Since 2005, the state’s life expectancy rate dropped by 1.2 years while Marion County’s rate dropped by more than 4.1 years.
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
Since 2005, life expectancy has fallen steadily for Marion County residents.
According to the data from the Florida Department of Health, life expectancy for the three-year span of 2005-2007 in the state was 79.2, but in Marion County it was 77.8 overall. It was 74.5 if you were a Marion County male and 81.1 if you were female. Marion Hispanics had a higher life expectancy at 81.9; nonHispanics 77.6, white 77.8, Black 76.3.
Fast forward to the last three-year data set released, for 2020-2022, and you find that the state’s life expectancy rate had only dropped 1.2 years but Marion County had dropped more than 4 years to 73.7. Statistics like these may show living in Marion County to be bad for your health.
Recent data from the Florida DOH reflected Marion County males having a life expectancy of 70.4 and females 77.1. Marion Hispanics are still outliving the rest, with a life expectancy of 76.8. whites 73.6, Black 72.7, and non-Hispanics 73.2
Our leading causes of death are like the rest of the state’s—heart disease and cancer. However, the third highest cause of death in Marion County is unintentional injury. And it’s at a remarkable rate.
Florida DOH data shows Marion County’s rate of unintentional death in 2022 was greater than that of every other county in the state except for Glade and Lafayette counties, whose populations combined make up less than 30,000 residents.
The DOH defines unintentional death as “injury not intended as self-harm or as
intentional harm to another person.”
When you look at the 10-year trends in unintentional deaths for Marion County, they grew from 75.2 (for every 100,000 population) in 2015, to 91.6 in 2019, and to 124.5 in 2022.
In 2022, according to the last reported DOH data, the age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population of deaths from motor vehicle crashes, which includes pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and three-wheeled vehicles, in Marion County was 27.7 compared to Florida at 15.8.
Analysis
Thanks to data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments, it’s easy to get a glimpse of each community’s health grades so communities can make decisions to improve them.
The question is, Who is responsible for implementing policy and finding the resources to improve the health grades?
The answer in this community equals a lot of different siloed organizations, but there seems to be no single local organization making strides toward significant improvement.
The Florida Department of Health in Marion County, or DOH-Marion, issues its health assessments based on data and meetings with stakeholders.
Then there’s the Marion County Hospital District, now in its 10th year, who’s currently reassessing health needs to define what health incentives it will continue to support. The trustees’ two roundtable workshops with one consultant have been informal with no reporting supplied to the trustees from
the consultant regarding needs, other than what has been shared during meetings, according to the district’s attorney Robert Batsel following the last workshop.
The “Gazette” has been recording the workshops so the public can gauge their effectiveness, and we will follow up with a report when the direction becomes clear.
The Marion County Public Policy Institute did a health needs assessment of Marion County in the summer of 2007. At the time, they recommended that a lead agency be formed to address findings such as shortages of medical providers, lack of insurance, transportation for patients to care, and the timeliness of emergency services.
Since that 2007 report, a few good things have happened, and a few not so good things have happened. We are going to point out some of both.
Good news
In 2010, The Affordable Care Act was passed. The Florida Department of Financial Services summarized how it impacted Florida residents this way: “The law puts in place a significant number of health insurance reforms that have rolled out since 2010.”
“Starting January 1, 2014, you will no longer be declined coverage or charged extra for health insurance because of a health issue you have now or have had in the past. You will also be guaranteed a minimum set of health benefits known as ‘Essential Health Benefits.’”
The website also said the law included assistance for individuals and families to purchase health insurance.
See Failing, page A3
Jail footage shows inmate complied with orders before fatal use of force
A lawsuit against the Marion County Sheriff’s Office has allowed the “Ocala Gazette” to view the Marion County Jail video.
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
Footage obtained through the “Ocala Gazette’s” lawsuit against the Marion County Sheriff’s Office showed that inmate Scott Whitley exhibited no physical violence toward Marion County Jail detention deputies before he was rushed to the floor, restrained and hit with a Taser 27 times over 12 minutes.
Whitley died in custody on Nov. 25, 2022. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.
“Gazette” staffers were allowed to view the footage on Sept. 23, but not to obtain a copy or publish the video footage. Contrary to initial reports from the sheriff’s office that claimed Whitley refused to comply with guards’ orders, the footage shows the inmate sitting as ordered and, when he sees the guards rush towards him, he raises his hands in defense and pleads “no” and “wait”—to no avail.
Whitley showed no physical violence toward jail staff at the time of the incident, only minutes earlier verbally refused to comply with deputies’ orders to be handcuffed at the door for a cell inspection that the sheriff’s office described as “routine.”
Whitley, a diagnosed schizophrenic, was being held in solitary confinement and was not allowed any clothing or bedding, a precaution often taken out of concern that those items could be used by an inmate to harm themselves or others or to attempt escape.
Whitley was unmedicated for his mental disorder at the time.
Based on an evidentiary hearing
See Mentally, page A9
File photo: Numerous agencies including Ocala Fire Rescue and Marion County Fire Rescue and the Ocala Police Department responded to the scene of a large explosion at the Classic Laundromat store on Northeast 25th Avenue in Ocala on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2024.
Scott Whitley was being held in solitary confinement in the Alpha Pod of the Marion County Jail, where he was killed after nine involved deputies deployed Tasers 27 times and used pepper foam and physical force to subdue him. [Source Florida Department of Law Enforcement]
Proposed zoning changes for SW Marion with two new elementary schools under construction
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
Zoning changes for students in southwest Marion County have been announced related to the future two opening of two new elementary schools.
Construction began on the two new elementary schools in March, with an anticipated opening in August 2025. The schools, one in Marion Oaks and the other in Winding Oaks, are identical and will each house up to 860 students.
The school district has released its proposed zoning changes to the area that will impact Belleview Elementary, Belleview Santos Elementary, Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary, Legacy Elementary, Marion Oaks Elementary, Saddlewood Elementary and Sunrise Elementary.
Marion County Public Schools held two community meetings in the second week of September to discuss rezoning information.
Students in certain areas who were formerly zoned for Marion Oaks and Sunrise, who live to the west and the south of both schools, spanning east up until Interstate 75, will be zoned for Elementary School W in the future.
Students in certain areas who were formerly zoned for Hammett Bowen, Saddlewood, Belleview Santos and Marion Oaks will be zoned for Elementary School X in the future. All school zones in this area will be reformatted to accommodate the zoning for both new schools.
A School Board work session to discuss the proposed attendance boundaries is scheduled for October 17, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. A public hearing and vote on the
proposed attendance boundaries for Elementary W and X is scheduled for November 12, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.
The schools will each have 43 classrooms. Both schools will have one two-story building made of concrete block construction and have minimal entry points for enhanced security. The facilities will each be 115,000 square feet.
Both schools are expected to cost $43 million each. The site of Elementary School “X” is 7200 SW 49th Avenue Road, and Elementary School “W” is at 14320 SW 70th Avenue Road in Marion Oaks.
Elementary School W will have 5,600 linear feet of stacking area for student drop-off and pickup.
The school parking lot will have 34 visitor spaces, 210 staff and event spaces, and five kitchen staff spaces.
Elementary School X will have 5,100 linear feet of stacking area for student drop-off and pickup.
The school parking lot will have 34
visitor spaces, 206 staff and event spaces, and five kitchen staff spaces.
A major new development is in the works near the site of Elementary School X after the Ocala City Council approved the creation of a development district earlier this year of 460 acres of a former farm. Developer KimleyHorn plans to build nearly 1,700 single-family homes on the land.
As of June, the Ocala/Marion County area is the fourth fastestgrowing metropolitan area in the country and the ninth fastestgrowing county in the country. With 269 people moving to the area each week, the age demographics of the people moving here are trending younger, which is expected to increase the student population in Marion County greatly, according to Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership President and CEO Kevin Sheilley.
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Diane Gullett, the Superintendent of Marion County Public Schools, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new elementary school that will be built at Winding Oaks Farm off Southwest 49th Avenue Road in southwest Ocala on Thursday, March 21, 2024. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2024.
Failing health grades
Continued from page A1
When that law went into effect, 59,754 Marion County residents under the age of 64 did not have any health insurance. As of the last data set, in 2022 there were 45,577 residents without insurance. In those eight years, Marion County population also increased by roughly 50,000 residents.
The College of Central Florida is currently under expansion to increase affordable nursing education. In addition to offering low state tuition, the Citrus County Hospital District decided to put money towards grants for those who want to go into nursing at CF, making it possible for some nurses to have their tuitions completely covered in exchange for agreeing to work in Citrus County for a certain period of time.
The college’s nursing expansion has received direct financial support from multiple state and local governmental bodies.
Additionally, 10 years ago, the Marion County Hospital District (MCHD) started investing approximately $213 million when the county, with approval from Marion County voters, decided to lease the county hospital, then named Munroe Regional Medical Center, to a private healthcare company. The hospital lease has changed hands a few times since then and is now held by AdventHealth and is known as AdventHealth Ocala.
The money from the lease came to the MCHD trustees to be used to meet the health needs of Marion County residents. It now totals almost $300 million.
The MCHD has focused primarily on fighting obesity and the diseases that come with it, such as diabetes, with contributions to nonprofit clinics that offer treatment and preventive care, and for mental health and substance abuse support through other nonprofits and the creation of Beacon Pointe in the last few years, as a hub connecting people with mental health and substance abuse support.
As far as emergency services go, the 2007 report complained of lagging emergency response times.
Marion County Fire Rescue took ambulance services back under its wing shortly after the report was issued by the private provider, the Emergency Medical Services Alliance (EMSA). EMSA had been a joint effort among the city, county, HCA hospitals and Munroe Regional for ambulance service.
It has taken some time, but ambulance response times have improved throughout the county due to significant investment in 911 dispatch technology, personnel and equipment by the county.
Practically speaking, MCFR takes the lead on most medical calls since they operate the ambulancesincluding in the city limits. This arrangement has freed up Ocala Fire Rescue to spearhead the start
of paramedicine programs for opioid recovery and for community outreach to homebound residents struggling with new or chronic medical conditions.
The local paramedicine programs pioneered by OFR have expanded into the county and continue to be a shining star in Marion’s cap as an example to emulate in other counties.
Bad news
When it comes to emergency response times, however, recent reports have revealed that city residents do not always fully benefit from the county’s quick ambulance response due to deconsolidated emergency communications between the county and city.
How might that impact our health grades? In a big way when you consider that unintentional injury is the number three cause of death in Marion County.
The city has ignored national recommendations for consolidation of emergency communications, issued since 2016, as well as calls for the use of common computer aided software between responding agencies. Instead, they did the opposite and deconsolidated more from the county in 2020.
City officials also have ignored recommended staffing levels by their own consultants, as well as operational structure. While the county has the benefit of automated fire/medical dispatch when 911 calls come in, the city dispatchers are still scrolling a PDF matrix (emergency dispatch circa 1990).
The “Gazette” asked the city if there had been any changes since our last report in the spring. They have been minimal, and still don’t meet recommended standards.
In 2019, at the time the city made a decision to deconsolidate further, then-police chief Greg Graham told city council members during a workshop that all six chiefs, including himself, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, Marion County Fire Rescue Chief James Banta, then Ocala Fire Chief Shane Alexander and police chiefs in Belleview and Dunnellon agreed the deconsolidation would only work if they all used the same CAD software, but the transition would come at significant cost and require consensus about which CAD software would work for all.
Five years later, they are still working on different CAD systems and ignoring multiple national authorities who recommend consolidation of 911 communications and dispatch software.
We asked Sheriff Woods if his position had changed since Graham presented the opinion of the chiefs to city council and he said he could not comment.
Banta, who oversees ambulance services for the entire county, maintains that the county and city would be best served by consolidated 911.
As the needs grow locally, given
our everincreasing population, we should expect the fractured 911 system to show more cracks.
When it comes to Marion County’s uninsured population, our county is still in the top quarter percentile of uninsured in the state. We got as low as 39,099 in 2019 following ACA, but by 2022 had increased almost 9% in the number of uninsured.
received a bill for records in the sum of $187. The “Gazette” may pay the fee to get the information.
Mirroring the rest of the country, our physician count has only gotten worse since the PPI’s 2007 study. The American Medical Association warned in 2022 that there was already a shortage nationwide and since it takes 10 years to train a physician, immediate action is necessary.
