Sheriff cuts back staffing demands to accommodate budget constraints
By Jennifer Hunt Murty Jennifer @ocalagazette.com
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods has cut his request for more patrol deputies by more than half in response to budget concerns raised by Marion County Board of County Commissioners during the 2025-26 budget talks held on July 23.
While pressing the need for the agency to have more deputies, Woods noted the agency’s patrol side is now at full staff, thanks to an unlikely source: “Chopper Cops.” The popular television show follows the agency’s Air One aviation unit as it assists ground deputies in responding to calls within the 1,600 square miles the MCSO patrols.
“I’m full,” he said. “Every position on patrol side is full right now. I don’t have a vacancy. About 225 applicants are on hold right now. When I took office, we barely had 10.”
“The value of the benefit, there’s no monetary value on what the show does for us. It highlights the work in which the men and women do every single day, and it gets me the positions filled like it should,” he explained.
During the budget workshop, Woods cut his request for patrol deputies from 28 to 12. The sheriff’s department proposed budget for 2025-26 year was $218,913,093, rising 17% over last year.
This reduction in patrol deputies comes on the heels of a staffing study the MCSO conducted in May that indicated they were short on the number of patrol deputies needed to meet nationally recognized staffing benchmarks for coverage and response.
The $75,000 staffing study by Miller Justice Consulting, indicated that currently there are 215 deputies
See Sheriff budget, page A6
Marion County feed store goes up in flames
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
Marion County Fire Rescue crews remained on scene Wednesday morning after a fire tore through a commercial property used as a feed store in Reddick late Tuesday.
No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
MCFR indicates they were dispatched to 15398 NW 44th Avenue Road at 7:33 p.m., after multiple 911 callers reported smoke
and flames visible, and responding crews could see a large column of black smoke from miles away. According to MCFR, “Engine #11 arrived on scene at 7:37 p.m. to find the Tiz Whiz Feed and Hay store fully engulfed in flames, with nearby homes threatened. As firefighters quickly deployed hose lines, multiple explosions were heard.” Engine 11 was joined on scene by other units for a total crew of 29.
See Feed store, page A2
A fresh start back to school
The school year starts on a positive note but with some of the same old logistical concerns.
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
It was a Herculean effort by Marion County’s largest employer, now numbering 6,700 of both part-time and fulltime workers, to get more than 46,000 kids back to school on Monday after the summer hiatus.
According to Marion County Public Schools, roughly 88% of the anticipated number of student started the first day, with 259 more than last year’s opening day.
The first day of kindergarten took a staggered start approach with six students a day joining the class for the first three days. Therefore, Aug. 14 is the first full day for all kindergarten students.
In addition to the usual struggles, the district added to two new elementary schools to the mix in Marion Oaks and Winding Oaks, which were still being
readied for students up to the last minute. The Sunday before, Interim School
Superintendent Dr. Danielle Brewer praised her IT team for working in overdrive to get the technology and necessary connections in the
Controversial Bear Hunt Gets Go-Ahead
By Jim Turner
D
espite pleas from animalrights advocates, Florida wildlife officials on Wednesday approved holding a 23-day bear hunt in December that could lead to 187 bears being killed.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved rules for the state’s first bear hunt in more than a decade. The hunt will take place in four regions of the state and use a lottery process for hunters to obtain permits.
Opponents announced plans to quickly file a lawsuit to fight the hunt, contending the commission hasn’t followed its own rules about the need to follow a science-based approach.
“They haven’t taken into consideration habitat loss for these animals, and they (bears) should actually be recognized as an endangered species,” Raquel Levy, of the group Bear Warriors United, said.
But Commissioner Gary Lester said the agency’s staff members brought forward “good, solid science for us to follow.”
Commissioners otherwise made few comments about the hunt during a meeting that drew an overflow crowd to the Florida Public Safety Institute in the Gadsden County community of Havana. Hunt supporters wore orange shirts, while opponents mostly sported black.
Supporters pointed, in part, to increased interactions between bears and residents.
“I’ve seen how these bears impact us. They have completely skyrocketed,” hunter Jason Smith said.
“It used to be, when I was a kid, you didn’t see very many bears. Now they are all over the place. They are in our yard all of the time.”
But opponents of the hunt exited the meeting yelling that the “FWC has blood on their hands” and “shame on you.”
new schools done in time.
The new schools were designed with longer car lines that kept traffic from backing up on the public roads, a dangerous situation
See Back to school, page A5
“This is solely based on greed,” opponent Bella Schwartz told the commission. “Let’s say even if the bears did need their population managed, we don’t need trophy hunting to do that.”
Officials from Gulf, Jefferson, Liberty and Franklin counties expressed support for a revival of
See Bear hunt, page A3
A raging inferno consumes the Tizwhiz Feed and Hay as firefighters with Marion County Fire Rescue try to contain the fire from spreading on Northwest 44th Avenue Road in Reddick, Fla. on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
Motorists negotiate the entrance to Ross Prairie Elementary School where there are no flashing yellow lights for the 20 mph speed limit in the school zone on the first day of school at the new Ross Prairie Elementary School in Marion Oaks, Fla.
File photo: Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods speaks during a County Commission Capital Improvement Project Workshop in the County Commission auditorium at the McPherson Governmental Complex in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, March 21, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette] 2022.
Feed store
closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Then, about 7:30 p.m., they got the call that the business was on fire.
MCFR also publicly thanked the sheriff’s office on social media for lending their new skid steer. “That piece of machinery was a true force multiplier in dismantling the building and contents,” they wrote in a Facebook post.
The store manager, Christina Harris, who has worked for the business since 2013, said their phones have been ringing constantly since the fire.
“A lot of people have been reaching out to support us — customers, vendors and other feed stores,” Harris said. She said the store has five employees and
“Fourteen hours later, the fire is still smoldering. That is what hay does,” Harris said Wednesday morning. She and her team were staged at a nearby Dollar General because she said “the smoke is too thick at the property still.”
Harris said they were able to save one delivery truck, but thinks everything else seemed lost.
Three women at a nearby farm told the Gazette they heard a loud explosion just before smoke filled the sky. “We thought at first it was thunder,” said
one woman, who declined to give her name. “Then we saw the flames.”
Property records list the 2.18-acre site as owned by Wayne Davis. The 2025 property record card shows the main structure totals approximately 8,533 square feet under roof, including an 8,030-square-foot canopy, about 449 square feet of enclosed store and office space, and a 54-square-foot patio. A separate 900-square-foot open shed is also listed on the parcel.
CF Stearns Speaker Series to host ‘Weird Florida’ author
Staff report
lorida native and prolific author Eliot Kleinberg will share a Florida-centric look back at World War II at the College of Central Florida Stearns Speaker Series on Sept 22.
“War in Paradise: World War II in Florida” will be held from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the Stearns Learning Resources Center on the Ocala Campus, at 3001 S.W.
College Road. The event is free to attend.
The author of the original “Weird Florida” books spent nearly a half-century reporting on local news and writing about Florida history and now lectures on Florida topics. Kleinberg produced two history columns and wrote 14 books, plus co-writing and contributing to several more, all about Florida, the news release noted.
In “War in Paradise: World War II in Florida,” he will offer an up-close-and-personal look at the war that seemed a world away, with stories of how U-boat sinkings off Florida’s coast and the state’s sprawling military bases would change a small corner of America into one of its most populous states.
Stearns, a businessman and former politician, established the Friends of Cliff Stearns Endowed Chair at the college through a gift to the CF Foundation in December of 2020. The series aims to bring national and regional speakers on history, political science and technology to CF.
“The annual speaker series brings distinguished Americans to the CF Ocala Campus, providing an opportunity for both the college community and citizens from Marion County and the surrounding areas to learn from and meet these individuals,” Stearns said in the release.
