Florida legislature bills would likely remove FPA protections in Marion County
The proposed state-controlled development would supersede local land-use regulations and require automatic approval of certain developments at maximum density.
By Belea T. Keeney belea@magnoliamediaco.com
State Sen. Stan McClain, R-Marion, and Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Pasco, have each filed identical
bills that would wrest local control of development from cities and counties across the state and open up hundreds of thousands of agricultural acres to developers without review from local governments. If passed, the new laws would supersede any local overlay zones of protection, including Marion County’s revered Farmland Preservation Area.
, page A10
Save The Civic
The Ocala Civic Theatre rebrands on its 75th birthday, launches a fundraising campaign and announces the 2025/26 season.
By Jennifer Hunt Murty
Marion County’s only community playhouse, the Ocala Civic Theatre, will turn 75 years old this week and is using the milestone to take stock and make plans to ensure its survival.
“The time to reshape community theater for the future is now,” said Executive Artistic Director Greg Thompson.
State legislatures propose statewide consolidation of 911
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
State Sen. Jay Collins and Rep. Shane G. Abbott have each filed identical bills that would consolidate hundreds of 911 call centers across Florida down to 67—only one per county.
Part of the bill seeks to amend 365.171, Florida Statutes, by adding a “unified 911 system” under each county’s sheriff.
For 75 years, OCT has been run as a professionally produced volunteer-driven theater that provides opportunities for talent who make a significant time commitment to deliver ambitious productions. In honor of that civic engagement, the theater has taken on a new nickname for its birthday, The Civic.
New student industrial labs in progress
By Lauren Morrish lauren@ocalagazette.com
The Marion Technical College West Bay area is swiftly remodeling to include two industrial labs for the 2025-26 school year, anticipating the growth of career fields.
After the School Board of Marion County approved the $1.33 million remodel during the Feb. 25 meeting, the project began on March 3.
A new welding lab with 20 stations will be added to teach students to weld mild steel, aluminum, and stainless steel, according to the agenda
The current Heating, Venting and Air Conditioning (HVAC) program that MTC started two years ago will also have a classroom space alongside the welding lab.
MTC Principal Gary Smallridge said the West Bay
It also calls for a single computeraided dispatching software, commonly referred to as a CAD, “regardless of the agency being dispatched.”
CAD systems are vital to tracking and organizing incoming calls and dispatching calls, but they are also a very important part of data collection that public safety agencies use to track efficiencies like call times or trends in community needs. Sometimes, the information collected in that system, such as call history from a certain address or number, could be used by a public safety agency for investigating a concern.
Other than the name and telephone number of the caller, most of the CAD information is public record.
Currently, in Marion County there are two 911 call centers. The largest one is operated by Marion County and falls under the fire chief, James Banta. However, the sheriff has his own law dispatchers who work from the county 911 center and dispatch their own calls—while the county dispatches everything else.
The second call center is the City of Ocala, operated by the Ocala Police Department, under Police Chief Michael Balken. That center dispatches law and fire and medical calls in the city limits.
As previously reported, experts nationwide have been encouraging the consolidation of emergency communications and the use of a
See State legislatures, page A2
See Florida legislature bills
See Industrial labs, page A2 Marion Technical Institute [File photo by Jennifer Hunt Murty/Ocala Gazette]
See Save The Civic, page A10
The Ocala Civic Theatre has been providing community entertainment for 75 years, including plays, classes and camps.
This is a composite image of State Sen. Stan McLain and property inside the Farmland Preservation Area in Marion County. McClain, R-Marion, and Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Pasco, have each filed bills that would wrest local control of development from cities and counties across the state and open up hundreds of thousands
including Marion County’s Farmland Preservation Area
State legislatures
Continued from page A1
single computer-aided dispatch software ; however, the city of Ocala has refused to consider those recommendations despite the county’s consistent stance that public safety would be better served if consolidated working from the same CAD.
Under this bill, municipalities may not opt out of the arrangement. If this bill passes, the city of Ocala’s 911 calls would be handled by the sheriff’s office rather than Ocala Police Department.
The bill requires each county to establish an “executive board”
Industrial labs
Continued from page A1
area is one large open room with high ceilings that will be split into two rooms to accommodate both labs.
“We’re going to build a wall down the middle and add two classrooms to it with big windows in the front so that the instructor can see in the lab,” Smallridge said.
He said that the small welding lab on the MTC main campus,
consisting of county government appointments, police departments, and fire rescue for a term of three years that may overrule a decision by the sheriff concerning any operation of the center only by “unanimous vote of all voting members after giving the sheriff 30 days written notice.”
Under this arrangement, the county would provide funding for the call center, which is a separate budget item from the sheriff’s operating budget.
Sheriffs can opt out of operations of a unified 911 call center, but it’s doubtful that Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods would do so since he’s previously suggested that 911
which currently has 15 stations used only by dual enrollment students, will move into the new West Bay lab to accommodate more students.
A Capital Assistance Program (CAP) grant MTC received will cover the full amount of the redesign of West Bay, but Smallridge said the funds were insufficient for the equipment needed within the labs.
After a budget amendment to move an estimated $480,000 for equipment, Smallridge said the project could continue.
communications be organized under him.
Woods was appointed in 2023 to the state’s Emergency Communications Board and sits on the executive leadership of the Florida Sheriff’s Association. However, his spokesperson wrote, “He did not play any role in the development or promotion of these bills.”
Editor’s Note: This story is ongoing, and as more bill analysis becomes available and committee discussions lead to possible edits of the measure, we’ll file updates. Meanwhile, visit ocalagazette.com/ archives/safety to learn more about Marion County’s current emergency communication structure.
“The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
The bulk of the remodel cost comes from a large and necessary electrical upgrade. To afford further equipment like new welding booths, he said older appliances will be used temporarily.
The goal is to achieve significant progress in construction by Aug. 1 and to have finished remodeling by Sept. 5, according to the agenda.
“The timeframe for this work is extremely aggressive to have the spaces ready for students for the 2025-2026 school year,” according to the agenda.
WOMAN IN WHEELCHAIR DIES FOLLOWING TRAFFIC CRASH
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
Awoman crossing a northwest
Ocala road in a wheelchair was struck on March 1 and died of her injuries, according to
the Ocala Police Department. The woman, who was not identified by name in an OPD press release, was struck by a 2011 Mazda that was traveling east as she attempted to cross in the 4500block of Northwest
Blitchton Road around 9:15 p.m.She was transported to a local hospital, where she died of her injuries.
The crash remains under investigation, according to the press release.
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Governor, your clock is ticking. Choose wisely.
Commentary by Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
When Gov. Ron DeSantis’s office sent out a press release on Feb. 24 announcing he was setting up the Florida Department of Governmental Efficiency “to further eliminate state government waste, save taxpayers money, and ensure accountability in Florida,” it made for a good sound bite for his followers, but it left many unanswered questions.
The strategy, according to a media release, is to set up a state DOGE as a yearlong task force to look for waste. If you’re struck by the irony of a plan to trim state government agencies by creating a new one, you’re not alone.
DeSantis said this new agency will utilize artificial intelligence—cue the alarm bells-to analyze public data from state agencies, universities and local governments.
“Florida will utilize AI to supplement ongoing efforts to review operations at our state agencies and identify more ways to cut unnecessary spending and eliminate bureaucracy,” according to the release.
Initially, I liked that DeSantis was willing to admit that even Republicanmajority governments like his own and elsewhere in the country, needed to examine their spending habits. Journalists would generally agree this is why we will never run out of work; officeholders slip things into budgets that the public needs help identifying so they can provide accountability.
DeSantis held a press conference the following day where he said the “liberal media,” a favorite boogeyman of his and like-minded politicians, has been hesitant in certain communities to dig in and report on wasteful spending. As always, he offers zero proof of this curious assertion.
One might wonder: Why now? DeSantis has been in office since 2019. If all this bloating and waste has been so obvious and rampant around the state, on his watch, for nearly six years as governor, why is he only now noticing? Could it be he simply wants to curry favor with the administration in Washington D.C. and continue to portray himself as a “mini-me” for the occupant of the Oval Office?
If he has stood by while waste ran rampant for so long, shouldn’t he have to answer for it? Doesn’t he and the GOP, which has run the state for more than 20 years, own this?
But, sure, it’s the fault of the pesky “liberal media” and not those who actually hold the power to address it.
Here is a closer look at each of the goals of the state DOGE as identified by the governor’s office:
“ELIMINATE BUREAUCRACY”
Most, if not all, taxpayers say they want bloated government bureaucracy trimmed, with one important – if often unstated – caveat: so long as the cuts don’t impact the services they rely on and regularly use. Go ahead and hack everything else.
For example, as a journalist, wading through state bureaucracy to independently fact-check information—including the governor’s claims that Florida is “the best” at pretty much everything—is frustrating because of the state’s institutional inefficiency in responding to public records requests.
Many state agencies already are backed up for more than a year in records requests and data supply. This is an impediment not just for journalists. Reporters need access to information generated at the public’s expense, of course, but so do lawyers, insurance company employees, general contractors and developers, medical services workers –pretty much anyone who interacts with the government in any capacity. The list is endless. This inefficiency leaves the public in the dark. In the case of journalists, we are left relying only on what the government representatives tell us is the truth without any proof or supporting documentation.
For example, I’ve reported concerns related to the Phoenix House, Marion County’s
largest substance abuse rehabilitation facility under contract for millions of dollars annually with the state’s Department of Corrections. Based on records I’ve obtained, it appears the inmates are not getting the care that the taxpayers are paying for.
I have asked the DOC for document to clarify the situation and, a year and counting after filing my request, I finally got an invoice for the records. Setting aside the fact that I was billed for documents that my taxes already paid to produce, I immediately paid the bill. Two weeks later, I’m still waiting for the records.
If this were the private sector, say I paid for a new roof and no roofers showed up, I’d be howling at the contractor and threatening a lawsuit. But this is the government. I’m left shouting into the wind.
Governor, if you are looking for a place to improve government efficiency, here’s a good place to start.
“ABOLISH AN ADDITIONAL 70 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THIS YEAR”
At the press conference, I asked DeSantis if he could be more specific about what 70 boards and commissioners were on his chopping block. Could the public have the list, and the criteria being used to justify eliminating these boards?
He answered that he was working it out with legislators, and we should expect to see them identified in a bill by the end of the week.
So, either a list does not exist at the moment or one is being created and circulated behind closed doors. Why can’t citizens see what is being targeted for elimination before the axe falls, when it will be too late to try to save these services?
Again, please note that the GOP has run Florida for 20 -plus years and, presumably, Republican officeholders created these commissions and boards, not the liberal media. Is he acknowledging that his fellow Republicans have created needless boards?
My biggest beef with DOGE is the lack of transparency, despite the juvenile boastings of unelected, chainsaw-waving President Elon Musk to the contrary. DeSantis’ well-earned reputation for pettiness and retribution toward anyone in his way raises important questions of whether this list will consist of any boards and commissions that have not fully supported his demands.
How can anyone accurately evaluate these actions and inform the public of what is afoot if everything is cloaked in secrecy? How are we to know if these are legitimate cuts to government waste or simply ego-driven actions by our notoriously thin-skinned governor?
Gov. DeSantis, here is an opportunity for you to shine: Be more transparent with
your version of DOGE than your federal counterparts. Admittedly, it’s a very low bar but it’s one you should at least try to overcome.
We would like to trust that you are doing this in the public’s best interest, but in the famous words of Republican icon President Ronald Reagan: Trust but verify.
“FLORIDA WILL CONDUCT A DEEP DIVE INTO ALL FACETS OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY OPERATIONS AND SPENDING AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ELIMINATE ANY WASTEFUL SPENDING.”
During his press conference, DeSantis went on at length about concerns that funds furthering the goals of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) are somehow being hidden under other names in university budgets and “ideology” is being taught that does students “no good.”
Seriously, is DEI in universities really one of the most-pressing problems facing Florida today? If DeSantis were to spend more time with his constituents, maybe go back to hurricane-ravaged neighborhoods that are literally still underwater months after the storms have passed, is that what he would hear?
DeSantis’ tenure as governor is ticking down, and how he uses this limited time is his choice. But it seems obvious that there are better uses of his energy.
For example, how about providing more support for disabled people in Florida. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Florida ranks 49th among the 50 states and D.C. for per-capita spending for the disabled, many of whom have been on waiting lists for years to get any help.
Imagine being a parent of a specialneeds child who has extensive medical problems, or families trying to care for an elderly parent or any of a host of realworld health crises around our state. Imagine being told your concerns have to wait, the governor is too busy rooting out DEI from universities.
Why can’t we shift the conversation from arguing about what we don’t want to what we do want?
“FURTHER
EXAMINE STATE AGENCIES”
DeSantis said he’s going to review about 900 unspecified state positions. Again, such a review could be beneficial if the real goal is to improve services and lower taxes and fees for constituents.
But why not fill the growing list of state positions that remain vacant, costing taxpayers a lot of money? One recent example is the state guard being used, at exhorbitant cost, to fill staffing
positions at state prisons. There is also a major shortfall of qualified people looking after the needs of our most vulnerable populations, including children in foster care and elderly who need protection.
The state has a critical shortage of first responders, teachers, and doctors, which impacts citizen care. Rather than focusing on cutting jobs, DeSantis could direct his DOGErs to shift resources to fill these essential jobs.