In Marion County it is 1 primary care physician per 1,720 people. Throughout the state, it’s 1,370:1 and nationally it’s 1330:1.
Dentists in Marion County are 2,400:1, whereas statewide it’s 1,560:1 and nationally 1,360:1.
Mental health providers in Marion County are 870:1, whereas statewide it’s 490:1 and nationally 320:1.
How do we get to the bottom of this?
Other than regular recruitment from hospitals, we have not noticed any significant physician recruitment strategies for our county. You would think that local government would include addressing the physician shortage in their economic development plans since it is such a critical industry.
When it comes to the MCHD’s impact after 10 years, we can certainly point to an increase in fund growth, but diseases like diabetes and food insecurity have gotten worse in Marion County despite their financial investment in those areas- according to data from the DOH.
As for DOH-Marion, each county in the state has a health officer in charge of the department. Ours is Mark Lander, was appointed in 2017 with approval by the Marion County Board of Commissioners. But then at the end of 2020, he was also appointed as the Deputy Secretary for County Health Systems, which oversees all the county departments across the state.
This means, Marion is the only county in the state without a dedicated health officer since 2020. We requested Lander’s schedule from DOH-Marion to try to glean how much of his time is spent working in Marion County and
We reached out to Marcas M. Bamman, Ph.D., a senior research scientist with the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition. Bamman serves as the director of Healthspan, Resilience and Performance Research for IHMC.
He gave the “Gazette” an overview of what an in-depth study to identify potential contributors to Marion County’s life expectancy rates would look like.
Bamman said multidimensional methods
would be required to find which factors were linked to early morbidity and disease for Marion County residents. This would include environmental studies of air, water, and soil; various social metrics such as stress, education, family structure and income levels; and behavioral/ lifestyle metrics such as physical activity, nutrition/ diet, sleep, and healthcare access and utilization. Even age at retirement is relevant, Bamman said.
We don’t think a thorough study like that has ever been done in Marion County by any one agency—at least not in our lifetime.
[Florida Department of Health]
Your tax money at work—politically
Gov. Ron DeSantis is pulling out all the stops to try to defeat Amendment 4, our Capitol Columnist writes.
By Bill Cotterell
There’s nothing new or surprising about a governor influencing a referendum on a constitutional amendment, but Gov. Ron DeSantis has trampled some ethical and legal lines in trying to torpedo the abortion proposal on Florida’s November ballot.
Amendment 4 would override the law DeSantis signed that essentially forbids abortion after the sixth week of gestation. Abortion-rights forces have had a winning streak in ballot fights in several states over the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Roe v. Wade
precedent, and Florida is among 10 states voting on abortion initiatives this year.
Polls have shown strong support for the Florida amendment, but the opposition only needs 40 percent of the statewide vote to defeat it. To do that, DeSantis and the antiabortion forces are running a campaign of deception, cheating and intimidation.
We see TV ads and mass mailings, for instance, claiming that restoring state laws to the situation in the 50 years of Roe would mean no health and safety regulation of abortion, end parental notice when minors seek the procedures and put women in danger of unsanitary
conditions—not even requiring real physicians to do the job.
All of those horrors weren’t happening before the U.S. Supreme Court turned abortion law back to the states or before DeSantis signed the six-week ban, but the anti-4 activists claim it will be open season on babies if we amend the Constitution.
For reasons known only to DeSantis—although we can speculate—the state has its election cops asking citizens if they really signed those petitions that got Amendment 4 on the ballot. It’s doubtful the state thinks it can disqualify enough signatures to cancel the referendum, so the best explanation for this is a little intimidation: Gotta protect democracy by letting folks know we’re watching when they do something we don’t like.
And then there’s a little strategic cheating. State law provides that no public officer shall “use his or her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election.” Elected officers have a right to free speech, and a duty to tell us what they think is good or bad for the state, but they’re not supposed to use their official powers to rig a race.
The Agency for Health Care Administration, controlled by
DeSantis, has an internet site that reads like a campaign pitch for the vote-no campaign. It states that the six-week law protects women and that Amendment 4 endangers them.
“This anti-Amendment 4 website from AHCA is bull—,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried said. “Using state agency resources for campaign purposes is illegal, and we’re looking into any and all recourses to take this website down.”
DeSantis defended the police action, saying there’s been legitimate suspicion of signature fraud. He has argued that the AHCA web page is the kind of public service announcement the state often does, like with ads against “buzzed driving,” for hurricane preparedness or urging people to quit smoking.
Fried wrote to three state attorneys, seeking a criminal inquiry into state use of the internet site, and the AHCA campaign has drawn lawsuits. The state Supreme Court has agreed to expedite a case filed against AHCA, DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody by a South Florida attorney seeking an order barring election interference by public officers. It would be easier to accept the governor’s selfless concern
for clean campaigning if he hadn’t thrown his weight so much in the past. This is the guy who suspended two state attorneys for not doing their independently elected jobs his way and who stripped Disney of a special district in a get-even grudge match.
It’s not unusual for governors to add some personal prestige and stake a little political capital on a referendum.
Gov. Reubin Askew sponsored the “Sunshine Amendment” forcing financial disclosure by politicians and won a referendum allowing a corporate income tax. Gov. Bob Graham organized sheriffs and religious leaders against a casino gambling amendment. Gov. Jeb Bush opposed setting maximum class sizes in public schools, which passed anyway.
But those campaigns don’t involve abortion—probably the hottest political issue of 2024. And those governors didn’t openly, flagrantly use state facilities, authority and personnel to push their political agendas. They did it covertly, like nature intended.
Bill Cotterell is a retired Capitol reporter for United Press International and the Tallahassee Democrat. He can be reached at wrcott43@aol.com
Officer charged in relation to death of woman
OPD arrest reports indicate the MCSO deputy and his girlfriend were handling weapons at the residence they shared.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
AMarion County Sheriff’s Office deputy with eight years of service was arrested and charged with manslaughter on Sept. 19 after he allegedly shot his girlfriend in the forehead with a nonagency weapon while the couple was having a gun cleaning and training session after gun cleaning supplies were delivered.
Polina Wright was found deceased at the scene. Leslie Dale Boileau was immediately terminated by MCSO, according to an MCSO spokesperson. He had previously been assigned to patrol.
Boileau told an OPD dispatcher there was an “accidental discharge” at the residence where the couple lived. He later was arrested at the Ocala Police Department on Thursday night after he was transported there by officers who responded to the home, according to an OPD arrest document.
The responding OPD officers found Boileau standing behind Wright, who was seated in a chair and had a 9mm Glock pistol in her lap. A Daniel Defense pistol rifle was on the kitchen table, the arrest document indicated.
“I was cleaning the guns, we were pointing them at each other,” Boileau reportedly stated to an OPD officer.
An OPD spokesperson confirmed the victim was shot with the Daniel Defense rifle. The arrest document states that an investigator executing a search warrant, found a Glock 9mm with a magazine inserted at one side of a dining room table and a Daniel Defense pistol rifle at the other side. A spent 5.56 caliber shell casing was also found.
Boileau told officers he and Wright went to a restaurant on Southeast 5th Avenue and had three Margaritas each and returned home between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. The arrest document stated gun cleaning supplies had been delivered to the residence and “prompted Wright to inquire about firearms.”
“She was like, I want you to teach me how to use them, I want you to teach me how to use them. Okay, we will, we will, we will. We were pointing them at each other, and the gun went off,” Boileau told an officer who asked if the shooting occurred during gun cleaning.
“Boileau stated during the cleaning/ firearm training scenarios he was providing to Wright, they were pointing firearms in the direction of one another, which Boileau knew was wrong, based on his profession as law enforcement officer,” the arrest document stated.
“During the cleaning/training scenarios, Boileau stated he pointed the rifle in Wright’s direction, pulled the trigger one time, which ultimately fired a round towards Wright, which ultimately struck Wright in the forehead, in between her eyes. After realizing Wright had been shot, Boileau held her until law enforcement/EMS arrived on the scene,” according to the arrest document.
Boileau said “yes” he was holding an AR weapon at the time.
The arrest document states, “Wright began handling a 9mm Glock handgun, which Boileau noticed was fully loaded. Boileau took the 9mm Glock from Wright to clear the weapon of any live ammunition. Once the 9mm Glock was cleared, Boileau allowed Wright to dry fire the weapon.”
“Boileau stated he grabbed the rifle and
dry fired it one time. On the second dry fire attempt, Boileau had forgotten that he placed the loaded magazine into the rifle, which shot one live round in the direction of Wright, ultimately killing her. Boileau claimed he did not chamber a live round from the rifle magazine. After realizing Wright had sustained a gunshot wound, Boileau held her until OPD/EMS arrived,” the arrest document stated.
“I know this looks really bad,” Boileau stated according to the arrest document. “I told her I did not want this to happen, I did not want to train her in the f—— house like this.”
Boileau told an investigator they had done “similar training in the past.”
Boileau told an investigator his behavior was “sloppy.” The arrest documents cite statements by Boileau that align with physical evidence and “carelessness” handling firearms in light of his profession as reasons for the charges.
MCSO Public Information Officer
Lt. Paul Bloom stated in an email that Boileau had Florida Department of Law Enforcement weapon handling qualifications.
“All deputies at a minimum conform to that (FDLE) standard and we include additional firearms training annually for each deputy. Our firearms, whether agency issued or personal, are to be secure and handled safely at all times,” Bloom wrote.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods stated in a release he is heartbroken for the victim’s family and friends and said his office will support OPD in the investigation.
“We are heartbroken for the family and friends of the victim. Tens of thousands of law enforcement officers
HEALTH DEPARTMENT SEEKS SURVEY RESPONSES
The Florida Department of Health in Marion County, in conjunction with AdventHealth, encourages Marion County residents to complete the 2025 Community Health
do their job commendably every day. But unfortunately, the tragic actions of just one are felt through the entire law enforcement community,” Woods stated. Boileau was initially booked into the Marion County Jail on a no bond basis. He faced Fifth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Stacey Youmans on Saturday morning, Sept. 21, at his first appearance as the sole inmate in the room, dressed in a beige/yellow jumpsuit and represented by local attorney Jimmie Sparrow.
Youmans reviewed Boileau’s rights and stated that she found probable cause to charge him in the case. He remained subdued during the proceeding.
Sparrow, a criminal attorney and former Belleview Police Department officer according to jsparrowlaw.com, argued that Boileau‘s bond should be reduced from “no bond” status to a “reasonable amount” of $25,000.
Sparrow cited Boileau’s eight-year career as a public servant, no criminal history and Boileau “wasn’t going anywhere.” Sparrow called the death a “tragic accident.”
The State Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant State Attorney Tucker O’Neill.
Sparrow stated after the proceedings that the “state requested no bond and argued it should be no less than $50,000.”
Youmans set the bond at $30,000 and forbid Boileau to possess firearms or weapons.
Sparrow stated he expected his client would bond out of jail today and confirmed the State Attorney’s Office asked for Boileau to not contact the victim’s next of kin.
The next court appearance for Boileau is set for Oct. 22.
Needs Assessment Survey.
The survey consists of questions related to health care, mental health or substance misuse, food insecurity, and overall health and wellbeing. It takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
“The results will help inform members of the Marion County Steering Committee for Health on how to improve the community’s health,” DOH-Marion noted in the news release.
The survey is available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Russian and Vietnamese. Responses are anonymous. The survey will remain open until Oct. 31, 2024.
To take the survey, go to surveymonkey.com/r/ All4HealthFL25
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried is blasting the DeSantis administration’s efforts to defeat Amendment 4. [Florida News Service]
Walking for healthy hearts
Staff report
The 2024 Marion County Heart Walk fundraiser for the American Heart Association took place on Sept. 21 at Citizens’ Circle in downtown Ocala. Isaiah Zirkle, CEO of HCA Ocala, chaired the walk.
“Isaiah Led an incredible executive leadership team to help make this event a success. We had about 1,500 people the day of the event,” said Mallory Sealey, American Heart Association development director for Ocala.
According to the tote board on the walk website, the goal was to raise $200,000 and the progress as of Sept. 24, was $177,357.
“Every walker who joins, every dollar donated, means more research, more people trained in lifesaving CPR, more medical breakthroughs and more champions for equitable health,” notes the website.
