Florida has no law requiring deaths in custody to be reported by local law enforcement
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
Over 25 years ago, a federal law was passed to ensure that every death that occurred while the person was in the custody of law enforcement be reported by the respective state.
By extension, every local law enforcement agency is required to comply under this law—the Death in Custody Reporting Act. Yet, the state of Florida has no statute to enforce DCRA.
“DCRA reporting is tied to Justice Assistance Grant reporting. As such, the state administering agencies are ultimately responsible for setting up policies and procedures to ensure that DCRA reporting is complete,” according to the act.
So, at the state level, law enforcement agencies are only required to report deaths in custody if they wish to obtain grant funding—a loophole of the federal law.
The “Gazette” requested all death in custody reports that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has received from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office during the past five years. Documents provided by the MCSO show there have been 23 deaths in the agency’s custody since 2019.
However, the FDLE only had documentation for seven of those 23 deaths in custody. The reports are for inmates Wayne Vanderslice, Mayra Ramirez, Kelly Henry Rayborn, Lanquantis Washington, Michael Watkins, Tyler Allen White and Scott Whitley.
To obtain these records from FDLE, the “Gazette” had to hire an attorney, file a notice of intent to litigate and pay research fees. The seven DCRA reports are all that FDLE provided from that process.
The “Gazette” asked MCSO why FDLE only received seven death in custody reports from the agency. MCSO spokesperson Lt. Paul Bloom said he spoke to the jail investigator and confirmed that “those 23 deaths were, in fact, documented and
See Deaths in custody, page A5
90-year milestone
Marion County officials and others recently commemorated the Jan. 16, 1935, anniversary of the Ma Barker shoot-out in Ocklawaha.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
Ninety years ago, on Jan. 16, 1935, the peace and quiet of the sleepy town of Ocklawaha was disturbed by one of the most infamous shoot-outs in the history of the FBI. That was the day agents hailed a rainstorm of bullets on gangster Kate “Ma” Barker and her son Fred, who were hiding out inside a rented home on Lake Weir.
On Jan. 16, 2025, Marion County hosted an invitation-only event, during which Tax Collector George Albright, who was
instrumental in saving and preserving the Ma Barker House, also known as the Bradford-Ma Barker House, and Doug Jones, with the Society of Former Special Agents, unveiled a bronze plaque outside the historic home. The house is now located inside the county’s Carney Island Recreation and Conservation Area, after having been moved there in 2016.
According to the Friends of the Ma Barker House, Inc., website, the home was owned by Carson Bradford, who bought the real estate in Ocklawaha in 1892. His son, who lived in Miami, built the twostory Florida cracker style house on Lake
Site to be cleared for construction of downtown parking garage.
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
As demolition begins at the Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, excavation crews are working to remove historical artifacts from the church for preservation, including its iconic stained-glass window. With the loss of this historical landmark of the Black community, the city promised church members and citizens that not only would pieces of the church be preserved, but a monument would be erected at the future parking garage to mark the land’s significance. The Mt. Moriah Church
community has since moved to another location, after the city purchased the property in 2022 for $2 million.
In December 2024, the city awarded a $17.5 million bid to SSC Construction Management LLC to design and build the garage at 55 SW Third Ave.
See Mt. Moriah
Weir in 1930. It was used as a weekend and summer retreat.
Carson Bradford had never rented the house but in late 1934 got a generous offer from a representative of a Mrs. T. C. “Kate” Blackburn, describing her as “a sweet little old lady” looking for an out of the way cottage in which to spend time with her sons. Bradford said the house wasn’t for rent. Not willing to accept no for an answer, the offer went up, including paying cash in advance for the entire season.
“It is the only time the house was ever
See Ma Barker, page A6
Marion County Tax Collector George Albright, left, who was instrumental in saving and preserving the Bradford - Ma Barker House and Carson Good, right, whose family donated the house to Marion County, hold Thompson submachine guns on Thursday, January 16, 2025 outside the Ma Barker House during an event commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Ma Barker FBI shoot-out. The house, originally located on Lake Weir, is now at the Carney Island Recreation and Conservation Area. Kate "Ma" Barker and her son, Fred, were killed in the FBI gun battle on January 16, 1935. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
Workers with A&A Trucking and Excavating (A&A The Art of Destruction), José Cordero, top right, Cris Silva, bottom left, and Tommy Amodeo, bottom right, are silhouetted as they remove the antique stainedglass window in the Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church on Southwest 3rd Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. The historic Ocala church is being demolished by A&A Trucking and Excavating in order to make way for a new City of Ocala parking garage. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
Mt. Moriah church
Continued from page A1
The garage is proposed to be up to seven floors, with each floor designed to hold at least 800 vehicles. The top level would be open-air parking.
The project is anticipated to be completed by around June 2026.
The council also awarded Thomas Amodeo D/B/A A&A Trucking and Excavating a $94,694 contract to demolish and remove the building structures and disconnect and remove the utility services that serve the buildings.
The contract required the demolition company to preserve the stained-glass window that serves as a historical marker for the building by removing it and delivering it to the city.
Mt. Moriah has a long history in Ocala, dating back to 1867. Richard Edwards, the son of Pastor Emeritus Lorenzo Edwards, pleaded with the city council during construction contract negotiations to help preserve elements of the church during its demolition.
“Within the church, there’s a stained-glass window that was designed by my mother to commemorate my brother and others who have gone on to glory,” Edwards said. “We feel like this is the mother church of many churches in this community.”
The Mt. Moriah church was founded when the Rev. Samuel Small and 90 Black members of First Baptist Church, most of them were former slaves, decided to break away and form a church of their own, according to church documents.
The stained-glass window bears the words: “In memoriam, for all deceased members of this church,” along with the scripture Matthew 25:21— “Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord.”
County approves $3 million bid to resurface Marion Oaks roads
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
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Tommy Amodeo, left, and José Cordero, right, of A&A Trucking and Excavating (A&A The Art of Destruction), carry the antique stained-glass window outside after removing it from the Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church on Southwest 3rd Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. The historic Ocala church is being demolished by A&A Trucking and Excavating in order to make way for a new City of Ocala parking garage. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
Tommy Amodeo, left, and José Cordero, right, of A&A Trucking and Excavating (A&A The Art of Destruction), remove framing as they work to remove the antique stained-glass window in the Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church on Southwest 3rd Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. The historic Ocala church is being demolished by A&A Trucking and Excavating in order to make way for a new City of Ocala parking garage. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
Gazette]
Have your voice heard by serving on a government board Staff report
You can have a voice in local government by helping out on a volunteer board. Maybe you’re an expert in commercial real estate; maybe you know a lot about environmental regulations. That expertise can help you, your fellow citizens and local government if you want to volunteer on a board. As of Jan. 15, here are the vacancies for cities in Marion County and the county itself.
CITY OF BELLEVIEW:
The city's general link is here: belleviewfl.org/151/ Boards-Committees
The general application document is here: belleviewfl.org/ DocumentCenter/View/39/ City-Board-ApplicationPDF?bidId=
Planning & Zoning Board
1 expired term as of March 2024, 2 terms expiring March 2025
Description: The Planning and Zoning Board acts as an advisory Board to the Commission for planning and zoning issues. They also hear and decide variance and special exception requests. The Planning and Zoning Board is subject to the Sunshine Regulations and must file financial disclosure forms upon appointment and annually thereafter.
Members are appointed by the Commission for staggered three year terms and the alternate is appointed to a one year terms. If a member leaves, the Commission appoints another citizen to fill the vacated term. Members must live in Belleview, be a registered voter, and not delinquent in the payment of City taxes. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30pm.
CITY OF DUNNELLON:
The city's general link is here: dunnellon.org/ government/boardscommissions
Historic Preservation Board
1 term for general member ended Nov. 8, 2024; 2 general member terms ended Jan. 14; 1 vacancy for 2nd alternate member term already expired
Description: The purpose of the Historic Preservation Board is to promote and preserve educational, cultural and economic welfare of the public. The Historic Preservation Board has established uniform procedures to preserve the City’s historic resources by enhancing public participation and involvement in the preservation and protection of such resources, including buildings, structures, monuments, and other historic resources. In keeping with its purpose, the Board has developed the Application for Historic Preservation Grant Facade Renovations. Interested person(s) should complete the application and submit to the Community Development Department for submission to the Board.
Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm. For
more information, visit dunnellon.org/government/ boards-commissions/ historic-preservation-board
Planning Commission
1 member term ended Jan. 11; 2 vacancies for alternate members
Description: The Planning Commission has an administrative review function whereby the Commission reviews all changes to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, by amendment, evaluation, addition and appraisal for consistency with the existing Comprehensive Plan, and reviews all landrelated/zoning ordinances to determine consistency to the Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission holds quasijudicial hearings with regards to land planning/ zoning cases, site plan reviews, variances, special exceptions, and review/ appeal of administrative orders, and forwards its findings/recommendations to the City Council.
Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm. Learn more at dunnellon. org/government/boardscommissions/planningcommission
CITY OF OCALA:
The city's general link is: ocalafl.gov/government/ city-departments-a-h/ city-clerk/boards-andcommissions
The City Council appoints individuals to serve on over 20 boards, advisory committees, and commissions. These volunteers are from all over Ocala, and their experience, knowledge and expertise help influence decisions affecting the City by providing advice and feedback to City leaders and Council.
All are welcome to submit an application for consideration to a board or commission. Many boards have specific requirements, such as living within the city limits, being a qualified city voter, or owning real property within the city limits. These requirements, if any, are detailed for each board on their page. If you have questions, contact clerk@ocalafl.gov or call the Office of the City Clerk at (352) 629-8266.
Board of Adjustment
Description: The Board of Adjustment considers applications for zoning
variances and special exception considerations for business and residential construction projects within the Ocala City Limits. Hear and decide appeals where it is alleged there is error in any order, requirement, decision or determination made by the building official in the enforcement of the zoning code (chapter 122), authorize special exceptions as provided in the zoning code authorize variances as provided in the zoning code.
Vacancies: 3 current vacancies, one runs through March 1; two run to March 1, 2028.
Size: 7 Members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
Brownfields Advisory Committee
Description:
The purpose of the advisory committee is to promote and receive public comment on the identification, rehabilitation and redevelopment of identified Brownfield sites. The purpose of the advisory committee is to promote and receive public comment on the identification, rehabilitation and redevelopment of identified Brownfield sites. The advisory committee shall provide guidance in areas such as land use, employment opportunities, development proposals, community safety and environmental justice. The committee consists of eleven members appointed by the Ocala City Council from boards, committees and organizations primarily representing West Ocala.
Vacancies: 1 current vacancy, term from March 1 to March 1, 2028. 4 terms ending March 1.
Size: 9 Members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
Downtown Redevelopment Advisory Committee
Description:
The committee shall advise the Community Redevelopment Agency on redevelopment efforts of the established subarea pursuant to Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes. The Downtown Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee shall consist of seven members appointed by the CRA Agency and
City Council from property owners and organizations representing Downtown Ocala.
Vacancies: 2 current vacancies for terms ending March 1.