“AUDIT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS”
According to the media release, the “state task force will look into local government expenditures by utilizing publicly available county and municipal spending records to expose bloat within local governance.”
Here, DeSantis could partner with those rascals in the “liberal media” who have been just that for decades.
I offer one example among many: The “Gazette” and other local media have reported extensively about Ocala illegally collecting fire service fees for many years. When that was exposed through a lawsuit, the media kept this issue in the public’s view and ultimately, Ocala was ordered by a judge to repay more than $80 million to utility customers. The “Gazette” went a step further and provided an essential service by connecting the public with their refunds.
Somehow, I don’t recall DeSantis or any other prominent state legislator taking up this issue or thanking the media for this enormous public service.
But we don’t use journalism only to expose government faults; we are also there to report when local leaders make good decisions. In fact, we side with our local leaders when they push back against the overreach of state government.
The governor and state legislators have tied the hands of local officials who are trying to meet and fund our unique local needs. They have restricted ways on how local elected officials can raise needed funds and where they can spend it.
The state’s undermining local government’s ability to make decisions under the principles of “home rule” makes me uncomfortable, and I don’t think I’m alone. We know the people we elect locally are more accessible and accountable for their actions because they live here.
“FLORIDA WILL AID DOGE’S FEDERAL EFFORTS TO SAVE TAXPAYERS’ MONEY BY RETURNING UNUSED OR SURPLUS FEDERAL DOLLARS ALLOCATED TO THE STATE.”
Time will only tell the cause and effect of the draconian cuts at the federal level. I can’t help but think that a few questions from knowledgeable journalists who study the inner workings of government like no one else could have helped refine some of those choices if they were publicly considered first.
Questions like, how many veterans will this impact?
Or, Mr. Musk, are you sure about recklessly firing everyone tasked with overseeing our nuclear arsenal? What’s your backup plan when that half-baked idea fails?
The House budget framework approved Tuesday night would drastically slash Medicaid funding, a decision that will devastate thousands of Marion County residents. This will cause unnecessary harm to the weakest among us.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “If Florida expanded Medicaid, the federal government would pay 90% of the costs of the Medicaid expansion, plus Florida would see a net gain of $1.8 billion over 2 years in ARPA fiscal incentive payments.” Yet, for partisan political reasons only, Florida resists, and vulnerable citizens are hurt because of it.
We care about using tax dollars in an impactful way, and I’m guessing you do, as well.
Gov. DeSantis, it’s up to you how you use your dwindling time and authority. Maybe you should care more about helping your citizens than about chasing DEI in universities and other culture war distractions.
PEDESTRIAN DIES AFTER BEING STRUCK BY PICKUP TRUCK
By Andy Filmore andy@ocalagazette.com
A73-year-old Ocala man was struck and killed while walking in a lane of northwest State Road 40 the evening of March
4, the Florida Highway Patrol has reported. According to the FHP press release, a pickup truck driven by a 42-year-old Ocala man was traveling east in the inside lane of SR 40 near Northwest 41st Avenue as the victim was walking in an unknown direction within the inside eastbound lane of SR-40 ahead of the pickup truck. The pickup driver did not observe the pedestrian in the roadway, causing the front end of the pickup truck to collide with the pedestrian.
The collision occurred around 11:45 p.m. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene by Marion County Fire Rescue, the FHP reported.
The pickup driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, was not injured, the press release stated.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks about I-75 improvements during a press conference at Big Daddy Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing south of Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
A “Night of Stars” honors community advocates and educators
The 2025 Howard Academy Community Center Black History Awards Gala included the induction of two into the Black History Archives.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
The third annual Howard Academy Community Center Black History Awards Gala was held the evening of Feb. 28 at the College of Central Florida’s Harvey R. Klein Conference Center.
The “A Night of Stars” saw upwards of 300 guests enjoy dinner, music and an awards ceremony that included the induction into the Black History Archives of Daniel Banks and TiAnna Greene-Harris. Clint Hart received the Unsung Hero Award and Rosemary Roberts was recognized as a Beacon of Light.
Lena Hopkins, mistress of ceremonies and herself a 2024 archives inductee, opened the event and the Rev. Jackie Tuggerson Sr. offered prayer. Stacy Varner gave a welcome address. Rev. Eric Cummings, vice chair of the Marion County School Board and moderator of the Second Bethlehem Association, along with Ocala City Council President Pro-Tem Ire Bethea, also made remarks. The Rev. Stanley Jacobs offered a blessing for the event. Members of the KDC Line Dancers led a group line dance that included participation by many of the attendees.
Davida Randolph, HACC program manager, introduced Greene-Harris and Banks. Their names will be placed on a plaque in the Black History Museum of Marion County, which is located
inside the Howard Academy Community Center. The center, at 306 NW 7th Ave., Ocala, is a program of Marion County Public Schools and is the home of the Black History Archives.
Greene-Harris served as 20182020 president of the NAACP of Marion County. She is the founder and CEO of Emerge2Solutions and has worked with youth and families for more than 25 years. She has been involved in aiding small businesses and founded the Marion County Black Business Network. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a master’s degree from Bethune-Cookman College and has served as a juvenile probationary officer supervisor for over 10 years, the program detailed.
The program hailed Harris as serving the NAACP of Marion County with “pride, faith and commitment to the community as the third female president,” where her principles included education about African American history and “bridging the gap” in communication among parties concerned about youth, the program stated.
Greene-Harris is vice president of the Ocala Juneteenth Celebration Commission and vice president of student engagement for the University of Florida Association of Black Alumni, Gainesville Chapter.
“It’s an honor,” she said about the induction. She noted positive changes in the community over the last number of years, such as increased involvement by residents.
Banks, born in 1957 in Pompano Beach, is the son of educators Doyle Banks and Alice Marie Davis Banks, according to the program.
He is a 1975 graduate of Forest High School in Ocala and holds an associate of arts from the College of Central Florida and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He is an elder with Fort King Presbyterian Church and served as a commissioner to the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA in 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Banks worked with Head Start, Early Head Start and PreKindergarten for 29 years. He retired in 2019 but continues to train preschool teachers on a parttime basis. He is a world traveler and historian and has been a news reporter and columnist. He is a musician and “national gospel recording artist” who has recorded a gospel music CD, according to the program.
He is the author of 11 books, including “Letters to Mr. Davis from Thurgood Marshall, Mary McLeod Bethune, Matin Luther King Jr. and More.”
His grandfather, Edward Daniel Davis, referred to in the book, passed away in 1989. Davis is an inductee in the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame. His induction biography at flcivilrightshalloffame. org states that he “helped desegregate the University of Florida, raise the salary of Black teachers to the level of whites and increase Black voter registration.”
“I’m elated,” Banks said of his induction into the Black History
Archives. He commented during his acceptance remarks that he appreciates the work by HACC and the Black History Museum of Marion County to preserve Black history in light of recent “federal and state efforts to erase Black history.”
Hart, who formerly played strong safety with several NFL teams, including the Saint Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, is known for being a mentor and encourager. He operates Healthy Harts Fitness in Ocala. The Hart Neal Foundation, through the Feed 42 outreach, has “impacted over a 1,000 families, beginning with the 42 families we feed and bless the second week of December,” according to an online post.
Hart said it felt “really good” and “I’m honored” to receive the award, although “others deserve it as well.”
Roberts, a veteran of 17 years of service in the U.S. Army retired in 1995. In 1996 she began working for the U.S. Postal Service, where she got to know and help families on her route by finding resources to aid them or by covering their needs out of her own pocket, the program indicated.
Roberts began an outreach about 20 years ago giving out Thanksgiving baskets in the community and reached 200 baskets and 200 hot lunches at her own expense. She originally distributed the baskets from her home but eventually partnered with her church, Kingdom Revival Church. Since 2023, she has switched to providing the baskets at Christmas, according to the program
Roberts’ community involvement includes starting a clothes and food pantry at her church, volunteer work with the Marion County Children’s Alliance’s Family Violence Prevention Workshop, reaching out to the homeless and volunteer work with St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church.
Roberts, who said the honor was “unexpected,” was introduced as a “born servant…who never says no to helping someone.”
During the event, honors also were accorded to Black school principals Victoria Thomas, Dion Gary, Wade Martin, Shameka Murphy, Stacie Newmones, Bernard Rembert, Tracy Crawford, Jason Jacobs, Melicia Cooper, Ronald Jones, Anna StreaterMcAllister and Diana Elysee, and assistant principals Charnee Bryant, Lisa Coleman, Samuel Bullock, Tara Willis, Bashannon Hinson, Kelley James, Karen Hall, Steven Powell, Carmen Smiley, Aisha Pete, Cynthia Jones, Jonathan Cannon, Tiffany Drummond and Antonio Maldonado.
Diane Gullet, superintendent of Marion County Schools, hailed the “legacy of leaders” honored and thanked the principals and assistant principals represented at the gala. “I’m so honored and grateful to be your colleague,” she said.
To learn more, go to marionschools.net/ departments/grants_federal_ programs/howard_academy_ community_center
Black History Archives inductee Daniel Banks poses with Luzonia Waters for Cynthia Wilson-Graham during the awards gala, held Feb. 28 at the College of Central Florida.
The KDC Line Dancers were joined by members of the audience at the 2025 Black History Awards Gala.
The 2025 Howard Academy Community Center Black History Awards recipients are, from left, Clinton Hart, Unsung Hero Award; TiAnna Greene-Harris, 2025 Inductee into the Black History Archives of Marion County; Rosemary Roberts, Beacon of Light Award; and Daniel Banks, archives inductee.
Members of the Dare2B Great mentoring team at the event, were, from left Theresa Brooks, Lameshia Jenkins, Erica Tuggerson and Shayna Colyer.
Photos by Andy Fillmore
Lineman competition showcases skills and knowledge
The March 1 event in Ocala, hosted by Ocala Electric Utility in partnership with the Florida Municipal Electric Association, brought in competitors from Florida and beyond.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
On March 1, the Florida Municipal Electric Association held its annual Florida Lineman Competition at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, in partnership with Ocala Electric Utility.
During the event, electric lineworkers from all over the state as well as outside of Florida demonstrated their skill and knowledge.
According to the FMEA’s recap report online, the competitors
took on challenges such as changing out cables, disconnecting power lines, replacing arrestors and insulators and completing a simulation of rescuing an injured lineworker. Competitors earned points for completing the tasks as quickly as possible and lost points if safety standards and proper work practices were not followed. Journeyman teams, which include at least one lineworker who has been in the industry for five years or more, were made up of three lineworkers. Apprentices, or lineworkers in training, competed individually.
The 2025 Overall Journeyman Team Winners’ Cup was presented to David Hicken, Caleb Macabitas and Jonathan Cody Stokes of the Jacksonville Electric Authority. Winning the Overall Apprentice Award was Ryan Kornegay, also from JEA.
This year, electric utility workers from 18 utilities participated in the 2025 Florida Lineman Competition. This included 156 lineworkers from 15 utilities registered to compete, comprised of 77 apprentices and 79 journeyman lineworkers competing on 24 teams, and 64
judges from across the state that scored competitors, the FMEA noted the report.
“A big congratulations to all the winners, who have demonstrated exceptional expertise and skills while also showing their unwavering commitment to safety on the job and delivering the highest quality service to their communities,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA executive director, in the report.
A city of Ocala news release after the event noted that, “The competition, a tradition since 2001, featured real-world utility challenges, including pole climbing, transformer repairs, hurt man rescue simulations and mutual aid exercises. Demonstrating their commitment to safety, efficiency and teamwork, OEU’s line workers earned multiple top honors at the awards banquet.”
The awards were:
• First Place – Apprentice Faulted Cable Swap: Kyle Kalbaugh Second Place – Overall Apprentice: Evan Vandeventer Second Place – Apprentice Replace 2-35k Insulators on Fiberglass Arm: Evan
Vandeventer
Second Place – Apprentice Pole Top Pin Insulator Change Out: Kyle Kalbaugh Second Place – Apprentice Phase Change – Open Close 100 AMP Disconnect: Kyle Kalbaugh
• Third Place – Mutual Aid
Event: Regnaldo Butler
• Third Place – Apprentice Faulted Cable Swap: Evan Vandeventer Fifth Place – Overall Apprentice: Josh Earhart
“Ocala Electric Utility takes pride supporting its line workers as they train and compete at the highest level, ensuring that they remain prepared for the challenges they face in the field every day,” noted the news release.
For more information about FMEA and the Florida Lineman Competition, visit flpublicpower.com
To learn more about OEU, go to ocalafl.gov/government/electricutility
TOPVETS donate $30K to area groups
The Ocala Preserve Veterans Club presented six veterans-related organizations with grants ranging from $1,000 to $12,000.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
Members of the Ocala Preserve Veterans Club, also known as the TOPVETS, gathered for a breakfast meeting on March 1 to distribute donations totaling $30,000. The funds, raised in 2024 through the club’s annual Veterans Day Golf Tournament, silent auction and pancake breakfast, were donated to Marion County outreaches focused on helping veterans in need.
The club has raised about $90,000 over the last three years for veteran-related causes, according to club spokesman and U.S. Air Force veteran Bruce Sprecher.
Club president Jeff Dean, on hand to present the donations, is a U.S. Navy veteran who served from 1976 to 1984. He said the club currently has 60 dues paying members and about 20 supportive members.