For details, go to bit.ly/marion-heart-walk
Photos by Thomas Fletcher
The 2024 Marion County Heart Walk took place on Sept. 21 at Citizens’ Circle in downtown Ocala. The CEO of HCA Ocala was chairman of the event and many team members were on hand to help.
Several canines got in on the fun during this year’s Marion County Heart Walk in Ocala.
Sara Russell, marketing director for AdventHealth Ocala, in the foreground, leads their team during the Marion County Heart Walk on Sept. 21.
Marion County Heart Walk participants have fun with photo ops during the Sept. 21 event.
Statewide swimming lesson voucher program launched in Ocala
Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez made the announcement during a press conference at the FAST campus adjacent to Calesa Township.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
With the sparkling pools at the Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training complex in southwest Ocala as the background, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez on the morning of Sept. 23 announced the Florida Swimming Lesson Voucher Program.
According to watersmartfl. com, the Florida Legislature found that drowning is the leading cause of death of young children in the state and a significant cause of death for medically frail elderly persons.
“The purpose of this program is to increase water safety and prevent drowning in Florida by
providing free swimming lessons to eligible Florida families,” the site notes.
Only children ages 4 and younger at the time of application are eligible. To apply for a voucher, families must provide proof of income at no more than 200% of federal poverty guidelines, which for example, would be $15,060 for a family of one, $20,440 for a family of two, $25,820 for a family of three, etc. Applicants also must provide proof of Florida residency and the child’s date of birth.
“Thanks to our friends here at FAST and thank you for doing everything you’re doing to equip our children with lifesaving skills so they can be safe in and around bodies of water,” Nuñez said during a livestream of the press
conference on social media.
Florida Department of Health Deputy Secretary of Health Dr. Kenneth Scheppke told those gathered that, “We’re fortunate here in Florida we can swim year-round but that’s also a hazard for our children. As an emergency physician, I’ve seen firsthand how horrible, what a terrible tragedy, it is when a young child dies from drowning. For 1–4-year-olds, drowning is the number one cause of accidental death. I’m grateful for the Florida Swimming Lesson voucher program, which targets that age group.”
Scheppke also said, “There’s a lot of things we can do, like putting up barriers and alarms, but really, it’s teaching children those lifesaving skills so they can save themselves either by floating or getting safely back to the side. We have vouchers for thousands of children across the state.”
Also addressing the audience was Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris.
“We need to make sure kids are prepared; parents are prepared. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Physical barriers and alarms are the first line of defense, but nothing tops being able to ensure that your child can swim and if they fall in accidentally, they can save themselves, particularly if the adult is not present. This peace of mind for parents is priceless. I’m proud the state has taken this proactive step to ensure that the cost does not stand in the way of swim lessons. I encourage all
eligible families to take advantage of this opportunity to arm your children with this life saving skill,” Harris said.
Taylor Hatch, director of the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities, talked about “a specific population we serve, and that is those with a diagnosis of autism. According to the Autism Society of Florida, drowning is the number one cause of death in those with an autism diagnosis. Children with autism are more than 160 times more likely to be involved in fatal and near-fatal drowning than other children.”
Hatch offered three tips to heighten awareness:
• Let your neighbors know if your loved one has a tendency to wander and is attracted to water. Make learning how to swim and water safety visual. Create both written and photo schedules to teach students in ways that best suit their needs. Visit our water safety web page at apd. myflorida.com/watersafety
• Consistency and structure. Practice is key, and reiterating safety tips.
Established in 2022, Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training is a venture of the Circle Square Foundation. Kenneth Colen, president of Colen Built Development, builder of On Top of the World and Calesa Township, and a trustee for the foundation and the Colen Family Charitable Trust, also spoke during the press conference.
“This is an important announcement, a game changer
in so many ways. Learning to swim is one of those life skills you can do at any age. Our motto is, learn to swim, swim to compete, compete to win. And the mindset, the discipline it takes, lasts a lifetime,” he said.
Rebecca Rogers, with the foundation and trust, said that since opening in 2022, FAST has given more than 14,000 swimming lessons.
“One of the programs we are really proud of is Cannonball Kids and we provide free swim lessons to any Marion County third grader,” she said.
“This new voucher will give families even more opportunities to receive instruction regardless of their ability to pay. We wanted to be large enough to teach elite athletes and small enough to teach people how to swim. Drowning is preventable and we aim to make it our mission to drown-proof Marion County. We love providing swim lessons to everyone,” Rogers added.
To end the program and highlight the importance of knowing how to swim in a state with numerous bodies of water, Gemma Fleming, the aquatic program director for FAST, narrated while a swimming coach demonstrated some moves in the pool with two young students.
To learn more, go to watersmartfl.com and floridafast.com
To apply for a voucher, go to azapps.floridahealth.gov/ SLVoucher
Town hall meeting addresses internet crimes against children
Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, the Ocala Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office have formed a team to address the issue locally.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
Law enforcement and child protective agency officials admonished parents and guardians to be proactive and “hands on” in monitoring their kids’ electronic devices during a town hall discussion about internet crimes against children on Sept. 16 at the College of Central Florida Webber Center.
“If you don’t know what your children are doing on the internet, someone else will,” said Ocala Police Department detective Crystal Blanton, a member of the six-person panel.
Although there may be a sense of security if the child is at home, by way of the internet, the child is open to “engage with anyone” on their devices, Blanton said. Blanton said having electronic devices and internet access is a “privilege and not a right” for kids and they should not expect to keep them private from their guardians.
Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, the Ocala Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office have formed the Marion County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Team, with Kimberly’s Center providing education and training. The North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, based at the Gainesville Police Department, is comprised of local and state level law enforcement, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the FBI. Dawn Westgate, executive director of Kimberly’s Center; Blanton and OPD detective Austin Ridge; MCSO detectives Chase King and Nicholas Sutliff; and Victoria Clifton, also with Kimberly’s Center, formed the panel at the meeting and spoke on the subject of ICAC and answered questions.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods opened the meeting. He spoke about a recent multi-agency sting that netted the arrests of 33 people for internet related
crimes against children, including one man who admitted he tried to buy a child for sexual abuse. During the operation, a detective would pose as a child to lure predators for a meeting and subsequent arrest.
“The phone is evil and good. Parents have to pay attention,” Woods said.
According to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children data at missingkids.org, there were 36.2 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation to the cyber tipline in 2023. The number one activity suspected in the tips was child pornography. Additional activity included exploitation, enticement and cyber bullying.
In Marion County in 2023, there were 1,150 child exploitation tips, of which 399 were investigated, with 82 search warrants executed and 57 arrests made.
Officials said very young children have cellphones and they are curious. Dialogue can start with parents as early as age 6 about internet usage.
Grooming, or creating a “false sense of familiarity” and “sextortion” are two more methods used by predators, according to meeting information.
According to technology nonprofit thorn.org, “more than half of all identified child victims with CSAM (child sexual abuse material, or sexually explicit content involving a child … which can include photographs, videos) in circulation online are prepubescent or younger.
“Sadly, the majority of CSAM is created by people with legitimate access to the child, like parents, uncles, neighbors, and family friends. Two in three victims are abused by someone known to them in their offline communities,” the website states.
King said the internet crimes workload is a “24-hour a day” job and with “double
the number of detectives we have now, we would still be behind the eight ball” as he compared investigating internet crimes against children like the never-ending war on drugs.
King indicated a high percentage (perhaps 80%) of CSAM leads to a handson offense. He spoke about a “sextortion” where a perpetrator might obtain a photo of a minor and then ask for gift cards as payment to not post the material online.
“Take It Down,” a free service provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, can help with getting explicit photos of minors removed from the internet. Learn more at takeitdown.ncmec.org.
Sutliff said perpetrators of ICAC are obsessed with committing the crimes and it is their “mindset.” He said the perpetrators “cross socio-economic lines” from the trailer park to mansions and are getting “more elusive and aggressive.” These crimes are a “community” issue, he said.
Sutliff suggested parents try setting a monthly or twice monthly “maintenance schedule” of their kids’ phone to review added apps or chat rooms.
Blanton explained that some apps are “built to keep people out,” that files can be hidden and that the perpetrator may walk the victim through how to hide CSAM materials from their parents in an app.
Officials said Bark and Qustodio are apps parents can review for use as protective controls.
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force literature states that parents should be SMART:
• Setup devices using support at apple. com or support.google.com/android
• Monitor use
• Approve apps
• Restrict with content protections and parental controls
Talk about the issues
For more information, go to kimberlyscenter.org, missingkids.org, cybertipline.org and ojjdp.ojp.gov/programs/ internet-crimes-against-childrentask-force-program
During a press conference on Sept. 23 at the Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training complex in Ocala, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, right, with Kenneth Colen, president of Colen Built Development, announced the Florida Swimming Lesson Voucher Program. [Frame grab photo is from a livestream post on social media]
Dawn Westgate, executive director of Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, right, leads a panel discussion with, from left, Victoria Clifton, Kimberly’s Center; Nicholas Sutliff and Chase King, Marion County Sheriff’s Office; and Austin Ridge and Crystal Blanton, Ocala Police Department. The panel was part of a town hall meeting Sept. 16 at the College of Central Florida Webber Center discussing internet crimes against children. [Andy Fillmore]
Vehicle pursuit ends with shots fired in diner parking lot
The 61-year-old female driver faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding and resisting arrest with violence.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
A61-year-old Belleview woman was arrested Sunday, Sept. 22, after she led officers on a vehicle chase in northeast Ocala that involved nearly hitting a pedestrian and ended in the parking lot of a Silver Springs diner where police fired multiple shots at her SUV before it was pinned in by multiple law enforcement vehicles.
The Ocala Police Department reports that Linda Parker Vaughn was arrested at 8:32 a.m. after her vehicle was finally stopped at Darrell’s Diner at 5125 E. Silver Springs Blvd. following a pursuit that began at a church school in the 1800 block of Northeast 14th Street, according to the arrest affidavit.
OPD training officer Isaac Mercer and trainee Jeffery Vanhoose responded to a report of a “suspicious person” at the church school, driving a red Ford SUV. They found Vaughn, who got into the SUV and accelerated and swerved towards an occupied pickup truck. The SUV failed to stop as it was entering Northeast 19th Avenue and Vaughn ran a red light as she entered Northeast 14th Street.
Vaughn drove recklessly and swerved across lanes approaching the intersection of Northeast 14th Street and Northeast 25th Avenue, ran the red light, and “appeared to intentionally swerve into the westbound lanes” and “narrowly” missed a pedestrian, according to the arrest affidavit.
Mercer activated his red and blue lights thinking the driver might be a DUI and followed until Vaughn, who was driving at a “high rate of speed,” turned into the diner, where she first parked in a handicapped parking space.
The officers parked behind her SUV and approached the driver and passenger sides. Vaughn reversed the car and stuck the patrol car, then pulled forward and again backed up, striking the patrol car again and causing Van Hoose to move away.
The arrest affidavit stated that Vaughn again drove forward, turning toward Van Hoose and making him move to avoid being struck.
Officers began to fire their weapons at Vaughn at this point, the arrest affidavit states.
Vaughn then drove to the rear of the diner, where she struck foliage and several fences and then reportedly turned around and drove toward Mercer, who was near a parked vehicle and who had to run to avoid being hit.
Vaughn’s SUV struck another vehicle and briefly stopped, but then “ducked down” and continued to hold down the accelerator while additional members of law enforcement moved toward the SUV to try to remove Vaughn as she continued to try to maneuver the vehicle. Her SUV was then “pinned” by a patrol car, the arrest affidavit stated.
Vaughn “forcibly” resisted being removed from the SUV by officers. After she was removed, she was arrested and medically cleared at a local hospital, the arrest affidavit stated.
After she was informed of her rights, Vaughn told an investigator she had snorted an “unknown narcotic” around midnight and took “twice the amount” of her prescribed medication. Vaughn told the investigator she went to the church location to “meet a friend.” She said the officers contacted her there but claimed they were “evil and stated they would kill her for unknown reasons.”
The arrest affidavit states “no such statements” were captured by body cam video.
Vaughn was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on law enforcement and one count each of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, flee and elude and resisting with violence. She is currently being held in the Marion County Jail.
Consistent with department policy, the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave. The incident remains under investigation.