To register for the presentation, go to cf.edu/stearns
“The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”
-
Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
Bruce Ackerman Photography Editor bruce@ocalagazette.com
Dani Eskridge Director of Operations & Sales dani@magnoliamediaco.com
Susan Smiley-Height Editor susan@magnoliamediaco.com
Belea Keeney Reporter belea@magnoliamediaco.com
Jamie Berube Reporter jamie@ocalagazette.com
Lauren Morrish Reporter lauren@ocalagazette.com
News tips tips@ocalagazette.com
Distribution Inquiries info@ocalagazette.com
Follow us @ocalagazette
Our mission is to inform and uplift our readers by reporting on the events, issues and stories that shape Ocala with accuracy, fairness and passion. We also strive to serve as a forum where all voices can be heard and to chronicle our community’s history.
Ocala Gazette (USPS# 25590) (ISSN 27711595) is published weekly by Magnolia Media Company, LLC, PO BOX 188, OCALA, FL 34478. Periodicals postage paid at Ocala, FL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Ocala Gazette, PO Box 188, Ocala, FL 34478.
Share your news
The Ocala Gazette invites you to share your important news events with the community. Email your submissions to info@ocalagazette.com. Please include your name and contact information on the submission.
• Letters to the editor: 200 words or less.
• Honorable Mentions: 150 words or less about an individual or organization accomplishment in the business, education, community service, athletics or other area of endeavor. Attach a photo of the individual or group being honored, if available.
• Upcoming events: Are you holding a charitable or community event that is open to the public? Include the organization hosting the event as well as the time, date and a brief description of the event, along with registration information or other important instructions.
News tips: Include whatever information you consider relevant.
Eliot Kleinberg [Photo courtesy College of Central Florida]
Continued from page A1
A raging inferno consumes the Tizwhiz Feed and Hay as firefighters with Marion County Fire Rescue try to contain the fire from spreading on
Northwest 44th Avenue Road in Reddick, Fla.
A raging inferno consumes the Tizwhiz Feed and Hay as firefighters with Marion County Fire Rescue try to contain the fire from spreading on Northwest 44th Avenue Road in Reddick, Fla.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
ASL courses change lives one sign at a time
By Lauren Morrish Lauren@ocalagazette.com
One of the few American Sign Language resources in Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) is impacting students’ passion to communicate and aim to make a change after high school.
Florida Cyber Charter Academy (FLCCA) offers three virtual ASL courses -- ASL I, II and III -- that students can take to earn their language credit or explore their interests.
MCPS Director of Public Relations Kevin Christian said ASL is also available for students to take through Florida Virtual School’s Marion Virtual classes. Additional ASL services are provided through contracted individuals by the district.
Christian said, “Our traditional high schools offer options in Spanish, French, and Latin.”
FLCCA ASL Teacher 8-12 grade
Michael Hernandez-Nasso told the “Gazette” that ASL is 100% something more schools should include for their students.
“I was fortunate to have a high school that offered ASL, and I fell in love with the language, and I was trying to figure out what I could do with that,” he said.
He attended Flagler College for Deaf Education, continuing his knowledge of sign language to then teach students who are hard of hearing or deaf. Nasso said that due to COVID-19, he switched from a traditional teaching role to a full-time virtual instructor, which led him to FLCCA.
Nasso said the course options have expanded since he started teaching at the charter school, adding ASL II his second year there and then, just last school year, ASL III.
He explained the progression of the classes with ASL I geared toward learning vocabulary, ASL II focused on grammar and ASL III practicing the material in different scenarios for more fluent conversations.
Compared to other languages, Nasso said learning ASL can be slightly more challenging and different due to the visual aspect of it when using hand gestures.
Where most languages require audio assignments, he said his course requires students to submit video assignments of their signing.
Nasso said learning ASL can sometimes feel awkward, especially with exaggerated facial expressions or mixing up similar signs. To help students feel comfortable making mistakes, he creates a safe and supportive virtual classroom where he lightens the mood by playfully teasing them.
He assigns engaging activities, encouraging creativity to flow freely, and makes learning ASL in a 45-minute digital window fun. Nasso said he has students create and sign their own scripts, and he keeps lessons fun with ASL games inspired by the popular online game
Among Us.
“It’s nice to be able to have that option (ASL classes) while students are young and while they can also possibly change their career paths as we see that from a few students,” Nasso said.
One of his students, Scarlett Phillips, is following a similar path to Nasso’s, finding her passions in languages during high school and planning a career goal around helping underrepresented communities.
Phillips will be a senior this upcoming school year and has made it her goal to learn five languages, with English and Spanish tackled so far.
She said FLCCA was the first school she noticed offering ASL as a course and took an interest in it.
bear hunting, which has occurred only once in the past three decades.
“Our number one responsibility is the safety and well-being of our residents. And over the past several years, black bears have become a growing part of that conversation,” Liberty County Undersheriff Bobby Revell said. “We’ve seen a rise in service calls related to bears, bears on porches, in yards near schools and even our homes. These are not isolated incidents. They’re becoming regular calls for our deputies, and they reflect real concerns families in Liberty County are living with every day.”
Hunt opponents called on the commission to maintain non-lethal
“I enjoy learning languages,” Phillips said. “I started learning when I was about 7 years old and I fell in love with it, but that was more so verbal languages, like Spanish, so seeing that I could communicate in an entirely different way was just fascinating right away.”
She took ASL I with Nasso last year and he said she “stood out” to him with all she is attempting to learn simultaneously. Phillips will be taking both ASL II and III with Nasso again this upcoming year, while also learning French and Chinese on other virtual platforms at the same time.
He said she will be the first to take both ASL classes in the same year but believes she can do it.
“I also want to major in law in the future, and I thought that
options for preventing bear-human interactions, such as the use of bearproof trash containers and increased land conservation.
Among the biggest concerns of hunt opponents were the use of feeding stations, which can lure animals, and the use of dogs in hunts starting in 2027. Hunters would not be allowed to use dogs to pursue bears in December. But that would change for subsequent seasons, which are expected to run from October into December.
“The use of dogs and taking of bears within close proximity of game feeding stations creates undue harm to all bears and other wild game that has become habituated to the feeding station areas,” Marge Holt, representing the Sierra Club in Central Florida, said.
The Sierra Club used buses to transport
this would be a great opportunity to truly advocate for victims who might not be able to speak for themselves and are in need of assistance,” Phillips said.
Part of what shaped her future career goal was a real experience she had with a deaf man.
hunt opponents from several parts of the state to Havana, after holding rallies over the weekend.
Baiting was a concern during the state’s last hunt, when 305 bears were killed in two days in 2015. The hunt was cut short after being planned to last a week.
The commission contends that hunting around feeders would allow hunters to be more selective.
The rules approved Wednesday established a permit-drawing process that will be open to anyone paying a $5 entry fee. The process does not include a limit on the number of times people can enter, but people whose names are drawn will only be able to purchase a single permit.
Floridians will pay $100 for permits. Non-Floridians will be limited to 10 percent of the permits, which will cost them $300.
Phillips said that when the man was trying to sign with her father, he couldn’t understand him, so she stepped in to communicate using her knowledge from ASL I.
“In the real world, I was able to apply what I learned in class, and I would honestly say that was the most encouraging part of my year and it reassured me that sign language is something that I want to pursue more in the future, most definitely,” Phillips said.
She said even though she was not fluent in sign language, the deaf man’s face lit up knowing she was trying. “I think the effort means the world,” she added.
“I was very impressed,” Nasso said. “I am very excited to see her succeed in learning all of those languages and continuing her career goal in the law system.”
When asked what advice Nasso would give Phillips for her senior year he said not to let senioritis kick in and keep pushing and doing what she is doing.