“We’re extremely pleased to be able to support all these wonderful organizations who focus their efforts on helping and caring for veterans. We’re proud that this year’s donations exceed what we’ve been able to do in the past and hopefully we can do even more in 2025,” Dean stated in a news release.
Mary Jo Brandt, CEO of the Willistonbased nonprofit Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, was on hand with service dog Ricki-Dot to accept the club’s donation of $12,000.
Brandt said the organization currently has 87 dogs on their property and has placed dogs with veterans in 32 states to date. The total cost to train and team up a dog is about $27,000.
“The $12,000 will go towards the training, travel and follow up for the life of the team, including veterinary questions and care and any additional training,” Brandt stated in a text.
“TOPVETS has been very supportive.”
Brandt explained that in the case of a veteran with PTSD, the body may undergo,
for example, chemical changes during a PTSD related episode and the dog may smell the change and use “pressure therapy” with its paws to help alleviate the episode.
According to the organization’s website, “service dogs are trained to assist with a range of conditions, including PTSD, traumatic brain injury, mobility challenges, seizure and diabetic disorders, and hearing impairments…”
Veterans Helping Veterans USA of Marion County President Charlie Calhoun was joined at the breakfast by members Bob Levenson and Steve Petty to accept a $10,000 donation that will be used to help veterans in areas such as rent and utility payments and other financial assistance.
The nonprofit organization maintains offices within the Veterans Resource Center at 2730 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, and provides an array of services, including counseling and a food pantry.
Ron Oppliger, chairman of the nonprofit Friends of Marion County Veterans Park Foundation, said that a donation of $3,000 from the TOPVETS will go toward installing a decorative gate on the southwest side of the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park at 2601 E. Fort King St., Ocala.
The foundation has completed about 15 projects in the park, including the “Family
Monument,” which depicts a soldier’s homecoming with a free-standing life-size statue of a service member, spouse and child, and adjacent monument. The group currently has at least six projects planned for the park.
The Marion County Veterans Council received a $ 2,000 donation and The Villages Honor Flight received a $2,000 donation to cover the cost of taking two Marion County veterans on a flight to visit memorials in the nation’s capital.
Jennifer Richardson, a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran and now a master sergeant with the North Marion High School Junior ROTC, was at the breakfast to accept a $1,000 donation for the group. She was accompanied by cadets Tamia Bothwell and Christian Reese.
“The donation means a lot,” Richardson said, indicating the funds would be used for things such as field trips.
Bill Leigher, a founding TOPVETS member who served 33 years in the Navy and attained the rank of admiral, said the roots of the organization date back to 2019 and that in 2020 the group “took off.”
Dan Blaszczyk, a Vietnam War veteran; Robert Ball, a Vietnam War-era veteran; Wanda Williams, a USAF veteran who served from 1988 to 1991 and is a founding member
Jo
a
from
of TOPVETS; and USAF veteran Jamie Jameson attended the breakfast.
William Snyder, a TOPVETS member and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, served in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 during two deployments overseas. Snyder, 42, said he feels that with some younger veterans, social media may have “taken over” veterans organizations and he prefers the “camaraderie” of “face to face” meetings.
Snyder is the COO of veteran owned and operated Evergreen Private Care, a home healthcare agency with locations in 16 North Florida counties and five South Florida counties, and offices in Stuart and Ocala. In addition to their fundraising endeavors, the TOPVETS club has completed a Veterans Park in the Ocala Preserve community, dedicated to “those who perished, honoring those who served, and extending gratitude to those serving in the armed forces of the United States and our Allies.”
To learn more, go to topvets.org
Travis Richardson of Ocala Electric Utility is silhouetted as he competes in the Florida Lineman Competition at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala on Saturday, March 1, 2025. Hundreds of electric utility linemen from around Florida, and even some from southern California, came to compete.
Travis Richardson of Ocala Electric Utility climbs a utility pole as he competes in the Florida Lineman Competition.
Zach Parker, left, and Kyle Jenkins, of the city of Lake Worth Beach Electric Utility competed, along with hundreds of other linemen.
Tyler Sommers of the city of Tallahassee was among those testing their skills in the Florida Lineman Competition.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman
Mary
Brandt, COO of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, with service dog Ricki-Dot, accepts
donation
Jeff Dean, president of the Ocala Preserve Veterans Club (TOPVETS) during a March 1, 2025, breakfast event at the Salted Brick Restaurant in the Ocala Preserve community.
TOPVETS President Jeff Dean, left, presents a $2,000 donation to Charles Calhoun of the Marion County Veterans Council during the meeting.
Steve Petty, left, and Bob Levenson, right, both with Veterans Helping Veterans, accept a $10,000 donation from Ocala Preserve Veterans Club (TOPVETS) President Jeff Dean.
Photos by Andy Fillmore
FWC to host virtual public meeting about black bear hunting
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
The last time there was a regulated black bear hunt in Florida was in 2015.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s follow-up report, there were 46 wildlife management areas in the four bear management units that were open for hunting during the 2015 bear season. Bears were harvested in seven wildlife management areas, with the majority, 83 percent, taken in the Ocala National Forest.
According to a recent FWC news release, at its December 2024 commission meeting Bear Management Program officials gave commissioners a five-year update on implementing the 2019 Florida Black
Bear Management Plan, highlighting recent bear management and research efforts. Following the presentation, the commissioners directed staff to return to a future commission meeting to propose options for implementing a potential bear hunt.
On March 13, the FWC will host a virtual public meeting, beginning at 6 p.m. Those interested in attending the meeting can join by going to myfwc.com/hunting and clicking “Florida black bear.” The public also can email comments to bearcomments@myfwc.com
For more information about the virtual meeting, go to myfwc.com/ hunting/bear
To read the 2015 report, go to myfwc.com/media/13669/2015florida-black-bear-hunt-report.pdf
FWC Bear Biologist Paige Parks, left, talks with FWC officers Lauren Dickson, center, and Cody Lambert, right, about the best location for a non-lethal bear trap in the backyard at the home of Chris and Wendy Davy in Ocala on June 10, 2024, after a young Florida black bear was a nuisance in their backyard. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman]
HELLO, OCALA - Meet Your Neighbor: Jennifer Munoz
By Eadie Sickler Special to the Gazette
Manager, singer, actress, artist, student, cancer survivor, believer, fashionable, talented, positive: Those are all words that can be used to describe Jennifer Munoz. Born in the Manhattan area of New York City, Munoz graduated from high school there and also from the Professional Performing Arts School, where she majored in musical theater with a minor in voice. She performed in high school plays and sang gospel music in her church choir, and attended the Missionary Training Institute for about a year and a half, with thoughts of becoming a missionary on a foreign field, as she had a desire to care for others.
Her father, Eddie Munoz, was a police officer with the Manhattan Police Department during the time of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the New York World Trade Center and was injured while working during the tragedy. A friend of the Munoz family who had visited Ocala told them about the area. After he retired, Eddie and his family, including his wife, Sonia, moved to Dunnellon, where they loved the peacefulness, horses, beauty of the area and laid-back lifestyle.
While still in New York, Jennifer Munoz met her husband. After she became pregnant with their first child, they decided to move to Florida to be near her family. She has a sister, Erica, who lives in Ocala with her husband and four daughters. They own a commercial cleaning business, Attention to Detail. Her brother, Eddie, lives in Tampa with his wife and son. He is a counselor in the field of substance abuse.
Jennifer and her husband have three children, all of whom are graduates of West Port High School in Ocala. Evan, 26, lives in Leesburg, and is a general manager for AT&T. Eliza, 24, and soon to have a baby, lives in Ocala. She has an associate’s degree and is in college now, pursuing a degree in high school counseling. Jeremy, 19, works at Sky Zone, and plans to attend barber school. He seems to have a natural talent for that, his mother shared, as he often cuts hair for friends and acquaintances.
Jennifer has a Chichon dog, named Rocco, who is a mixture of a shih tzu and bichon frise. She said she was a stay-at-home mom from 1998 to 2015, which she loved. She and her husband later divorced.
After that, her career continued as a manager at an
Aldi store for about five years. In 2020, she was employed as a membership specialist at the Frank DeLuca YMCA, where she headed up the Live Strong program and helped in the rehabilitation of cancer patients. One of her first students in the program was her father, a threetime cancer survivor. Little did she know at the time that the disease would one day affect her.
Munoz also worked at the Ignite Counseling Center for a year, then went to work for AdventHealth Ocala, where she is an inspector and supervisor in the environmental department. In addition to her work, she is enrolled in a phlebotomy course.
In April 2023, Munoz was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“That day changed my whole life,” she shared. She had a routine mammogram and was sent to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville for more testing.
After the third positive result, she underwent two lumpectomies in one month, followed by radiation.
During her cancer treatments, Munoz decided to start painting with watercolors as a hobby. She had seen a picture she admired and decided to try to replicate it for her own enjoyment and to focus her thoughts.
“I wanted to pour myself into
something positive instead of negative. I wanted to remind myself to see beauty. Some days are harder than most. Looking at it makes me smile,” she said of one piece of art.
The picture of a woman with a beautiful flower in front of her face “spoke to” Munoz, she explained, allowing her to realize that “the flower masquerades the pain and is beautiful.”
“Looking at the flower, you don’t see if the face behind it is suffering or happy. The flower represents beauty,” she noted. “It reminds me of Isaiah 61:3 in the Bible, that speaks of beauty for ashes.”
“I am on no medications now and I have been cancer free since December,” she shared recently, and offered these thoughts for others who have been diagnosed with cancer.
“At times, we may look at cancer as so scary or something to fear, but it is important to
take the negative and turn it into a positive, because no matter the diagnosis or the stage of the cancer, you are not dying of cancer, you are very much living with cancer, because you are still alive and here, and it gives you that much more reason to fight,” she stated.
“I will never allow cancer to define who I am but use it as a tool that has shown me how courageous I am. Cancer, as negative as it may seem, saved my life. It taught me how much of a fighter I am. I never ‘threw in the towel,’ not one time,” she added. “Looking at my children, I knew that was a reason to fight for my life. With much support from my family and my faith and hope and trust, not only in God and the Word of God, it transformed my life. My hope is that everyone who is affected by cancer will hold on to that hope and learn to make the days count and not count the days.”
Technological advancements across the small satellite community have enabled new approaches to complex, large scale missions. Multi-spacecraft geometries of constellations, clusters, and swarms are being developed to undertake a variety of defense, scientific, and commercial missions. These missions leverage groups of small satellites working together as a system. This lecture will discuss the technology advancements being used for spacecraft swarm missions, and how those are being deployed, tested, and adopted into future missions. Two missions serve as current examples of the development and use of swarm technology: the Starling Technology Mission and the HelioSwarm Science Mission. Starling is a technology demonstration mission launched last year and flying in space now testing key swarm technologies. HelioSwarm, currently in development, is a multi-spacecraft swarm science mission that will transform our understanding of space plasma turbulence. These are pathfinding missions that enable future large scientific and commercial swarms.
Dr. Hine is an active space flight project manager at NASA Ames Research Center. He is currently the Project Manager for the HelioSwarm mission, which will lead to understanding the cascade and dissipation of energy in turbulent magnetized plasmas by using a novel swarm of spacecraft to investigate the physics of turbulence. He was previously the Project Manager for the LADEE mission, a Lunar science orbiter which launched in 2013 and successfully completed its mission in 2014. LADEE measured Lunar dust and examined the Lunar exosphere near its pristine state, prior to future significant human activity. LADEE also tested an optical communications payload from the Moon, which is an important technology enabling highbandwidth communications links for future planetary missions. Prior to this, Dr. Hine managed the Small Spacecraft Division at NASA ARC, which developed ways to build low-cost, high-performance spacecraft to enable future NASA missions. He has also managed various NASA programs, such as the Robotic Lunar Exploration Program, the Computing, Information, and Communications Technology Program, and the Intelligent Systems Program. His earlier NASA career includes directing the Intelligent Mechanisms Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, which pioneered the use of telepresence and virtual reality to control remote science exploration systems. Outside of NASA, Dr. Hine was President and CEO of a software start-up
which developed
tools for managing
Jennifer Munoz shows a watercolor of a woman and a flower she painted as she poses for a photo in the La Jolla neighborhood in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
Space fl ight project manager to lecture at IHMC
Dr. Butler Hine will speak about “The Promise of Spacecraft Swarm Missions” in Ocala on March 11.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
Dr. Butler Hine is a space flight project manager at the NASA Ames Research Center, currently for the HelioSwarm mission. He will lecture at the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition in Ocala on March 11 about the promise of spacecraft swarm missions.
Hine said that, in layman’s terms, the gist of the talk is this: “Our un-manned science spacecraft missions have historically been expensive, which has severely limited how often we can fly them and how much we can accomplish. Recent technology advancements on the ground and now in space are enabling swarm spacecraft missions that are more capable, less expensive and more robust/ resilient.”
Hine earlier served as the project manager for the LADEE mission, a lunar science orbiter that launched in 2013 and successfully completed its mission in 2014. LADEE measured lunar dust and examined the lunar exosphere near its pristine state, prior to future human activity.
LADEE also tested an optical communications payload from the Moon, which is an important technology enabling highbandwidth communications links for future planetary missions, according to IHMC.