Ocala man faces multiple charges, including molestation of youth
Carl Phillip Lombardo reportedly was a juvenile basketball coach.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
A58-year-old Ocala man who allegedly made contact with youth through basketball coaching was arrested Sept. 19 on multiple charges, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office reports.
Carl Philip Lombardo was charged with human trafficking of a child for commercial sexual activity, interference with child custody, lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years of age, lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim between 12 and 16 years of age, lewd and lascivious exhibition, and two counts each of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography, according to an MCSO press release. He is being held at the Marion County Jail on a no bond basis.
The press release indicated that on Aug. 31, deputies responded to a report that Lombardo “refused to return a 15-year-old juvenile victim to his parents after a sleepover at his home” although Lombardo had returned the juvenile’s siblings home previously.
Lombardo “coerced” the victim to make a video suggesting he wanted to stay and when the parents said they would call law enforcement, Lombardo reportedly replied “he was not concerned because he works with the schools and his reputation is spotless,” the press release stated.
“At the conclusion of the initial investigation, the juvenile was returned to his parents, and several of the children disclosed that Lombardo had touched them inappropriately and taken nude photos of them,” the press release stated.
Lombardo provided two cellphones for forensic review, “which revealed he had taken photos depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of a young child. They also contained numerous images of the suspect cuddling with the children and pictures of their feet,” the press release indicated.
Lombardo was arrested by MCSO Major Crimes Detective Henrik Osthed.
“Throughout Detective Osthed’s investigation, he determined that Lombardo used his former position as juvenile victims’ Boys & Girls Club basketball coach to build trust and gain access to the children. He developed a pattern of keeping the children at his home for multiple-day stays, during which he molested two of the juvenile victims, exposed himself to the children, and photographed them inappropriately,” the press release stated.
Although the press release stated Lombardo had a coaching connection with the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, an MCSO spokesperson later said Lombardo “was not an official volunteer with their organization. However, the team he coached met and practiced in the club located on Southwest 12th Avenue.”
April Savarese, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, told the “Gazette” in an email message that Lombardo has never been an employee of the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County and there is no record of him volunteering.
“Mr. Carl Philip Lombardo is neither a current nor former employee of the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County. Furthermore, we have no record of Mr. Lombardo volunteering at any of our three Marion County locations,” she wrote.
“At the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, the safety and protection of the young people we serve remain our top priority. We take any situation that could potentially affect their well-being with the utmost seriousness. To ensure a safe environment for our youth, all staff members and on-site volunteers undergo an annual level II background screening,” Savarese stated.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to the safety and security of the youth in our care and will continue to uphold our rigorous standards in all areas of operation,” she wrote.
During an interview with Osthed on the day before his arrest, Lombardo “provided contradicting statements about why the juveniles would disclose sexual abuse, the presence of CSAM on his phones, and his claims that he was trying to “save” the children from abuse. Lombardo also admitted that he offered the children’s parents $5,000 each to keep them.”
Lombardo confirmed images of CSAM on his phone depicted one of the juvenile victims, the press release indicated.
Lombardo was placed under arrest in view of “multiple disclosures of molestation, the evidence collected from his cellphones, and the coercion of the child victims through gifts, isolation, and threats,” the press release stated.
The press release stated that due to his apparent connection to youth through sports and the “predatory nature” of the crimes and use of isolation and control, detectives feel there may be additional victims.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Osthed at (352) 351-4710.
WOMAN DIES, MAN CRITICALLY INJURED IN CRASH ON CR484
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
A69- year-old Dunnellon woman died and a 74-year-old Dunnellon man was critically injured Sept. 21 as the result of a traffic crash in southwest Marion County, the Florida Highway Patrol reports.
The crash occurred on County Road 484 at Southwest 110th Avenue around 12:40 p.m., an FHP press release stated.
According to the release, the victim was a passenger in an SUV that was traveling west on CR484 when a sedan being driven east on CR 484 by a 38-yearold man, with a 40-year-old female passenger, both of Dunnellon, attempted
Admission is free from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. At 11 a.m. in
Ocala
to turn left from CR 484 onto Southwest 110th Avenue and “traveled directly into the path” of the SUV.
The front of the sedan collided with the left side of the SUV, the press release stated.
The SUV traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned, and the passenger was ejected.
The SUV driver and the victim were not wearing seat belts, according. The occupants of the sedan wore seat belts and were not injured, the press release indicated.
The victim was pronounced deceased on the scene by Marion County Fire Rescue and the SUV driver was transported to a local hospital.
Video will honor slain shooting victim
Family members and friends are making a tribute to Benetria Robinson, who died at age 19 after she was shot at the former Cloud 9 nightclub in Ocala.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
Family members and friends gathered on Sept. 13 at Lillian Bryant Park in northwest Ocala to film a tribute video for shooting victim Benetria “Nene” Robinson on the ninth anniversary of her death.
About a dozen people, including the victim’s parents, Katina and Bennie Robinson, most of whom were dressed in shirts bearing Benetria’s picture, commemorated their lost loved one with a hip-hop style dance and by speaking lines from the song “The Good Die Young.”
Bennie Robinson organized the video and he thanked and credited Benetria’s aunt, Kandi Kane, who participated in the video, for the song. Dez Frames served as videographer.
“It felt great doing the video. The song Kandi Kane made is excellent. And I think Benetria is looking down saying that’s exactly how she would have expected it to be. She would have loved it,” Bennie Robinson stated in a text after the making of the video.
Bennie Robinson’s highly customized red 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic has been themed with artwork and a sign on
the car’s front grille reads “The Good Die Young.” The car served as backdrop and the sound system provided the music for the video.
Kimberly Wilkerson of War Cry 4 Peace, an organization that honors victims of gun violence and supports their families, said in a text her group was invited by Bennie Robinson to “be a support to spread awareness about gun violence, and to remember his daughter.”
“Anytime families come together who have been impacted by this type of tragedy, some peace and comfort attributes to their healing process,“ Wilkerson stated.
Jaye Jones, who is in the video, said Benetria Robinson always supported his efforts as a sports promoter and comedian.
“She was a beautiful soul,” he said.
Benetria Robinson, then 19, was shot and killed at the Cloud 9 nightclub on Sept. 13, 2015. The 2014 Forest High School graduate was home on a break from her studies at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth. She was studying toward a career as a homicide detective.
A Marion County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post states that around 1:30 a.m. that morning, the Marion County Public Safety Communications Center received a call for service in reference to a
shooting at the nightclub formerly located at 1910 S. Pine Ave.
Deputies and Ocala Police Department officers arrived to find six people had been shot and Benetria Robinson was found just outside the front door of the club, according to an arrest document in the case.
Five people were taken to local hospitals and Robinson was declared deceased at the scene. A group of 21 shots had been fired in about five seconds, as heard on a nearby police officer’s body camera, from three weapons as the occupants of the club tried to flee from a fight inside, the document stated.
A Sept. 21, 2015, post on the MCSO Facebook page announced the arrest of then 24-year-old Laquan Ria’Mel Barrow, who was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm in Robinson’s death and, according to Marion County court records, five additional counts of attempted second-degree murder.
An Oct. 26, 2015 “Ocala Star-Banner” article stated Micheal Eugene Smith, then 20, and Gary Edward King, then 20, were both arrested in connection with the Cloud 9 shooting. A Dec. 7, 2017, report indicated King was found not guilty on charges of second-degree murder and four counts of attempted second-degree murder.
County court records indicate Barrow was found guilty on one count of seconddegree murder-principal, and five counts of attempted second-degree murderprincipal, in March 2018 and received six life sentences. He is now confined at
Blackwater River Correctional Facility in the Florida panhandle.
Smith, now 29, is incarcerated at Florida State Prison in Raiford. He is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder-principal, and five, 30 -year sentences for five counts of attempted second-degree murder-principal, according to county court records.
County property records indicate that in 2017 the former nightclub property was purchased by Creative Services for use as a domestic violence counseling center and in March of this year was sold to a Naples based company called “1910 Pine LLC.”
Monique “Brandi” Weeks came to pay tribute to her brother, John Marcus Weeks, 33, who was lost to gun violence. Monique Weeks is a member of War Cry 4 Peace.
Benetria’s sister, Ahnistee Brown; Dwayne Hudson, a cousin; and Tamisha Richardson, a friend; were on hand to make the video.
Two of the injured Cloud 9 victims, brother and sister Danielle and Nathanial Kendrick, also joined in the making of the video.
“Wonderful,” Nathanial Kendrick said of the memorial video.
Bennie Robinson said the support by War Cry 4 Peace has been awesome, but the pain remains nine years after the tragedy.
“It doesn’t get any easier,” he said.
Editor’s note: At press time, the video remained in production. This article will be updated online when information about how to view it is provided.
Bennie Robinson’s 1987 custom Chevrolet Caprice Classic is seen on Sept. 13, 2024, during filming of a video to honor his daughter, Benetria Robinson, 19, who died nine years ago as the result of a shooting at the Cloud 9 nightclub. The car’s sound system provided music for the video, with the song “The Good Die Young,” written by Benetria’s aunt. [Andy Fillmore]
Kandi Kane leads friends and family in making a video on Sept.13, 2024, as a tribute to her niece Benetria Robinson, 19, who died as the result of a shooting at the Cloud 9 nightclub in 2015. [Andy Fillmore]
Notice
Mentally ill man killed at jail
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held on Aug. 12, Circuit Judge James Baxley found that the “Gazette” had proved that it was in the public’s best interest for the footage to be released, but in order to protect the security of the jail facility in accordance with Florida Statute 119.071(3), the “Gazette” would only be allowed to view the footage and not publish it or release it to the public.
The “Gazette” sued to obtain the footage of Whitley’s death in order to confirm the narrative of the events that transpired, and to bring awareness to the greater societal problem of the treatment of the mentally ill, in and out of correctional facilities.
The timeline Whitley was taken into custody on Nov. 16, 2022, and was taken to the Marion County Jail after he was arrested for violating a civil injunction and resisting an officer with violence.
Whitley’s parents had filed an injunction to remove him from their home, because, due to the severity of their son’s mental illness and their deteriorating health with age, they could no longer take care of him and worried for their safety. When deputies arrived to remove Whitley from the home, he resisted arrest and became violent, which his sister believes was caused by his schizophrenic ideations of fear of men with guns. He had no prior criminal history.
Whitley, 47, stood about 5’11” and weighed about 335 pounds. Over the course of the 12-minute altercation on Nov. 25, 2022, that led to Whitley’s death, the nine involved deputies deployed Tasers 27 times and used pepper foam and physical force to subdue him. The medical examiner later ruled Whitley’s death a homicide.
An investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement cited that, “When the deputies entered the cell, a physical altercation occurred, and Whitley was taken to the ground.”
The footage shows Whitley complying with deputies’ orders to sit on the toilet, and when they open the cell doors, he can be seen putting his hands up over his face in a defensive position.
The deputies involved were Capt. Robert Andrew Walters, Sgt. Ashleigh Snodgrass, Cpl. Arnault Canelle, Cpl. Jordon Ortega, Deputy Carl Holmer, Deputy Christopher Kristensen, Deputy Xavier McMiller, Deputy Demontra Smith and Deputy Sa’Quan Wyman.
The video footage shows that Canelle, Holmer, Kristensen, Smith, Ortega, and McMiller all used force against Whitley within the cell.
The footage spans one hour and 41 minutes. It begins at 05:59 a.m., showing Whitley sitting on the bed in Cell 140 of the Alpha Pod of the jail. The footage was redacted, with the toilet area of the cell censored in accordance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act. For part of the footage, Whitley’s neck, head and face were covered by this redaction and obscured from view.
For approximately 52 minutes, Whitley can be seen sitting on the bed looking at the concrete wall of the cell. Periodically, he can be seen making gestures with his hands and pointing to himself or the space around him as if in conversation.
The cells are small, with a concrete slab for the inmates to sleep on approximately the size of a singlebed mattress. Each cell has a small window, a metal toilet, a sink and a barred door.
Markings could be seen on Whitley’s body, which appeared to be bruises and redness, on his left arm, left side of chest, left side of his stomach, left leg and buttocks. The floor of the cell was wet and slippery.