Size: multiple members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
East Ocala Redevelopment Subarea Advisory Committee
Description: The committee shall advise the CRA Agency and City Council on redevelopment efforts of the established subarea. The East Ocala Redevelopment Subarea Advisory Committee shall consist of nine members appointed by the CRA Agency and City Council from property owners and organizations representing East Ocala. Meets at least two times per year.
Vacancies: 3 terms ending March 1.
Size: 7 members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
Firefighters' Retirement System Board of Trustees
Description: The sole and exclusive administration of, and the responsibility for the proper, effective operation of the Retirement Plan is vested in a Board of Trustees. The board of trustees shall consist of five persons; two firefighters elected by the firefighter members of the plan. Two trustees shall be residents of the City appointed by City Council. The fifth member of the board shall be chosen by a majority of the other four members of the Board and appointed by City Council as a ministerial act. Form 1 Financial Disclosures are required to be submitted annually to the Florida State Ethics Commission.
Vacancies: 1 term expired October 2024
Size: 5 Members
Term Length: 2 years
Term Limit: n/a
General Employee Retirement System Board of Trustees
Description: To construe the provision of the System and determine all questions arising there under, to determine all questions relating to eligibility and membership, to determine and certify the amount of all retirement allowances or other benefits hereunder, to establish uniform rules
development of goals, objectives and policies for historic preservation; advise city departments on matters relating to historic resources in the City; advise individuals on preservation of historic structures; educate public on economic benefits of same; and submit annual report to SHPO covering annual activities. The Board approves Certificates of Appropriateness for exterior alterations to properties located in the local Tuscawilla Park and Ocala Historic Districts.
Vacancies: 1 vacancy for an architect; 1 term for general member, both ending March 1
Size: 9 Members
Term Length: 3 years
Term Limit: n/a
Municipal Code
Enforcement Board
and procedures to be followed for administrative purposes, benefit applications and all matters required to administer the System, to distribute to Members, at regular intervals, information concerning the System, to receive and process all applications for benefits, to authorize all payments whatsoever from the Fund, and to notify the disbursing agent, in writing, of approved benefit payments and other expenditures arising through operation of the System and Fund, to have performed actuarial studies and valuations, at least as often as required by law, and make recommendations regarding any and all changes in the provisions of the System, to maintain Fiduciary Liability Insurance, to perform such other duties as are required to prudently administer the System.
Membership
Qualifications: The board shall consist of five trustees, three of whom unless otherwise prohibited by law, shall be appointed by the Ocala City Council. Upon receipt of the elected members names, the Ocala City Council shall as a ministerial duty, approve the elected members. Members can be outside of City limits. Form 1 Financial Disclosures are required to be submitted annually to the Florida State Ethics Commission. Meets quarterly.
Vacancies: 1 term ending March 1
Size: 5 Members
Term Length: 3 years
Term Limit: n/a
Historic Preservation Advisory Board
Description: The Ocala Historic Preservation Advisory Board oversees the historic resources of the City and advises City Council and City departments on matters relating to these resources, as well as manages Certificates of Appropriateness for properties located within the Tuscawilla Park and Ocala Historic Districts. Make recommendations to City council for matters relating to historic resources in the City changes to designated resources; attend pertinent informational or educational meetings, workshops and conferences; advise on
Description: The Code Enforcement Division enforces codes that pertain to zoning laws, nuisance abatement, contracting, and permitting requirements of the City of Ocala and the State of Florida, occupational licenses, sign codes, alcohol location permits, and many other local ordinances and State Statutes. The Municipal Code Enforcement Board hears cases relating to code violations. Examine code violation cases presented by City Code Enforcement Officers. Empowered to levy fines and place liens on property if, violation is not corrected.
Vacancies: 3 vacancies, 1 regular and 2 alternates; 1 term ending March 1
Size: 7 Members
Term Length: 3 years
Term Limit: n/a
North Magnolia Redevelopment Advisory Committee
Description: The committee shall advise the Community Redevelopment Agency on redevelopment efforts of the established subarea pursuant to Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes. Vacancies: 1 current vacancy for term to March 1, 2027; 3 terms ending March 1
Size: 7 Members
Term Length: 4 years Term Limit: n/a
Planning & Zoning Commission
Description: The Planning & Zoning Commission is responsible for advising City Council on current and longrange planning, review and permitting of land development within the City of Ocala. Makes recommendations to City Council relating to zoning and land use and ensures that changes proposed are consistent with City's Comprehensive Plan. Members must be qualified voters of the city, and Form 1 Financial Disclosures are required to be submitted annually to the Florida State Ethics Commission.
Vacancies: 2 terms ending March 1
Size: 7 Members
Term Length: 3 years
Term Limit: n/a
Police Officers' Retirement System Board of Trustees
Description: The Police Officers’ Retirement See Vacancies, page A4
Ex-football coach arrested, charged with sex crimes against minor
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
Aformer Marion County football coach has been arrested on multiple charges for sexual offenses against a minor, according to the Ocala Police Department.
James Edward Ford III, a former West Port High School assistant football coach, was arrested on Jan. 17 on charges of unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, offenses against students, traveling to meet a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and using a twoway communication device to facilitate a felony.
The OPD received information from West Port’s school resource officer that led to Ford’s arrest. Ford, a 43-year-old who lives in Marion Oaks, is accused
of having inappropriate contact with a 17-year-old female student, according to his arrest report.
The student told investigators that from January 2024 until August 2024 she and Ford would talk over the phone and via text. From August until Ford’s arrest, he would meet the student at locations outside of school and engage in inappropriate conduct, according to the report.
Ford was also previously employed by the city of Ocala.
The “Gazette” requested Ford’s personnel file from Marion County Public Schools but has not yet received the records.
Ford’s first appearance was held before Circuit Judge Barbara KissnerKwatkosky. Ford has been appointed a public defender to represent him and his bail has been set at $35,000.
Board Vacancies
Continued from page A3
System Board of Trustees is responsible the administration and operation of the Retirement Plan for the City of Ocala Police Officers.
Vacancies: 1 citizen term expired Aug 6, 2024
Size: 7 Members
Term Length: 2 years
Term Limit: n/a
Recreation Commission
Description: The Recreation Commission advises City Council on matters relating to parks, recreation, and volunteer programs within the City of Ocala. The Recreation Commission shall advise and recommend to the City Council on the use of public facilities for recreational programs, and shall act as liaison with the board of county commissioners and the county school board regarding availability and use of county and school facilities. The commission shall advise and recommend to the City Council on the use of public facilities for recreational programs.
Membership Qualifications: A majority of the member of the Recreation Commission shall be citizens of the City. Holders of other public or City office of employment shall be eligible for membership on the Recreation Commission.
Vacancies: 1 city resident term ending March 1
Size: 7 Members
Term Length: 3 years
Term Limit: n/a
Tree Commission
Redevelopment Subarea. The committee shall advise the CRA on redevelopment efforts of the established subarea pursuant to Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes. Meets at least two times per year.
Vacancies: 4 terms ending March 1
Size: 9 members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
MARION COUNTY
Marion County shows vacancies on the following boards: Code Enforcement and the Marion County Historical Commission. These are volunteer positions and have specific qualifications and criteria depending on the board’s focus. The county commission appoints members in regular BOCC meetings.
An online application can be downloaded here: marionfl.org/mycommissioners/advisory-boards and can be printed or saved as a PDF. Please email completed forms to commissionadmin@ marionfl.org upon completion.
Applications can also be obtained at the Marion County Board of County Commissioners’ Office located at 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala, Florida or by calling 352-438-2323.
Code Enforcement (2 alternate members – Terms expire February 2026 and November 2027)
Qualifications/restrictions: Members shall be residents of Marion County.
Description: The Ocala Tree Commission is responsible for the development and administration of a plan care, preservation, pruning, planting, replanting and removal of trees on governmental properties within City limits. It shall be the responsibility of the Tree Commission to develop and administer a written plan for the care, preservation, pruning, planting, replanting and removal of trees on property owned or controlled by the City and on property owned or controlled by all other governmental entities when this property is located within the City limits.
Membership Qualifications: All of whom will be licensed tree surgeons, licensed landscape architects, licensed landscaping contractors or other interested citizens chosen for their knowledge of, concern about and participation in issues affecting the city’s urban tree population. Two regular meetings per year.
Vacancies: 2 arborist terms ending March 1
Size: 5 Members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
West Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee
Description: The committee shall advise the CRA Agency and City Council on redevelopment efforts of the established subarea. The West Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee is appointed as an advisory board to the Community Redevelopment Agency for the area defined as the West Ocala
Responsibilities: Members shall be residents of Marion County and should have experience or interest in zoning and building control, ad shall, whenever possible be in the field of architecture, engineering, general contracting, or subcontracting. Members shall have the power to adopt rules for the conduct of its hearings; subpoena alleged violators & witnesses to its hearings; subpoena records, surveys, plats & other documentary evidence; take testimony under oath; issue orders having the force & effect of law, commanding whatever steps are necessary to bring a violation into compliance and establish and levy fines pursuant to county ordinance. Members are required to e-file Form 1 (Statement of Financial Interest) with the Florida Commission on Ethics.
Marion County Historical Commission (1 at-large member – Term ends January 2029)
Qualifications/restrictions: Members shall be residents of Marion County.
Responsibilities: The historical commission shall provide education on the history of Marion County to the public. Applicants should have an interest in the history, cultural lore, development and institutions of the county, as well as an interest in actively preserving and commemorating this heritage. Members shall collect, arrange, record, preserve, interpret, produce, create, and display historical material and data; to procure and preserve narratives of the early pioneers, their exploits, perils, privations and achievements; to collect material of every description relative to the history of its Native American tribes and wars, and relative to its soldiers, its schools and churches, its commerce and industries, and other institutions.
•
File photo: Students leave West Port High School in Ocala, Fla. after the last bell on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.
Deaths in custody
Continued from page A1
reported to FDLE.”
No further explanation was provided for the discrepancy in the number of reports compared with the number of deaths reported by the MCSO. The “Gazette” has requested all DCRA reports filed to FDLE within the past five years and will update this report if the agency provides the public records.
DCRA IN DEPTH
The DCRA, passed by Congress in 2000, requires all states to report “information regarding the death of any person who is under arrest, is en route to be incarcerated, or is incarcerated at a municipal or county jail, state prison, or other local or state correctional facility, including any juvenile facility.”
The law has since been expanded to require the law enforcement agency that had custody of the person to report the death.
“Each quarter, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as correctional agencies, are obligated to report deaths in custody to the Office of Criminal Justice Grants in compliance with the DCRA,” according to the law.
“All state and local law enforcement agencies within Florida who receive federal grant funding are required to report the death-in-custody data to FDLE’s OCJG on a quarterly basis,” according to FDLE’s statewide implementation plan of DCRA.
A representative from the FDLE told the “Gazette” that MCSO applies for grants and thus reports the agency’s in-custody deaths.
“Under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG), the Bureau of Justice Assistance made all State Administering Agencies responsible for collecting and submitting death in custody data through BJA’s Performance Measurement Tool,” according to the FDLE.