Before that, he managed the Small Spacecraft Division at NASA ARC, which developed ways to build low-cost, highperformance spacecraft to enable future NASA missions. He also managed programs such as the Robotic Lunar Exploration Program; the Computing, Information and Communications Technology Program; and the Intelligent Systems Program.
His earlier NASA career includes directing the Intelligent Mechanisms Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, which pioneered the use of telepresence and virtual reality to control remote science exploration systems.
Outnumbered Democrats Outline Priorities
Florida News Service
Faced with Republican supermajorities in both chambers of the Florida Legislature, House Democrats highlighted a series of priorities Monday — though they acknowledged the bills are unlikely to pass during the annual session that starts Tuesday.
The priority bills involve:
Education (HB 1045) – Revises provisions relating to certain private schools such as requiring private schools to disclose the number of scholarships, return prorated funds to the department for students who disenroll in the private school, and revising the term “minimum base salary” for teachers to be adjusted to the national average for a full-time classroom teacher or 10% higher than the minimum base salary in the salary schedule for the previous year. It also seeks to set up a grant for K-12 public and charter schools for technology upgrades.
Labor (HB 1177) – Seeks to allow all employee organizations that are certified as bargaining agents to deduct dues and assessments from salaries of certain employees; removes the provision requiring certain employee organizations to petition for recertification; and seeks annual training on heat illness and rules to benefit workers.
Housing (HB 1471) - Creates a Department of Housing & Tenant Rights; provides requirements for rental agreements while prohibiting landlords from requiring prospective tenants to pay certain fees or reasons for terminating rental agreement. Authorizes tenants who are defendants in eviction proceedings to file motion with court to have records of such proceedings sealed. Requires landlord to give tenants the opportunity to purchase dwelling unit or premises. Authorizes local governments, special districts and municipalities to develop bank programs and plans to encourage affordable housing. Creates Retail-to-Residence Tax Credit Program & Affordable Housing Construction Loan Program.
Water (HB 1575) – Seeks a study of the prevalence and effects of lead in drinking water in certain public facilities
as well as making a plan to improve water quality through projects that address flood hazards, and blue-green algal blooms; puts in place reporting requirements for improvements.
Health care (HB 1507) - Extends Medicaid eligibility for specified lowincome adults.
Gun ownership (HB 1019) – The House website summarizes the bill as follows: Requires background checks on persons involved in firearm sales or transfers; requires firearm sales or transfers to be conducted through licensed dealer; revises requirements for safe storage of firearms; revises criminal penalties; requires firearms be sold by dealers with trigger locks or gun cases; revises warnings to be posted in gun dealerships; requires certain materials to be given to gun purchasers; prohibits specified acts involving unfinished firearm frames or receivers; prohibits certain activities involving three-dimensional printer or CNC milling machine; creates Veteran’s Firearm Suicide Reduction Task Force.
Democrats said during a news conference that they are addressing Floridians’ needs, while Republicans and Gov. Ron DeSantis have focused on culture wars. “What I do know is that even though in this hyper-partisan environment it’s unlikely that any of these (Democratic) bills will get a hearing, it’s totally possible that some of these concepts might work their way into legislation,” House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, said. Republicans head into the 2025 session with a 28-11 advantage in the Senate and an 86-33 margin in the House. Democrats also said they will oppose DeSantis’ efforts to make it harder to put proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot and proposals to reduce or potentially eliminate property taxes without explaining potential effects. “I’ve not heard from my neighbors saying they want their trash picked-up slower or that they want fewer officers patrolling their streets, or that they want fewer teachers in the classroom,” Driskell said. “So, we have to have real conversations around these policies.”
Ocala Gazette staff contributed to this report
Hine was born in Tacoma, Washington, but said he was an “Army brat” so his family moved a lot while he was growing up. He said that as a child, “I was both an outdoor fanatic as well as a nerdy bookworm.”
“I loved to go camping and hiking but would usually take a book with me. I was also the mad-scientist type who tried to burn down our house on a couple of occasions,” he shared.
Hine said he was part of the Apollo Moon Landings generation, “so I grew up wanting to be an astronaut.
“I was aiming at NASA from a young age. Apollo 11 was the single driver for most of my education and career. That event captured a whole generation of us,” he stated.
Outside of his work with NASA, Hine was president and CEO of a software startup company that developed advanced visualization tools
for managing large corporate networks. He continues to enjoy hiking, camping and flying as a civilian pilot.
“I also trained in martial arts most of my life but have had to slow that down as I got older,” he noted.
During his lecture in Ocala, Hine will discuss the technological advancements being used for spacecraft swarm missions and how those are being deployed, tested and adopted into future missions.
Each of the IHMC Ocala evening lectures begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. at the campus at 15 SE Osceola Ave. in downtown Ocala. Seating is limited so guests are asked to RSVP to ihmc-20250311. eventbrite.com or by calling (352) 387-3050.
To learn more, go to ihmc.us/ life/evening_lectures/ocalalecture-series
MCFR STATION 20 UNDERGOING REMODEL
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
Crews at the Marion County Fire Rescue Station 20 have been relocated as the station’s remodel is in full swing.
The “Golden Ocala” station remodel is five months underway and involves expanding the inside of the station, adding two new bays, storage rooms and a gear room. The project is anticipated to be complete in November.
“You may have noticed that the fire truck and ambulance are no longer at Golden Ocala Station 20 – but don’t worry, it’s all for a great reason,” wrote MCFR. “Our crews have been temporarily relocated while the station undergoes an exciting transformation, made possible by your support of the Penny Sales Tax.”
The total cost of the remodel is anticipated at $3,005,921. The project is being completed by Cullison-Wright Construction.
As the interior of the fire station is being expanded into one of the exterior bays, two new bays are being added for a total of four garages to create room for additional fire apparatus.
Inside, all interior finishes in the station are being demolished to update the bunkrooms and kitchen. This will create “a more comfortable and functional space for crews who spend a third of their lives at the station,” wrote MCFR.
The station is also getting a new Safe Haven Baby Box, an opportunity to surrender infants and provide “a safe, secure and anonymous option for parents in crisis.” This will be the third Safe Haven Baby Box within MCFR.
“A huge thank you to CullisonWright Construction and the Marion County Facilities Department for their hard work in making this vision a reality. And most importantly, thank you to the citizens of Marion County for your unwavering support of public safety,” wrote MCFR.
SCOTT SPRINGS PARK CLOSED FOR NEXT TWO WEEKS
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
Scott Springs Park is now closed to the public for the next two week as park crews conduct repairs and maintenance.
The park, located at 2825 SW 24th Ave., Ocala, will be closed until March 17.
Scott Springs spans over 21 acres and features a bike trail, walking trail, boardwalk and playground. It is the access point to the Scott Springs grotto, a natural spring.
“During this time park crews will be repairing/replacing sidewalks as well as performing general park clean-up and maintenance,” according to the city of Ocala.
When the park reopens, it will resume its normal operating hours of 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Park entry is free for visitors.
Dr. Butler Hine [Photo courtesy IHMC]
Photo: [Marion County Fire Rescue]
Photo: [Florida Hikes]
State Rep. Chamberlin outlines his legislative priorities
State Rep. Ryan Chamberlin was set to hold a press conference on March 5 on the fourth floor of the Florida State Capitol “to discuss property taxes in Florida.”
The Marion County Republican has been a proponent of doing away with property taxes, which would require a significant overhaul of the funding for essential government services such as law enforcement, all emergency medical and fire responders, public schools, parks and a host of other local needs.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has expressed support for a study of how eliminating property taxes could impact the state’s economy and vital public services.
In a post to the social media site X, DeSantis wrote, “Property taxes are local, not state. So, we’d need to do a constitutional amendment (requires 60% of voters to approve) to eliminate them (which I would support) or even to reform/lower them. We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that 60%.”
Thus far, no other state has abolished property taxes.
Meanwhile, Chamberlin seeks to constrain the funding local mechanism with two bills he’s filed for the current legislative session: HOUSE BILL 359 – PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS
The bill seeks to submit a proposal to amend the Florida Constitution to voters that creates of a new section in Article XII of the State Constitution giving a $100,000 exemption from assessed real property for all levies, regardless of how the property is used or whether or not it’s a homestead.
Chamberlin wrote of the measure, “It is my hope that with this property tax exemption, we can start the process of reining back our property taxes and begin exploring alternative options to how our State collects this revenue.”
Chamberlin and DeSantis both seem to be in favor the state levying and collecting tax rather than local governments.
HB 787- REVENUES FROM AD
VALOREM TAXES
“This bill directs all entities - counties, cities, and taxing authorities - to grow revenue at no greater than 2% over the previous year from the property taxes collected. The revenue collected by such entities over and above this 2% revenue growth cap shall be disposed of in 1 of 2 or in both ways: Property tax rebates proportionate to the property tax paid per
taxpayer/parcel or debt reduction,” Chamberlin writes of the measure.
He hopes this measure leads to a “comprehensive approach to fully phasing out property taxes in Florida and replacing them with a combination of consumption taxes.”
There is an identical bill, SB 996, filed by State Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa.Here is a list of the other legislative priorities supported by Chamberlin this session:
HOUSE BILL 113/ FLEEING OR ATTEMPTING TO ELUDE A LAW
The House bill summary said this “increases the penalty for committing an offense of fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer in a patrol vehicle with siren and lights activated from a third-degree felony to a first-degree felony. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, the bill provides a uniform ranking scheme for fleeing or attempting to elude offenses on the offense severity ranking chart (OSRC) of the Criminal Punishment Code by ranking a first offense as a Level 7 offense; a second offense as a Level 8 offense; and a third or subsequent offense as a Level 9 offense.”
The bill also changes the current requirement that an authorized law enforcement patrol vehicle prominently display “agency insignia and other jurisdictional markings” to instead require patrol vehicles to display only “agency jurisdictional markings” in order for the law enforcement personnel in the vehicle to bring charges. However, there is no definition of “jurisdictional markings” in the bill.
There is an identical measure filed in the state Senate: SB 468
HOUSE BILL 115 CLINICAL LABORATORY
PERSONNEL
“Removes requirements that the Florida Department of Health conduct examinations
for clinical laboratory personnel licensure and register clinical laboratory trainees; removes the requirement that the Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel approve training curricula for licensure of clinical laboratory personnel; repeals provisions relating to approval of laboratory personnel training programs; requires applicants for licensure as a technologist or a technician who meet specified criteria be deemed to have satisfied minimum qualifications for licensure.”
There is an identical measure filed in the Florida Senate: SB 380.
HOUSE BILL 249 PROHIBITION OF PYRAMID PROMOTIONAL SCHEMES
This measure “prohibits a person from establishing, promoting, operating, or participating in pyramid promotional scheme” establishes procedures for cease and desist orders; provides for restitution; injunctive relief; ; authorizes the court to appoint receiver; provides for powers and duties of such receivership; authorizes the court to issue an order to stay certain actions and requires such actions be assigned to a judge who appointed the receiver; provides that specified provisions and penalties are in addition to civil, administrative, or criminal actions provided by law.”
Chamberlin said this bill “will clarify enforcement procedures while establishing protections for legitimate direct sellers in Florida. It will clearly differentiate the income earning opportunities offered by reputable direct selling companies from the fraudulent scams perpetrated by promoters of pyramid schemes. Additionally, this bill will encourage the adoption of a right of return for inventory purchased by individual direct sellers.”
The bulk of Chamberlin’s career prior to becoming a Florida representative was related to consulting people on how to operate multi-level marketing businesses. HOUSE BILL 415 COMMUNITYBASED CARE LEAD AGENCY AND SUBCONTRACTOR LIABILITY
This bill lowers the minimum of liability coverage from $1 million to $500,000 per occurrence with a policy period aggregate limit of $1 million general liability insurance coverage, instead of $3 million.
Cuts in half the dollar amount limit of net economic damages in tort actions brought against lead agencies and subcontractors; caps liability at $1.5 millionfor lead agencies and subcontractors that are direct providers of foster
care; ; provides that an attorney may not charge, demand, receive, or collect for services rendered fees more than 25 percent of any judgment or settlement.
Florida Sen. Stan McClain, R-Marion, filed a similar bill: SB 618
HB 541- MINIMUM WAGE
REQUIREMENTS
Chamberlin’s bill “provides that an employer is not subject to certain minimum wage requirements for specified employees; authorizes employees to opt out of minimum wage requirements in specified manner.”
In 2020, Florida voters approved a measure to increase the state minimum wage from $8.56 in 2020 to $15 in 2026 by $1 increments annually.
Chamberlin said he filed this bill because the “minimum wage in Florida as currently codified in our state Constitution has become a weight on Florida’s economy and a hinderance to workers seeking to improve their personal finances.”
“This bill will give employers and employees more flexibility to work out those compensatory agreements” and that “wages should be given based on skill and experience, not artificially inflated numbers given to us by the government,” wrote Chamberlin.
There is an identical bill, SB 676, filed by State Sen. Jonathan Martin.
HB
4067 – SPECIAL BEVERAGE LICENSES FOR EQUESTRIAN SPORT FACILITIES IN MARION COUNTY
This bill would essentially allow the World Equestrian Center to hold a special beverage license that authorizes package sales of alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption.
Under the bill, the equestrian sport facility must be at least 500 acres and include “two transient public lodging establishments.”
