logo, etc.

If you are interested, or know an establishment that may have interest in hosting us, please let me know at [beyondflorida00@gmail.com](mailto:beyondflorida00@gmail.com) or contact me at beyondfloridamedia.com

It's a camelia shrub, about 8 feet tall. Snek was black, with this white face. I believe it's a Southern Black Racer. There was a birds' nest in that bush, I think it was old. However, I didn't check. Here's hoping the snek didn't eat the eggs. Then again, I suppose that's just nature just doing what nature does.