The information from reporting of deaths in custody has been captured by the BJA since 2019.
RECORDS RETENTION POLICY:
After combing through the 23 reports of deaths in custody at the Marion County Jail, the “Gazette” requested the inmate files of seven persons whose circumstances struck an interest.
The “Gazette” reviewed years of Quality Assurance Reports authored by registered nurse Mary Coy, the Inmate Medical Liaison for the MCSO. The “Gazette” noticed consistent concerns about inmates receiving timely medical care.
Upon request, MCSO said it no longer had records for four out of the seven inmates requested, due to its policy of only retaining records for a year after an inmate’s release.
The “Gazette” questioned why the retention period is not longer, especially given the death of an inmate.
MCSO said its policy for records retention, regardless of the death of an inmate, is to destroy inmate records after one year of an inmate’s release. No differentiation is made between the “release” of an inmate and an inmate’s death
in custody.
Further, there is no requirement for the FDLE to investigate deaths of people in MCSO’s custody. The sheriff has sole discretion to decide whether a death must be investigated, unless use of force by an employee is involved, according to MCSO policy.
According to the MCSO policy for “notification in the event of injury, serious illness or death,” most cases of in-custody death are investigated internally by the Major Crimes Unit.
The only cases that must be reported to FDLE, according to the policy, are cases that occur in conjunction with an employee’s use of force. Such was the case with the death of MCSO inmate Scott Whitley, where FDLE deemed that the deputies involved in his death were not at fault and should return to the force.
Otherwise, it is up to the sheriff ’s discretion which cases should be referred to FDLE to investigate.
This policy was last reviewed by MCSO in February 2020, two years before Whitley’s death. Since then, 23 deaths have occurred in the custody of the Marion County Jail. Whitley’s death was the only one referred to FDLE for further investigation.
The “Gazette” requested data on any deaths in custody of the Sumter County Sheriff ’s Office from FDLE since the same physician oversees both facilities. The FDLE said it didn’t have any reports from that agency within the past five years in part because SCSO hadn’t applied for federal grants through their office.
When requesting any internal records of deaths in custody from SCSO itself in November 2024, the agency responded that it would not be able to access or provide records indefinitely.
“The Sumter County Sheriff ’s Office experienced a Ransomware attack on August 2024. Due to the attack, we have limited access to our network and electronic records. We are diligently working on restoration,” said SCSO.
Upon reiterating this request over a month later, the “Gazette” was told by the agency that its network and electronic records were still down. SCSO said it would complete the request when its server is restored but provided no indication of when this would happen.
Deaths in MCSO custody since 2020
1. Michael Watkins
2. Ronald Shanks
3. Jaquarius Griffin
4. Wayne Vanderslice
5. Joshua Van
6. Joann Lung
7. Sterling Patrick
8. Corey Merchant
9. Walter Johnson
10. Conrad Degon
11. Lamar Evans
12. Tyler White
13. Scott Whitley
14. Erin Meadows
15. Jackie Shavers
16. Joseph Forgione
17. Dennis Digenova
18. Mayra Ramirez
19. Darrell Davidson
20. Henry Tayborn
21. Amy Smith
22. Grier Thompson
23. Jason Sanclemente
'Gulf of Mexico'
through state laws
By Jim Saunders Florida News Service
After President Donald Trump on Monday issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf America, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis jumped on the idea.
In an order he issued about this week’s winter storm, DeSantis referred to an “area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America.”
But changing the name of a water body that is integral to Florida might not be so simple.
A computer search of Florida laws shows at least 55 statutes include references to the Gulf of Mexico, while local-government ordinances also are tied to the traditional name.
Some of the references in state laws play fundamental roles. For example, the legal descriptions of boundaries of gulf-front counties from Escambia to Collier include references to the Gulf of Mexico.
Part of a legal description of a boundary line of Dixie County, for instance, says it goes “southerly down the thread of the main stream of said Suwannee River to the Gulf of Mexico; thence along said Gulf of Mexico, including the waters of said gulf within the jurisdiction of the State of Florida, to the mouth of the Steinhatchee River.”
But references to the Gulf of Mexico also show up in myriad other ways, including in parts of state laws related to the Board of Internal Improvement Trust Fund — another name for DeSantis and the state Cabinet when they deal with land-related issues — and to beach projects.
For example, one law says the Department of Environmental Protection “shall develop and maintain a comprehensive long-term beach management plan for the restoration and maintenance of the state’s critically eroded beaches fronting the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Straits of Florida.”
Other references to the Gulf of Mexico show up in laws dealing with issues such as coastal construction, tourist-development taxes, the definitions of water management districts and an agreement with other states known as the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Compact.
One part of state law defines coastal barrier islands as meaning “geological features which are completely surrounded by marine waters that front upon the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay, or Straits of Florida and are composed of quartz sands, clays, limestone, oolites, rock, coral, coquina, sediment, or other material, including spoil disposal, which features lie
above the line of mean high water.”
In addition to the state laws, a spot check of ordinances in gulf-front Pinellas and Sarasota counties showed numerous references to the Gulf of Mexico.
Florida lawmakers and DeSantis could have a way to update state laws to change references from Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. The Legislature regularly passes what are known as “reviser’s bills” that do such things as change terms in laws.
Reviser’s bills usually pass easily without controversy. But Trump’s executive order on the Gulf of America has drawn attention across Florida and other parts of the country.
The executive order addressed federal references to the gulf’s name, directing the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to “provide guidance to ensure all federal references to the Gulf of America, including on agency maps, contracts, and other documents and communications shall reflect its renaming.”
“The Gulf will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping America’s future and the global economy, and in recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our Nation’s economy and its people, I am directing that it officially be renamed the Gulf of America,” the executive order said.
Special legislative elections set
By Jim Saunders Florida News Serivce
Gov. Ron DeSantis has scheduled special elections to replace outgoing state Sen. Randy Fine and former state Rep. Joel Rudman, who are running for congressional seats.
DeSantis on Tuesday issued executive orders setting special primary elections on April 1 and special general elections, if necessary, on June 10 in Senate District 19 and House District 3, according to documents posted on the state Division of Elections website.
Fine, R-Brevard County, is resigning effective March 31 from the Senate as he runs in a special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, who was named national security adviser by President Donald Trump. The Senate district is made up of part of Brevard County.
Rudman, R-Navarre, resigned Jan. 1 from the state House seat as he runs in a special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who stepped down from Congress in November. House
District 3 is made up of parts of Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties.
The House district will not have a representative for at least part of this year’s legislative session, which will start March 4 and is scheduled to end May 2. If a special general election is needed to replace Fine, the Senate district will not have a representative for the second half of the session.
State Rep. Debbie Mayfield, R-Melbourne, has said she plans to run to replace Fine. Mayfield served in the Senate for eight years before getting elected to the House in November. She had to leave the Senate because of term limits.
Meanwhile, six candidates have opened campaign accounts to run in House District 3. While those accounts are listed by the state as being open for the 2026 elections, they can be switched to the special election. Those candidates are Republicans Nathan Boyles, Hayden Burkhard Hudson, Joshua Shane Sik, Cynthia Darlene Smith and Jamie Lee Wells and Democrat Dondre Markell Maurice Wise.
While DeSantis quickly called special elections to fill the congressional seats vacated by Waltz and Gaetz, he moved slowly on calling the special elections for the legislative seats.
That prompted the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida on Jan. 9 to file a lawsuit asking a judge to order DeSantis to set the special legislative elections. The lawsuit has remained pending. Special primary elections will be held Tuesday in the congressional districts, with special general elections on April 1.
Fine served eight years in the state House before getting elected to the Senate in November. He then shifted to running in Congressional District 6 after Trump selected Waltz for national security adviser.
Similarly, Rudman was re-elected to his House seat in November but then jumped into the Congressional District 1 race when Gaetz resigned. Trump initially picked Gaetz to serve as U.S. attorney general, but Gaetz withdrew from consideration for that post.
Ma Barker
Continued from page A1
rented,” said Carson Good, Bradford’s great-grandson, on the site.
Two months later, the Bradford house was riddled with bullets and became the scene of the longest FBI shoot-out in history. When the shooting was over, Bradford learned the real identity of his tenants, known then as the Barker-Karpis gang.
Descendants of the Bradford family donated the house to Marion County in 2016. Officials decided to preserve the house and moved it on a barge in October of that year to its present location inside the county-owned park.
On Jan. 16 this year, the event attendees could take tours of the
home and the FBI’s Community Outreach and Evidence Response Teams worked with students from Lake Weir High School in an exercise about crime scene processing and evidence recovery.
During a press conference, local historians, law enforcement officials and community leaders reflected on the historical significance of the shootout and its impact on the American criminal justice system.
For more information, including scheduling a tour of the home or making donations for preservation efforts, go to mabarkerhouse.org or parks. marionfl.org/our-department/ ma-barker-house-museum
by Bruce Ackerman Ocala
Photos
Gazette
Bullet holes are shown in the back of a chair in an upstairs bedroom in the Ma Barker House during the event commemorating the 90th anniversary of the shoot-out, which took place on January 16, 1935.
Marion County Tax Collector George Albright, right, gives a tour in an upstairs bedroom to, from left, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods,
Cristi Edmisten of the Supervisor of Elections, State Attorney Bill Gladson, Marion County Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox and Kristin Rehler of the FBI.
Historical photos of the Bradford - Ma Barker House are shown during the event commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Ma Barker FBI shoot-out in 1935.
Marion County Tax Collector George Albright, right, shows some memorabilia to Marion County Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox, left, and Kristin Rehler of the FBI.
These are some of the photos showing details of the January 16, 1935, FBI shootout during which noted gangsters Kate "Ma" Barker and her son, Fred, were killed by the FBI.
A 1937 Chevrolet is shown outside the Ma Barker House during the event commemorating the 90th anniversary of the 1935 Ma Barker FBI shoot-out.
Carson Good, right, whose family donated the Bradford - Ma Barker House to Marion County, right, talks with Marion County Tax Collector George Albright.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, right, holds a Thompson submachine gun as cousins Carson Good, left, and Pam Falk, whose family donated the Bradford - Ma Barker House to Marion County, look on.
Intrigue surrounds special session
DeSantis looks to get back on Trump’s good side but clashes with legislative leaders, our Capitol Columnist writes.
By Bill Cotterell Florida News Service
There are often enticing little subplots and sidebar stories when the Florida Legislature meets, and the special session
Gov. Ron DeSantis called for late January has two intriguing side bets that you won’t find on the printed calendars of the House or Senate.
Officially, the special session is intended to give President Donald Trump whatever he needs for the mass deportation of people in the country illegally, make it harder to propose state constitutional amendments through the petition process, revise condominium-safety rules and provide help for Floridians still hurting from last year’s hurricanes. But all that could wait for the regular session, convening March 4.
The first reason for doing it now is the governor’s need to get back on Trump’s good side. After running for president against Trump last year, with lamentable results, DeSantis wants to maintain his political viability after he leaves the governor’s mansion in two years.
