Michelle Caceres

Hard work, confidence, and community support fuel memorable national appearance. For most high school students, summer means a break from classes and a chance to relax before the next school year begins. For Durant High School student Adalee Szczech, however, this summer brought an extraordinary opportunity: the chance to stand on a national stage and share her story with more than 2,000 people.

The downtown landmark will become the Bill Dodson Fiscal Center, bringing drive-thru utility payments, expanded customer service and breathing room for a growing City Hall.

People who knew Brian West say the same thing: he made you want to be better. Plant City lost him June 22, and the tributes haven’t stopped since. Brian Scott West spent 58 years on this earth doing something remarkably rare: he gave wholeheartedly to the people around him, asking for nothing in return and never keeping score. West, a lifelong resident of Plant City and the face of Publix’s community relations across Central and Southwest Florida, passed away Monday, June 22. He was 58.