🌱 Patch AM: How Plant City became the backdrop for a perfect championship season

Morning Plant City! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How Plant City became the backdrop for a perfect championship season
• Why a Plant City lawmaker is sounding alarms over fentanyl

Today's riddle: My brother swallowed a box of firecrackers. - Is he all right now? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Some sunshine, with a high of 83 and low of 67 degrees.
• Friday: Times of clouds and sun, temps: high: 80, low: 51.
• Saturday: Sunny; pleasant, less humid, with a high of 79 and low of 55 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• East Orange Junior Jaguars football team wins national championship in Florida (essexnewsdaily.com) — Plant City recently hosted the United Youth Football League nationals, where the East Orange Junior Jaguars U11 team capped a perfect 13-0 season by winning the championship. The New Jersey squad earned redemption after last year’s shortfall, taking three straight wins in Plant City to bring the title home.
   

• Ashley Moody says more Americans have died from fentanyl than have died in wars (floridapolitics.com) — A Republican official from Plant City is prominently featured in a national debate over how the U.S. should confront fentanyl, which she calls deadlier than many wars. She backs a Trump executive order treating illicit fentanyl as a potential weapon of mass destruction, citing Florida overdose incidents and warning about the drug’s possible weaponization and stockpiling.
   

📸 Around Plant City

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Plant City

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Friday December 26

• Parent's Night Out - Plant City, FL 2025
  Plant City Family YMCA, 1507 YMCA Pl, Plant City
  4:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Saturday December 20

• Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-In
  The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce , 106 N Evers St , Plant City
  3:00 pm

Monday December 22

• Community Free Food Pantry
  The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce , 402 West English St. , Plant City
  6:00 pm

Wednesday December 24

• Business Builders Roundtable Networking
  OnPoint CoWork Solutions , 1805 James L Redman Pkwy , Plant City
  8:15 am

Thursday December 25

• Plant City Toastmasters
  Wesley Centre , 202 W. Reynolds St. , Plant City
  7:30 am
• Entrepreneur/Small Business Consulting Services
  Plant City Chamber of Commerce , 118 W. Reynolds St. , Plant City
  9:00 am

📣 Plant City Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday December 18

• Book Discussion
  Seffner-Mango Branch Library , 410 N Kingsway Rd , Seffner
  11:00 am
• Matchmaking a Family Tree
  Thonotosassa Branch Library , 10715 Main St , Thonotosassa
  4:00 pm
• Merry Little Mat Pilates & Wine Tasting at The Osprey View
  The Osprey View , 11501 Thonotosassa Rd , Thonotosassa
  6:00 pm

Friday December 19

• Family Story Time
  Seffner-Mango Branch Library , 410 N Kingsway Rd , Seffner
  11:00 am

Saturday December 20

• Beagle Meet Up @ Mango Dog Park – December 20, 2025, Seffner, FL
  Mango Dog Park , 11717 Clay Pit Rd , Seffner
  9:30 am
• Architectural Tour at Polk County History Center
  Polk County History Center , 100 East Main Street , Mulberry
  11:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

🪧 Patch Classifieds

• Former Florida Tile employees
  Looking for former Florida Tile maintenance workers in the Lakeland plant, between 1983-2000. Contact Brittney Fries @ 813.230.7702 or bfries... (More info)

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Someone recently posted that they charge hourly for small cleaning jobs versus full house cleaning.
  Can you please repost that or suggest someone in Plant City? Thank you. (Nextdoor Country Hills / Royal Hil)

• AmeriCold Logistics, LLC posted a job opening for Forklift Operator in Plant City. Apply here.
• COMANCO posted a job opening for Fleet Inventory Clerk in Plant City. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Plant City here.

🗞 Nearby News

Valrico

• District Opens First Braille Collection At Mann Middle School (ospreyobserver.com)

Seffner

• Soccer Recap: Seffner Christian Snags Third Victory in Last Four Games (maxpreps.com)

Lakeland

Ok Plant City! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I haven’t heard the last report.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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