That requires good will from Trump, whose endorsement made DeSantis the GOP nominee for governor in 2018. All that “Ron DeSanctimonious” stuff last year was just typical Trumpish trash-talking that can be forgiven and forgotten now — provided
the governor knows his place and shows a level of loyalty worthy of a labrador retriever.
At the moment, that means helping Trump deliver everything on his planned list of Day One executive orders.
Trump has ended the careers of Republicans who’ve crossed him — just ask Mitt Romney or Liz Cheney — and it’s presumed that DeSantis would like to seek the White House again. That won’t be possible if Trump blackballs him in GOP primaries.
The second wild card of the special session, which DeSantis scheduled to start Jan. 27, is finding out how much
independence state legislators can assert in these final two years of DeSantis’ tenure in Tallahassee.
Capitol observers were startled when, a few hours after DeSantis announced his plans, Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez said it’s “premature” to call a special meeting just 37 days before the regular 2025 session — and “irresponsible” to call one without a ready agenda.
Huh? Who are those guys?
Don’t they know DeSantis has bossed the Legislature in ways that make North Korea’s national assembly look like Aristotelian free thinkers?
When he wanted to beat up on Disney, our legislators were all in. Restrict abortion some more? No problem, sir. Fly immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard? No objection from the Capitol’s fourth floor. Punish bars if a minor sees a drag show? You bet, governor. He assembled his own Supreme Court, suspended state attorneys and handpicked favorites for school board seats — all with nary a peep out of the House or Senate.
But he goes out to Iowa and loses one little presidential race, and what do they do? These legislators start acting like elected constitutional officers, that’s
what.
Naturally, Democrats were outraged not only about what DeSantis wants to do but how he’s going about it. But they’re such a small minority in both chambers, howling is all they can do.
There is some precedent for Republican legislators bucking a governor. After the Deepwater Horizon oil rig blowout in 2010, Charlie Crist sought to strengthen his U.S. Senate race by calling a special session to constitutionally forbid offshore drilling.
But Crist had quit the Republican Party and was running as an independent. Most GOP lawmakers wouldn’t have spit on him if he’d caught fire. So they convened, did a few formalities and promptly adjourned to hold news conferences denouncing Crist for calling them to town.
There was one tempting little detail in the joint statement issued by Albritton and Perez about this new special session. They said they fully support Trump’s immigration crackdown and will help him all they can. Freely translated: “We don’t work for you, governor, but we’ll help you help Trump, since you kinda work for him now.”
Bill Cotterell is a retired Capitol reporter for United Press International and the Tallahassee Democrat. He can be reached at wrcott43@aol.com
Lawmakers seek money amid belt-tightening
By Jim Turner Florida News Service
Florida lawmakers have started filing what are expected to be hundreds of proposals seeking money for local projects and programs — but legislative leaders are cautioning not to expect as much spending as in the past few years.
As of Tuesday morning, House members had filed 40 funding proposals, while one had been filed in the Senate, according to legislative websites. Lawmakers will consider the proposals as they negotiate a budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year during the legislative session that will start March 4.
Since taking their positions in November, House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, have advised lawmakers about a need to slow spending. At least in part, that is because federal money that flooded into the state during the COVID-19 pandemic has dried
up.
“It is far easier to spend money than to save it,” Perez said during an organization session in November.
Lawmakers each year try to get state money for local projects and programs — what are known in the Legislature as “member projects.” Spending on such projects and programs grew from $174 million in 2019 to $1.3 billion in 2024.
Last year, senators filed 2,695 requests for local funding that would have cost $7.3 billion.
House members put forward 3,167 proposals that would have required $8.8 billion.
Sen. Tom Leek, an Ormond Beach Republican and former House budget chairman, warned people who attended a Putnam County legislative delegation meeting this month that member project funding could drop to about $500 million in the upcoming budget.
“During the COVID years, the federal government was just dumping money on the states,” Leek said during the meeting.
“Our choice was to either give that money back to the federal government, and have it go into a black hole, or to use that money for citizens of Putnam (County) and Floridians,” added Leek, who was elected to the Senate in November after serving in the House. “So, we chose to keep that money. … I think we're going to see a return to pre-COVID numbers. So, you should expect the total legislative projects to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 million, maybe (it) gets to $750 million, but substantially less than it's been in the past.”
Leek said local officials have a new funding avenue for some water-related projects, as a 2024 law designates money from a gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida to buying and maintaining land in a state wildlife corridor, removing invasive species and helping properties convert from using septic tanks to sewer systems.
DeSantis vetoed about $950 million in spending from the fiscal 2024-2025 budget, which took effect July 1. That included
more than $200 million in water projects.
“Just because a water project was vetoed last year doesn't mean it's not going to happen. It's just a different path you're going to go forward,” Leek told the Putnam County officials. “It (the Seminole Tribe gambling money) relieves some pressure off of us. It provides a dedicated funding source. But it also relieves a little pressure off of you guys, because now you don't have to come to the Legislature and fight for that money. You just go through the grant process.”
Lawmakers also have been advised that getting local matches could help with their requests for money from the Legislature.
As an example, Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, has filed a $995,000 request for money for the non-profit Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options Children's Ability Center, which provides services to families raising children with developmental disabilities. The request said the center is in line
for $3.395 million from local governments and $1.345 million from “other” sources. A similar proposal landed $475,000 in the budget for the current fiscal year. Among other proposals already pitched for the 2025 session:
— Rep. Randy Maggard, R-Dade City, is seeking $19.72 million to help the St. Johns River Water Management District acquire property in Volusia County and $30.8 million for the Southwest Florida Water Management District to acquire a property in Pasco County.
— Rep. Susan Plasencia, R-Orlando, is seeking $3 million for automotive-technician workforce apprenticeships involving electric vehicle repairs.
— Rep. Patt Maney, R-Shalimar, is seeking $1.5 million for Fort Walton Beach traffic improvements.
— Rep. John Snyder, R-Stuart, is seeking $250,000 for Juno Beach-based Loggerhead Marinelife Center for a watertreatment system to help sick and injured sea turtles.
Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special session but got blowback from legislative leaders. [Jim Turner]
“What we really need is true affordable housing”
The
city of Ocala/Marion County Continuum of Care partnership will host a meeting Feb. 11 and representatives from nonprofits and the public are invited to attend.
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
The Nonprofit Business Council, a program of the Community Foundation for Ocala/ Marion County, hosted a panel discussion for local nonprofits on the chilly morning of Jan. 21 to discuss the successes and remaining challenges of addressing homelessness in Marion County.
Included on the panel was Kendall Stephens, with Marion County’s Continuum of Care. The county department Stephens works for oversees federal and state funding earmarked for addressing the issue. The Continuum of Care is a partnership with the city of Ocala, with the county handling the red tape associated with the funding and the city serving as the boots-on-the-ground outreach.
Stephens acknowledged a learning curve when the county/ city partnership was first formed but looked forward to hosting its first annual meeting at the Southeastern Livestock Pavillion on Feb. 11 and encouraged representatives of nonprofits as well as members of the public to RSVP to attend to learn more about the Continuum of Care as well as networking opportunities between the nonprofits.
The panel discussion included leaders from three different nonprofit organizations aimed at curbing the number of unhoused and providing supporting services: Karla Greenway of Interfaith Emergency Services operates a women’s shelter and a newly opened engagement center for the unhoused to seek supportive services; Wendy Kebrdle of Wear Gloves, which offers transitional housing and employment; and Penny Beehler of Saving Mercy, an organization that has transitioned over the years from the goal of becoming our first low-barrier shelter to permanent supportive housing, which is currently under construction.
Interfaith’s newly opened engagement center has become the central point of access to connect people in crisis with
supportive services, but it’s just the beginning of bringing together all the players who pitch in to address the problem, so collaboration is key.
“Not one agency can handle all of this,” said Greenway, who encouraged other nonprofits to use her agency’s engagement center to bring their services to those in need.
Greenway explained that while there are different services offered by various organizations to select groups, not every unhoused candidate fits into the programs. For example, some of the unhoused are emotionally attached to their pets and since Marion County does not have a shelter that can house people with pets, some of them choose to continue living in tents.
Linda Norman, with the Voices of Change Animal League, or VOCAL, whose organization has stepped in to temporarily
house some of those pets, asked if there were any plans to create a low-barrier shelter that would accommodate people like this, “not only for the sake of the humans but also for the sake of their animals.”
Stephens confirmed that there are no plans for a local lowbarrier shelter in Marion County right now, and acknowledged that a such a shelter has become a “touchy subject.”
Stephens indicated that, currently, the “lowest barrier shelter” is with Wear Gloves.
Kebrdle confirmed their organization has only a few rooms to use this way due to an agreement for assistance from local law enforcement.
Is the need increasing? On Jan. 23, a headcount will be conducted to identify Marion County’s homeless population numbers and the “Ocala Gazette” will follow up on those numbers. The consensus
of the nonprofit members gathered during the panel discussion was, however, that it’s “impossible” to get the confirmed number or separate transient homeless and unhoused Marion County residents into the totals.
During the gathering, both Interfaith and Wear Gloves shared success stories.
Since opening in midNovember, Interfaith’s engagement center has helped 174 people, and the new center has freed up space to add 20 more shelter beds to the women’s shelter this year.
“People present to the center with barriers to becoming selfsufficient and we try to remove those one by one,” said Greenway.
Greenway indicated that documentation is often the first barrier to finding work. She told the story of one man, who was born in Puerto Rico but did not have his birth certificate. With
help from Wear Gloves, the two organizations were able to house the man while they helped him obtain the documentation. Greenway described the man as a hard worker and said he has helped keep Interfaith’s campus clean.
An undocumented man who came for services was born in Germany. His mother was German and his father was an American stationed there. Wear Gloves opened 12 individual rooms for a temporary 30 days in order to see if the candidate would be a fit for their longerterm program.
“Each person presents with a unique set of needs, and we try to tailor our response to what they need,” explained Kebrdle.
Kebrdle gave an example of helping restore “dignity” to one man who was behind on child support. An order required Wear Gloves to garnish his paycheck, leaving him only $50 at the end of the work week. She recalled telling the man of the garnishment and he responded with pride that he was finally supporting his children.
Saving Mercy is currently constructing the first 24 of a planned 59 one-bedroom units, with plans for another 20 twobedroom units to accommodate families. Each resident will be on an annual lease and, based on their individual progress, leases can be extended.
All three of the presenting organizations indicated that needs remain for basic medical care, mental health counselors, utility bill assistance and jobs for unhoused workers.
The issues that have been historically cited for causing homelessness are no longer the only reasons. Greenway said that rising costs, particularly with housing, are landing more families in a housing crisis at an "alarming rate.”
“What we need is true affordable housing,” she said, while those in attendance shared a muttered agreement.
To learn more, go to marionflcoc. org/about-us/coc-overview and ocalafl.gov/government/ community-developmentservices
Ocala contract for drone shows canceled after Orlando child injured
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
The city of Ocala has canceled its contract for Fourth of July drone shows after the company’s drones crashed and injured a child at an Orlando holiday show in December.