He said Phillips is not the only student having real world conversations with the hard-ofhearing community and that some students are taking his classes to communicate with their own family members.
Nasso said a student in ASL III came into class excited to share a conversation she had with someone who is deaf. He said the student was able to communicate with them and told that community member she had been in ASL classes by saying, “Hey, I am learning your language.”
Nasso said with the deaf community slowly on the rise, with more actors and actresses popping up in films like “Marvel” and “A Quiet Place,” ASL awareness is growing and is especially important to learn to hold conversations and communicate effectively.
“The more that people learn ASL, the better it will be for the future,” he said.
Nasso believes today’s generation will be the members that “make a huge change.”
Despite Phillips’ generation being adept in social media and digitally oriented, she still believes face-to-face communication is important.
“No matter the communication that is had through a phone, I don’t think it allows for the emotions that can be seen and felt when you are speaking in person with someone.”
Phillips didn’t realize how deeply ASL had impacted her until she saw her knowledge make a real difference
Nasso’s advice to anyone thinking of learning ASL is to just do it. He said do whatever needs to be done to learn the “beautiful language that lacks appreciation.”
“It is never too late to learn a language,” Nasso said.
The 187-bear quota is based on a formula. The hunt is planned to be limited to 68 bears in the Apalachicola region west of Tallahassee; 46 in areas west of Jacksonville; 18 in an area north of Orlando; and 55 in the Big Cypress region southwest of Lake Okeechobee.
The state had an estimated 4,050 bears in 2015, considered the most recent figures by the commission.
Bears were on the state list of threatened species from 1974 to 2012, until a biological status review determined they were no longer at high risk of extinction.
Over the past 50 years, the state has recorded 42 incidents in which wild bears have made physical contact with people, with the first recorded fatal bear attack occurring in May, when an 89-year-old Collier County man and his dog were killed.
Scarlett Phillips 16, who is homeschooled, right, signs with her sister, Abby Phillips, 9, who is also homeschooled, center, and her mother, Sabrina Cyrulinski, left, on the Ocala Downtown Square in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, August 4, 2025. Phillips took the American Sign Language 1 (ASL1) class last year with the Florida Cyber Charter Academy, with her online instructor, Michael Nasso. She is also trying to learn at least five languages. Phillips wants to be an advocate for the deaf community through her chosen legal career that started with an inspiring moment of connection with a deaf man. In her junior year, she went to get her driving learner’s permit with her father and a deaf man tried to start signing with her Dad, who doesn't know sign language. Scarlett, who was already learning
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
Michael Nasso, Florida Cyber Charter Academy American Sign Language teacher. (Provided Photo).
Scarlett Phillips 16, who is homeschooled, signs "Sign language is my favorite class" on the Ocala Downtown Square in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, August 4, 2025. Phillips took the American Sign Language 1 (ASL1) class last year with the
Ten fixes Marion County Jail could make—now
By the Ocala Gazette Editorial Board
Marion County does not lack evidence that the operation of its jail needs urgent reform.
In recent years, our newsroom has documented preventable suffering and deaths among those being held behind those walls— people including Scott Whitley, Maniesa Fletcher, Jacob Oakie, Juan Miranda-Valentín, Dennis DiGenova and Mayra Ramirez. Surveillance video, medical files, and state reports tell a consistent story: policy on paper isn’t protecting people in custody, and the jail’s death rate has far outstripped national norms.
This is not only about humane treatment promised under our U.S. Constitution. The failure endangers the public—not just people behind bars.
Consider Kendra Boone, whose family sought help for her as she experienced a mentalhealth crisis the night before she allegedly stole a sheriff’s cruiser and crashed it on Feb. 1, 2024, killing herself and three innocent people. Her parents called the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for help the night before; Boone left before deputies arrived. At the press conference after the incident, instead of using that tragedy to talk candidly about how often deputies confront untreated illness with too few options, Sheriff Billy Woods emphasized Boone’s criminal record and called her “a moron” while insisting the deputy “did absolutely nothing wrong.” That may express frustration, but it didn’t address the gap that put Boone—and the public—at risk. We need an actual continuum of care, not post-hoc blame.
We understand it must be difficult for law enforcement to toggle between being tough on crime and needing to take care of an inmate’s needs. Too often, records reflect people in crisis are stabilized with force instead of care, and then returned to our neighborhoods sicker, traumatized or not returned at all. Here’s a key point for everyone to remember: Most of the people in the jail, and certainly all of the in-custody deaths we’ve covered thus far- are not serving a sentence. Instead, they are people who have been arrested but who have not yet had their day in court. What happens to them affects every family, every roadway, every business.
TEN ACTIONS THAT WILL SAVE
them.
Sumter County has them; other Florida and federal detention operations do, too. Publish activation, auditing, retention and public-release rules. (Our position hasn’t changed: cameras protect the public and good officers alike.)
2) Restore and publish compliance reporting—monthly.
After our reporting revealed that those in MCSO tasked with overseeing the jail ended routine compliance reporting that tracked whether the medical services contractor – Heart of Florida – met Florida Model Jail Standards, the public’s key means of tracking the quality of the care provided under HOF’s $14 million contract vanished. Reinstate those reports, rehire and support the efforts of the medical liaison who sounded the alarm for years. Whistleblower allegations and public records show these compliance snapshots stopped after the sheriff ended the position of the medical liaison for the jail. The job had been held by Mary Coy, a whistleblower whose reports shed light on the perceived shoddy treatment of prisoners in the jail.
3) Ditch the carbon-copy sick-call slips. Go electronic. Right now, tracking medical requests means chasing paper. Move to a basic electronic request/triage log that timestamps intake, nurse review, treatment and escalation. Leadership should be able to see, at a glance, whether standards are being met without digging through binders.
4) Audit outside medical costs and incentives in the Heart of Florida contract.
The current contract requires HOF to cover the cost of emergency and hospital care,
yet detailed billing has not been produced to the public.
Post-booking ER transports plummeted to less than half their historical levels in 2023 and remained low in 2024. If a payment structure discourages timely hospital transfers, fix it. Publish quarterly costs for inmate care.
5) Make mortality/morbidity reviews independent—and specific.
Put an outside physician and at least two community members on every death-review committee. Current internal reviews lack timelines and granular analysis, which undercuts their credibility. In Fletcher’s case, the committee found “no policy concerns” despite substantial warning signs elsewhere. Independent eyes and real timelines should be the rule, not the exception.
6) Expand mental-health court and end “video-only” appearances for inmates involved in jail use-of-force incidents.
People in the jail who have been found mentally incompetent—or who are determined to be on that path—sit for months, often in segregation, receive an inordinate amount of all use of force, and only appear by video in court. Bring them into a real courtroom, where judges and defense counsel can see their condition and intervene earlier with treatment, diversion or hospitalization.
Marion County Mental Health Court is highly effective in diverting the mentally ill from jail and the criminal records that will impede them from being productive members of society.
Providing the program with increased funding and expanding who qualifies will allow it to continue to prevent more
offenders from entering a deadly cycle they can’t get out of.
7) Confront the pattern: force is landing on people in crisis.
Whitley—a diagnosed schizophrenic—was beat by six jail guards, and shocked with a Taser 27 times within 12 minutes and died. The medical examiner ruled Whitley’s death a homicide; however, no one has been charged with murder in the case. Our review of case files and disability rights complaints shows the people most likely to be hurt are frequently mentally ill or developmentally disabled. A jail is not a hospital—and force cannot be a substitute for care.
We reviewed all use-of-force reports at the jail for the first half of this year and found consistent patterns that led to the use of force. An overwhelming majority of those incidents came from inmates refusing to submit to strip searches, particularly by those with obvious mental deficiencies.
8) Build a real reentry bridge for high-need, low-functioning adults.