HB
6011 - INTERNATIONAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION POLICIES
The bill aims to restrict governmental entities and educational institutions from adopting, implementing, or enforcing an international health organization’s public policies or guidelines unless authorized by state law- regardless of any other “rule” or order by the governor.
This bill is co-sponsored by State Rep. Plasencia Kendall, R-Orlando.
Save The Civic
Continued from page A1
The last five years have not been a walk in the park for the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, which has struggled to recover from the impacts of losing its audience during the pandemic, then state cuts to funding for the arts as they also worked to recover, and, add to that, a backlog of maintenance issues, which the organization’s leadership said has critically impacted cash reserves to the point of threatening its survival.
In response, the leadership team has launched a Save The Civic fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $750,000, which will culminate in a gala in October called “Setting the Stage.”
Although the theater is sounding the alarm that it is cashstrapped, it has one thing to its advantage—it does not carry any debt—which Thompson pointed to as a sign that those behind the organization have been “good stewards.”
“For 75 years, The Civic has held only two major fundraising events where we’ve asked the community to help us. One was 40 years ago when we built this building, and another was 26 years ago when we expanded it to include additional bathrooms and space for administration and education,” Thompson said.
“We’ve cut expenses as far as we can and increased revenue, but we are like every other arts organization that relies heavily on philanthropic giving and government and foundation grants,” he added.
Thompson estimates The Civic needs 58% of its revenue from philanthropic giving, foundations and government grants.
One of the unique challenges The Civic faces is that unlike other top local art spaces, the nonprofit owns its building and is responsible for the costs of maintenance. Other local arts institutions like the Reilly Arts Center, the Appleton Museum of Art and Marion Cultural Alliance facilities are owned by a foundation or the city of Ocala, which those leaders can lean on when significant maintenance issues arise.
Thompson said the nonprofit theatre has had to deplete its cash reserves to the current low extent to address the significant backlog of maintenance issues to the valuable community asset.
The Civic offers on-site and remote year-round training in the theatre arts for learners ages 6 and up. Group classes and private coaching are available for performing arts (acting, singing and dancing) and production. Virtual and in-person performance classes happen several times throughout the school year. In the summer, the organization offers two multi-week conservatory-style performance camps.
Jackie Eastman, board president for The Civic, expressed gratitude for federal pandemic relief that helped keep the core team paid and preparing to return to production, but added that since then, “we’ve been playing catch-up in audience return while simultaneously investing in the very facilities this community helped us build during previous campaigns, ensuring we can welcome patrons and schoolchildren across our region back into safe facilities.”
“Despite other factors, like the loss of state funding, we have made deliberate choices, decisions that demonstrate our commitment to our community, knowing we have to be the quality organization we promise to be,” Eastman added.
Thompson acknowledged there is a lot at stake right now but said he is committed to seeing the theater thrive.
“Leading this company is an honor and a responsibility I don’t take lightly, and I love being here working with this team, these volunteers, this board—this community. Even when it’s tough, there’s nowhere I would rather be.
With the leadership of this board and the dedication of the staff and volunteers, we’ve accomplished a lot. I’m proud to say we already have a substantial number of leadership pledges, or we wouldn’t be bringing this campaign to the public to ask that you join us in making this investment,” he said.
Thompson added, “If you love The Civic, if it has added something to your life, your children’s lives, now is the time to
Florida legislature bills
Continued from page A1
Senate Bill 1118 and House Bill 1209 summary sections state, in part, the measures authorize property owners “…to instead apply for administrative approval of a development regardless of future land use designations or comprehensive plan conflicts under certain circumstances;” require “that an authorized development be treated as a conforming use…;” and prohibit “local government from enacting or enforcing certain regulations or laws.”
The bills would also require “administrative approval of such development if it complies with certain requirements.”
The bills propose no restrictions on minimum lot size and assumes that maximum densities per any current land development code would be automatically put into effect. The city of Ocala and the Marion County Board of County Commissioners would lose their authority to restrict the number of units per acre in a housing project.
SORA AND HFF CONCERNED ABOUT FPA PROTECTIONS
Tim Gant, president of Save Our Rural Areas, a grassroots group that focuses on preserving farmland, said the bill “is a for-real existential threat to the FPA and a direct threat to
step forward and help us secure the future for your children’s children, too. We still have so many great things to teach and share. So many great stories to tell.”
In addition to the Save The Civic fundraising initiative, the theater has announced an exciting 2025/26 season and encourages patrons to purchase subscription packages to support it. Additionally, the theater is looking for 2025-26 season sponsors.
For more information, visit ocalacivictheatre.com
THE CIVIC’S PROPOSED 2025-26 LINEUP FOR ITS 75TH SEASON
The play reading committee, led by chair Jason Bartosic, has proposed this lineup for season 75. “Into The Woods,” “The Crucible,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Children of Eden.”
Other members of the play reading committee were Roe Agnese, Joel Brahim, Wayne Dilts, Gregory Doss, Joan Elizabeth, Kiara Feliciano, Danuta Jacob, Jessica Mongerio, Susan G. Moring, Mark A. Neidig Sr., Megan Taylor, James Taylor, Laurie Reeder and Ginny Riley.
• “Into the Woods”: The story follows a baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King’s festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk.
When the baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results. One of Sondheim’s most popular works, Into the Woods is a musically sophisticated show with the opportunity to feature actors adept at dark comedy.
• “The Crucible,” set in Salem, Massachusetts, is a timeless classic that challenges American ideas of power, intolerance and justice. In the Puritan community of Salem, a servant girl accuses a farmer’s wife of witchcraft. One accusation spirals into many, uncovering a web of bigotry and deceit that changes their lives forever.
Among the most produced plays since its 1953 debut, this is a gripping historical drama and an evergreen parable of contemporary society.
• The “Little Shop of Horrors,” described as a deviously delicious Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical, has devoured the hearts of theatre goers for more than 30 years. Meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breed of plant he names “Audrey II,” after his co-worker crush. This foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore promises unending fame and fortune to the down and out Krelborn as long as he keeps feeding it blood. Over time, Seymour discovers Audrey II’s out of this world origins and intent towards global domination.
• In the classic “Steel Magnolias,” the action is set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, (“I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for 40 years.”); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a “good ole boy.” Filled with hilarious repartee and not
a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward tragedy when, in the second act, the spunky Shelby, who is a diabetic, risks pregnancy and forfeits her life. The sudden realization of their mortality affects the others but also draws on the underlying strength—and love—that gives the play and its characters the special quality to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad. • “Children of Eden” features a large cast and orchestra. From musical theatre greats Stephen Schwartz and John Caird comes a joyous and inspirational musical about parents, children and faith... not to mention centuries of unresolved family business. An expansive and ambitious musical, the original production used a cast of 60. Adam, Eve, Noah and the “Father” who created them deal with the headstrong, cataclysmic actions of their respective children. The show ultimately delivers a bittersweet but inspiring. message: that “the hardest part of love... is letting go.” A large cast is needed to take on the story of the Old Testament in this moving, foot-stomping musical. “Children of Eden” is a wonderful show for faith-based groups looking for a large-scaled pageant with sweeping music.
self-rule at the local level. On top of that, it’s a special right granted to the right kind of people, those with large land holdings. This bill keeps coming up every session under a different name, oftentimes changing as the session progresses. It is time for our local officials to loudly denounce this as what it is, a power grab which would reduce their positions to that of rubber stamp sycophants.”
Also concerned was Bernie Little, president of Horse Farms Forever, who responded to what he called an “unprecedented change in state laws.” The bill would supersede any FPA protection zone, he said.
“If this bill passes as written,” Little said, “what does mean in the real world? One example would be any property inside the Farmland Preservation Area that qualifies as an ‘agricultural enclave’ as defined by the bill is exempt from the protections of the FPA, the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code and approved for development without any public hearing.”
Little pointed out that the bill “significantly preempts the rights of local government” and would “allow developers to completely circumvent the long-established authority of local government to follow their mandated comprehensive plan, land development code and public hearing requirements before any
development is allowed.”
The bill language only provides for protection of statemandated protection areas and lists two: “The Wekiva Study Area, as described in s. 369.316; or 2. The Everglades Protection Area, as defined in s.169 373.4592(2).”
FURTHER BILL DETAILS
The bill also proposes changes in legal definitions of key terms that would affect new developments. “Compatibility,” the bill states, “means a condition in which land uses or conditions can coexist in relative proximity to each other in a stable fashion over time such that no use or condition is unduly negatively impacted directly or indirectly by another use or
condition. All residential land use categories, residential zoning categories, and housing types are compatible with each other.”
[emphasis added] Another term redefined by the bill is infill residential development. The bill states, “Infill residential development” means the development of one or more parcels that are no more than 100 acres in size within a future land use category that allows a residential use and any zoning district that allows a residential use and which parcels are contiguous with residential development on at least 50 percent of the parcels’ boundaries. For purposes of this subsection, the term “contiguous” means touching, bordering, or adjoining along a boundary and includes properties that would be
contiguous if not separated by a roadway, railroad, canal, or other public easement.”
Requests for comment from McClain, Marion County Attorney Matthew Minter and BOCC Chair Kathy Bryant had not been received by press time. We’ll be adding their input in future stories when received.
A cast member does a flip during a dress rehearsal of “Newsies” at the Ocala Civic Theatre in Ocala, Fla. on May 2, 2023.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman
A map of Marion County that included the boundary of the Farmland Preservation Area is shown on display during the Horse Farms Forever Conversations About Conservation Summit at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022.
[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.
Home & Garden
Antiques: Memorabilia and more
You can track down treasured childhood toys, artwork and funky décor items in the area’s eclectic antique stores.
By Belea T. Keeney belea@magnoliamediaco.com
If you’ve gotten into the vintage and antique vibe for your home decorating, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the depth and breadth of antique and vintage stores in our area. Maybe you “need” that 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card. Or your husband’s den would look really cool with an antelope head mounted above the fireplace. You’ll probably find it here in Marion County.
The general appeal of antique and vintage items is often personal and quirky. Your special memory of your grandmother stirring up a graham cracker crust pie in that particular green shade of Pyrex will speak to your love for her, probably more so than the actual bowl. But boy, wouldn’t it be fun to have one? Or maybe you have a grandchild who might enjoy those John Deere tractor models with the same love you had for yours as a kid? All kinds of items show up in these types of stores, and the hunt through the thousands of options is part of the fun.
Also, the furniture offerings in these stores focus on solid woods that are sturdy and heavy. These are not bed frames that will fall apart on you the next time you move; they were created (often by hand) and designed to last several lifetimes.
One thing I noted on this round of visits was the resurgence of interest in vinyl records. Almost all of the stores had at least some LPs and 45s available, though not necessarily sorted or organized, alas. And, as seems logical in Marion County, the interest in all things horse-y around here showed with the availability lots of equine items, such as statues, artwork, photography and racing memorabilia.
Many of these stores are members of the Florida Antique Trail, a curated collection of well-established stores that offer vintage and antique goods. Of course, we can’t list every single shop in Marion County, but here are a few we recently visited and found worth noting. Check online for their hours; many are closed on Sundays and Mondays, though one is open seven days a week.
This large store is at the west end of the shopping center that also houses Gold’s Gym. It holds dozens of vendor booths with lots of big furniture items, mounted game heads and taxidermy. (I spotted a wolf there when I visited.)
And, appropriate for its location on the way out to the World Equestrian Center, there are a lot of equestrian-themed items. Several booths offered Beyer horse models, some modestly priced while others are real collectibles; one was priced at $400. Many of the booths had jewelry cases and sparkly décor items. There is also vintage clothing, vinyl records and Pyrex offerings, along with older kitchenware. The store is open seven days a week, closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
Ole Cracker House Antique Mall 1734 N Pine Ave., Ocala (352) 732-8484
This store is a well-lit and organized space with lots of fun Floridiana items and things like men’s Hawaiian shirts that
add a tropical flair to the booths. Owner Janice Spencer is a friendly guide to the vendors, which number more than four dozen. There are lots of equine-themed items, including framed prints, Breyer horse models, statues and the like. Booths also offered Pyrex and Corning ware, vinyl records, books and lots of jewelry choices. There are vintage postcards, some women’s clothing items and tons of home décor selections.
Diggers Antique Mall
1811 N Pine Ave., Ocala (352) 629-5250
Across the street from the Ole Cracker House, this store is on the east side of Pine Avenue. The place is much bigger than it looks from the outside. There are lots of fun little nooks and crannies to explore,
plus an outside yard with architectural salvage items, outdoor furniture and garden/yard art pieces. Dozens of vendor booths have diverse offerings: vintage car and truck toys, license tags, quilts, china, vinyl records, baseball cards, books. lots of décor items, jewelry, Pyrex and kitchen items, and many wood furniture options. The place is brimming with selections and it’s smart to keep any backpacks or purses secured so you don’t accidentally brush up against something fragile. A cool item that sold recently was a real gas pump, a fun piece for someone’s workshop or man cave, I’m sure. This shop has a clock repair shop, with grandfather and shelf-style antique clocks for sale.
Florida Marion Antiques 4869 SW 60th Ave., Ocala (352) 600-6390
This shop is tucked away just south of the airport post office. Its three aisles of shelves go back deep and are well organized with fun antique and vintage toys, jewelry, artwork, décor, china, glassware and even typewriters. The store also has an offsite warehouse with a variety of stock, and the owners regularly switch out the offerings so you get fresh options. Definitely worth the visit.
