Mold Remediation in Haines City, FL

HAINES CITY, Fla. – On Thursday, Publix celebrated the opening of its latest store located in Central Florida.

According to the company, the new location is situated at 4112 E. Johnson Ave. in Haines City — the second Publix store so far in the area.

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“We look forward to welcoming new and existing customers and providing them with premier service, quality products and a pleasurable shopping experience,” said Hannah Herring, Publix’s media relations manager.

Aside from the traditional deli, produce, bakery, meat, seafood and pharmacy sections found in most Publix stores, this latest location is offering three special services:

To celebrate the grand opening, Publix announced that the company is donating $1,000 in gift cards and non-perishable items to Well of Hope Food Bank and Thrift Store, a nonprofit that provides food assistance and resources to those in need.

According to Forness Properties, the Publix store now serves as an anchor for the Shops at The Grove, being flanked by a Circle K gas station, a McDonald’s restaurant, and a Mavis Tires & Brakes.

“Plans are in place to increase both Johnson Ave & Power Line Rd to 4-lanes to accommodate the expected growth,” the release reads. “The closest grocery stores are Winn-Dixie and Aldi approximately 3 miles to the west.”

Publix lists the Haines City grocery store as being over 48,000 square feet, much in line with its other standard locations.

This marks another step in the company’s continued expansion across the Sunshine State, with some new stores last year featuring parking garages, upstairs dining, and even a three-story location with a boat dock.

However, these new stores will be missing out on a key element of many original Publix grocery shops: the chain’s signature scales.

The scales date back to 1930, when the first-ever Publix store was opened in Florida. As part of a business tactic, the scales were made free for customers to use, as they typically required money during this time because they weren’t often found in homes.

But customers won’t find any scales in Publix stores outside of Florida and Georgia. And that’s because there are only a few left. Publix officials told News 6 that the scales’ manufacturer — Mettler Toledo — stopped making them a few years ago.

“The manufacturer ceased production in 2015, meaning that one day — although our wonderful repair shop keeps our remaining machines in great shape — the last Publix scale will retire,” Publix wrote. “When scales are taken out of a store, they go for a spruce-up in our repair shop. They could wind up going to another store, or they may be held for parts to utilize in other scales.”

As a result, these scales won’t be coming to new Florida stores, the company explained.

Publix bought up as many of these scales as it could before Mettler Toledo stopped production, and the remaining scales are kept in stores or at a warehouse in Lakeland.

According to Publix, the scales will stay in the Florida stores as long as the technicians can keep them operational.

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HAINES CITY, Fla. — The Haines City Fire Department is getting more calls for help than ever before.

“The growth as far as call volume has increased drastically. We have a lot of growth towards all areas. There are new subdivisions constantly going in,” said Jacob Jimenez, Battalion Chief.

Having been a Haines City Firefighter for nearly two decades, Jimenz has experienced the rapid growth firsthand. He said in 2024, they ran more than 7,000 calls. That is 300 more calls than the year before.

Haines City only has two fire stations, so Polk County Fire Rescue steps in to cover the north section of the city.

“We’re unable to cover those calls. Not to say that it does not have coverage, but Haines City is not able to. With that third station we’ll be able to move in there and cover a lot of that area and take over running those calls,’ Jimenez said.

Construction of a third fire station is now underway. It is part of a new emergency operations center being built between US Highway 27 and FDC Grove Road.

“The new station has doors that open like accordions. They open much faster than these doors do. These doors roll up slow. The alarms for the firefighters are going to be a little less noisy,” said Interim Fire Chief Patrick Competelli.

The state-of-the-art facility will meet the increasing demand for emergency services in the area. During last year's storms, emergency operations were conducted out of a cramped city hall.

“So you’ll have public works there. The fire department, police department. So when we get the storms, hurricanes, anything like that we’ll be sheltered over there, then we report to the county,” said Competelli.

Construction is expected to be complete by the summer. Contributing to a safer Haines City.

ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska heads to Weedon Island, which has a rich history that dates back more than 12,000 years. During that time, it was home to Indigenous populations, a movie studio, an airport, a safe haven for bootleggers during prohibition, and so much more. Today, the preserve protects this wide diversity of natural and cultural resources for current and future generations.

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The fate of the FFA Leadership Training Center in Haines City is no longer in limbo after the Florida Cabinet approved $7.45 million to purchase the campus earlier this week.

The facility has been owned and operated by the Florida FFA Foundation for more than four decades, a release issued by foundation Executive Director Hilary Holley said announcing the approval of the purchase.

“Treasured for its role in shaping student experiences, the LTC has served as an extended classroom for leadership and career development, holding a unique place in FFA’s history across the state,” Holley said.

The decision to sell the facility came earlier this year after years of financial challenges arose from the ongoing maintenance and operation of the year-round hospitality property.

In February, the foundation partnered with Lakeland-based SVN Saunders Ralston Dantzler to market the property, and a request for proposals was initiated. After a review of the offers, the foundation board unanimously voted to accept the state's proposal.

“The Cabinet voted yesterday (Tuesday) to accept the Option Agreement to purchase the LTF from the FFA Foundation,” Dean Saunders said via email. “It has not closed on the deal yet.”

An expansion of Catfish Creek Preserve State Park

A news release from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said the purchase allows the state to "expand the Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park, adding over 6,000 feet of frontage along Lake Pierce," giving the park essential facilities and expanding opportunities for recreation and education.

The property, on Firetower Road south of Lake Hatchineha Road, falls within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Earlier this year, the Florida Cabinet also agreed to purchase the 1,342-acre Creek Legacy Ranch on the north side of Lake Hatchineha Road for $36.1 million. That came after an intense public fight over a plan to develop about 600 acres of the property with more than 1,800 homes and retail space.

Neighbors and environmental groups argued the Creek Ranch was another critical link in the Wildlife Corridor. The ranch will now fall under the management of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, likely becoming a new wildlife management area open to the public.

Relieving the FFA of financial burdens

The pending purchase of the FFA property will relieve the foundation of operational burdens and provide a significant financial boost to its mission of securing and managing resources that support agricultural education, the Florida FFA Association and its more than 60,000 student members, Holly said.

“While the transaction marks a major milestone, the board hopes FFA will have future opportunities to utilize the facility, with ongoing conversations continuing,” she said.

The Florida FFA Foundation expressed gratitude to the industry partners and countless individuals who contributed to the LTC’s success, recognizing their hard work, generosity and financial support.

The foundation’s website lists sponsors with a financial interest in agriculture, including Florida Farm Bureau Federation, Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Publix Super Markets Inc., Farm Credit of Central Florida and others.

The news release quoted the FFA Creed, citing a passage highlighting the transition of land ownership as bittersweet for the foundation.

“I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny,” the FAA Creed says.

Looking ahead, the foundation board of trustees will develop a strategic plan in early 2025 “to chart a vibrant path forward for the organization,” Holly said. She added, more details on the process and the foundation’s plans will be shared in the coming months.

The FFA Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1976 to secure resources for education, agriculture and student leader development.

For more information and to support the Florida FFA Foundation’s work, visit www.flaffa.org/foundation.