At approximately 6:52 a.m., Whitley can be seen verbally responding to orders given by a guard outside of his cell. To conduct a cell inspection, the guard instructed Whitley to put his hands through the cell door’s opening so he could be handcuffed.
He can be heard asking questions to clarify their request, asking, “You want me to come to the door?”
For the next seven minutes, Whitley argued with the guard over not wanting to undergo a strip search and cell inspection. More guards were called to deal with the incident. He can be heard responding to the guards’ orders by saying, “I don’t want anyone to come in,” “No, not right now,” and asking why he needed to be searched. Whitley moved toward the door to continue speaking to the detention deputies outside, expressing agitation at their requests. Finally, Whitley says to the guards outside, “If I get hurt, everyone gets hurt.”
After hearing that verbal threat, the guards deployed pepper foam onto Whitley from outside the cell. The pepper foam was orange in appearance and covered his whole body. Whitley retreated to the back of his cell, yelling in pain, coughing and shouting profanities, asking what he had been sprayed with.
After about a minute, a guard instructed Whitley to again come to the door to be handcuffed, by saying, “get cuffed,” “hands out front,” and “hands outside the cell.” For about five minutes, the guards continued to ask him to place his hands outside the cell to be handcuffed, while he moved about the cell, coughing and spitting and expressing pain at the pepper foam in his eyes, face and over his body.
At approximately 7:04 a.m., the guards instructed Whitley to sit down on the toilet near the door before they entered the cell. Whitley complied with orders and sat down.
The guards opened the door to rush the cell and Whitley put his hands out in front of him in a defensive position, exclaiming “no,” and “wait.”
Five guards entered the cell, took Whitley by the arms and pushed him facedown against the concrete bed and then to the floor. A taser was then deployed. Whitley told the guards to “Please stop,” while tasers continue to be deployed. The guards told him to put his hands behind his back, to which he responded, “I am,” and again pleaded for them to stop.
The guards forced him onto the ground, continued
to tase him and commanded him to put his hands behind his back. Whitley’s hands were in front of his face and body in a defensive position, but he did not attack the guards.
The guards managed to get him face down on the ground, get a hold of his arms and legs, and continue to tase him. Whitley was no longer resisting them, but continued to scream “please,” and asked the guards to stop tasing him.
About two minutes passed and the guards continued to attempt to put Whitley into handcuffs while they deployed tasers. Four guards had their body weight on top of Whitley’s back as they held him down. He was being tased simultaneously by at least two guards who were standing at his head and feet.
The guards managed to get the handcuffs on one of his wrists, and tased him while one of his arms was restrained. A guard could be heard shouting, “Behind your back, I’m not going to tell you again.”
The pepper foam deployed caused Whitley and the guards to cough throughout the entirety of the incident. Whitley continuously screamed in pain and pleaded with the guards and asked them to stop.
At about 7:07 a.m., Whitley could be heard screaming, “Please, somebody help me.” At this point, the tasing stopped as both of his arms were handcuffed about 30 seconds later. A guard outside the cell offered the deputies another taser, which they declined.
After being put in hand restraints face down on the floor, Whitley’s legs continued to move. A guard called out for leg irons, which he secured onto both of Whitley’s ankles within about a minute. The guards also asked for a spit mask to place over Whitley’s head, which resembled plastic hood that covered the entirety of his head and face.
At about 7:09 a.m., the handcuffs, leg irons and spit mask were secured with Whitley face down on the ground. Whitley was no longer moving. Three guards were putting their body weight on top of Whitley at the waist and back, as another guard put pressure at his upper back and head, while another guard supported him. Two other guards were at his legs, one standing with his foot pressed into Whitley’s leg to keep it down. As the guards attempted to catch their breath, also coughing from the pepper foam in the air, Ortega called out, “Everyone slow down, ain’t no rush.” Then, he instructed the other guards by saying they need to drag Whitley out of the cell and “throw him in the shower.”
Whitley was still not moving. His hands and legs were limp in the handcuffs and leg irons, and he remained face down on the ground. The guards instructed him to get up and move out of the cell, and lifted one of his legs, but it was limp. They attempted to roll him over but had trouble. They dragged him out of the cell, still face down. There were markings from the tasers and the physical force all over his body.
By about 7:10 a.m., Whitley’s body was slid across the slippery floor and out of the cell as all of the guards exited into the hallway.
A call to 911 from the jail was made at 7:16 a.m., with the first Marion County Fire Rescue unit arriving at 7:22 a.m., according to the MCFR CAD report. Medical staff within the jail had already been conducting CPR and used an AED to attempt to defibrillate Whitley by the time EMS got to him at 7:23 a.m. He was then transported to AdventHealth hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
Family lawsuit and SAO finding
The Whitley family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the sheriff’s office, which was later settled. Sister Pam Whitley, on behalf of the estate, viewed the footage and later testified in favor of the “Gazette” obtaining the footage in its separate lawsuit.
After the FDLE conducted its investigation into Whitley’s death, the findings were sent to Fifth Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson’s office for review. That office declined to press any charges against the involved deputies. Gladson confirmed the decision in a memorandum, after his office reviewed the FDLE investigation, including video evidence. Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie confirmed this week that the video viewed by the State Attorney’s Office was also redacted.
Law(s) Implemented: 1001.41, Fla. Stats. (2024).
A discussion will occur at the following School Board Work Sessions: TIME: 9:00 a.m. PLACE: School Board Administration Office, 1614 E. Fort King Street, Ocala,
No charges for Dunnellon student who posted video to social media with airsoft gun
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalgazette.com
The State Attorney’s Office will not bring charges against a local Dunnellon High School student arrested on two charges, including threatening to conduct a mass shooting.
“There was probable cause for the arrest. After a thorough review of the specific facts of this case and existing caselaw a decision was made that the State would not be able to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” Assistant State of Attorney Carrie Proctor to wrote the “Gazette.”
The juvenile, who is not being identified per the “Gazette’s” policy of not publishing the identities of minors involved in crime, posted a video to Snapchat of himself holding an Airsoft rifle with the caption:
“HE’S BAAAAACK!” An Airsoft rifle is like a BB gun, which shoots plastic pellets.
A parent of a student at the school notified the School Resource Officer that she and her child were frightened by the video.
On Sept. 13, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office posted the name and photo of a local Dunnellon High School student.
The MCSO published the teen’s name and, initially, reported that a search of the teen’s home revealed actual weapons.
They later corrected that misstatement, a key point, because the teen and his family told deputies they often use Airsoft guns for mock battles in their home.
Predictably and understandably, hundreds of people flooded the comments section of the MCSO post. Also predictably, most of the commenters called for the teen, and his parents, to be punished severely.
A few people responding to the MCSO post who identified themselves as family of the teen shared that Airsoft battles are a family activity, and the boy was only talking smack before the next family game.
According to the incident report, the teen’s mother allowed the deputies to search the property. They only found other Airsoft guns, supporting the statements that playing “war” was a family pastime.
The “Gazette” reviewed the video and could not discern any specific threat.
The arrest affidavit was not clear on the verbiage of the threat and to whom the threat was made, only that a mother and daughter saw the student’s and it made them fearful.
MCSO spokesman Lt. Paul Bloom said the video “was linked in a stream of comments about a school shooting. So, when others on the post saw this subject’s
comment/photo, it was taken in context as pertaining to the school shooting that was being discussed.”
However, this context was not mentioned in the arrest affidavit or the incident report—only that the video was posted on a Dunnellon High School group Snapchat. The “Gazette” asked MCSO how it was going to handle the social media post of the juvenile following the state’s decision. Bloom, replied, “Typically, in the past, once something is expunged we can take that down.”
But the family will need to hire a lawyer to obtain an expungement. Every post to social media by any government entity becomes a public record. While a minor’s court records are sealed, the social media post alleging a crime lives on forever.
Helene insurance losses likely in billions
By Jim Saunders Florida News Service
Hurricane Helene could cause $3 billion to $6 billion in private insurance losses and as much as $1 billion in losses in federal flood-insurance and crop-insurance programs, according to an analysis Wednesday by the global reinsurance broker Gallagher Re.
The analysis came as Helene is expected Thursday night to slam into North Florida as a major hurricane, after whipping up heavy storm surge in coastal communities as it races through the Gulf of Mexico.
“Landfall in the Big Bend or Panhandle region of Florida as a major hurricane (Category 3, 4, or 5) has historically translated to insured losses in the low single-digit billions,” the analysis said.
“But Helene is not a typical storm. Given Helene’s very large wind radius, this would still bring hurricane-force wind gusts and high storm surge to coastal areas in the heavily populated Tampa Bay area, tropical storm force winds across most of the Florida peninsula, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and southern
Appalachia. This initially suggests that Helene’s private insurance market losses should be expected to land in the range of ($3 billion to $6 billion). This is subject to change. Additional losses attributed to the National Flood Insurance Program and the USDA’s (U.S. Department of Agriculture’s) crop insurance program may approach ($1 billion).”
The analysis also said that if the storm “unexpectedly” shifts east closer to Tampa, insurance costs could top $10 billion.
As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said a hurricane warning was in effect from the Anclote River in the Pasco County area to Mexico Beach in Bay County. Storm surge could be as much as 12 to 18 feet from Carrabelle in Franklin County to Chassahowitzka in Citrus County, the hurricane center said.
The Gallagher Re analysis said Helene’s “very wide wind swath will produce hurricane or tropical storm-force gusts across much of the state of Florida.”
“Tallahassee … and northern parts of the state have excessive foliage that could drive considerable tree-related impacts falling on physical structures,” the analysis
said. “In the main peninsula, tropical storm-force wind gusts could lead to more minor levels of damage to properties resulting from downed trees or affected attached pool screens that aggregates to a higher loss.”
Property-insurance policies do not cover flood damage, with property owners generally needing to buy coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program.
“While the wind impacts will be a significant damage driver, there will also be considerable coastal storm surge inundation from the Tampa Bay area northward into the Big Bend.” the Gallagher Re analysis said. “This could result in major losses to the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program), with the highest active policy take-up rates found in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties.”
While the state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is the largest property insurer in Florida, it might avoid major losses if Helene remains on the projected track.
“The bulk of active Citizens’ policies are in the Florida peninsula, especially in the Tampa, Orlando and Miami metro areas,” the analysis said. “A major hurricane
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landfall in the Big Bend region of the state would mean a much-reduced impact on Citizens policies, but any eastward shift closer to Tampa is expected to enhance the volume of filed claims to the program.”
As an illustration, Citizens President and CEO Tim Cerio said Wednesday that Citizens had received 2,792 claims from Hurricane Debby, a Category 1 storm that made landfall last month in the Big Bend’s Taylor County. He said about 70 percent of the claims were from the Tampa-Sarasota region because of damage sustained as Debby moved up the Gulf of Mexico.
Also, Cerio said many of the claims involved flood damage — which Citizens doesn’t cover. He said Citizens had paid out $8.3 million to policyholders.
“Obviously for those impacted, those individuals impacted and families impacted, it was terrible,” Cerio told the Citizens Board of Governors. “As an organization, for us, it was not a horrible event as far as what we’re looking at as far as claims.”
Cerio also said Citizens was focused on preparing for Helene.
“The entire organization is prioritizing storm response,” he said.
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People, Places & Things
POW/MIA recognition ceremony held in Ocala
The event is observed on the third Friday of September each year.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
Aceremony was held Sept. 20 at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park to mark National POW/MIA Recognition Day 2024.
The local ceremony was one of many events held worldwide at military installations and veterans’ organizations to honor Americans who served in the country’s conflicts and were taken prisoners of war or remain missing in action. Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense and Air Force Gen. C. Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke at a ceremony at the Pentagon on Friday.
“These heroes have faced trials many of us can scarcely imagine. Some were captured by enemy forces and held in horrific conditions. Others never made it home,” Brown stated according to defense.gov, the Department of Defense website.
The national observance was established in 1979 by a proclamation by then President Jimmy Carter to remember more than 80,000 Americans the DOD says are still missing from the country’s wars.
The local ceremony, sponsored by Marion County Veterans Services, included a posting of the colors by members of the Belleview High School Air Force JROTC; pledge of allegiance led by Samuel Coventry, president of the Ocali Society, Children of the American Revolution; and a rendition of the national anthem by Hannah Stuckey.