When cases stem from psychosis, missed medications or Baker Act-level crises, reentry needs to start on day one. Medication continuity, guardianship or casemanagement referrals, SSI/ Medicaid reinstatement, housing coordination and warm handoffs to community providers must all be part of the process. Use the jail’s treatment apparatus to stabilize at-risk people, if necessary, not to keep spinning the revolving door.
9) Give prosecutors and defense counsel every jail incident and disciplinary report—automatically.
If a person who cannot understand the rules is being
sentenced to 30 days in lockdown by a jail board disciplinary committee, that is mitigation and due-process material the court must see. Could the jail make these records automatically available to the court system for monitoring? It’s alarming to us that we could find no one in our local system tasked with this job, which explains why so many are getting hurt.
10) Enforce the sheriff’s own code of conduct and rule of law—even in the jail.
In Whitley’s case, the “Gazette’s” lawsuit forced the sheriff to allow us to view surveillance video, which contradicted initial claims that Whitley was noncompliant. No officer has been charged in the homicide. If six private citizens treated Whitley, a vulnerable adult, the way the corrections officers did, they could have been charged with murder. How can the sheriff maintain his tough-oncrime stance with a straight face if it only applies to those who do not wear the MCSO uniform?
We’ll urge the same standard State Attorney Bill Gladson invoked when MCSO officials sought to criminalize lawful news reporting by the “Gazette”: “I’ve read the statute, it’s very clear. Nobody is above the law,” he threatened the newspaper by email last year. We ask Gladson to apply that principle to the use of force and medical neglect of vulnerable people in the jail with the same vigor.
THE PUBLIC-SAFETY PAYOFF
Fixing the jail’s medical and behavioral-health failures can help reduce violent crises in the community, lower recidivism rates, and prevent tragedies like the Boone crash by creating offramps before people spiral.
The go-to argument by the sheriff and others is cost; and, yes, doing the right thing costs money. But consider the savings of time and money that will come when deputies do not need to spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with cases of people in mental health crisis, situations they are not fully trained to handle.
It will also cut liability costs that ultimately land on taxpayers and restore confidence among families who are trying—often desperately—to get help for a loved one before something goes wrong and people are hurt.
Marion County can lead Florida here: put cameras on the people with keys; track care in real time; open the books; bring independent experts into the room; get people in crisis before a judge who can actually see them; and hold everyone to the same standards.
File photo: The Marion County Jail is shown at the Marion County Sheriff's Office in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, Dec. 28, 2020. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.
Back to school
that is regularly seen at some of the older schools when the number of parents dropping off and picking up wasn’t as high.
There were other struggles that popped up that reflect that the City of Ocala and Marion County officials play an important role in safety around school campuses.
In an interoffice memo, Director of Safe Schools Dennis McFatten wrote, “Across the district, we received multiple reports of flashing school zone lights not functioning properly. When this occurs, Jeanna Pirkl quickly reaches out to our contacts within the City or County to request necessary repairs or adjustments. Unfortunately, countymaintained lights require a technician to physically respond to make changes, whereas citymaintained systems can often be adjusted remotely.”
“District-wide, every school has some form of traffic control devices in place, ranging from basic signage to flashing speed zone lights and even full traffic signals,” he wrote.
MCPS board members reflected during their Aug. 13 meeting on both the successes and challenges experienced across the district on opening week.
Board member Allison Campbel highlighted the positive atmosphere on campuses, stating, “I have had the privilege and opportunity to be on, I think, 14 different campuses in the last two days. Lots and lots of great things are happening on our campuses.”
She also noted a lighthearted transportation mishap.
“One of the fun things that I had an elementary school principal tell me today is that they did have a bus mishap yesterday because two children
traded arm bands because one liked the color the other one had,” she said. “It is what it is.”
Board member Sarah James emphasized the importance of support staff and the improvements made to school facilities on the north side of the county.
Board member Eric Cummings addressed the creativity and dedication of district staff.
“We have some terrific, terrific, terrific staff that are creative, that are innovative in how they are setting up their classrooms, what they’re offering to these students,” he said. “I don’t think I saw any two classrooms that were just alike, and so that tells me they’re trying to meet the needs of the diverse group of students who are different, who are ready to learn, but you have to meet the kids where they are.”
Board member Nancy Thrower highlighted the positive effects of the district’s new policy banning cell phones in schools. Thanking state legislators for leading the way, Thrower said the measure allowed “kids to turn back into children where they actually get to interact with each other again.”
However, transportation issues were a recurring concern.
The district is operating about 250 bus routes daily, transporting approximately 23,000 students and covering 35,763 round-trip miles each day—roughly 64 million miles annually.
“One of the things that I don’t want to see, and I’m going to address it now so that we can start working on the problem now is tardy buses,” Cummings said. “I can understand the bus being 10 minutes late. I understand the bus being 20, but I cannot, I cannot, I will not accept the bus being two hours late. We had that, and we can’t have that.”
Prior to school starting, the district announced the new “My Ride K-12” mobile app, which allows parents to track buses in real time using student ID numbers. The district also set up a transportation hotline.
Thrower addressed the challenges faced by families and the district due to issues with the school bus tracking app at the start of the year. She acknowledged the district’s ongoing efforts to improve transportation technology, referencing the previous rollout of the “Here Comes the Bus” app and the introduction of a new version intended to help parents and students track bus arrivals in real time.
“I was really glad to see that we’re continuing to upgrade our apps,” she said. “It’s made such a difference, you know, with when (former superintendent)
Dr. (Diane) Gullett rolled out, ‘Here Comes the Bus,’ and now we have a new version.”
However, Thrower pointed out that the new app was not fully operational for the first day of school, which created difficulties for families trying to navigate transportation logistics.
“I’m not sure you know why it wasn’t ready and trained up and functioning by the first day of school, but that was a missed opportunity,” she said.
Thrower emphasized that while there are often understandable reasons for technical setbacks, the district must strive to avoid preventable problems, especially when it comes to tools that directly impact students and families.
“There’s always reasons why things happen, and they’re understandable, but at the same time, we don’t want to shoot ourselves in our own foot, so to speak,” she said.
She concluded by encouraging a mindset of continuous improvement.
“I think that we all, just to quote a not-so-famous football coach, just keep working hard to get better every day,” she said. “You know, that’s what it’s all about, and acknowledge our challenges and problem solving and keep them moving. Because there’s only 180 days.”
Brewer acknowledged the community’s patience, especially regarding transportation for kindergartners.
“The only complaints I saw and heard about were transportation involved. And so, I just want to encourage everyone to be patient, because on Thursday, all kindergartners will be going to school, and so that is one of our biggest challenges for transportation,” she said.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala
Ocala faces budget strain amid tariff controversy
By Jamie Berube jame@ocalagazette.com
During a city council meeting on Aug. 5, Director of Fleet Management for the city of Ocala, John King, addressed a $395,000 deficit in the Fleet Management account.
“This budget approval for a budget resolution is due to a deficit in the fleet operating account, and because of really unforeseen expenses in automotive parts due to tariffs, we’re requesting funding to bring that account back out of the deficit so that we can continue to buy parts and operating supplies to repair
our fleet of vehicles,” King explained.
In response to King’s comment, Councilman Ire J. Bethea, Sr. ‘s questioned whether the parts are being purchased in the United States. King responded that “the great majority of automotive parts, supplies, including vehicles, are sourced globally. So, it’s just not even parts that are put together here in America. Different parts and pieces of those parts are sourced globally.” The council approved Budget Resolution 2025-170, transferring $395,000 from the General Fund Reserve to cover the deficit.
At an Aug. 12 budget workshop, Councilman James
Hilty noted King’s tariff reference after Ocala’s Budget Director cited tariffs as a key driver of rising 2025-2026 budget costs.