The Ocala City Council voted unanimously to terminate its contract with the Sky Elements drone show company on Jan. 21.
In December, less than a week after the City Council approved a $300,000 contract with Sky Elements to put on July Fourth drone shows for the next two years, the company put on a drone show in Orlando that went drastically wrong and severely injured a young boy.
Minutes into the show, several drones collided, sending one drone into the audience, striking a 7-year-old boy. The boy suffered an injury to his heart and lacerations on his face and had to undergo emergency heart surgery, according to his family. After the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration began an investigation to determine the
cause of the accident. An FAA spokesperson told the “Gazette” that the investigation is still ongoing as of Jan. 21.
The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on the accident, detailing what went wrong to cause the drones to fall from the sky.
“Show video confirmed
that the aircraft did not lift off in uniform layers and as they illuminated and moved to their first frame of animation, they shifted position and altitude which resulted in a collision with other aircraft and a loss of control,” according to the NTSB.
“After the collisions occurred numerous aircraft could be
seen falling from the sky and impacting the ground. One aircraft could be seen streaking towards the audience.”
Further investigation revealed that the launch parameter file that contained the final flight paths had not been sent, and that the show center was not completely aligned.
In the meantime, the FAA suspended Sky Elements’ Part 107 waiver, which authorizes the company to operate multiple drones simultaneously at night and over crowds.
City Chief of Staff Christopher Watt told the council before its vote that if they wished to keep the contract, city staff likely wouldn’t have enough time to prepare for the show before the Fourth of July.
“The Patriotic Skies event requires months of preparation by staff and given the facts that are currently available, the city cannot make the required preparations for the event as it is unable to determine if Sky Elements will be able to perform its obligations under the agreement,” Watt said.
Mayor Ben Marciano, who contested the drone show contract in the first place, told council he believed the agreement should be terminated.
“You all know how I felt about it before. I think this is just the icing on the cake,” Marciano said.
The city is not currently planning any alternative options for a Fourth of July display, such as fireworks.
File Photo: Ken and Wendy Kebrdle, the founders of Wear Gloves, talk about their planned Dignity House for homeless people as they give a tour of the facility on South Pine Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Wear Gloves recently purchased the building with HUD funding assistance from Marion County. It was formerly the Ocala Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Center operated by Creative Services, Inc., an Ocala-based not-for-profit that closed its doors and stopped their services in late July 2023. The Kebrdles plan to completely renovate the building and said they plan to eventually have 60 beds in the building for homeless people. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2024.
Drones set up before the show at Lake Eola Park that resulted in the injury of a child
[National Transportation and Safety Board].
HOUSE SETS MEETINGS; NO DETAILS ON SPECIAL SESSION
After legislative leaders canceled meetings this week because of snow and freezing weather in northern Florida, the House has scheduled two days of subcommittee meetings next week. The meetings will be held Tuesday and Jan. 29 and will be similar to meetings that had been planned for this week.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, the Senate had not posted a calendar for next week. The House calendar did not address a special legislative session that Gov. Ron DeSantis has called to start Monday. House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, balked at holding the special session, saying it would be premature and pointing to the upcoming March 4 start of the regular session.
But in canceling this week’s planned meetings, Perez noted in a memo that lawmakers are “constitutionally required to be in Tallahassee” on Monday after DeSantis called the special session. DeSantis wants lawmakers to take up a series of issues, including making changes to help carry out President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
RESTRAINING ORDER ISSUED IN SCHOOL BOARD CASE
After an appeals court in October sided with a chapter of the group Moms for Liberty, a U.S. district judge Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the Brevard County School Board from enforcing challenged restrictions on public comments at board meetings.
A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in October said parts of a schoolboard policy targeting “abusive,” “obscene” and “personally directed” speech violated the First Amendment. But in an eight-page order Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Roy Dalton said the board had not changed or eliminated the policy. Attorneys for the Moms for Liberty chapter and other plaintiffs filed a request Friday for a temporary restraining order to prevent enforcement of the policy at a school-board meeting scheduled Tuesday night, according to Dalton’s order.
Dalton granted a temporary restraining order that will remain in effect until Feb. 4. “Essentially, plaintiffs have more than established a substantial likelihood that they will succeed on the merits of their claims — they have already succeeded (at the appeals court).” Dalton wrote.
“Simply because the board has not yet had time to adopt a new policy does not mean that they can keep enforcing the old unconstitutional one in the meantime.” Dalton also wrote that the plaintiffs have “established imminent irreparable” harm.
“A school board policy that chills a plaintiff’s right to speak at future meetings and could prevent that speech altogether causes irreparable injury,” Dalton wrote. “Here, plaintiffs have shown that they are likely to suffer immediate and irreparable harm due to the potential for defendants to continue enforcing the unconstitutional policy at the scheduled board meeting tonight (Tuesday).”
The Moms for Liberty chapter, a conservative group, and individual plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in 2021 alleging that school-board policies chilled speech at meetings. The legal battle has played out as school boards in various parts of Florida and the country have become battlegrounds during the past few years about contentious issues such as restricting or eliminating access to certain schoollibrary books. Attorneys from the Institute for Free Speech and the Defense of Freedom Institute, which are national groups, and a Jacksonville lawyer have represented the plaintiffs, according to a court docket.
GAS PRICES UP OVER LAST MONTH
Florida motorists paid an average of $3.16 a gallon for regular unleaded gas Tuesday, down half a penny from a week earlier — but up 14 cents from a month ago, according to the AAA auto club. The average price also was up 17 cents from a year ago. Nationally, the average price Tuesday was $3.13 a gallon, up from $3.07 a week earlier. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said 28 states had averages of $2.99 a gallon or lower on Monday, but cautioned in a tweet “that number will erode over the weeks ahead as higher oil prices and seasonality have an impact.”
Minutes matter when you or a loved one has an illness, injury, chest pain or symptoms of a stroke. With three locations in Marion County, the emergency experts at AdventHealth are nearby to provide the care you need to help you feel whole.
In case of a medical emergency, call 911.
People, Places and Things
Chilly weather does not deter MLK
More than 70 groups participated in Ocala’s annual Martin Luther
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
Latrice Sweet was one of hundreds of marchers who braved near freezing temperatures early Jan. 20 to join the 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Day March in Ocala. Sweet, who last year wore a mask and clothing to represent the slain civil rights leader, paid tribute to him this year by portraying his wife. Sweet, accompanied by family members, carried a sign that read, “I’m Corretta King and I’m so proud of my husband, Martin Luther King Jr.”
The march, organized locally by the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission, honors the non-violence advocate who was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39. The theme for this year’s march was “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence 365,” according to Kelvin Richardson, a member of the commission. Richardson said 73 groups were registered for the event.
The commission annually oversees several ceremonies honoring King in the days leading up to the march, which travels from the downtown square to the E.D. Croskey Recreation Center and Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex on the third Monday of January each year.
Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano was on hand
King Jr. Day event.
as groups staged for the march before 9 a.m. on Monday morning. He said it was an “important day” to honor a “great man.”
Ramah Missionary Baptist Church Youth Director Natasha Sanford was joined by about 25 church members. Sanford said it is important to “expose youth” to the history and teachings of King, who “died for us and for equality.”
Rev. Eric Cummings, pastor of New Zion MBC, which had a group in the march, felt it was a near record turnout for the event.
Ocala City Councilman Ire Bethea, who serves with the commemorative commission, also commented on the strong turnout, in spite of 36-degree temperatures just before 9 a.m.
The College of Central Florida entered a large contingent of marchers,
including 29 members of the men’s baseball team, according to participant Bruno Schafer, and 25 members of the women’s softball team, according to team member Amy Crosby. John Horner, with Coke Florida’s Ocala Territory, headed up a group of about 25 marchers and the Marion Education Association and UAW Local 1821 also had groups in the event.
Jacques Raphael held one side of a large banner for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity/Epsilon Pi Lambda of Ocala and said it was a “great honor” to represent APA, which was the fraternity of Dr. King. In 1956, King was presented the group’s Alpha Award of Honor for “Christian leadership in the cause of firstclass citizenship for all mankind,” according to kinginstitute.stanford. edu/alpha-phi-alpha-
marchers
fraternity
The Vanguard High School Elite Knights and Oakcrest Elementary School entered youth dance groups and the Shiloh Drum Corps kept up a steady beat with drums and cymbals.
The Rev. Winston Dawson stood with a group of members from Antioch MBC of Sparr, while the Rev. Floyd Narcisse and his wife Terseca, of Greater St. Joesph African Methodist Episcopal Church, also in Sparr, carried a church banner accompanied by members Yvette Anderson and Lorna King, who was assisted in her wheelchair by Kontie Anderson. Malcolm Little, 10, cheerfully helped carry a church banner as the
marchers moved out.
Some of the groups represented in the march included East Lake First Baptist Church, Mt. Zion AME Church, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Ocala Tree of Life Sanctuary, Little Women Juniorettes of Ocala, Greater Hopewell MBC, Kut Different Inc., United Holiness Church of Christ-Deliverance Center and Youth In Action Group, Tabernacle of Deliverance Outreach Ministries of Ocala, New Covenant MBC, New Shady Grove MBC, New St. Mary Baptist Church, Little Chapel Community Church of Santos, Freewill Spirit Church of God in Church, Grace Episcopal Church and Immerse Church.
Geneva Leahman and her son, Marlon Leahman Jr.,14, stood with the Mt. Cavalry MBC Church group. As he prepared to march, Marlon jotted down why he participated in the march.
“I’m marching because I want to finish what he started,” the teenager wrote. Prior to the march on Monday, the commission also hosted a food drive, prayer breakfast, wreath laying, youth day and ecumenical services.
To learn more, find the commission at fb.com/profile. php?id=100081906943501
Members of the RAMAH Missionary Baptist Church carry their banner.
Darrin Williams, left, and Diana Thomas, right, get bundled up for the cold weather.
Jiyah Hamilton, 17, left, and Jamiyah McCoy, 16, right, of the Forest High School girls basketball team, bundle up for the cold weather.
Vanessa and Dennis Putnam hold signs.
Members of the NAACP Marion County Youth Council march together during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day March on East Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, January 20, 2025.
Members of the Vanguard Knights dance team perform together during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day March.
Latrice Sweet poses as Corretta King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow, during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day March.
Members of the United Holiness Church of Christ Deliverance Center march together during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day March on East Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, January 20, 2025.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
Ocala Rotarians help people in Jamaica
The week-long project focused on meeting needs at a high school in an impoverished
area.
Staff report
The Ocala-Silver Spring's Rotary Club was awarded a District 6970 matching grant to fund the supplies for a recent international project in Clarendon, Jamaica.
Rotary members Teresa Stephens, Bill Cox, David Kramer and Rick Hugli travelled to Jamaica the week of Jan. 11-18 to complete the project. All of the team members funded their own travel and expenses for the trip.
The project focused on renovating the dormitories at Sir Alexander Bustamante High School, a lowincome high school in Lionel Town, which provides dormitory housing for needy students from the surrounding area, according to Cox.