Estate of Confusion
3316 NE N 14th St., Ocala (352) 454-8566
This former convenience store has limited Thursday through Saturday hours and is a quirky jumble of items. A true treasure hunter’s paradise, one fun aspect of the shop is the re-use of the former store’s refrigerator shelves for display. Items like jewelry and fragile items are safely behind glass doors yet still accessible to shoppers. The store recently had a sign on the building stating there was 25% off everything except consignment items.
This store has two sections and both are a fun place in which to hunt. The front building is filled with a variety of old and new products like candles, potpourri and party items, plus classic antiques including some furniture. There’s also a warehouse space in the rear with about two dozen vendor booths. Items such as an RCA console TV, hubcaps, license plates and car and truck models are mixed in with vases, statues, candles, trays, china and more. There’s even a section with locally made jams, jellies and salsas. The store has been a mainstay in Belleview for 22 years and has warm vibe to it.
Marion County to seek increase of solid waste fees by 150%
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
Solid waste fees for Marion County residents will likely increase from $87 to $215 in 2026.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners approved an ordinance on March 5 to seek a one-time increase in the solid waste fees in an effort to increase solid waste reserves in case of emergency and to expand landfill space. If approved in the Fiscal Year 202627 budget in September, residents will see a 150% increase in their solid waste assessment rate per year.
The commission approved the new ordinance at a March 5 public hearing, amending the ordinance originally introduced in 2007. Previously, the rate was
set at $87 in 2007 and was intended to see a consumer price increase of 1.5x per year.
The new ordinance “includes setting an initial Solid Waste Residential Assessment rate at $215 with adjustment of the maximum cap of the assessment to $225. It also eliminates the language requiring annual CPI increases and allows adjustments to be made annually by resolution as needed,” according to the county.
The rate increase was necessary because the county didn’t need to increase the rate annually since 2007 as intended in the ordinance, because of a 2012 purchase of landfill capacity at the Bushnell landfill in Sumter County. Marion County prepaid for 2.5 million tons of capacity in the landfill before it was built, at a rate of $8 per ton, said Commission Chair Kathy Bryant.
“That is what has allowed us to save over $100 million from that point to now,” Bryant said. “Had we not purchased that capacity, and we had done that 1.5 CPI increase through the years, today, we would be sitting at $263.77 for our residential assessment.”
From 2026 until 2035, the rate will remain at $215. Then, the rate may increase to $255, but “accelerated landfill expansion and sale of airspace could result in a $5 to $15 decrease to the rate after 2035,” according to the county.
The county’s solid waste reserves currently are at about $8.6 million. In the event of an environmental catastrophe, this may not be enough to cover costs for storm damage, debris cleanup and other potential effects.
In 2017, Hurricane Irma cost the county about $25 million. The county
calculated how much a storm of that level would cost now, considering inflation, and recommended that solid waste keep reserve funding of $40 million going forward in case an emergency occurred. Commissioners favored a one-time rate increase rather than a passed-in approach, so that storm reserves could be immediately increased, and the county can ensure it will be able to provide citizens their obliged duties in the case of a hurricane or disaster.
If the phased approach was pursued, the rate would have increased to $150 in 2026, then raising the rate to $190 in 2027, and $225 in 2028, with the rate finally moving to $255 in 2036.
residents can expect their annual solid waste assessment rate to be at $215 in 2026 until further notice.
Antique desk, lamp and typewriter for sale at Ocala Antique Mall and Estates on March 4, 2025. [Ocala Gazette staff ]
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2,876 a/c sq. ft. single family home priced at $469,990. Featuring 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3 car split garage, great room, gourmet kitchen, flex room, breakfast area, nest, laundry suite, covered lanai, and pre-installed white window blinds.
Garnet Model – 6416 SW 78th Court Ocala, FL 34474
1,921 a/c sq. ft. single family home starting at $333,990. Featuring 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage, great room, breakfast area, laundry suite, and patio.
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Reddick
McIntosh
Dunnellon
Ocala Belleview
Florida home sale prices rise for singlefamily; fall for condos in February
Ocala/Marion County saw a decrease in single-family home closings from last year, down to 535 sales, a 3.3%
change. Staff Report
The Florida Realtors Association’s February 2025 market report shows that statewide the median single-family home sale price rose to $410,000, a 1.2% year over year increase from January of 2024. Townhouses and condo median sales price were $312,500, a 2.3% year over year decrease from last year. The statewide active listing inventory for single-family homes is 107,161,
a large increase of 31.3% from last year.
SINGLEFAMILY MARKET
SECTOR: STILL
RISING PRICES
Ocala/Marion County’s February median sale price reported for single-family homes was $288,000, a 2.9% increase.
A new year generally brings in a higher rate of homes for sales, said Brad O’Connor, senior economist for the Florida Realtors, a statewide agents’
reporting and professional trade association.
“With growth in new listings continuing to outpace sales, inventory levels were up again in January,” O’Connor stated.
“The number of active listings at the end of the month was as high as it’s been since August of 2012 for single-family homes and November of 2011 for condos and townhouses. One key difference between the market of that time period and the current time period,
however, is that today, a much smaller share of sellers are in a situation where they absolutely have to sell their home. A large share of homes listed in 2011 and 2012 were distressed properties, which today are exceedingly rare… Right now, there’s simply a lot of homeowners who are under little pressure to sell quickly who are more willing to hold out for a bid to their liking.”
“Sales of single-family homes were up year-over-year for the second consecutive month in January, rising by over 3.5%,” O’Connor said. “The last time single-family sales went up for two straight months was back in January and February of last year. New pending sales of single-family homes, on the other hand, were down by just over 4% in January compared to a year ago, signaling that our little closed sales streak might be coming to an end in February.”
The association reported the supply of single-family existing homes statewide increased to a 5.1-months’ supply.
“Months’ supply inventory is a useful indicator of market conditions,” the report stated. “The benchmark for a balanced market (favoring neither buyer nor seller) is 5.5 months of inventory. Anything higher is traditionally a buyers’ market, and anything lower is a sellers’ market.”
Statewide, the number of cash sales for single-family homes increased by 5.6%, with a total of 5,095 throughout Florida, which was just over 33% of all sales, nearly onethird of the overall market.
“Cash sales can be a useful indicator of the extent to which investors are participating in the market. Investors are far more likely to have the funds to purchase a home available up front, whereas the typical homebuyer requires a mortgage or some other form of financing,” the report stated.
Ocala/Marion County saw a
decrease in single-family home closings from last year, down to 535 sales, a 3.3% change.
TOWNHOUSES AND CONDOS: LOWEST SALES SINCE 2010
Locally, the Ocala/Marion County townhouses and condos median sales prices came in at $185,000, down 9.2%. A total of 35 closed sales were reported.
“Closed sales of condos and townhouses were down year-over-year by double-digit percentages last August through November,” O’Connor said. “But in December they were only down by 0.5%. January 2025’s figure was closer to that one, with sales down 3.7% compared to a year ago. New pending sales in this property type category, however, were down close to 14%, so we continue to see relative weakness in demand in this market segment relative to single-family homes.”
The sectors growth was “more muted,” he said. “… these nearly 18,900 new listings broke the record for the most condo and townhouse new listings we’ve ever had in a single month—at least as far back as January 2008 when we started tracking them. Coincidentally, the roughly 18,300 new listings that occurred in January 2008 was the previous record for this property type category. Geographically, most of this January’s growth was concentrated in Southwest Florida and from First Coast down to the Treasure Coast. By contrast, growth in South Florida was relatively weak, although certainly there were pockets of higher listing activity in certain parts of this broad metro area that are washed out in these county-level statistics.”
Existing condo-townhouse properties were at a 9.1-months’ supply in February, an increase of 56.9% from February of 2024. For the sector, the number of cash sales decreased by 6.4% and represented 54.2% of the market.
OMCAR January real estate report
Locally, new listings were up in single-family, manufactured and condo/townhouse markets.
The Ocala Marion County Association of Realtors January market stats report shows that for the single family residential market, the median sold price was $290,000, down from the prior month. The number of sales closed was 528, down from December. The number of new listings at the end of January was 1,162, an increase from the prior month. The median days on the market were 66, up from the prior month. The month’s supply of inventory increased to 5.8 compared to December.
For the OMCAR manufactured home market, the median sold price was $143,450, down from the prior month. The number of sales closed was 70, up from December. The number of new listings at the end of January was 112, an increase from the prior month. The median days on the market were 45, down from the previous month. The month’s
supply of inventory remained the same at 5.3.
In the area of condos/townhouses, the median sold price was $173,450, down from the prior month. The number of sales closed was 32, down from December. The number of new listings at the end of January was 127, an increase from the prior month. The median days on the market were 104, up from the previous month. The month’s supply of inventory increased to 6.6 compared to December.
Carla Lord, president of the Ocala Marion County Association of Realtors, remarked in the report, “The single-family market is showing a 5.8-month supply inventory, with a significant +75.84% increase over the last year. Homes are selling at a median price of $290,000 with a sold to list price percentage of 97.1%. If you’re considering making a move, now is the time to take advantage of this market.”
To learn more, go to omcar.com
A home is shown for sale on Northeast 37th Street in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette] 2025.
A home is shown for sale on Northeast 43rd Street in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
Underwater fossil bed preserves slice of Florida’s past
The fossils recovered from the Steinhatchee River site offered a rare look into how a process of speciation took place.
By Jiayu Liang Florida Museum of Natural History
About half a million years ago, several horses, sloths and armadillos fell into a sinkhole in Florida’s Big Bend region and died. The sinkhole filled in with sediment over time, preserving the animals where they lay until fossil collectors Robert Sinibaldi and Joseph Branin discovered them in 2022.
The pair had been diving for years near Sinibaldi’s property on the Steinhatchee River. Combing the riverbed for fossils isn’t easy; the water is full of tannins, which significantly reduces visibility.
“It’s like diving in coffee,” Sinibaldi said.
They were on their usual fossil hunting trip in June of 2022 and weren’t having much luck. They were preparing to move on when Branin looked down and happened to see horse teeth. As they continued looking, they uncovered a hoof core, and then a tapir skull.
Their good feeling swelled to disbelief as the finds continue to rack up—many in pristine condition.
“It wasn’t just quantity, it was quality,” Sinibaldi said. “We knew we had an important site, but we didn’t know how important.”
The Steinhatchee River likely followed a different course when the fossils were preserved, but as it meandered over the following millennia, the river edged closer to the sinkhole until, very recently, it eroded into the former pit and rinsed the fossils, leaving them exposed along the bed of the river.
He and Branin shared their findings with the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, where paleontologists determined they were preserved during an obscure period of the Pleistocene ice ages called the middle Irvingtonian.
“The fossil record everywhere, not just in Florida, is lacking the interval that the site is from— the middle Irvingtonian North American land mammal age,” said Rachel Narducci, vertebrate paleontology collections manager at the Florida Museum and coauthor of a new detailed study of the site.
Before the discovery, there had only been one other Florida site with fossils from this time period.
EVOLUTIONARY TRANSITION
While there are few fossils
from the middle Irvingtonian, there are plenty from the periods just before and after.
Paleontologists know from the record that some species from the early Pleistocene go extinct, while others appear for the first time in the late Pleistocene.
Then there are the species that, for unknown causes, go through changes in body size and shape during that gap.
One of these includes members of the now-extinct genus Holmesina, which resemble modern armadillos, only larger. When the species Holmesina floridanus first appeared in Florida two million years ago, individuals averaged 150 pounds. Over time, the creatures became larger and larger until being classified as a new species known as Holmesina septentrionalis, which grew up to around 475 pounds.
“It’s essentially the same animal, but through time it got so much bigger and the bones changed enough that researchers published it as a different species,” Narducci said.
forest-dwelling animals such as mastodons and deer.
“What was great about the horses from this site is, for the first time, we had individuals that were complete enough to show us upper teeth, lower teeth and the front incisors of the same individual,” Hulbert said.
These components are often only found separately. The teeth were also unusually well-preserved.
“That was one of the first things I noticed about the site,” Hulbert said. Additionally, dental wear and tear from eating were still visible, offering a valuable chance to research the diet of these early caballine horses.
Branin also collected a puzzling tapir skull, with a mix of features that have not been seen together before. Hulbert cautioned against designating it a new species, though.
“We need more of the skeleton to firmly figure out what’s going on with this tapir,” he said. “It might be a new species. Or it always could just be that you picked up the oddball individual of the population,” Hulbert said.
HOBBY COLLECTORS HELP EXPERTS
Hulbert stressed that the Steinhatchee River site, like many of Florida’s great vertebrate fossil sites, was not found by professionals. Hobby fossil
an early species of the subgroup of living horses that includes the domestic horse and its wild relatives, known as the caballines.
process of speciation took place, with ankle and foot bones that match the size of the larger H. septentrionalis species while retaining features of the older, smaller H. floridanus species.
“This gave us more clues into the fact that the anatomy kind of trailed behind the size increase. So, they got bigger before the shape of their bones changed,” Narducci explained. Only later, it seems, would the animals evolve skeletal features to help support the heavier bodyweight.
Three-quarters of the 552 fossils recovered so far from the Steinhatchee River site belong to
“That gives us a good sample size to measure or make comparisons, and it also tells us a little bit about the environment,” said Richard Hulbert, lead author of the paper and retired Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology collections manager.