Tammi Haslam, Budget Director for the city of Ocala, discussed overall rising costs for the city, stating, “The cost of goods and services consumed by the organization continues to rise, which could worsen with the impact of tariffs. We are monitoring the possibility of a ballot amendment in 2026 to modify or even eliminate ad valorem taxes, and the budget office continues to work to develop a long term plan to identify the needs of the organization over the next few
years and determine viable funding sources for those needs,” Haslam said.
After opening the floor for comments and questions from the council members, Hilty interjected with a comment on the use of the word “tariffs.”
“I would just kind of make a comment. You mentioned part of the budget increases was because of tariffs, and last time Mr. King mentioned that, it created a big stir,” Hilty said in response to the Aug. 5 meeting where the topic of tariffs was addressed in the context of the budget deficit.
“Right now in the economy, it’s not showing up, even as of today, hasn’t shown up in the CPI. So I’d be cautious
going forward using that we’re increasing because of tariffs,” Hilty said.
Haslam clarified, “I was just anticipating what might occur in the future, not what’s occurring currently, just, it’s just a day to day flow with that topic.”
Hilty’s cautionary comment followed public backlash sparked by two Ocala-News.com articles linking the fleet deficit to tariffs. The stories fueled heated Facebook discussions, with hundreds of comments blaming Trump voters and Republicans, causing a stir. The council’s sensitivity to the term “tariffs” reflects efforts to manage public perception while addressing fiscal challenges.
Gazette
Students arrive for the first day of school at the new Ross Prairie Elementary School in Marion Oaks, Fla.
Principal Leann McEarchern helps Karolina Aguilar, 6, find her way to her first grade classroom on the first day of school at the new Ross Prairie Elementary School in Marion Oaks, Fla.
Sheriff budget
Continued from page A1
assigned to calls for service at MCSO, but the consultants indicated the department needed 323, a shortfall of 108 deputies.
Documents provided to the “Gazette” in May in response to a public records request showed MCSO had 690 sworn personnel and 430 unsworn personnel for a total of 1,120 employees.
Sworn officers can arrest, whereas unsworn employees of MCSO cannot.
The sheriff also reported progress at the county jail, which has historically struggled with staffing shortages.
“The jail is at a position now that it’s just right between 20 and 30 vacancies. That’s a good revolving door for them, but I also have two recruit classes coming up for the jail. Those positions will be filled,” Woods said.
Woods also added six new support staff positions, which included: one dispatcher, one intervention specialist (CIS team), one IT employee, one human resources employee, one radio employee and one fleet employee, a mechanic.
Woods said that his budget allowed for a 4% increase in pay for department personnel.
WOODS ANTICIPATES PROVIDING INCREASED TRAFFIC SUPPORT
Woods also wants to add 10 community service specialists (CSS) to help with traffic calls.
Although the Florida Highway Patrol handles traffic accidents in
unincorporated Marion County, Woods told the commissioners he saw the need for his department to play a greater role.
During the budget workshop, he explained that the county’s rapid population growth has led to more accidents and greater demands on law enforcement.
“I don’t need to beat that into the ground, because we know what our growth is,” he said. “If you look at that staffing study that I sent to each and every one of y’all… the experts made it abundantly clear that we sit 108 deputies short currently.”
“One of the biggest complaints, I’m pretty sure you get them, obviously, is traffic and the crashes,” he told commissioners. “One of the things this office has never done is work crashes, but we’re going to be heading in that direction because, truthfully, I’m tired of my citizens having to wait two to four hours for a [FHP] trooper to show up to work a wreck.”
Woods pointed out that deputies often must wait with citizens at accident scenes, sometimes for hours, because the FHP is stretched thin.
“Most of the time, probably about half of those crashes, the deputies are having to sit there with the citizens, whether the vehicles be… not drivable, can’t be moved, or people just don’t want to be left alone with some total stranger,” he said.
The new community service specialists will help fill this gap. While they won’t have the full authority of sworn deputies, they will be able to respond to and manage many traffic accident scenes, freeing up deputies for
other duties.
“Now they don’t get to do, obviously, everything that a sworn deputy does but that does allow them to work a lot of calls,” Woods explained.
The sheriff emphasized that the addition of CSS positions is both a cost-saving measure and a practical response to the county’s needs.
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
BUDGET DISPUTE
The commission and Woods also discussed the cost-sharing arrangement for School Resource Officers (SROs) in local schools—a topic that has become increasingly contentious as budgets tighten.
Woods said private schools in the county are required by law to cover the entire cost of the officer assigned to their campus.
“The private schools pay for the full package,” he said, noting that this includes salary and all associated expenses.
In contrast, the Marion County School District pays only about half the cost of each SRO, with the county commission subsidizing the remaining amount in the sheriff’s budget.
“What I currently charge them is half of what a deputy is,” Woods said, adding that this arrangement was designed to split the financial responsibility between the county and the school board.
Commissioners, however, voiced strong concerns about the fairness of this setup.
Commissioner Kathy Bryant pointed out that the school district now has access to multiple funding sources, including a one-and-a-half mill property tax, a half-penny sales
tax, and impact fees.
“It almost feels like it’s a double dipping to the county commission, for the county commission to have to pay for those school resource officers,” Bryant said.
The school district, however, is restricted from using penny sales tax and impact fees as funding mechanisms for school resource officers, but no one from the school district was at the workshop to correct the record.
Bryant and other commissioners argued that if the county has to pay a portion of the SRO costs, commissioners should be involved in the contract negotiations with the school board.
“It’s a disservice to this board to ask us to pay for something that another entity should be paying for and we don’t even have any—we’re not even involved in the negotiations,” she said.
The sheriff acknowledged the complexity of the issue, noting that there is no consistent funding formula across the state and that negotiations must be handled carefully to avoid prompting the school district to create its own police department—a move he opposes.
As budget pressures mount, the commission signaled that the current arrangement may need to be revisited, with a greater push for the school district to shoulder more of the financial burden for keeping students safe.
As previously reported, MCSO negotiated a lessexpensive contract for 2025-28 that would allow the agency to be the sole provider of SROs for all schools across the district, cutting out Ocala Police
Department and Belleview Police Department.
Ocala Police Chief Michael Balken did not want to lose the contract, explaining that SRO officers in city schools provide valuable crime intelligence to the OPD.
Despite MCSO undercutting the other agencies in cost of SROs, the school district renewed a three-year contract for 2025-28 over $5 million annually to afford all three agencies’ officers.
At the time it was considered, MCSO was supplying 40 SROs and one roamer, OPD supplied 21 SROs and BPD supplied one SRO across school campuses.
Overall jump in public safety costs
Bryant noted the challenge of keeping up with rising expenses, not just for today, but for years to come.
“We’re not just talking about today’s costs, but legacy costs,” she said. “And quite frankly, I feel for commissions who are trying to figure all this stuff out in 15, 20 years, because … I don’t know how our communities are going to keep up with it.”
Commissioner Carl Zalak echoed these concerns, pointing out just how much of the county’s resources are devoted to public safety. “More than 50% of our budgets are all going to public safety,” he stated.
The commissioners also discussed the difficulty of balancing the need for public safety with the financial realities of the county’s other obligations.
“We all have budgets that we are working within,” Bryant said, referencing the strain that public safety costs place on the county’s ability to fund other services.