The participants were hosted by Mission Four18, an outreach ministry founded by Len and Aimee Scott to meet the needs of the people in this impoverished region in Jamaica.
“The project involved building bunk beds, shelving and storage spaces for the male and female dormitories, along with supplying other needed furniture, fans and bedding. Additionally, the kitchens for the dormitories were supplied with a stove, refrigerator, chest freezer and numerous cooking utensils,” Cox shared.
Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders and problem solvers who seek a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change— across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves, according to Cox.
To learn more about the local group, find them on social media at fb.com/OcalaSilverSpringsRotary
Brick City Bluegrass Festival coming up Feb. 1
The second annual celebration will take place at Citizens’ Circle, with five bands.
Staff Report
The best of Appalachia will come to Ocala on Feb. 1 for the second annual Brick City Bluegrass Festival.
The celebration of classic Kentucky folk music will go well beyond the Bluegrass State, as acts from throughout America are scheduled to perform. The atmosphere is expected to be festive and vibrant, as well as family friendly.
Many of the scheduled acts, such as Tampa’s The Wandering Hours, are regional, and pay tribute to the genre’s roots, with
songs such as “Moonshiner” and “The Devil’s Got Me Drinkin’ Again.” Other bands come from all over, such as North Carolina’s Unspoken Tradition, Nashville’s East Nash Grass and Arkansas’ Arkansauce. Outside the south, Pert Near Sandstone hails from the twin cities of Minnesota.
The festival is scheduled to begin at 1p.m. at Citizens’ Circle, at 151 SE Osceola Ave., in downtown Ocala. Along with the live musical performances, food trucks will offer food and refreshments for purchase. Guests are encouraged to bring their own seating, such as chairs or blankets, to enjoy the outdoor venue. The
weather is expected to be sunny and cool.
Tickets are $25 through Jan. 31. Day-of-event tickets will cost $30. Admission is free for veterans and children 8 and under.
There will be one entrance for the event zone at the corner of Osceola and Fort King Street. There will be separate lines for those who have already purchased a ticket and those who still need to.
For more information, visit ocalafl.gov/government/citydepartments-i-z/recreationparks/special-events/bluegrassbbq
On View Through June 8
On view in the museum’s Balcony Gallery for Florida Artists, explore 30 captivating black-and-white and color photographs by Joel Bustamante that showcase the bold modern architecture of Japan in the 1970s and 1980s.
Margaret Boysen, 8, left, and her brother, Abram, 10, right, hold their inflatable banjo toys during the Brick City Bluegrass Festival at Citizens' Circle on Jan. 20, 2024. [Photo by Bruce Ackerman]
From left, Rick Hugli, Bill Cox, Wayne Evans (Sir Alexander Bustamante High School principal), Teresa Stephens, Delinda Chablal (school vice chairman), David Kramer and William Shagoury (school chairman) are shown during the project. [Submitted photo]
From left, Len Scott, executive director of Mission Four 18, the host organization, is shown with Ocala Rotarians Teresa Stephens and Rick Hugli. [Submitted photo] Rotarians David Kramer and Bill Cox work on a bed in a dorm at the school. [Submitted photo]
Joel Bustamante, Japan Technology Expo, Tsukuba, Japan, 1985, Gelatin silver print,
It was just ducky!
The annual Marion Rotary Duck Derby again raised money for a good cause and a good time.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
While the afternoon sunshine was a welcome relief for attendees at the sixth annual Marion Rotary Duck Derby on Jan. 18, you can bet it was a little nippy for the volunteers entering the chilly waters of Tuscawilla Lake to pull off the event.
The annual fundraiser is hosted by Marion County Rotary Clubs, with proceeds to benefit the Discovery Science Center, located inside the park, as well as other charitable causes supported by the clubs. All of those who organize the event are volunteers.
Ahead of the derby, workers tagged 5,000 yellow rubber ducks that were “adopted” for a fee. The first few ducks to float across the finish line earned cash prizes for their adopters. This year’s winners were Kim Algarra, $2,000; Ryan McClure, $1,500; Jamie Bentley, $750; Harry Coene, $400; Elease Lake, $250; Mallory Miranda, $250; and Laurie Roberts, $250.
According to volunteer Rotarian Tim Dean prior to the event, “Our Rotary Club of Ocala is the lead club, but we get support from the other four clubs too. The city of Ocala supports us. It's been a nice public, private partnership.”
Prior derby events have raised more than $90,000 for the family-friendly science center and, when you add in grants and sponsorships, the total reaches over $200,000. The final results for this year are still being tallied.
In addition to watching the race, derby attendees were treated to kid-friendly activities and free hot dogs.
To learn more, go to duckrace. com/Ocala and find the event on social media.
A member of Ocala Fire Rescue and a member of Ocala Recreation and Parks get 5,000 rubber ducks floating on the race course in Lake Tuscawilla at Tuscawilla Park during the 6th Annual Marion Rotary Duck Derby at
Park in
Fla. on Saturday, January 18, 2025. The Duck Derby was hosted by Marion County Rotary Clubs. Participants could adopt ducks online, by mail, from a sponsoring business, or at the event’s Duck Race booth. Each of the 5,000 ducks was tagged with the adopter’s information and were launched into the park’s pond. The first few ducks to cross the finish line earned cash prizes for their adopters. Funds raised through the Duck Derby support the Discovery Science Center, Ocala’s hands-on science center located in Tuscawilla Park, as well as other charitable causes backed by the Marion County Rotary Clubs. Over the years, the Duck Derby has raised more than $90,000, and combined with grants and sponsorships, has contributed over $200,000 to the Discovery Science Center.
Member of Ocala Recreation and Parks collect stray ducks that went off the race course from a boat as they get 5,000 rubber ducks floating on the race course in Lake Tuscawilla at Tuscawilla Park during the 6th Annual Marion Rotary Duck Derby at Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, Fla. on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Tim Dean, left, and Bill Mess, right, collect the winning rubber ducks from the 5,000 rubber ducks that were floated on the race course in Lake Tuscawilla at Tuscawilla Park during the 6th Annual Marion Rotary Duck Derby at Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, Fla. on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Rick Bourne wears a duck costume as he cheers for the 5,000 rubber ducks floating on the race course in Lake Tuscawilla at Tuscawilla Park during the 6th Annual Marion Rotary Duck Derby at Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, Fla. on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Five-thousand rubber ducks float on the race course in Lake Tuscawilla at Tuscawilla Park during the Marion Rotary Duck Derby.
Tuscawilla
Ocala,
A large duck is shown during the 6th Annual Marion Rotary Duck Derby at Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, Fla. on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Amaya Lake, 1, center, gets some help fishing for ducks in a pond from Mary Driscoll of the Marion Rotary, right, as Amaya's mother, Elease, left, look on during the 6th Annual Marion Rotary Duck Derby at Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, Fla. on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Gavin Perugini blows into his duck call as he holds a rubber duck during the 6th Annual Marion Rotary Duck Derby at Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, Fla. on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Wirthlin, 3,
during the Marion Rotary Duck Derby, hosted by Marion County Rotary Clubs.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
government
JANUARY 27
Marion County Development Review
O ce of County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave., Building 1, Ocala
9am The committee meets each Monday to review and vote on waiver requests to the Land Development Code, major site plans and subdivision plans. See marion.fl.legistar.com/calendar.aspx for agenda and minutes.
Marion County Board of County Commission chambers, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala
5:30pm Public activities conducted by the Marion County School Board will temporarily move to a new home in January because of renovations inside the MTI Auditorium. See marionschools.net/school_board for more information.
FEBRUARY 4, 18
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
Ocala City Council
Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala 4pm
The council meets each first and third Tuesday of the month. Agendas and minutes are available at ocala.legistar.com/calendar.aspx
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
FEBRUARY 19
Dunnellon City Council
Dunnellon City Hall, 20750 River Dr.
5:30pm Agendas, minutes and video are available at dunnellon.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=1
community
JANUARY 25-27
Pinnacle Cares Gala Weekend
Various locations and times
The Pinnacle Cares 2025 Gala Weekend will kick off Jan. 25 with a gala at Hilton Ocala. On Jan. 26, Jay Allen and The Stallions will perform a free concert at 7 p.m. at the Circle Square Cultural Center. On Jan. 27, the gala weekend continues with a golf tournament at the Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club. Event proceeds will benefit the Nancy Renyhart Dementia Education Program through Empath Hospice of Marion County. To register for events, go to retirementwithpinnacle. com/pinnacle-cares-2025-gala-weekend
JANUARY 31
“Never Give Up on Country” Concert
Sheltair Aviation, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Ocala
7:30pm to 9pm
The Travis Mills Foundation will host its fourth “Never Give Up On Country” concert in Marion County. Headlining the concert will be country music artist Chris Janson, known for his charttopping hits such as “Buy Me a Boat” and “Good Vibes.” Chris McNeil also will perform. The concert, along with its sponsors and the community, has raised more than $1 million in support of the foundation, which supports “recalibrated” veterans. Tickets are $50, with the option to purchase a meal from Mission BBQ, and can be purchased at nevergiveuponcountry.eventbrite.com
ocalagazette
JANUARY 25
Drawing a Portrait in Profile Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
1pm to 4pm
Join artist and instructor Lisa Russo for a seminar and training on designing portraits. This class will go over facial proportions, angles and detail from a sideview perspective. To register, visit appletonmuseum.org/education/drawing-a-portrait-in-profile-with-lisa-russo
JANUARY 25
OTrak Chalk Walk Tuscawilla Park, 829 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala 10am to 5pm Part of the Tuscawilla Art Park series, this event put on by Ocala Cultural Arts celebrates public art and expression with drawing on sidewalks with chalk. Special designated areas will be made into canvases for children and adults alike. The theme of this event is “Natural Wonders, Great and Small,” with cash prizes for the top artists. Live music performances will be on-site, along with artisans and food trucks. Attendance is free, while chalk drawing costs $10. For more information, visit ocalafl.gov/chalkwalk
FEBRUARY 1
Free First Saturday Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 10am to 5pm Entry is free for all patrons on the first Saturday of each month, typically with special programming or presentations. For more information, visit appletonmuseum.org
Ocala Art Group’s 75th Anniversary Reception, Painting Demo and Exhibition
Chelsea Art Center, 3305 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 11am to 3pm
The Ocala Art Group will host a reception to commemorate its 75th anniversary and to open a new exhibition by one of the members. The event will feature live art and music, an auction and information about classes and live events. For more information, visit ocalaartgroup.org
ON-GOING
Winter Classes at OCT
Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Times vary
“The Studio: Stage Combat” is for students ages 13 to 17 and will go over the fundamentals of stage fighting, from slaps and punches to headlocks and hair-pulls slaps, in a way that is safe and repeatable. “PIVOT! IMPROV” is for adults ages 18+, teaching the basics and core principles of improv, such as “yes, and” and other games and activities. Visit ocalacivictheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ Academy-brochure-Season-74.pdf to learn more.
things to do arts
JANUARY 25-26
Viva la France! Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm & 3pm Guest conductor Raymond Chobaz will lead the Ocala Symphony Orchestra through a medley of great French composers, including Debussy’s “Trois Nocturnes,” Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Africa: Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra” and Maurice Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2.” For details go to reillyartscenter.com/events/vive-la-france
JANUARY 30
T.J. Miller: “The Gentle Giant Tour” Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm & 3pm You may recognize Miller’s distinct voice and big red beard from films and shows such as “Deadpool (1 &2),” “Big Hero 6,” “Silicon Valley,” “Cloverfield,” and “Office Christmas Party.” Tickets are on sale at reillyartscenter.com/events/t-j-miller/
FEBRUARY 1
Brick City Bluegrass Festival Citizens’ Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala 1pm to 7pm Downtown Ocala will be transformed into a vibrant celebration of Appalachia during this second annual festival. Listen to a medley of Bluegrass style music from national and local bands, featuring The Wandering Hours, Unspoken Traditions, East Nash Grass, Pert Near Sandstone and Arkansauce. Visit ocalafl.gov/government/city-departments-i-z/recreation-parks/special-events/bluegrass-bbq to learn more.