Horses are adapted for living in open habitats. Since they made up such a large share of the new Irvingtonian fossil site, scientists can conclude the area used to be fairly open, much different from the heavily wooded landscape in the region today. If it had been densely wooded back then, they would expect to find more
collectors like Sinibaldi and Branin work with experts like Hulbert and Narducci to expand our collective understanding of Florida’s natural history.
Branin called Florida a lucky state for his hobby.
“We have a permit system that allows people to collect fossils on state-owned lands, unlike a lot of places where there’s more barrier to entry to doing that,” he said. Further collection at the site will be a slow, ongoing process, given the logistical challenges of excavating an ancient sinkhole underwater. Still, the authors are hopeful about the fossils that have yet to be revealed.
To learn more, go to floridamuseum.ufl.edu
Robert Sinibaldi and Joseph Branin found a trove of rare fossils weathering out of the
Photos courtesy Florida Museum of Natural History
Hundreds of horse fossils have been recovered from the Steinhatchee River site, indicating the area was once an open, grassy area.
Holmesina fossils arranged in a partial reconstruction of the animal’s foot.
Traveling history exhibit is coming to Ocala
Bringing “The American Revolution Experience” to the community is part of the local DAR chapter’s 100th anniversary.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
The Ocala Chapter of the National Association of the Daughters of the American Revolution will host the award winning “The American Revolution Experience” traveling exhibition, which traces the lives of historical characters and how the Revolutionary War effected their lives, March 17 through 21.
Chapter Regent Renee Coventry said sharing the $25,000 interactive exhibit with the community is a “wonderful way” to celebrate the local chapter’s 100th anniversary and that seeing the exhibit is a way to understand the impact of the Revolutionary War on individuals who experienced it.
The exhibit and a related website were a collaboration between the American
Battlefield Trust and the Daughters of the American Revolution, according to battlefields.org
“This innovative pop-up exhibition includes display panels and interactive digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology and unique artifacts and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of our nation,” the website states.
The exhibit will be on display at Christ the King Anglican Church, at 4440 SE 3rd Ave., Ocala. It may be viewed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day in the North Hall. Admission is free. Groups are asked to contact the DAR in advance via email to theocalachapterdar@gmail.com.
To learn more, go to dar.org and american-revolution-experience. battlefields.org
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTHJUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: FORFEITURE OF: Case Number: 2024-CA-2052DIGITAL CURRENCIES
CONTAINED WITHIN COINBASE AND OKX EXCHANGE ACCOUNTS BELONGING TO THOMAS GRIFFIN AND CHEN SIBIN TO WIT: 0.00430229 BITCOIN (BTC), 0.40919439ETHEREUM (ETH), 2,787.270172 TETHERUS (USDT), 0.1315 BITCOIN (BTC).Judge: Herndon ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: DIGITALCURRENCIES CONTAINED WITHIN COINBASE AND OKX EXCHANGE ACCOUNTS BELONGING TO THOMAS GRIFFIN AND CHEN SIBIN TO WIT:0.00430229 BITCOIN (BTC), 0.40919439 ETHEREUM (ETH), 2,787.270172 TETHERUS (USDT), 0.1315 BITCOIN (BTC). which was seized because said property is alleged to be contraband as defined by Sections 932.701 (2)(a)(1-6), Florida Statutes, by the City of Ocala, Division of Ocala Police Department, on or about October 17, 2024, in Marion County, Florida. Any owner, entity, bona fide lienholder, or person in possession of the property when seized has the right to request an adversarial preliminary hearing for a probable cause determination within twenty (20) days from the date of receipt of notice, by providing such request to Kristi Van Vleet, Assistant City Attorney's Office, 110 S.E. Watula Ave, Ocala, FL 34471, by certified mail return receipt requested. A complaint for forfeiture has been filed in the above styled court.
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTHJUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: FORFEITURE OF: Case Number: 2024-CA-2404One (1) 2006 Ford Mustang VIN: 1ZVHT85H465213694 Judge: Herndon ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 2006 Ford Mustang VIN: 1ZVHT85H465213694 which was seized because said property is alleged to be contraband as defined by Sections 932.701 (2)(a)(1-6), Florida Statutes, by the City of Ocala, Division of Ocala Police Department, on or about December 11, 2024, in Marion County, Florida. Any owner, entity, bona fide lienholder, or person in possession of the property when seized has the right to request an adversarial preliminary hearing for a probable cause determination within twenty (20) days from the date of receipt of notice, by providing such request to Kristi Van Vleet, Assistant City Attorney's Office, 110 S.E. Watula Ave, Ocala, FL 34471, by certified mail return receipt requested. A complaint for forfeiture has been filed in the above styled court.
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 THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. 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, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211.
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 first date of publication of this notice is March 7, 2025.
Attorney for Personal Representative, Stanley W. Plappert, Esquire
The Florida Legal Advocacy Group, P.A. 445 NE 8th Ave. Ocala, Florida 34470 Florida Bar No.: 76603 Tel: 352-732-8030
Fax: 888-399-3129 swp@FlagOcala.com
Personal Representative, Jeremy Gravante, 12123 SE 53rd Terrace Rd Belleview, FL 34420
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Government Arts
MARCH 8 AND 9
Ocala Symphony Orchestra: Youth, Tricksters, and Metamorphosis
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
7:30pm March 8; 3pm March 9
The events feature performances by two young concerto competition winners. The night will showcase the playful mischief of Richard Strauss’s “Till Eulenspiegel,” a musical romp that captures the adventures of the legendary German trickster with thrilling orchestration. The program continues with Paul Hindemith’s “Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes” by Carl Maria von Weber. Learn more at reillyartscenter.com
MARCH 12
Steve Hofstetter
Marion Theatre, 50 S. Magnolia Ave., Ocala 7pm One of YouTube’s most popular comics with more than 225 million views and half a billion more on Facebook, Steve Hofstetter is also the host of Finding Babe Ruth on FS1. Hofstetter has sold out shows in hundreds of cities and dozens of countries. Learn more at reillyartscenter.com/themarion
MARCH 14-16
“Settin’ the Standards”
Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala
March 14 and 15, 7:30pm; March 16, 2pm Ocala Civic Theatre and Marion Cultural Alliance present “Settin’ the Standards” by the Brick City Cabaret Company. The program includes jazz, pop and film standards like “It Had To Be You,” “Over The Rainbow,” “Blue Skies,” “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” “Me and My Shadow,” “Charleston,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “Ain’t That a Kick In The Head,” “Fever,” “The Boy Next Door” and more. Doors open one hour before each performance. A gourmet popcorn bar is included with a ticket and there will be a cash bar. Advance reservations are recommended. Tickets are $35 per person or $60 per couple. Learn more at ocalacivictheatre.com
MARCH 14 – MAY 16
Levitt Amp Ocala Music Series
Webb Field, MLK Recreation Complex, 1510 NW 4th St., Ocala 6pm The Marion Cultural Alliance, in partnership with the city of Ocala, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission of Marion County and Juneteenth Celebration Commission, will host the 2025 Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series. The free, outdoor concert series will offer 10 weeks of live music. Concerts take place every Friday from 6 to 8 pm. Beginning March 14, the lineup includes Joslyn and the Sweet Compression, Okan, The Mexican Standoff , The Sweet Lillies, The Dollyrots, Larry McCray, BettySoo, Nattali Rize, Larry & Joe and the McCrary Sisters. Each event will feature food trucks, interactive activities and a spotlight on a local nonprofit. Find details at ocalafl.gov
MARCH 20 – APRIL 6
“Murder On the Orient Express”
Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Times vary In Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery, the famed Orient Express is hurtling from Istanbul through wintry western Europe, with Belgian detective Hercule Poirot among the passengers. The train becomes stuck overnight in a snowdrift in Yugoslavia and morning reveals an American tycoon is found stabbed to death in his locked compartment. Every passenger raises questions in Poirot’s mind. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $17 for ages 18 and younger. Learn more at ocalacivictheatre.com
MARCH 14
Sit Down for Stand Up
Marion Theatre, 50 S. Magnolia Ave., Ocala
7:30pm Headlined by JJ Curry, with feature performances by Farzin Moradi and Sierra Lyko. The three comics are set to deliver a night full of razor-sharp wit, observational humor and high-energy. Learn more at reillyartscenter.com/themarion
MARCH 14
Lucas Bohn: Lesson Plans to Late Nights
Marion Theatre, 50 S. Magnolia Ave., Ocala
7:30pm
From a public school teacher to a national touring comedian, Bohn shares his journey of following his dreams in the midst of life’s curve balls. Lucas has worked with Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon and has been featured on NBC’s “Bring the Funny.” Get details at reillyartscenter.com/ themarion
MARCH 10
Marion County Development Review
Office 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.
MARCH 12
Dunnellon City Council
Dunnellon City Hall, 20750 River Dr.
5:30pm
The council generally meets the second Wednesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video are available at dunnellon.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=1
MARCH 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
Community
MARCH 8 AND 9
Master Gardeners’ Spring Festival
Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala
The event will include Florida friendly and tropical trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables and herbs; seminars, garden décor, food trucks, a plant clinic, a kids zone and butterfly tent, and vendors. No pets. Bring your own wagon. Get all the details at sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/marion/master-gardeners/events
MARCH 14 AND 15
Southeastern Pro Rodeo
Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala
Gates open 5:30pm; performances 7:30pm
Two performances will offer competitions in breakaway roping, saddle and bareback bronc riding, tie down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing and bull riding. Learn more at ocalarodeo.com
MARCH 13-16
Live Oak International
Live Oak Stud Plantation, 10570 W Highway 40, Ocala
Hours vary
This is the largest combined driving and show jumping competition in the United States and the weekend will feature plenty of equine action, vendors and more. For details, go to liveoakinternational. com
THROUGH MARCH 23
HITS Ocala Winter Circuit
HITS Post Time Farm, 137190 W. Highway 27, Ocala
Hours vary
For four decades, the circuit has provided one of the largest equine shows in the country, with premier competitions for riders and horses of all levels. Learn more at hitsshows.com/hits-events/hits-ocalawinter-circuit
MARCH 28
Party in Purple for Domestic Violence
Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, 1821 NW 21st Ave., Ocala
6pm
This event is organized by the Marion County Health Department, Marion County Children’s Alliance Family Violence Prevention Workgroup and Fully In Tune Temple, LLC, to help break the silence against domestic violence in the community. It will feature local Zumba, MixxedFit and Dance Fitness licensed and certified Instructors. Free Domestic Violence Awareness t-shirt for registrants while sizes and supplies last. All proceeds raised from ticket sales, vendor and sponsor raffle prizes will be donated to Marion County Domestic Violence Victims and Survivors. Get tickets at eventbrite.com
THROUGH APRIL 6
Winter Spectacular Show Series
World Equestrian Center, 1750 NW 80th Ave., Ocala
Hours vary
This series offers world-class hunter/jumper competitions sanctioned by US Equestrian (USEF) and the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). The second leg of the Longines League of Nations will return March 18-23. Learn more at wec.net
SUNDAYS THROUGH MARCH 23
Ocala Polo: Winter Season
Florida Horse Park, 11008 S Highway 475, Ocala 1pm Matches are family-friendly and don’t worry if you don’t know anything about horses or polo, come ready for a fun time tailgating with friends and they will teach you the rest. To learn more, visit ocalapolo.com
APRIL 1
Heart of HR: Driving Engagement and Innovation Conference
Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th St., Ocala
Johnny Taylor Jr., president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest HR professional societywill be the keynote speaker. Other speakers will include Kate Beeders, Kenneth A. Knox, Chris Laney and Jenni Stone. The conference is presented by CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion and the Ocala Human Resources Management Association. It will be emceed by motivational humorist, best-selling author and magician Jon Petz. Tickets are $175 for all-day access, including refreshments and lunch, or $200 for conference and reception. Advance tickets are available at bit.ly/HEARTofHR2025
Steve Hofstetter [Photo courtesy Reilly Arts Center]
Sudoku is played on a grid of 9 x 9 spaces. Within the rows and columns are 9 “squares” (made up of 3 x 3 spaces). Each row, column and square (9 spaces each) needs to be filled out with the numbers 1-9, without repeating any numbers within the same row, column or square.
Solution to Thursday’s puzzle
Securing your future: The importance of advance care planning
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My mom recently sat us down at the dinner table to talk about her wishes if something were to happen to her. She says we should all have advance directives made, but I feel like I’m too young to think about that. Who should have an advance directive? And what goes into it?
ANSWER: Kudos to your family for having those difficult conversations. Advance care planning is not just for elderly people or those with critical illnesses. We encourage everyone who is over 18 to think about completing an advance directive, which is a document that allows you to write out what your preferences are when you’re getting to the end of life.
There are usually two parts to an advance directive:
The healthcare surrogate form, which will allow you to write down who would help you make medical decisions if you can’t make them for yourself. It usually allows you to put a first person and an alternate person as well.
The second piece is a living will, which allows you to write what your wishes are at the end of life. You can indicate whether you want medical interventions that could artificially prolong your life if you have a terminal condition or are in a vegetative state. You mark yes or no.
When thinking about care are at the end of life, many people
will say that quality of life for them is being able to engage and interact with family and do some of the things they love, not being on machines and tubes. Other people may say that quality of life for them is just being alive.