Navy Master Chief Dexter Vance and Chief Warrant Officer Tim Simpson performed the symbolic POW/MIA table ceremony, which Vance said focuses
on
“those unaccounted for” and whose personal sacrifice we must “never forget.”
Vance spoke of the meaning of symbolic objects as Simpson set them on the small round table with one empty chair.
A white tablecloth stood for the purity of intentions of the service member and a battlefield cross was added to the table symbolize the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard members who died for the country.
A yellow candle was added as a symbol for hope and illumination of the way home as several more items were added to the table.
Vance referred to the women who served and have been captured.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, “Since World War I, more than 142,000 Americans, including 85 women, have been captured and interned as POWs. Not included in this figure are nearly 93,000 Americans who were lost or never recovered.”
Keynote speaker Beverly Lafferty recounted the story of Capt. Edward Davis and his dog.
Davis was shot down after flying 57 missions over Vietnam and was held captive in the prison known as the Hanoi Hilton, Lafferty stated. She said Davis was a POW for seven and a half years and during that time he managed to befriend a dog known as Ma Co.
Davis suffered physical torture but remained resourceful and a “pillar of hope.” She said he managed to take the dog through the airport and home.
A mock bamboo cage used as a prison cell was displayed with a mannequin inside representing a cramped service member held captive.
Taps was played and John Earl
provided bagpipe music.
Daniel Franklin, 12, memorized and delivered “As Time Goes On,” a tribute to POW/MIAs with a message to never forget our service members.
Daniel, a mentee with the local nonprofit Kut Different, was accompanied by his grandmother, Sheryl Roberts, and Kut Different mentor Myles McConico.
Roberts said Daniel was there to “honor veterans.”
Vietnam War Army veteran Ron Roobol, 81, served in the war from 1965 to 1966 as a combat engineer. He was on hand for the recognition ceremony and said he knew how the POWs “suffered” in the Vietnam War.
Dorothy Antonelli, a volunteer at the Marion County Veterans Exhibit and Education Center, which is adjacent to the park, has sought information for decades about her uncle, Peter Patete, then a 20-yearold Army sergeant who died in combat in North Korea in 1950.
According to the Department of Defense PIW/ MIA Accounting Agency website, Patete’s remains have never been recovered.
Antonelli’s quest for closure for a family member has even taken her to the Korean DMZ.
“I have his picture right here,” she said as held up a photo of her uncle in uniform, which she was wearing in a locket on a necklace.
For information about America’s POWs and MIAs and efforts by the government to locate and identify them, visit the Department of Defense PIW/MIA Accounting Agency website at dpaa.mil
To see more information about National POW/MIA Recognition Day, go to defense.gov/Spotlights/ National-Pow-Mia-Recognition-Day
IHMC lecture series continues
Dr. Dave Rabin will present ‘The Art and Neuroscience of Self-Healing and Learning’ on Oct. 10.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
On Oct. 10 at its campus in downtown Ocala, the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition’s evening lecture series will feature Dr. Dave Rabin, a board-certified psychiatrist, neuroscientist, entrepreneur and inventor who has studied resilience and the impact of chronic stress for more than 15 years.
Rabin also specializes in treatmentresistant mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosomatic disorders, personality disorders, chronic pain disorders, insomnia and substance use disorders using minimal and noninvasive treatment strategies.
The doctor was born and raised in California. He pursued his bachelor’s degree in biology at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a minor in philosophy. He earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience in 2013, received his MD in medicine from the Albany Medical college in 2014 and, from 2014 to 2018, trained in psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is the co-founder and chief medical officer at Apollo Neuroscience, which has developed the first scientifically validated wearable technology that actively improves energy, focus and relaxation, using a novel touch therapy that signals safety to the brain.
In addition to his clinical psychiatry practice, Rabin is executive director of The Board of Medicine and a psychedelic clinical researcher
currently evaluating the mechanism of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in treatment-resistant mental illnesses. Rabin comes from a rather studious family. His father is an ophthalmologist and electrical engineer, and his mother is a neurologist and author. His younger brothers have careers as an ophthalmologist and a math teacher. Rabin has been married to Kathryn Fantauzzi, CEO and co-founder of Apollo Neuroscience, since 2016. The couple splits their time between Monterey, CA, and Pittsburgh, PA.
In Ocala, Rabin will lecture on “The Art and Neuroscience of Self-Healing and Learning.” He said the talk will explore the transformative potential of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new connections, adapt and grow.
Navy Master Chief Dexter Vance, right, background and Chief Warrant Officer Tim Simpson, left foreground, performed the symbolic POW/MIA table ceremony at a ceremony Sept. 20, 2024, at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park. [Andy Fillmore]
During the POW/MIA ceremony on Sept. 20, 2024, in Ocala, a mock bamboo cage used as a prison cell during the Vietnam War was displayed with a mannequin inside representing a cramped service member held captive. [Andy Fillmore]
Daniel Franklin,12, poses with a certificate of appreciation for his “dedication and devotion to those who served our great country” from Hospice of Marion County, one of the sponsors of the POW/ MIA Recognition Day ceremony held Sept. 20, 2024, at the OcalaMarion County Veterans Memorial Park. Daniel recited “As Time Goes On” at the ceremony. [Andy Fillmore]
Dr. David Rabin, MD, PhD Psychiatrist & Neuroscientist
Dr. Dave Rabin [Courtesy of
IHMC lecture
Continued from page B1
“This lecture will delve into practical strategies for harnessing neuroplasticity to enhance learning, memory and emotional wellbeing. I will cover techniques such as breathwork, touch, movement and the use of psychedelics and technology to facilitate personal growth and address mental health challenges like trauma, depression and stress in situations where medications have failed. Attendees will gain insights into optimizing brain function to build new habits, acquire skills and long-lasting resilience,” Rabin said.
Other lectures in the series will include, on Nov. 6, Dr. Todd Manini, a University of Florida professor and chief of clinical and population health integration at UF’s College of Medicine. He also serves as director of UF’s Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center. On Dec. 10, the speaker will be Dr. Tim Broderick, IHMC’s Chief Science Officer and Senior Research Scientist. He helps shape research strategy and performs high impact research focused on enhancing human health and performance in extreme environments.
IHMC is located at 15 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala. Each lecture begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., with the talk beginning at 6 p.m. Seating is limited. Guests should RSVP to ihmc-20241010.eventbrite.com or call (352) 387-3050 to reserve a spot. To learn more, go to ihmc.us/life/evening_lectures/ocala-lecture-series
Cardiac arrest vs. heart attacks: Who is at risk?
By Brian Shapiro, M.D. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What is the difference between sudden cardiac arrest and a heart attack? Who is at risk for both, and what safety measures can we take?
ANSWER: Sudden cardiac arrest may occur in various conditions when someone, while active (playing basketball or walking with friends), collapses and passes out. Their blood pressure drops, and often their heart stops. This may be caused by a lethal arrhythmia, which is when the heart beats abnormally and does not efficiently pump anymore. If your heart is not pumping, blood is not getting to the brain, and that’s what causes the collapse.
A heart attack occurs when there is a blockage, and your heart muscle is deprived of blood flow. People experience chest pains or difficulty breathing. A heart attack can sometimes cause a sudden cardiac arrest and even induce a lethal arrhythmia due to irritation from lack of oxygen and blood flow. Ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia occur when the heart is beating too fast, and it becomes dangerous. This also causes a lack of blood flow to your brain and vital organs since your heart is not pumping efficiently. If someone is in cardiac arrest and you witness it, call 911. When calling for help, ask for an automated external defibrillator (AED) immediately. If the situation is safe to do so, perform CPR or chest compressions. If nearby, use a defibrillator on the person’s chest. If an abnormal, dangerous beat is detected, the machine will appropriately shock the patient out of that rhythm. The defibrillator will give you a prompt so that if you’ve never done it before, you’re not a medical professional or you’re nervous, you can follow the instructions and it will tell you exactly what to do.
The overall population of those who are going to get sudden cardiac arrest is very small, but it changes based on your age and underlying medical conditions. Under 35, it is much more common to occur from an underlying cardiomyopathy (abnormal heart muscle). The most common type is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscle is thickened in regions and is more prone to arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat). The risk of this is 1 in 500. This is what can cause abnormal heartbeat in young athletes in high school and college.
Over 35, the concern switches to coronary artery disease and heart attack risk. Issues can arise with the heart arteries because of hypertension, family history, diabetes, tobacco use and other risk factors that may cause cholesterol-rich plaques in your heart arteries. If that plaque ruptures, there is no blood flow to the muscle, and the muscle goes into abnormal heartbeats.
People who do not exercise often and live a sedentary life can have sudden cardiac arrest. On the flip side, athletes such as triathletes and marathon runners put a large amount of pressure on their hearts. These patients are looked at more carefully. Family history of sudden cardiac arrest is an important consideration during physical examination. Exercise is critically important, not just for your overall mortality but also your mental well-being—the question is how to do it safely and who is at higher risk.
A 65-year-old who has been running marathons their whole life but has had open-heart surgery for coronary artery disease can continue running safely by keeping speed and capacity at a much lower heart rate. We talk to patients about how to do that. During a physical exam, doctors listen for unusual murmurs and conduct an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) and chest X-rays in case cardiomyopathy can be detected. Cardiopulmonary stress testing also can be performed, where a special mask is put on the face to measure oxygen and carbon dioxide. This aids healthcare teams in picking up very subtle irregularities that may signal a heart or lung abnormality.
Exercise plans are then tailored accordingly, but be sure to monitor your symptoms. If you have difficulty breathing during minimal exercise or tightness in the chest, dizziness or passing out spells, these things are concerning and warrant further testing. You can get back to exercising and doing the things you enjoy again—whether that’s running a 5K or playing softball with your kids—the goal is to always do so safely.—Brian Shapiro, M.D., Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida (Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.)
Girl Scouts Fest, veterans memorial crosses and FPRA awards
Girl Scout Fest is Sept. 28
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
Girls and their families are invited to the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s annual Girl Scout Fest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
The event is open to girls of all ages and their families. Participants will explore Girl Scouts’ four program pillars—entrepreneurship, life skills, outdoors and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The fairground’s rural
Florida living history museum, Cracker Country, will be open to all attendees. Throughout the day, girls will have many opportunities to earn Girl Scout badges and walk away with multiple free event patches, while supplies last.
The cost to attend is $5 per person, which includes all activities and a Girl Scout Fest patch. Attendees can pre-register online or at the event. Walk-ups are welcome. The Florida State Fairgrounds charges $10 per vehicle for parking. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
To learn more, go to gswcf.org/gsfest
Veterans’ friends group launches cross program
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
The Friends of Marion County Veterans Memorial Park, Inc., have announced a new program to honor service members who have died.
Families can now honor deceased loved ones and friends by purchasing a cross that has the name, branch of service and military conflict in which the veteran served, as applicable, and comes with a mounted flag.
The crosses will be displayed at the Marion County Veterans Memorial Park for a full week before and a full week after Memorial Day and Veterans Day every year. Crosses can be purchased by calling (352) 804-6953.
To learn more, go to marionvetpark.com
FPRA chapter announces awards
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
The Florida Public Relations Association Ocala Chapter held its annual awards banquet and gala on Aug. 30 at the Appleton Museum of Art. The event celebrated the achievements of communication professionals and recognized contributions of chapter members and community leaders. The awards included:
• Individual Communicator of the Year: Tammy Gantt from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owner’s Association
• Institutional Communicator of the Year: 352Today
• Outstanding Member Award: Wendy Williams from the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Inc. Toni James, APR, CPRC PACEsetter of the
Year: Kevin Christian, APR, CPRC: Greg Davis: Lindsay Tozer
• Lifetime Achievement in Communications: Kevin Christian, APR, CPRC Joe Curley APR, CPRC Rising Leader Award: Greg Davis
FPRA State President’s Award: Lindsay Tozer
FPRA 65th Golden Image Awards: Awards of Distinction: Kristina Donohue, APR and Devon Chestnut, APR, CPRC; Pinnacle Award: Tom Hyle and Southwest Water Management District team
The evening included installation of the 20242025 board of directors and the unveiling of the Beverly Brown, APR, Legacy Scholarship fund, in memory of a beloved chapter member who passed away in July.
To learn more, go to fpraocala.org
Attendees enjoy a previous Girl Scouts event. [Photo courtesy Girl Scouts of West Central Florida]
[Courtesy Friends of Marion County Veterans Memorial Park, Inc.]