FEBRUARY 6-23
“Daddy Long Legs”
Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Showtimes vary Based on the 1955 film with Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron, this clever two-person musical reveals the secret of happiness. Visit ocalacivictheatre.com for all the details.
FEBRUARY 15-16
Sound and Fury Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm & 3pm Embark on a journey from the Scottish coasts to the depths of human emotion and the heights of heroic triumph, with Mendelssohn’s “Hebrides Overture” and Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony. Learn more at reillyartscenter.com
FEBRUARY 22-23
Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band Anniversary Concert Marion Technical Institute, 1614 NE Fort King St., Ocala Sat at 2pm; Sun at 3pm The Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band celebrates 35 years with a pair of shows. Directed by J. Craig Lilly, the concerts will highlight the past, present and future of the band. The opening act will be Uniqulele, an “a capella instrumental” ensemble of five. Entry to the concerts is free. Learn more at kingdomofthesunband.org
FEBRUARY 23
Opera at the Reilly: Puccini Love and Laughter
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 3pm The University of Florida Opera Theatre and OSO present two of Giacomo Puccini’s greatest works, “Suor Angelica” and “Gianni Schicchi.” Both are one-act operas with supertitles. Find the details at reillyartscenter.com
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By The Mepham Group
Broom
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE
first publication of this notice is January 24, 2025. Attorney for Personal Representative: SAMANTHA SHEALY RAUBA, ESQ. Attorney Florida Bar Number: 59503 McGraw, Rauba & Mutarelli P.O. Box 4440 Ocala, FL 34478
Telephone: (352) 789-6520
Fax: (352) 789-6570
E-Mail: Samantha@LawMRM. com Secondary E-Mail: Gina@ LawMRM.com
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION File No. 422025CP000084CPAXMX
IN RE: ESTATE OF JEFFREY WAYNE JERREL
Deceased. / NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Jeffrey Wayne Jerrel, deceased, whose date of death was December 22, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is: 110 NW 1 st Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34475, Florida. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA STATUTES WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.
The first publication date of this notice is January 24, 2025
David Jerrel Personal Representative 11751 NW 70th Avenue Chiefland, Florida 32626
Larry K Neil, Esq. FBN 0346860 Attorney for Personal Representative 11691 NW 70th Avenue Chiefland, Florida 32626
CALL/TEXT: (352) 490-5656
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF
ROBERT D. BOATWRIGHT, Deceased.
CASE NO: 2025-CP-3 NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The name of the decedent, the designation of the court in which the administration of this estate is pending, and the file number are indicated above. The address of the court is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, Ocala, FL 34475. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are indicated below.
If you have been served with a copy of this notice and you have any claim or demand against the decedent’s estate, even if that claim is unmatured, contingent or unliquidated, you must file your claim with the court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF A DATE THAT IS 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER YOU RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS NOTICE.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons who have claims or demands against the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with the court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
EVEN IF A CLAIM IS NOT BARRED BY THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ALL CLAIMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN FILED WILL BE BARRED TWO YEARS AFTER DECEDENT’S DEATH.
The date of death of the decedent is: November 9, 2024. The date of first publication of this Notice is January 17, 2025. The personal representative or curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent, or the decedent’s surviving spouse, is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act, as described in sections 732.216 – 732.228 F.S., applies, or may apply unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211, F.S.
Attorney for Personal Representative: JOSHUA L. MOSES Richard & Moses, LLC Florida Bar No. 119304 808 E Fort King Street Ocala, FL 34471 (352) 369-1300 Primary Email: Josh@RMProbate.com
Personal Representative: JOSIE M. ORTIZ 160 Foxfire Drive Saint Augustine, FL 32092
State springs rules draw challenge
By Jim Saunder Florida News Service
Asprings-advocacy group is challenging newly proposed state rules, saying they will not adequately prevent water withdrawals that could harm what are designated as “Outstanding Florida Springs.”
The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative's attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF
RALPH STANCIL a/k/a HALE R. STANCIL Deceased. FILE NO.: 2025-CP-0019 NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of HALE RALPH STANCIL a/k/a HALE R. STANCIL, deceased, whose date of death was March 21, 2024; is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division; File Number 2025-CP-0019; the address of which is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34475. The name and address of the Personal Representative and the Personal Representative’s attorney is set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons, who have claims or demands against decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, and who have been served a copy of this Note, must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons who have claims or demands against the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court, WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. THE DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE IS JANUARY 24, 2025.
Personal Representative: REBECCA F. STANCIL 2750 N.W. 72nd Court, Ocala, Florida 34482 Attorney for Personal Representative: DAVIS R. WATSON III Florida Bar No.: 117996 DAVIS R. WATSON III, P.A. 2201 S. E. 30th Avenue Suite 202 Ocala, Florida 34471 (352) 732-8080 Email: davis@daviswatsonlaw.com
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF L. PAUL LLOYD, Deceased.
CASE NO: 2025-CP-4 NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The name of the decedent, the designation of the court in which the administration of this estate is pending, and the file number are indicated above. The address of the court is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, Ocala, FL 34475. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are indicated below.
If you have been served with a copy of this notice and you have any claim or demand against the decedent’s estate, even if that claim is unmatured, contingent or unliquidated, you must file your claim with the court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF A DATE THAT IS 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER YOU RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS NOTICE.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons who have claims or demands against the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with the court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. EVEN IF A CLAIM IS NOT BARRED BY THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ALL CLAIMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN FILED WILL BE BARRED TWO YEARS AFTER DECEDENT’S DEATH.
The date of death of the decedent is: October 25, 2024. The date of first publication of this Notice is January 17, 2025. The personal representative or curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent, or the decedent’s surviving spouse, is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act, as described in sections 732.216 – 732.228 F.S., applies, or may apply unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211, F.S.
Attorney for Personal Representative: JOSHUA L. MOSES Richard & Moses, LLC Florida Bar No. 119304 808 E Fort King Street Ocala, FL 34471 (352) 369-1300
Primary Email: Josh@RMProbate.com
Personal Representative: LARA ADAMS 23715 231st Court SE Maple Valley, WA 98038
The Florida Springs Council filed the challenge last week after the state Department of Environmental Protection held a Jan. 6 hearing on the proposed rules, which are designed to carry out a 2016 law.
The challenge, which was sent to the state Division of Administrative Hearings on Friday, makes a series of arguments, including that the proposed rules largely mirror alreadyexisting rules. The challenge said the history of the 2016 law “lays bare the Legislature’s intent to create new, more protective standards for water withdrawals impacting Outstanding Florida Springs.”
“In 2016 when it passed Senate Bill 552 (the law), the state Legislature implicitly determined that these existing rules were inadequate and ineffective in protecting Outstanding Florida Springs from harmful water withdrawals,” the challenge said. “Citing existing and ongoing harm to Florida springs, the Legislature directed DEP (the Department of Environmental Protection) to adopt uniform rules and a definition of harm for issuing permits to prevent water withdrawals from harming Outstanding Florida Springs.”
The 30 designated Outstanding Florida Springs range from the Gainer Spring group in Bay County to Wekiwa Spring in Orange County. They include
such spring systems as Wakulla Spring south of Tallahassee; Ichetucknee Springs in North Central Florida; Silver Springs in Marion County; De Leon Springs in Volusia County; and Weeki Wachee Springs in Hernando County.
In information posted on its website about the Jan. 6 hearing, the Department of Environmental Protection said the proposed rules likely will affect “consumptive use permitting” in areas included in the Northwest Florida Water Management District, the Suwannee River Water Management District, the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
The Florida Springs Council is asking an administrative law judge to issue an order declaring that the proposed rules are what is known in administrative law as an “invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority.” Generally, that would mean the department overstepped its authority or did not comply with the Legislature’s intent.
As an example, the challenge said the Legislature “commanded DEP to adopt new rules to protect Outstanding Florida Springs.” But it said the proposed rules are “unlawfully derivative of rules the Florida Legislature has already implicitly determined are inadequate.”
It also alleged that “apart from trivial differences in wording, the proposed rules … are nearly identical to existing consumptive use permitting rules already presently applicable to Outstanding Florida Springs and in effect since 2014.”
The case has been assigned to Administrative Law Judge E. Gary Early.
A manatee surfaces near kayakers near the main spring during the United States Postal Service Save Manatees Forever stamp First Day of Issue dedication ceremony at Silver Springs State Park in Silver Springs, Fla. on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Activities during the cermony included Glass Bottom Boat rides to view live manatees in the wild, the opportunity to adopt a manatee through the Save The Manatee Club, stamp sales, first day of issue stamp cancellations, and a meet-and-greet autograph session with unveiling participants. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2024.
Sports Forest beats Vanguard for county championship
Chisolm paces Wildcats past Knights for Marion Athletic Conference title.
By Mark Pinson Special to the Ocala Gazette
When the final buzzer sounded on Jan. 17, the Forest Wildcats were crowned Marion Athletic Conference champions after dispatching Vanguard by a score of 59-47. The three-day tournament for all of the public high schools in Marion County had plenty of excitement, including the championship game.
The contest was close from the opening tip until the final few minutes as Forest, behind a game-high 22 points from junior guard Trey Chisolm, improved to 15-4 on the season. The win was the second in eight days for the Wildcats over the Knights.
"We set some goals at the beginning of the season and being county champs has been our number one goal," said Forest coach Mike Hoffman. "I'm happy for the kids. This is the first step in the process and our next goal is districts. Trey Chisolm is a good ballplayer and is a dude I've been grooming for a while now. We turned him into a point guard, and I couldn't be happier for him."
Vanguard, which saw its record drop to 9-9, came out strong to open the game as Kevin Campbell scored six of his teamhigh 10 points and Brenden Barber drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Knights a 15-13 lead heading to
the second quarter.
Forest answered with a run sparked by freshman guard Tico Smith, who scored eight of his 16 points, including a pair of long 3-pointers, to help the Wildcats take a slim 28-26 lead into halftime.