When you think about choosing your designated healthcare surrogate (the person who will make medical decisions for you) make sure the person knows enough about your medical condition and is aware of the available treatments and what state your condition is in. You also want to make sure this person would be comfortable making the decision you want them to make.
Once you’ve completed a living will and have chosen your healthcare surrogates, make sure these people know you have chosen them, what your wishes are and where the document is. You should also give a copy of the document to your healthcare team and hospital.
In the U.S. in general, we don’t do a good job at completing advance directives. Most people don’t want to talk about their care at the end of life. There is a notable difference, however, in the completion of advance directives between Black people and white people, specifically older people. The medical literature suggests that African Americans are less likely to complete advance directives because of several things: Culture. If the elders in the family don’t want to talk about advance care planning, it
oftentimes won’t be discussed. Lack of information. African Americans are less likely to get information about advance care planning compared to white people.
Spiritual beliefs. "If God is in control, why do I need to think about this?"
Mistrust. There is an understandable mistrust of the healthcare system given the injustices that have occurred in the past and are still occurring.
We often talk about the fact that we want people to complete an advance directive to ensure that their wishes are known when they are at the end of life, but in some minority communities, particularly the Black community, it’s less about the individual person and more about what’s best for the community or family.
None of us really know when something serious may occur. Unfortunately, once people become critically ill, it’s a difficult time to take a step back and think about their wishes, so it’s good to have had these conversations before that happens. Think of it as a gift to your family members, your loved ones and your healthcare surrogates to be able to sit down with you when you’re clear and levelheaded so that you can engage in conversations about what your wishes are to bring you all peace of mind. — Maisha Robinson, M.D., Neurology and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
To make a smooth guacamole without relying on the coarse surface of a molcajete, a three-legged Mexican mortar made of volcanic rock, we minced the onion and chile by hand with kosher salt; the coarse crystals broke down the aromatics, releasing their juices and flavors and transforming them into a paste that was easy to combine with the avocado and other ingredients. (The salt will also help the aromatics break down in a regular mortar and pestle.)
A bit of lime zest added further brightness without
Lan Lam
acidity. We used a whisk to mix and mash the avocado into the paste, creating a creamy but still chunky dip. Chopped tomato and cilantro added fruity flavor and freshness.
Classic Guacamole Serves 8; makes 2 cups 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 1/2–2 tablespoons juice
3 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 plum tomato, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch dice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1. Place onion, serrano, 1 teaspoon salt, and lime zest on cutting board and chop until very finely minced. Transfer onion mixture to medium bowl and stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice.
2. Add avocados and, using sturdy whisk, mash and stir mixture until well combined with some 1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks of avocado remaining.
3. Stir in tomato and cilantro. Season with salt and up to additional 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice to taste. Serve.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA
IN RE: THE ESTATE OF PHILLIP ANGELO GIGLIO, IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN
IN RE: ESTATE OF LEON LOCKHART
PROBATE DIVISION File No. 25CP000052AX
Division PROBATE Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of LEON LOCKHART, deceased, whose date of death was September 19, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for MARION County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW 1st Ave, Ocala, FL 34475. 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 ON OR BEFORE 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. The personal representative 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 ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. 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 FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 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 February 28, 2025.
Tami J. Manso fka Tammy J. Hughes Co-Personal Representative
Brian K. Lockhart Co-Personal Representative
NATASHA M. ALLEN Attorney for Petitioner Florida Bar Number: 12492 Allen Law Office, PA 8650 NW 172 Lane Fanning Springs, FL 32693 Telephone: 352/356-8373 E-Mail: contact@allenlawinfo.com
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF YOKO M. HAMILTON, Deceased. CASE NO: 2025-CP-420 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: January 29, 2024. The date of first publication of this Notice is March 7, 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
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION IN RE: ESTATE OF CONNIE SALSER a/k/a CONNIE K. SALSER,
pending in the Circuit Court of Marion County, Florida, Probate Division; File Number 2025CP-00254; the address of which is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34475. An Order of Summary Administration was entered on January 30, 2025, and the name
Way, Ocoee, Florida 34761, the son of the decedent, and their attorney is Davis R. Watson III, Davis R. Watson III, P.A., 2201 S.E. 30th Avenue, Suite 202, Ocala, Florida 34471. All creditors of
A perfectly seasoned dip isn’t just stirred together. You have to cut and paste. CREDIT: (Steve Klise/TCA).
It’s a Jubilee Year in Rome: Here’s what that means
In Rome, 2025 is a Jubilee Year – so if your travel plans include the Eternal City, it's important to know what the Jubilee is all about, what to expect … and how to prepare for increased crowds.
Since the year 1300, the Roman Catholic Church traditionally proclaims a “Jubilee Year” every 25 years. It’s a time when the pope invites pilgrims from all corners of the globe and all walks of life to leave the conflict and instability of our world and come together in a spirit of peace and hope in Rome. It’s a time when the faithful reestablish proper relations with God, with each other, and with creation … a time to promote the dignity of all persons.
The theme for this Jubilee Year is “Pilgrims of hope,” as the pope is calling on worshippers to be filled with hope as they prayerfully address challenges such as war and climate change. And while pilgrims will have a plan – the Church puts on many special events for the Jubilee – casual tourists should be prepared, as well. That's because an expected 30 million faithful will congest the city while converging on the Vatican.
If you're considering a visit to Rome this year, here are a few things to keep in mind: Temper your expectations for the major sights, which are overcrowded even in a normal year. Marquee attractions like the Colosseum, Forum, and Vatican Museums will be beyond slammed. If you must visit these, book your tickets well in advance. Unfortunately, the reservation
process is in flux given the expected increase in travelers – so you’ll need to keep tabs on the changing procedures as your departure date approaches. As soon as you're able to book a slot, do it!
Another option is to bypass the marquee sights and instead focus on lesser-known gems. There's a whole parallel world of wonderful Roman experiences that are rarely crowded. Instead of fighting crowds at the Colosseum and jostling through the Forum, visit the nearby (and never-crowded) Baths of Caracalla for an inspiring look at ancient engineering on a grand scale. The National Museum of Rome has a stunning collection
of sculptures and mosaics, which are yours to ogle without being bumped by backpacks and selfie snappers. Or leave the city altogether and take an easy train ride out to Ostia Antica, where you’ll be alone with the sprawling, evocative remains of Rome’s early port, wondering: “Where are all the tourists?”
Or take a break from sightseeing and roam Rome’s many vibrant, relatively untouristy neighborhoods. Swap language lessons with beersipping students around a public fountain in Monti; ponder a what-if alternate reality while ogling Fascist architecture in EUR; or head to Testaccio, beloved by Romans for its nose-
to-tail market, and graze among the many food stalls, seeing how many different bites you can fit into a couple of hours.
For travelers, the exact impact of the Jubilee is unpredictable. It will be crowded, sure ... but just how crowded? Romans tend to leave town when their city is inundated by such an event. And many non-pilgrim tourists will also steer clear, fearing the crowds. Consequently, Jubilee 2025 could wind up feeling on par with any other busy peak season.
The Jubilee will also bring improvements. Tourists and Romans alike will appreciate new parks along the banks of the Tiber, improved bike paths
throughout the city, a peoplefriendly zone surrounding St. Peter’s (replacing a peopleunfriendly roadway), and other pleasant surprises as Rome shows off its cultural wonders in good style.
Should you visit Rome this year? If you’re a practicing Roman Catholic, it could be a lifelong highlight. There's something both powerful and humbling about coming together with fellow believers, from starkly different backgrounds and farflung corners of the earth, for a shared purpose. And all those pilgrims will pass through the giant, gilded Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, which opens only on Jubilee years.
And what about casual, nonpilgrim travelers? If considering a trip to Rome, be realistic about the impact the Jubilee may have on your experience. Those with flexible plans may decide to put off their visit and go elsewhere in Europe – or in Italy. (The Jubilee crowds will likely not make Italian sights outside of Rome any more crowded than they are in normal years.)
And if you really are committed to seeing Rome this year (as I am), do it but do it smartly: Book your hotel long in advance, get necessary admissions reserved ASAP, and fill your days with dimensions of the Eternal City that are not eternally crowded.
While you’re there –regardless of your faith – consider embracing the pope’s call to help make our troubled world a little more peaceful with a little more hope. Buon viaggio!
An extra 30 million pilgrims will congest Rome this Jubilee year while descending upon the Vatican. (Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli, Rick Steves' Europe).
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION IN RE: ESTATE OF PEDRO J. MARTINEZ, Deceased.
FILE NO.: 2025-CP-538 NOTICE TO CREDITORS (Summary Administration) The administration of the estate of PEDRO J. MARTINEZ, deceased, whose date of death was June 22, 2023; is pending in the Circuit Court of Marion County, Florida, Probate Division; File Number 2025-CP538; the address of which is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34475. An Order of Summary Administration was entered on February 26, 2025, and the name and address of the person assigned control of the assets is GILBERTO MARTINEZ, 1909 S.E. 29th Place, Ocala, Florida 34471 , the son of the decedent, and his attorney is Davis R. Watson III, Davis R. Watson III, P.A., 2201 S.E. 30th Avenue, Suite 202, Ocala, Florida 34471. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom a copy of this notice is served must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY 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.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: ESTATE OF LINDA LUCILLE MULCAHEY, DECEASED, CASE NO.: 2025-CP-0484 NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Linda Lucille Mulcahey, deceased, whose date of death was February 4, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is, 110 NW 1st Ave., Ocala, Florida 34475. 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 THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
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, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211. 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 first date of publication of this notice is March 4, 2025. Attorney for Personal Representative, Caleb V. Smith, Esquire Attorney for Personal Representative The Florida Legal Advocacy Group, P.A. 445 NE 8th Ave., Ocala, Florida 34470 FL Bar No.: 1008368 Tel: 352-732-8030 Fax: 888-399-3129 cs@FlagOcala.com Personal Representative, Julia Strouse, 7211 Pleasant Hill Lane Spencer, IN 47460
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: ESTATE OF THOMAS ANDREW LYONS a/k/a THOMAS A. LYONS, DECEASED, CASE NO.: 2024-CP- 3080 NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Thomas Andrew Lyons a/k/a Thomas A. Lyons, deceased, whose date of death was November 5, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is, 110 NW 1st Ave., Ocala, Florida 34475. The name and address 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 THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
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 Propen Rights at Death Act as described in sections 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211. 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 first date of publication of this notice is March 7th, 2025. Attorney for Personal Representative, Caleb V. Smith, Esquire The Florida Legal Advocacy Group, P.A. 445 NE 8th Ave., Ocala, Florida 34470 FL Bar No.: 1008368 Tel:352-732-8030 Fax: 888-399-3129 cs@FlagOcala.com Personal Representative, Temetria James 2031 NE 39th Street Ocala, FL 34479
CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
ON
FLORIDA IN
OF
TER-PELLETIER a/k/a RITA M. PELLETIER, DECEASED, CASE NO.: 2024-CP-0031 NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Rita Marline Carter-Pelletier a/k/a Rita M. Pelletier, deceased, whose date of death was November 15, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is, 110 NW 1st Ave., Ocala, Florida 34475. The name and address 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 THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
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, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211. 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 first date of publication of this notice is March 7, 2025.
Attorney for Personal Representative, Stanley W. Plappert, Esquire
The Florida Legal Advocacy Group, P.A. 445 NE 8th Ave. Ocala, Florida 34470 Florida Bar No.: 76603 Tel: 352-732-8030 Fax: 888-399-3129 swp@FlagOcala.com Personal Representative, Herbert Bennett Jr., 12 Avery Drive, Stafford Springs, CT 06076
ASSCIATION, INC., a Florida non-profit Corporation, Plaintiff, VS. MARTA FLORES; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF MARTA FLORES, et al., Defendant(s). IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 5TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO. 24CA000778AX NOTICE OF SALE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 45 (To be published in The Ocala Gazette) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Order Granting Plaintiff's Motion to Cancel and Reschedule Foreclosure Sale dated February 18, 2025, entered in Case No. 24CA000778AX in the Circuit Court in and for Marion County, Florida wherein RAINBOW SPRINGS PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., is Plaintiff, and MARTA FLORES, et al, is the Defendant, I will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash online on: MARCH 27, 2025 at www.marion.realforeclose.com the Clerk's website for online auctions at 11:00 AM ET in accordance with section 45.031, Florida Statutes, the following described real property as set forth in the Final Judgment, to wit: LOT 016, BLOCK 178, RAINBOW SPRINGS, FIFTH REPLAT, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK T, PAGES 46-59 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. A/K/A: 19156 SW 101ST STREET, DUNNELLON, FL 34432. ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM BEFORE THE CLERK REPORTS THE SURPLUS AS UNCLAIMED. Dated March 3, 2025. SERVICE LIST MARTA FLORES 19156 SW 101ST STREET
DUNNELLON, FL 34432 UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF MARTA FLORES 19156 SW 101ST STREET DUNNELLON, FL 34432 Florida Community Law Group, P.L. Attorneys for Plaintiff P.O. Box 292965 Davie, FL 33329-2965 Telephone (954) 372-5298 Facsimile (866) 424-5348 /s/ Jared Block Jared Block, Esq. Fla. Bar No. 90297 Email: Jared@flclg.com PUBLISH IN: THE OCALA GAZETTE CASE NO. 24CA000778AX