Cooking up community conversations
The Marion County Library Systems’ ‘Cooks & Books & Jazz Beats’ programs will pair a local chef, musician and author for an afternoon of collaboration and exploration.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@maganoliamediaco.com
If you are someone who loves tasty food, live music, a good book and stimulating conversation, then the Marion County Library System has a program you can sink your teeth into.
The “Cooks & Books & Jazz Beats” program will pair Yohann Le Bescond, the executive pastry chef at the World Equestrian Center, with jazz trombonist David Smith and authors Avalyn Hunter, Connie Mann and Asa Drake.
The first session, with Avalyn Hunter, took place on Sept. 20, but there are two more in the series:
Music by Smith will begin at 2:45 p.m. for each event, followed by the program at 3 p.m.
Sept. 27, “The Crown Conspiracy” author Connie Mann, Belleview Public Library, 13145 SE Highway 484, Belleview
• Oct. 4, “One Way to Listen” author and poet Asa Drake, Headquarters-Ocala Public Library, 2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
“Cooks & Books” launched in 2021 during the COVID pandemic. In-person programming within the public library system was challenging and the library team ventured into more virtual programs to better connect with the public. The program format for the first year included virtual interviews and pre-recorded videos featuring both chef and author, in addition to food and book recommendations by library staff, stated Library Community Liaison Karen Jensen.
For the upcoming sessions, which will be held in person, each program will include an interview by the library host with an author and Le Bescond, a cooking demonstration, discussions between the author and the chef, free tastings and recipe cards, prizes/giveaways, book signings by the authors and question and answer time with the audience.
“Each program features an
author and a specific book, which is not a cookbook or a book focused on food. The novelty of this book selection element, in the context of being paired with a cooking demonstration, results in lively discussions between author, chef, host and audience. The program remarkably connects cooking experiences, literary elements and shared cultural touchstones. In preparation for the program, each chef reads the featured books and is challenged to prepare creations that relate to elements of the book. This act of creating culinary offerings inspired by literary works leads to interesting dynamics and unforgettable interactions,” Jensen explained.
To learn more, the “Gazette” did a Q&A with Jensen.
How are the chefs and authors chosen?
We look for local chefs and authors who are part of the Marion County community and who will offer a unique sampling of their expertise as writers and culinary experts. Over the course of the past three years, “Cooks & Books” programs have included chefs from The Fiery Chef, Marion Technical College, Little Bickel Restaurant and the Ocala World Equestrian Center. Local authors include John Cech, Mary Flynn, Connie Mann, Avalyn Hunter and Asa Drake.
Can you reveal the “menu” for each session?
Chef Yohann has provided a recipe for a power protein bar that will be available to all who attend, as well as to the public at all nine public library locations. He will be providing a special “surprise” menu at each location, to include tasty samplings for attendees.
How many people can a session accommodate?
Dunnellon, Belleview and Headquarters-Ocala Public Libraries can accommodate 100 in the meeting rooms where the programs will be held.
Is there a fee to attend?
All Marion County Public Library System programs are free to the public and supported by funding from our Friends of the Library groups.
Who else contributes financially?
The Friends of the Ocala Public Library have funded the costs of technology and equipment for the “Cooks & Books” programs, to include cameras, backdrops and microphones. The Marion County Hospital District provides print, promotional recipe cards that are part of each “Cooks & Books” series and available to the public, as well as giveaway prizes at each of the programs.
Heather Webb and David Freudenburg noted in the Spring issue of the library system publication “Words,” that “from the beginning, the partnership with the Marion County Hospital District was essential to the founding of this tasty food and book celebration. Their mission to improve the health and wellness of the citizens of Marion County made them a perfect partner with ‘Cooks & Books.’ At each program, they share expertise on healthy food choices and other free services they provide, such as partnering with the library on programs like ‘Mindful Eating’, ‘Spice Things Up,’ ‘Living Healthy with Diabetes’ and ‘Eat Healthy, Be Active.’”
What are some comments from the chef and authors?
“I am very excited to partner with the Marion County Public Library System for their 2024 ‘Cooks and Books’ series. As a chef, I tend to gravitate toward recipe books, which I have collected since a very young age. Given this opportunity, it is allowing me to get out of my comfort zone for a little bit and collaborate with talented authors of different genres. Since I moved to Marion County in 2020, the support from the community has been nothing short of amazing, and I am very grateful to keep on developing this relationship,” offered Le Bescond.
previously enjoyed—a live and Zoom/virtual audience in a studio setting for a clever, original concept,” Flynn said of her 2023 experience.
“The thing I love about ‘Cooks and Books,’ and I say this both as a writer and as a former librarian, is how this program creates a space where authors can be in conversation with our community. So much of writing is being part of a community. It’s sharing meals with friends, mentoring students and taking part in dialogs happening on large and small scales. ‘Cooks and Books’ opens these conversations to residents of all ages. And because ‘Cooks and Books’ so often features local authors, I hope that patrons with a story to tell might consider how they, too, might be a writer,” shared Drake.
“I’m so excited to be part of the upcoming ‘Cooks & Books & Jazz Beats’ at Belleview Public Library. I was honored to be part of the first ‘Cooks & Books’ event and am thrilled to see it grow and expand and now include jazz as well, which is the music I listen to while I write. I can’t wait to sample the desserts and talk music and books. I hope you’ll join us for one or all of the events,” enthused Mann. Jensen noted that feedback from participants and audiences has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
“We asked attendees at our June 7, 2024 “Cooks & Books & Caribbean Rhythms” series for their input on the program provided by Chef Nigel Simms, author Ruby Boddie and musician Sean Thomas. Here are a few comments:
• This was the best one yet! Great food, great conversation. Love this library!
Wonderful program. David (library staff program host) engaged everyone through questions, the food was delicious and some I have never had. Enjoyed the author.
“My ‘Cooks & Books’ experience was not only delightful, it also allowed me a measure of exposure I hadn’t
• It was an amazing event. Everything was in sync with pretty prose and food. The Chef, author and musician added a spicy flair. Do more of these, please.
• Delightful combo of words, food and music!
Photos courtesy of Marion County Public Library System
Yohann Le Bescond, executive pastry chef at the World Equestrian Center
Jazz trombonist David Smith
Author Avalyn Hunter
Author Connie Mann
Author/poet Asa Drake
Sudoku is played on a grid of 9 x 9 spaces. Within the rows and columns are 9 “squares” (made up of 3 x 3 spaces). Each row, column and square (9 spaces each) needs to be filled out with the numbers 1-9, without repeating any numbers within the same row, column or square.
government
SEPTEMBER 30, OCTOBER 7
Marion County Development Review Office of County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave., Building 1, Ocala
9am
The committee reviews and votes on waiver requests to the Land Development Code, major site plans and subdivision plans. The committee meets weekly. See marion.fl.legistar.com/calendar.aspx for agenda and minutes.
OCTOBER 1, 15
Marion County Board of County Commissioners
McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 9am
The commission meets in the morning of the first and third Tuesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video are available at marionfl.legistar.com/calendar.aspx
OCTOBER 1, 15
Ocala City Council
Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala
4pm
The council meets each first and third Tuesday of the month. Ocala government agendas and minutes are available at ocala.legistar.com/calendar.aspx
OCTOBER 1, 15
Belleview City Commission
Belleview City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 6pm Meets the first and third Tuesday of the month; agendas, minutes and video available at belleviewfl.org/200/agendas-minutes
OCTOBER 7-11
Marion County Clerk of Court and Comptroller’s Office Marriage License & Passport Day Room 126, 19 N Pine Ave., Ocala 7am to 7pm
On-site services will be available to process new U.S. passport applications only and passport photography services for existing and new passports. Marriage license services and ceremonies will also be available. Appointments can be made online at bit.ly/3PwfGLk For more information, visit marioncountyclerk.org or call (352) 671-5588.
OCTOBER 16
Dunnellon City Council
Dunnellon City Hall, 20750 S. River Road, Dunnellon
5:30 to 7:30pm
Agendas, minutes and video are available at dunnellon.org/government/agendas-minutes
community
SEPTEMBER 28
“Amara’s Adventures” Book Signing
Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, 1812 NW 21st Avenue, Ocala 10am to 12pm Amara’s Adventures are a series of books created by Nola D. Oracle about an 11-year-old girl who explores her cultural heritage with vibrant stories and illustrations. Visit the center to receive a free copy of the book and to get it signed by the author.
OCTOBER 5
Gentiva Ocala Metro India Fest
Ocala Citizens’ Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala
11:30am to 6pm
This is a free community-wide cross-cultural experience of India, brought to you by the Strategic Community Alliance, featuring a cultural celebration in Downtown Ocala, including a flash-dance mob at the downtown square, trivia competitions, a fashion show, Indian food and beverages, art on display, and activities for kids. This event is free to attend. For more information, visit scacommunities.org/events-news-and-activities
OCTOBER 5
Wear Your Wings 5K College of Central Florida, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala Registration at 7am
This 5K run and walk benefits the Marion County Children’s Alliance. The first 250 participants to finish will receive a medal. The price to register begins at $30 for adults and $10 for kids, until Sept. 25. Registration and packet pickup will begin at 7 am, with the race scheduled to begin at 8 am. Visit bit.ly/WearYourWings2024 to sign up.
OCTOBER 30
College of Central Florida Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Anniversary Event College of Central Florida Dassance Fine Arts Center, 3001 SW College Rd., Ocala 6 to 8pm Join the team at CF as they celebrate the 10th anniversary of the school’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program. Guest Carolyn Jones, an award-winning photographer and documentary filmmaker, will lead a presentation titled “The American Nurse: Moving the Needle on the Most Important Issues of Our Time,” expanding on the concepts discussed in her film “The American Nurse.” Guests can RSVP at cf.edu/nurse
OCTOBER 5
Free First Saturday featuring Art in Spain exhibit
Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
10 am to 5 pm
Entry to Appleton Museum of Art will be free for all member and non-member patrons, with a special presentation taking a look at the history and evolution of art from Spain. Led by local neurologist and art enthusiast Dr. Jose Gaudier, it will begin at 11 am in the main auditorium. No reservation is required to attend. Learn more at appletonmuseum.org
MONTH OF OCTOBER
“Equine Impressions” Exhibit College of Central Florida, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala “Equine Impressions” opens in the College of Central Florida’s Webber Gallery on Sept. 30. Curated by 24 Hands Printmaking Collective, prints of all kinds will be on display highlighting the natural splendor of the equine world. An opening reception will take place from 5:30 to 8:30pm. Oct. 4. To learn more, go to cf.edu
things to do arts
OCTOBER 3
Silent Disco at the NOMA Black Box
NOMA Black Box Theatre, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
7 to 10pm
Dance to the beat of your own headphones. This event benefits Arts in Health Ocala Metro and the LILAC Foundation. Dance in a glow in the dark setup with shirt graffiti and facepainting, all to the tune of hits from the ‘70s to today. For more information, visit reillyartscenter.com/events/silent-disco
OCTOBER 11-13
27th Annual Jeeptober Fest
Florida Horse Park, 11851 SW 16th Ave., Ocala
Starts at 8am
This annual get together is one of the largest Jeep-only meets anywhere in the United States. Each day features a full itinerary of special events, from guided tours of the Ocala National Forest to off-roading, along with block parties and vendors. $70 for pre-registration and $80 for day-of. Admission for spectators is $10 per carload, cash only, and a portion of the admission proceeds will be donated to local charities. Visit ocalajeepclub.com/jeeptoberfest for more information.
OCTOBER 12
Denim & Pearls Gala
Immaculate Heart of Mary Social Hall, 10670 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala
7 p.m.
The Eta Tau Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., will host an evening of food, dancing and fellowship to support scholarships for senior girls graduating high school and various community programs. The evening will include dinner, live music, a DJ, a silent auction and door prizes. Tickets are $75 per person, available by calling event co-chair Wantanisha Morant at (352) 208-8514.