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTHJUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: FORFEITURE OF: Case Number: 2025CA-1200 One (1) 2013 Hyundai Sonata VIN: 5NPEC4AC0DH795735 Judge: Rogers VIN: 5NPEC4AC0DH795735 ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 2013 Hyundai Sonata VIN: 5NPEC4AC0DH795735 which was seized because said property is alleged to be contraband as defined by Sections 932.701 (2)(a)(1-6), Florida Statutes,
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTHJUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: FORFEITURE OF: Case Number: 2025CA-1421 One (1) 2019 DODGE RAM 1500 REBEL VIN: 1C6SRFET7KN652387 Judge: Herndon ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 2019 DODGE RAM 1500 REBEL VIN: 1C6SRFET7KN652387which 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 June 20, 2025, 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 PROCEED-
-NOTICE OF FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTHJUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: FORFEITURE OF: Case Number: 2025CA-1179 One (1) 1999 Nissan Frontier VIN: 1N6DD26SXXC333273 Judge: Hern-
don ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 1999 Nissan Frontier VIN: 1N6DD26SXXC333273 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 May 23, 2025, 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.
return receipt requested. A complaint for forfeiture has been filed in the above styled court.
INGS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTHJUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: FORFEITURE OF: Case Number: 2025CA-1492 One (1) 2025 Kia Sorento2025 Kia Sorento VIN: KNDRKDJG2S5325002 Judge: Herndon ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 2025 Kia Sorento VIN: KNDRKDJG2S5325002 which was seized because said property is alleged to be contraband as defined by Sections 932.701 (2)(a)(16), Florida Statutes, by the City of Ocala, Division of Ocala Police Department, on or about June 26, 2025, 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: 2024CA-2404 One (1) 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT VIN: 1G1AK18F787264082 Judge: Rogers ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT VIN: 1G1AK18F787264082 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 May 21, 2025, 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.
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: 2025CA-1493 One (1) 2021 Nissan Kicks VIN: 3N1CP5CV0ML496183 Judge: Herndon ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 2021 Nissan Kicks VIN: 3N1CP5CV0ML496183 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 June 27, 2025, 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: 2024CA-2404 One (1) 2023 Mitsubishi Mirage VIN: ML32AUHJXPH001360 Judge: Rogers ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 2023 Mitsubishi Mirage VIN: ML32AUHJXPH001360 which was seized because said property is alleged to be contraband as defined by Sections 932.701 (2)(a)(16), Florida Statutes, by the City of Ocala, Division of Ocala Police Department, on or about May 23, 2025, 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.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
OPEN HOUSE EVENTS
The Community Stages nonprofit performing arts group and the Chelsea Art Center will offer free open house events from Aug. 2429 at the center.
Community Stages is entering its third year in Ocala and the Chelsea Art Center is expanding its community programming. The events are geared toward offering visitors a way to connect with teaching artists, explore theatre and visual arts programs, and discover how art builds confidence, expression and community, the news release noted.
The events are:
• Aug. 24 – Open House Birthday Bash, 3 p.m., celebrate Community Stages’ second birthday with drop-in theatre games, refreshments and opportunities to meet teaching artists.
• Aug. 25 – Palette Pals: Kids Club Demo Day, 4-5 p.m., kids ages 7-12 are invited to sample Chelsea Art Center’s afterschool program with a free acrylic painting class led by Barbara Fife. Aug. 26 – Homeschool Demo Day, noon-1:30 p.m., families are invited to experience PAL (Performing Arts Local) and VAL (Visual Arts Local)—Community Stages’ weekly homeschool offerings. PAL builds acting and storytelling skills, while VAL explores the design side of theatre through costuming, puppetry and scenic design.
Aug. 27 – Adult Theatre – Play Date, 6-8 p.m., ensemble games, improvisation and exploration in a welcoming environment. No experience needed.
• Aug. 28 – Audition Prep Workshop, 5:30-7:30 p.m., youth ages 9–18 can sharpen audition skills and build confidence.
All events take place at Chelsea Art Center, 3305 E. Silver Springs Blvd. Ocala. Registration is encouraged but not required. The venue is ADA-accessible.
To learn more, go to communitystages.org and chelseaartcenter.com
BUSINESS DONATES SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Action Roofing Services, a Florida-based roofing company and member of the Peak Roofing Partners Family of Companies, partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County to host a back-to-school supply giveaway. The Aug. 1 event provided 100 children ages 6-12 and their families with school supplies, along with a celebratory pizza party.
Recent studies show that families spend an average of $586 per child on back-to-school expenses, potentially creating financial strain for many households in Marion County, the news release noted.
“This back-to-school giveaway demonstrates how local businesses can make a meaningful difference in children’s lives,” said Anthony Henderson, director of Ocala Boys and Girls Club, in the release. “When children have the supplies they need, they can focus on learning rather than worrying about what they lack.”
Cast members from Community Stages, from left, Zoe Cox, 16, Robert Skipper, 14, Tyler Ruiz, 18, Charlie Overly, 13, Lilly Gonzalez, 16, Trinity Gori, 16, and Caroline Overly, 10, rehearse a scene from one of their folktales at the Chelsea Art Center in Ocala on March 21, 2024. [File art by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Unpacking Florida’s immigration trends − demographers take a closer look at the legal and undocumented population
By Matt Brooks Assistant Professor of Sociology, Florida State University Karin Brewster Professor of Sociology, Florida State University
Immigration has dominated recent public discourse about Florida, whether it be the opening of Alligator Alcatraz, a migrant detention facility in the middle of the Everglades, or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declaring an “immigration emergency” for the state that has lasted more than two years.
As demographers – that is, people who count people – we’ve noticed that this conversation has proceeded largely without the benefit of a clear description of Florida’s immigrant population.
Here’s a snapshot.
HOW MANY IMMIGRANTS ARE IN
FLORIDA?
We used data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics and the American Community Survey, conducted annually by the U.S. Census Bureau. Homeland Security provides estimates of the state’s undocumented population and annual counts of authorized arrivals. Census data allow us to describe the social and economic characteristics of Florida’s immigrant population.
In 2023, the most recent year for which the Department of Homeland Security provides publicly available data, an estimated 590,000 immigrants without legal status were living in Florida. This is the third-largest population of immigrants without legal status in the U.S., behind California and Texas. But in contrast to those two states, the number of immigrants entering Florida illegally has been shrinking since 2018.
On the other hand, DHS data points to recent growth in Florida’s population of immigrants with legal status. This represents a rebound from declines between 2016 and 2020.
In 2023, Florida welcomed 72,850 residents from outside the country. This is just 0.3% of Florida’s population that year. About 95% of these new Florida residents were admitted as lawful permanent residents, or green card holders. The remainder entered as refugees (3%) and people granted asylum (2%).
For comparison, U.S. Census Bureau estimates suggest roughly 640,000 people moved to Florida in 2023 from other states.
WHO MAKES UP FLORIDA’S IMMIGRANT POPULATION?
The American Community Survey data tells us even more about Florida’s immigrant population. The survey estimates that 4,996,874 foreign-born individuals lived in Florida in 2023, up from 3,798,062 in 2013. These numbers include those who are in the U.S. legally and illegally and encompass both recent arrivals and long-term residents.
In 2023, about 22% of Florida residents – and nearly 7% of Florida children – were immigrants. An additional 29% of Florida children have at least one immigrant parent.
According to the American Community Survey, nearly half of Florida’s immigrants were born in Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia or Mexico. Despite being born elsewhere, Florida’s immigrants in many ways resemble other Floridians: About 20% hold a bachelor’s degree, compared to 22% of nonimmigrant Floridians, and 13% of both groups have a graduate degree. Nearly all Florida immigrants, 89%, speak English, and the majority, 57%, are naturalized citizens.
Immigrants make up a disproportionate share of Florida’s workforce, particularly in essential sectors of the state’s economy. They account for more than 47% of Florida’s agricultural workers, 41% of hotel workers and 35% of construction workers. Florida immigrants also work in sectors that many might not consider to be “immigrant jobs.” They constitute 33% of child care workers, 21% of school and university employees and 27% of the health care workers.
Across all sectors, immigrants have lower unemployment rates than nonimmigrants.