Vanguard hung tough as Derek Singleton scored four of his nine points and Dylan Harris added a pair of baskets in the paint. Forest found the range from behind the arc as Chisolm knocked down a 3-pointer and junior guard Chandler Davison drilled a pair of treys as the Wildcats extended their lead to 43-36 heading to the final eight minutes.
The advantage ballooned to 10 points before Vanguard's Barber scored five of his nine points to trim the Knights' deficit in half. But the 6-foot 4 Chisolm scored six consecutive points, including a pair of spectacular drives to the basket to keep Vanguard at bay.
Down by double digits, the Knights were forced to foul. Forest was able to convert its free throws to seal the hard-fought victory over its cross-town rivals.
The win gives the Wildcats a shot of confidence heading into the final month of the regular season.
"It's always good to beat Vanguard because it's a rivalry," coach Hoffman said. "This is a big win as we head into the home stretch of the season. This is a great group of kids, and our goal is to continue to get better."
Trinity Catholic names Clint Hart as football coach
The former NFL player and local business owner took over the Celtics program
on Jan. 17.
By Mark Pinson Special to the Ocala Gazette
Trinity Catholic High School named former NFL player Clint Hart as its new head football coach on Jan. 17. Hart takes over for former coach John Brantley, who resigned a month ago and is now the head coach at Forest High School.
Hart, who is from Webster, in nearby Sumter County, played football and baseball at South Sumter High School before he graduated in 1995. He played baseball in college but did not play football before taking a circuitous route to the NFL. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams from 2002 until 2009.
That kind of professional experience should give Hart, who played safety and on special teams in the NFL, great credibility with his players at Trinity Catholic.
"I'm excited for this opportunity at Trinity Catholic and I look forward to developing the student-athletes and helping them to meet their potential," said coach Hart. "We're going to have discipline and tough love. Some coaches are afraid to discipline their players because they're afraid they'll run and go to other schools. I've been coached by some great coaches, like Andy Reid and Marty Schottenheimer, and I know what they look like and how they organized things. I also know what bad coaching looks like. I'm going to put together a really good coaching staff and get these kids to believe in me and the coaches and know that we care about
them."
Hart was a multi-sport athlete at South Sumter High School before he played baseball in college. He was taken by the Anaheim Angels in the 32nd round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft but turned down the opportunity to play professional baseball because he wanted to play professional football instead. After he played for two years in the Arena Football League, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002 and played in NFL Europe before he joined the Eagles roster in 2003. Hart played for the Chargers from 2004 until 2009. He finished his career with the Rams in 2009.
Hart, who owns Healthy Harts Fitness in Ocala, was the defensive coordinator at Ocala Christian Academy in 2017.
Trinity Catholic struggled through a 2-9 season in 2024, but the Class 1A Celtics, a perennial state power, have a solid nucleus of players returning, which Hart hopes to build around, including senior quarterback Carter Schofield.
"I played a lot of positions, including quarterback, so I can help to develop Carter," Hart said.
With Spring practice only three months away, Hart said he is looking forward to meeting his players, hiring his coaching staff and building the right culture at Trinity Catholic.
"I'm looking forward to getting to know the players," the 47-year-old Hart said. "We want to be winners on and off the field. We want to get the parents, the school and the community behind us to help support a team they can be proud of."
Forest's Sean Curry (15) and Vanguard's Marcel Simmons (15) battle for a loose ball during a basketball game at North Marion High School in Citra, Fla. on Friday, January 17, 2025. Forest won the game 59-47. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
Clint Hart, who owns Healthy Harts Fitness, leads a workout during a "Workout with the Mayor and Clint Hart" event on May 4, 2024. On Jan. 17, Hart was named head football coach at Trinity Catholic Hight School. [File
photo by Bruce Ackerman]
AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN
Juicy, ultraflavorful burgers perfect for a weeknight dine-in
Who needs dinner out when you can make your own gourmet burgers at home? We made a zesty horseradish sauce to cut through the richness of juicy cheeseburgers smothered in sauteed mushrooms, onion, and Swiss cheese. Simply serve with your favorite sides (try french fries, mac and cheese or cole slaw) and you’re good to go.
1. Combine mayonnaise, horseradish, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until vegetables are browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Transfer to bowl.
2. Divide beef into four equal portions and gently form into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Sprinkle patties with pepper and remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, pressing to adhere.
3. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Transfer patties to skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Divide mushroom mixture and Swiss cheese over patties, then cover and remove from heat. Let sit until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.
4. Transfer burgers to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Spread mayonnaise mixture on cut sides of buns. Transfer burgers to bun bottoms and cap with bun tops. Serve.
RICK STEVES' EUROPE
MAYO CLINIC
Can honey help my cough?
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My family’s colds are still lingering from the winter season, and I can’t seem to kick this pesky cough. I’ve heard honey can help. Is it true?
ANSWER: While we make think of honey as a pantry staple and natural sweetener for our morning tea or breakfast pastry, honey has long been used as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial substance. Topical use of honey can aid in healing burns, and research says that honey can even help specific conditions such as reducing the risk of heart disease, relieving gastrointestinal tract conditions such as diarrhea, preventing memory disorders and even acting as an antidepressant with anti-anxiety benefits.
So, is this sticky liquid as beneficial for coughs?
There are a lot of different reasons why we think honey helps. Mainly, it helps soothe the throat. As we swallow and the honey moves down the throat, it can help coat some of the receptors that can trigger the cough. Some honey has been shown to be more effective than over-the-counter cough medications.
Studies suggest that honey can act as a reliable cough suppressant for some people struggling with upper respiratory infections and nighttime coughing. Honey is made of mostly sugar, but also contains a mix of vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc, antioxidants and amino acids. Although there are over 300 different varieties of honey varying in flavor and color, the honey you have in your pantry will do the trick.
Honey has been shown to be effective and safe for both adults and children ages 1 and above. For young children, it’s usually recommended that you start with half a teaspoon to a teaspoon in some type of warm liquid. As they get older and they’re able to swallow the honey more easily, you can give it to them directly on a teaspoon. You can do about a teaspoon every two hours, which is the same dose for adults as well. Keep in mind that honey will affect your blood sugar levels just as sugar does, so use it in moderation.
One of the reasons why infants should not have honey is the risk of botulism. Botulism is a rare but serious form of food poisoning. The condition can occur when bacteria grow in the baby’s intestines. It typically occurs in babies between the ages of 2 months and 8 months. In rare cases, this form of intestinal botulism also affects adults. Symptoms of botulism can include trouble swallowing or speaking, dry mouth, blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, trouble breathing, nausea, vomiting, facial weakness on both sides of the face, and paralysis. Symptoms can sometimes be lifethreatening.
Unpasteurized honey puts younger children at higher risk for botulism. If you choose to use honey for cough suppression, we recommend that you use pasteurized honey to make sure that it’s free of any kind of contaminants that could potentially affect you or your child.
A bad cough can be really disruptive and get in the way of life, sleep, work and school. Honey can help. Feel better!— Angela Mattke, M.D., Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
The Titanic and the Troubles: Exploring Belfast’s past
Avisit to the Emerald Isle is not complete without including Northern Ireland. The most important single stop is its capital, Belfast, perhaps best known for the sectarian strife that took place here during the era of the “Troubles,” and as the birthplace of the Titanic. While these two claims to fame aren’t uplifting, this unsinkable city’s story is hardly a downer.
Just two hours away from Dublin by train, Belfast makes a perfect day trip. Wandering through the cheery modern-day downtown, it’s hard to believe the bright and bustling pedestrian center had been a subdued, traffic-free security zone not long ago. But it’s no longer dangerous here. While Belfast has the rough edges of any industrial big city, you have to look for trouble to find it. The city is busy with tourists, and aggressive sectarian murals are being repainted with scenes celebrating heritage and pride. It feels like a new morning in Belfast. Some tensions still simmer from the challenging times of the Troubles, but people from all walks of Belfast life congregate, work, eat, and play in the thriving city center. Still, a Belfast visit wouldn’t be complete without visiting the working-class neighborhoods where the two sides live parallel lives along parallel roads on either side of a “peace wall”: the Unionists along Shankill Road (mostly Protestants who feel they’re primarily British) and the Nationalists along Falls Road (mostly Catholic Republicans
who feel they’re Irish first). While you could easily and safely walk through these districts on your own, and some tours offer balanced, unbiased accounts, I find it more meaningful with a private taxi tour. The cabbies who offer tours of these neighborhoods grew up here and know their city well, offering honest (if biased) viewpoints on the Troubles, political murals, and local culture. My time with them is always the most interesting 90 minutes of any visit to Belfast. I once had a guide who was particularly determined to make his country’s struggles vivid. He introduced me to the Felons Club pub, run by Republican
ex-prisoners. Hearing heroic stories of Irish resistance while sharing a Guinness with a celebrity felon gave me an affinity for their struggles. The next day at Milltown Cemetery, I walked through the green-trimmed gravesites of his prison-mates –some of whom starved themselves to death for the cause of Irish independence. But to get the full story – both narratives – you need to also talk to the other side. While you can take a walking tour or private taxi tour through the Protestant Shankill Road area, the easiest way to get a dose of the Unionist side is to walk Sandy Row, the namesake street of Belfast's oldest residential neighborhood.
A stop in the Unionist memorabilia shop, a pub, or one of the many cheap eateries here will give you an opportunity to talk to a local who’s thankful to still be ruled from London. You’ll see murals filled with Unionist symbolism, such as the one depicting William of Orange’s victory over the Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne.
Across the River Lagan, east of the center, the historic Titanic Quarter – the former shipbuilding district now filled with museums, entertainment, and a hockey arena (where both Unionists and Nationalists root for the Belfast Giants) –symbolizes the rise of Belfast.
Next to the original slipways where the Titanic was built, the massive Titanic Belfast Museum commemorates Belfast’s shipbuilding industry. Six stories tall, the striking museum is clad with more than 3,000 aluminum panels that reflect the sunlight (or clouds), and hightech displays tell the tale of the famous cruise liner. A highlight is a gondola ride through a mockup of the ship while it was being built.
At the heart of town is another impressive landmark: Belfast’s City Hall. This grand structure’s 173-foot-tall, green copper dome dominates the city center. City Hall faces the commercial hub of Belfast, Donegall Place. Queen Victoria would recognize the fine 19th-century brick buildings here – built in the Scottish Baronial style when the Scots dominated Belfast. But she'd be amazed by the changes since then. Belfast was bombed by the Germans in World War II, and, with the Troubles stalling the economy at the end of the 20th century, for decades afterward, little was built. But with peace in 1998 –and government investment to subsidize that peace – the 21st century has been one big building boom.
Speeding on the train back to Dublin, you’ll be gazing at the peaceful, lush Irish countryside while pondering the resilience of Belfast’s people. Ireland isn’t just Blarney Stones and leprechauns, and Belfast’s troubled history is a key part of its story. A visit here offers a chance to balance your Irish vacation – and witness a city’s powerful rebound.
There’s nothing like a homemade cheeseburger to satisfy your stomach after a busy day. (Steve Klise/TCA).
Belfast's striking City Hall dominates the city center. (Cameron Hewitt, Rick Steves' Europe).