OCTOBER 12
“Aliens Are Among Us and They’re Hilarious” Hypnotist Show
Marion Theatre, 50 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala
7:30 to 9pm
Hypnotist Flip Orley brings his unique act of comedy and hypnosis, featuring audience members being convinced of extreme and wild illusions. Flip’s background comes from studying clinical psychology at the University of Arizona, where he learned the practical and medical benefits of hypnotizing patients. Since then, he’s developed into one of the nation’s top hypnotist performers. For more information and for tickets, go to reillyartscenter.com/events/aliens-are-among-us-and-theyre-hilarious
OCTOBER 17
Fairways, Flamingos & Fun
Stone Creek Golf Club, 11851 SW 16th Ave., Ocala
Check-in at 11am; tee time 12:30pm
Stone Creek Golf Club will host a charity invitational tournament for women golfers benefitting the Susan G. Koman Foundation for breast cancer research. Teams of four compete in a best ball style tournament, wearing pink “flamingo” color golf attire to represent the fight against breast cancer. Teams of four or single players can register. A silent auction, door prizes and other on the course events will raise money to support this cause. To register, go to s5.goeshow.com/dps/FFF2024/index.cfm
OCTOBER 17
Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
7:30 to 9pm
Actor and musician Billy Bob Thornton has been performing with long-time friend and collaborator J.D. Andrew as part of The Boxmasters since 2007. Their latest release “Love & Hate In Desperate Places” dropped on Aug. 30 and now the band kicks off a nationwide tour, which includes a stop in Ocala. The band plays a mix of rock and blues, drawing inspiration from the classic folk-rock sound of the 60s. For more information and for tickets, visit bit.ly/billy-bob-thornton
OCTOBER 26
Fall Maker’s Market
Cedar Street Boutique, 11875 Cedar St., Dunnellon 9am to 4pm
Sponsored by Grumbles House Antiques and Garden Shop, come see and purchase handmade crafts and other works of art by local artisans, in the lawn of the Cedar Street Boutique store located in downtown Dunnellon. Visit their website at grumbleshouseantiques.com
ANSWERS FOR PAGE B4
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Strategic Community Alliance, Inc. presents Gentiva Ocala Metro India Fest – A Cross-Cultural Experience of India Citizens’ Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave, Ocala, FL 34471 October 5, 2024; 11:30 am to 6:00 pm
Free Fun Family Event – Bring your own chairs to sit & enjoy the event.
11:30am – 6:00pm Open to Public
Free Kids’ Arts Activities by Appleton Museum of Art, Henna, Indian Food, Indian Clothes, Handicrafts, Music
12:00pm – 12:30pm Opening Ceremony Color Guard Ceremony
American National Anthem & Indian National Anthem
Welcome Remarks
Dr. Sheni Meghani, President, Strategic Community Alliance, Inc. Mr. Kerry Eck, Executive Hospice Care Consultant, Gentiva Hospice
12:45pm – 1:00pm Introduction to Yoga * 1:00pm – 4:00pm Free Face Painting for Children
1:00pm – 1:30pm Indian Cultural Performances – Classical, Folk, Bollywood Dance and Music 1:30pm – 2:00pm India Trivia Quiz – Fun opportunity to learn about India’s history and culture
2:00pm – 2:15pm Introduction to Taichi *
2:15pm – 2:45pm Groove with the Musicologist – Audience participation in music & dance
3:00pm to 3:45pm Indian Fashion Show – Men & women models from diverse ethnicities
3:45pm – 4:15pm Indian Cultural Performances – Classical, Folk, Bollywood Dance and Music
Bollywood Dance Along
4:15pm – 4:30pm Groove with the Musicologist – Audience participation in music & dance
4:30pm – 5:00pm Saree Experience – Women from diverse ethnicities will wear sarees
5:00pm – 5:30pm Power of Indian Spices *
5:00pm – 5:45pm Garba Dance Along – Some might find it similar to Cha Cha Slide & Macarena
5:45pm – 6:00pm Closing Ceremony
* Yoga, Taichi, Indian spices demonstration & audience participation will continue at the Splash Pad area for approximately 30 minutes each immediately after stage introductions. You are welcome to bring your own yoga mats.
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High School Football Coverage is Sponsored By Sports
Vanguard edges Dunnellon in overtime thriller
Knights’ defense stops two-point attempt in win over Tigers.
“In big games like this you have to finish. Our kids stayed focused and played a great second half.”
Edwin Farmer Vanguard Knights Coach
By Mark Pinson Special to the Ocala Gazette
The Vanguard and Dunnellon rivalry on the football field is one of the best in Marion County and has seen some close and exciting games between the Knights and Tigers come down to the very last play.
The Sept. 20 night game was no different as Vanguard stopped a two-point run attempt by Dunnellon to earn a thrilling 21-20 overtime win at Richard Kennedy Stadium.
Vanguard senior running back Nasir Allen scored in overtime and junior kicker Jaxson Lee booted the extra point to give the Knights a 21-14 lead.
Dunnellon answered with a touchdown as junior quarterback Dylan Curry connected with Tre’Quori Rollerson on a seven-yard scoring pass. The Tigers decided to go for the twopoint conversion and the win. Senior running back Dylan Donahoe ran off left tackle, but the Vanguard defense stopped him a yard short of the goal line to preserve the hard-fought victory.
The win improved the Class 4A Knights to 4-1 on the season.
“This was a typical Vanguard and Dunnellon game,” said Knights coach Edwin Farmer. “In big games like this you have to finish. Our kids stayed focused and played a great second half.”
The disappointing loss dropped the Class 3A Tigers, who lost last year to Vanguard after leading 21-0 at the half, to 3-2 overall.
“It seems like this game always comes down to the wire and we had too many busted plays, penalties and self-inflicted wounds,” said Dunnellon coach Tommy Sutton. “Vanguard is super athletic and at times we did a good job of containing them and other times we didn’t. The kids are heartbroken. It’s my fault and I’ve got to do a better job and find a way to get that last six inches.”
The teams exchanged punts to open the game before Dunnellon put together a 12-play, 62-yard scoring drive as senior tailback
Jeffery Vickers found some running room between the tackles and Curry hit Sean Martin for a first down at the Vanguard 11. On second down, Curry swept around left end and found the end zone from 10 yards out. Senior kicker Mark Pastorella fooled everyone when he passed to Jayvyn Fraziars for a two-point conversion to give the Tigers’ an 8-0 lead with 7.2 seconds left in the opening period.
The score stayed the same until Vanguard finally found some success through the air midway through the third quarter as sophomore quarterback Terrance Lewis hit senior wide receiver Brenden Barber behind the Dunnellon secondary for a 64-
yard touchdown pass. Jermaine White powered his way into the end zone for the two-point conversion to tie the score at 8.
Dunnellon was forced to punt, and Vanguard drove down the field and added a 31-yard field goal by Lee to go up 11-8 with 5:01 remaining in the game.
The Tigers marched 90 yards in just six plays as Curry completed a trio of long passes to move the ball to the four-yard line. Donahoe scored, but the extra point was blocked to leave Dunnellon ahead 14-11 with 3:09 to play.
The missed extra point attempt loomed large as Vanguard drove down the field and had firstand-goal at the Tigers’ 5-yard line. The Dunnellon defense rose up to stop the drive and Lee came on to boot a 25-yard field goal to tie the score at 14 with 25.3 seconds left to play.
Dunnellon took a knee, and the teams headed to overtime. In overtime, each team gets the ball on the other team’s 10-yard line. Vanguard got the ball first and Allen ripped off his scoring run. The point after by Lee gave the Knights a 21-14 lead. Dunnellon refused to quit and scored its touchdown to pull within 21-20. After a time out, the Tigers decided to eschew the extra point and the tie and went for the victory. Donahoe followed his blocking off tackle, but the Vanguard defense stuffed the run to seal the narrow victory.
“We were going for the win,” coach Sutton said. “We liked the look, but Vanguard did a good job and beat us on that play.”
Dunnellon plays its first District 5 game of the season on Sept. 27 at Gainesville Eastside.
Vanguard escaped with a win in a difficult place to play.
“This is a tough place to play,” coach Farmer said. “Our defense was sound and played a great game. But Jaxson Lee was great and gave us a chance to win. He kept us in this game with his kicking. This win means a lot and now we have to get ready for a district game next week.”
Vanguard is back on the gridiron on Sept. 27 with a district game at Lecanto.
Dunnellon quarterback Dylan Curry (3) scores on a 10-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of Friday night’s game at Richard Kennedy Stadium. [Mark Pinson]
hello to Sissy Girl,
12-year-old senior sweetheart. Found injured and struggling to walk, this easy-going kitty is still on the mend, but her purrsonality shines brighter than ever. Her spirit is up, and she is ready to move on from this chapter in her life and show her appreciation for a new safe and loving home.
Vanguard players listen to their coaches during a time out in Friday night’s game against Dunnellon. [Mark Pinson]
Vanguard cheerleaders show their spirit before Friday night’s game against Dunnellon. [Mark Pinson]
Trinity Catholic sweeps St. John Lutheran Celtics
beat Saints in three sets in competitive volleyball match.
By Mark Pinson
Special to the Ocala Gazette
As both teams prepare for district tournaments, Trinity Catholic and St. John Lutheran met for the second time this season.
The first match in August went five sets, but Tuesday night’s clash saw Trinity Catholic earn a hard-fought sweep by scores of 25-23, 25-20 and 25-15. The win improved the Class 2A Celtics to 13-3 on the season.
“We saw St. John the first match of the year at their place, it went five sets and was a great environment,” said Trinity Catholic coach Jeff Reavis. “We’ve had a pretty good season thus far, and we’ve really learned a lot about ourselves. We have some youth out there and it’s fun to watch them learn and grow.”
The loss dropped Class 1A St. John to 9-6 overall.
“Trinity Catholic is an outstanding team that plays really good defense,” said Saints coach Brad Ewers. “We were right there the first two sets and had a shot to win them but missed a couple of plays. The challenge of playing a team like Trinity Catholic will only help us the rest of the season.”
The first set was tied eight times, the last at 16-16 before Trinity Catholic went on a 6-0 run sparked by several kills from sophomore outside hitter Ashlyn Hallick and a kill and a block by sophomore middle blocker Addyson Avery.
St. John clawed its way back within 23-22 as senior outside hitter Rylee Palmateer blasted three of her team-high 10 kills. Trinity Catholic regrouped and closed out the set behind back-to-back
spikes by Hallick.
The Celtics, with momentum and the home crowd on their side, jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the second set as junior outside hitter Maddie Hewitson had three of her match-high 12 kills and Avery added a pair of well-placed shots.
St. John kept fighting and closed within 20-16 as senior outside hitter Sophia Ochoa drilled a pair of spikes to go with a block and Palmateer added back-to-back kills for the Saints.
The Celtics kept their composure and finished off the set behind a block by Riley Murray, a kill and a block by sophomore Emily Reed and a pair of perfectly placed shots by Hewitson to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
The loss seemed to delate the Saints and Trinity Catholic took full advantage by storming out to a 13-3 lead in the final set as sophomore Libero Lyla Huggins had four aces and Avery and Reed found the range with kill shots.
St. John made one last run as Palmateer and Ochoa scored several points to pull the Saints within 23-15. But Trinity Catholic finished with a flourish as junior Hannah Williams had back-to-back service aces to close out the match.
“We enjoy playing against Trinity Catholic and this kind of competition is only going to make us better as we get ready for the postseason,” coach Ewers said.
Trinity Catholic is a work in progress and the Celtics were supposed to play in a tournament in Venice this weekend, but it was canceled because of the impending hurricane.
“We’ve had a pretty good season thus far, and we’ve really learned a lot about ourselves.”
Jeff Reavis Trinity Catholic Coach
“This is the fourth time in eight years that we’ve had to miss this tournament because of a hurricane,” coach Reavis said. “We lose five quality matches at the end of the season which is a bummer. We
The
1, while St. John will be at home against Gainesville Eastside.
don’t have time to make them up since the district tournament is coming up.”
Celtics will host Forest on Oct.
Left to right: Trinity Catholic’s Emily Reed (5) spikes the ball through the arms of St. John Lutheran’s Isabelle Baluyot (10) during a volleyball match at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. Trinity Catholic’s Maddie Hewitson (21) and Riley Murray (14) jump to block a spike from St. John Lutheran’s Rylee Palmateer (9). Trinity Catholic’s Maggie O’Farrell (3) battles at the net with St. John Lutheran’s Rylee Palmateer (9).
Trinity Catholic players celebrate a winning point on St. John Lutheran.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
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