Although available data cannot tell us the extent to which these numbers are bolstered by undocumented immigrants, the importance of Florida’s immigrants for the state’s economy is undeniable. Florida’s population is growing at a faster rate than any other state in the country, boosted by people moving in from abroad and from other states. This growth both reflects and feeds the state’s economic vitality. Between 2019 and 2024, Florida’s GDP grew twice as fast as the nation’s as a whole. Is Florida experiencing an “immigration
emergency”? That’s for politicians to decide. Our research suggests that policies that discourage new arrivals or encourage – or force – migrants to leave could jeopardize Florida’s robust economy and the well-being of its population. This
STATE BOARD EYES ALACHUA SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR
The State Board of Education next week will consider taking action after a widely publicized controversy about a social-media post by Alachua School Board Chairwoman Sarah Rockwell following the death of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan. Rockwell posted on Facebook, “Oh did Hulk die? I didn’t even know. Good. One less MAGA in the world.” She later deleted the comment and apologized, but the issue caused an uproar during a July 31 school board meeting. An agenda item for the State Board of Education’s Aug. 20 meeting said the panel will consider “probable cause for noncompliance with legal protections regarding parental freedom of speech” linked to the July 31 Alachua County meeting. “Chairwoman Sarah Rockwell of the Alachua County School Board posted disparaging remarks on social media celebrating the death of Hulk Hogan because of his political views,” the state board agenda item said. “At a subsequent Alachua County School Board meeting, Chairwoman Rockwell permitted law enforcement to threaten a parent with removal because of political views expressed by that parent.” The state board will meet at St. Johns River State College in St. Augustine.
HEMP INDUSTRY SEEKS ‘CLEAR RULES OF THE ROAD’
As part of a years-long effort to keep intoxicating hemp products away from children, Florida regulators on Wednesday held a workshop to take comments on a proposed rule aimed at defining what a “cartoon” means on packaging of gummies, sodas and other items. The proposed rule seeks to carry out a 2023 Florida law that prohibits hemp products from being “attractive to children,” which includes restrictions on products shaped like “humans, cartoons, or animals.” The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ proposal would define a cartoon as “any drawing or other depiction of an object, person, animal, creature, or any similar caricature” that meets certain criteria, including “the use of comically exaggerated features,” the “attribution of human characteristics” to animals, plants or other objects, or the “attribution of unnatural or extra-human abilities, such as imperviousness to pain or injury, X-ray vision, tunnelling at very high speeds, or transformation.” Hemp industry officials say that, while they welcome regulation, the state law is too vague and has led inspectors to inconsistently deeming products off-limits. Images on such products must be covered with stickers or, in some instances, taken off the shelves permanently, an expensive and time-consuming process. At Wednesday’s workshop, Jeremy Sherman, co-founder of Texas-based Bayou City Hemp Co., suggested the department create a “preclearance” process, as some other states have adopted, to give more certainty to the industry. “What we’re asking for today are clear rules of the road and ways to check our work before we invest. … Arbitrary, after-the-fact enforcement, especially when it’s trusted retailers in the state of Florida, creates a ripple effect that punishes the companies trying to play by the rules and rewards fly-by-night operators,” said Sherman, whose company makes THC-infused beverages. Li Massie, an attorney who represents several hemp industry operators, pointed to part of the proposed rule that would ban “comically exaggerated features, which she said “could apply to almost any image” without further definition. The department will accept comments on the proposal rule for 10 days and could hold another workshop after publishing a final rule.
COURT BACKS APPRAISER IN PROPERTY TAX FIGHT
An appeals court Wednesday sided with the MiamiDade County property appraiser’s office and the Florida Department of Revenue in a dispute about whether a commercial property had to be reassessed after 50 percent of its ownership was transferred. The
ruling by a three-judge panel of the 3rd District Court of Appeal dealt with a state law that prevents assessed values of non-homesteaded properties from increasing more than 10 percent a year. Under the law, however, properties are reassessed at “just value” if ownership or control changes. The ruling said Richard and Barbara Zeeman in 2021 transferred their 50 percent ownership in a commercial property to Carsco Group, LLC, through a quit-claim deed. The other 50 percent was owned by Piper Industrial Complex, LLC. The county property appraiser’s office said the property needed to be reassessed to reflect just value after the transfer. But Carsco Group and Piper Industrial Complex disputed that the 50 percent transfer constituted a “change of ownership or control” that would trigger reassessment, according to Wednesday’s ruling. A circuit judge agreed with the property owners, but the appeals court overturned that decision after parsing the wording of the state law. “We hold that the transfer of the property at issue constituted a qualifying ‘change of ownership or control’ as that term is defined (the law), thus rendering inapplicable the 10 percent assessment limitation, and requiring the property to be reassessed,” said the 16-page ruling, written by Judge Kevin Emas and joined by Judges Bronwyn Miller and Alexander Bokor.
ALBRITTON, SIMPSON TO TOUT FOOD PROGRAM
Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson are expected this week to tout a new program that involves buying and distributing fresh food products to help people who are “food insecure.” Albritton said Monday during a Hardee County legislative delegation meeting that he and Simpson will hold a news conference Thursday about the “Farmers Feeding Florida” program. Albritton said lawmakers this year approved $38 million for the program, which is administered by the Simpson-led Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. As an example, Albritton said the program has bought truckloads of milk from dairy farms. He said farmers, at least in some cases, would otherwise dump milk on the ground.
“As I have traveled around the state, and it doesn’t matter if the folks that I’m talking to are Republicans, if they’re Democrats, NPAs (no-party affiliation voters), independents, farmers, architects, chamber of commerce, it doesn’t matter. I have never seen any topic that generates the amount of passion and the amount of empathy and the amount of want-to-help like solving food insecurity in Florida, especially for children,” Albritton said.
CITIZENS POLICY COUNT INCHES UP
The state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. added more than 600 policies last week as it continues to slowly grow. Citizens had 783,344 policies on Friday, up from 782,728 policies a week earlier and 781,467 policies two weeks earlier, according to data posted on its website. The policy count has gradually increased in recent weeks amid a pause in a “depopulation” program aimed at shifting customers into the private market. The pause is linked to hurricane season, with the depopulation effort expected to pick up again this fall. Citizens had 820,882 policies in June before a depopulation round. Citizens, which was created as an insurer of last resort, became Florida’s largest property insurer in recent years because of problems in the private market. State leaders have long sought to hold down the number of policies in Citizens, at least in part because of risks if Florida gets hit by a major hurricane or multiple hurricanes.
GENERAL REVENUE TOPS PROJECTION
General revenue tax collections in June slightly topped a projection, as consumers continued to make purchases ahead of anticipated tariff impacts. In a report released Friday, the Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic said Florida collected about $4.85 billion in net general revenue in June, $31.6 million more than economists projected in a March forecast. “June collections reflect activity that largely occurred in May and several factors explain the net result, including consumers’ pre-buying of goods in advance of the expected impact of tariffs,” the report said. It was the second consecutive month that economists said revenue collections were affected by people preparing for tariffs that have been a key part of President Donald Trump’s economic platform. General revenue is closely watched because it plays a major role in funding education, health and prison programs. The biggest source of general revenue is sales taxes. A panel of economists known as the Revenue Estimating Conference meets periodically during the year to update projections, which are used by lawmakers in negotiating the state budget. An updated revenue projection is expected to be issued Friday. The June revenue report showed Florida collected $3.099 billion in sales taxes, $192.4 million more than forecast. Earnings on investments came in at $141 million, $34 million higher than predicted. Some other key sources of revenue came in below projections. That included corporate-income tax collections, which totaled $991.3 million, $171.4 million less than forecast.
Expert Care That Gets to the Heart of Your Burn
Some heartburn, also known as acid reflux, is normal. But when it happens often, it may be a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Acid can harm your esophagus, teeth, voice box and lungs and, if left untreated, it can even cause esophageal cancer.
