Lucy Dillon

Winter Garden VoxPopuli

Compilation of my work with Winter Garden VoxPopuli. Includes my coverage of the Florida House of Representatives District 41 primary and Orange County School Board District 4 race.

Jacob "Jake" Petroski | Winter Garden Vox

Public educator Jacob “Jake” Petroski, who recently left the classroom to run for office, is taking his vision for Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) to the next level. Even as he has never held public office before, Petroski, the parent of a rising freshman at Olympia High School and a fourth-grader at Thornebrooke Elementary School, was first to file, putting in his paperwork for the District 4 seat on the Orange County School Board in May 2023.“Schools are going through a real change in the...

Anne Douglas | Winter Garden Vox

Veteran public school teacher Anne Douglas, 59, of Dr. Phillips, is making her first run for office as a District 4 candidate for Orange County School Board. She faces fellow teacher Jacob “Jake” Petroski and business development manager Kyle Goudy.The nonpartisan election is Aug. 20 and the winner will take the school board seat. If no one wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a run-off will be held Election Day, Nov. 5. Early voting takes place Aug. 5-18, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily. See our list...
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Janét Marie Buford-Johnson | Winter Garden Vox

Orlo Vista resident Janét Marie Buford-Johnson, 55, had a dim view of politics until her community was ravaged by Hurricane Ian. Now, the former Circle K general manager (currently on disability) isn’t just making her first run for elected office, she’s doing so in District 41 against political heavyweight Democratic incumbent State Rep. Bruce Antone.The winner of the open Aug. 20 primary will take the seat. Early voting takes place Aug. 5 through Aug. 18. Mail-in ballots can be requested throug...
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Bruce Antone | Winter Garden Vox

Democratic incumbent State Rep. Bruce Antone, 63, is asking voters to send him back to Tallahassee for his eighth term in the Florida House. He is fending off a challenge from first-time candidate and former convenience store general manager Janét Marie Buford-Johnson.The Aug. 20 election will decide the winner of the solidly Democratic District 41. Early voting takes place Aug. 5 -18, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily. Check our list for locations. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Aug. 8 and i...

Ballot Amendments

The proposed citizen-backed amendments to Florida’s Constitution, which would protect abortion access and legalize recreational marijuana, have received considerable attention over the last year. However, lawmakers have put four other amendments on the ballot in November that could affect school board elections, public money for statewide campaigns, hunting and fishing and homestead tax exemptions. Amendments require 60 percent of the vote to pass. We explain who is for and against each amendmen...
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2024 Primary Election Guide

We have expanded our voting guide beyond local legislator races to include elections for school board, county commission, state attorney, supervisor of elections, public defender and Ninth Judicial Circuit and Orange County Court judges.Voting by mail makes casting a ballot in the Aug. 20 primary super easy and convenient. You can take your time. You can have a snack. You can keep our 2024 Primary Voting Guide next to you so you can read up on the candidates. You can even vote in your PJs with y...

2024 Primary Candidate Profiles

During election season, the question I get asked most often is What do you know about the judges?Readers often tell me they don’t know who to vote for or where to find information on judges. So this year, we expanded our Voting Guide specifically to include the candidates running for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court as well as Orange County Court. Judges aren’t permitted to discuss political issues or potential rulings, so we asked them about judicial temperament, maintaining the integrity of th...

Oakland issues proclamation for Juneteenth | Vox Populi - Winter Garden, FL

(Even with the Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth, slavery remained legal in slave-holding Union states like Delaware and Kentucky  until the 13th Amendment passed in December 1865. The Kentucky General Assembly finally ratified the amendment along with the 14th and 15th Amendments, granting citizenship to formerly enslaved Black people and giving Black men the right to vote, in 1976. Mississippi ratified the 13th Amendment in 1995, but only submitted the paperwork to the U.S. Archivist to...
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Antone addresses opponent’s residency allegations  | Vox Populi - Winter Garden, FL

Janét Marie Buford-Johnson, the first-time candidate challenging the seven-term legislator in the Aug. 20 Democratic primary, filed a complaint last month with the Florida Ethics Commission, stating that Antone does not reside in District 41 and has not for years. “He’s not vested in our community because he does not live here,” the Orlo Vista resident and hospitality professional told VoxPopuli earlier this week. State representatives are required by law to be residents of their districts at th...
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Winter Garden to distribute welcome packets with new code compliance brochure | Vox Populi - Winter Garden, FL

Winter Garden is adding new Code Compliance brochures to its welcome packets for new residents, according to City Manager Jon Williams. He made the announcement at the April 11 city commission meeting.Titled Enhancing Our Community Through Code Compliance: Your Guide to Navigating Common Code Violations and Reporting Processes, the brochure explains how to keep house and lawn up to code.What exactly is “Code Compliance?” The brochure defines it as “essential in preserving Winter Garden’s charm,...

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