Our expert physicians use comprehensive diagnostic tools to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms and develop a plan that’s right for you — one that relieves your symptoms and helps you enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
Take a free GERD health assessment today. HeartburnExperts.com
People, Places and Things
“Gone donkers”
Once Bonnie Shannon switched from riding horses to donkeys, there was no going back.
By JoAnn Guidry Special to the Gazette
Rose loves her ears scratched, leaning in and gently resting her head on you. She really likes it if you rub the inside of her fuzzy ears too. Think of slipping your hand inside a soft fur-lined glove. And what big donkey ears Rose has, 13 inches from base to tip, all the more for you to scratch.
Maya, Minnie and Nutmeg, Rose’s pasture mates, surround their owner Bonnie Shannon and her visitor, encouraging ear rubbing too. The same scenario plays out in the next pasture, with donkeys Charlotte, Loretta and Hazel, who has the longest ears at 15 inches.
None of the large female donkeys, known as jennets, are being obnoxious, just patiently standing by as they wait for their earscratching turn. They will also settle for you rubbing the soft, yarn-like hair on their foreheads.
The jennets vary in colors from sorrel to dark brown to spotted. Rose, who is registered with the American Donkey and Mule Society, is Shannon’s main riding donkey. Charlotte is Shannon’s superstar obstacle course competition donkey. Minnie is training to become a riding donkey.
Maya, Loretta and Hazel are registered with the American Mammoth Jackstock Association. Loretta is the oldest, at 16, while 3-year-old Hazel is the largest, at 61 inches at her withers and is still growing. Nutmeg, considered a youngster at 4 years old, is 55 inches and may yet reach the 56-inch height requirement for a jennet to be registered with the AMJA.
“Donkeys are very sociable animals, even when there aren’t any treats involved. Most horses, once they realize there aren’t any treats, will just walk away from you back into the pasture,” said Shannon, standing calmly in the center of the jennets gathered around her. “These donkeys will just hang around as long as I stay here. They want to be loved on, and that’s one reason why I love them so much. I tell people that I’ve gone donkers.”
EQUINE JOURNEY
Shannon, a retired dental assistant, wasn’t always a donkey person. Instead, she was initially exclusively a horse person.
“I always liked horses, but didn’t start taking riding lessons until I was 36. Actually, it was my daughter, Rebecca, who first started taking the riding lessons,” explained Shannon, also the mother of Nicholas, Patrick and Amanda. “I was hanging around the barn a lot, so I decided to start taking riding lessons too. And, of course, I loved it. In exchange for extra riding time, I worked at the barn on Sundays, cleaning stalls, feeding and grooming the horses.”
Not long after those first riding lessons, Shannon and her husband, Mike, an optician, bought a five-acre farm in the Atlanta area. Two years later, in late 1996, Shannon bought Levi, her first horse.
“Levi was soon followed by Cooper, Dan and Duke. Mike started riding too and we rode trails all over the southeast,” Shannon said. “When we’d come to Dunnellon to visit Mike’s family, we’d bring the horses so we could ride. In
Bonnie Shannon gives Rose, a Mammoth Donkey, a kiss, as Minnie, a
and Maya, center, an American Mammoth Jackstock Donkey, much on hay from a feed bucket at Spider Oak Ranch near Dunnellon, Fla. on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Bonnie and her husband, Mike, raise the rare American Mammoth Jackstock breed at their ranch. The largest of the donkey breeds, they have their origins in Europe, mainly Spain, and the jacks (males) were bred with horses to produce farming mules. According to the AMJA , which was established in the United States in 1888, the King of Spain gifted George Washington with a jack and two jennets in 1785. This is considered the beginning of the American Mammoth Jackstock being bred in this country.
fact, Dunnellon became our regular vacation spot. So, we started boarding the horses in Dunnellon rather than taking them back and forth.”
In 2014, the Shannons bought the 40 acre-farm they dubbed Spider Oak Ranch in Dunnellon and retired there. The property is replete with numerous large mature live oak trees. The descending branches to the ground of one tree in particular make it look like a giant spider.
“We moved to our Dunnellon farm with five horses, and we just loved being able to ride in the nearby Cross Florida Greenway and Goethe Forest,” Shannon noted. “It was a dream come true.”
Spider Oak Ranch is not only home to the full-sized donkeys, other residents include minidonkeys Dottie, who’s 36, and Olive; Vino, a Bureau of Land Management burro; Baby Beans, an American Shetland pony and Pinky, a mixed-breed minipony; Minnie The Moo, a microHereford cow; Miss Bonnie, a mini-Panda cow, which is a cross between a Belted Galloway and a Hereford; and four mini-goats. Shannon’s retired horses Cooper, Dan, Duke and Fuzzy share a paddock. And there are four Maremma guardian sheepdogs who keep all the animals safe from predators like coyotes.
But even in idyllic settings, accidents can happen. And as any horse person knows, riding comes with its own dangers. Horse people often say it’s not if you’re going to have a riding mishap, it’s when. And Shannon can most certainly attest to that.
“Over the years of riding, I had my share of falls from a horse,” she admitted. “Then it seemed like it was happening a lot and after each fall, more trepidation would set in. And that feeling is not a good one if you’re going to ride horses. You start to anticipate the next fall and that is a very bad thing to do.”
In 2019, Shannon was riding Potter, her big Paint gelding, around her farm and something spooked him.
“I came off and landed flat on my back,” shared Shannon, 68, and a grandmother of five.
“Fortunately, I didn’t break anything, but I had a lot of soft tissue damage. And now I had a whole lot of fear about riding. It took a long time to recover
physically. I didn’t ride for about a year. And I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to ride again.”
CHANGING STEEDS
With time, Shannon began to get that riding bug again, but there was still a lingering fear.
“I wanted to ride again but just couldn’t bring myself to get on another horse. Someone suggested a mule and I bought Nicki,” she said. “But I never did mesh with Nicki and thought I probably needed to find a good mule trainer. That’s how I found Susan Soderberg and went to her Williston farm. I rode her mule but still wasn’t comfortable. I was just about ready to give up when Susan brought out Johnny.”
At 55 inches at his withers, Johnny was a standard large donkey and just what Shannon needed.
“In minutes, I was comfortable enough on Johnny to trot and canter around the arena,” recalled Shannon, smiling at the memory. “We even rode out of the arena onto the farm, and I didn’t have any fear at all. Johnny was so kind, responsive and I just loved his calm donkey demeanor. Unfortunately, Johnny had already been sold. But I knew that day that I wanted a donkey.”
Within a year, Shannon had purchased Boxcar Willie, a standard large donkey like Johnny.
“I rode Willie around my farm first before taking him out on the trails. The more I rode him, the more I realized that donkeys process things mentally differently than horses,” Shannon said. “I realized if Willie and I were really going to be a team, I needed a good donkey trainer.”
Through Facebook, Shannon found Cynthia Fisher, who operates Fisher’s Wild Burros & Mammoth Donkeys in Scotts Mills, Oregon. Fisher is a selfdescribed natural donkmanship trainer who offers private lessons and virtual clinics.
“I contacted Cynthia and paid $20 a month for a private Facebook account where I could participate in her virtual clinics,” Shannon said. “Absolutely, the best $20 a month that I have ever spent. I set up an obstacle course
on my farm. Willie and I began to participate in the virtual monthly competitions and soon we were winning first places.”
As she progressed through her virtual training with Fisher, Shannon began to garner a better understanding and deep appreciation of donkeys.
“Whereas you can drill a horse for an hour to teach them something, you might have to repeat that for several days in a row for it to finally learn it,” Shannon explained. “With a donkey, it’s best to break it down into smaller training sessions. Donkeys retain what you’re teaching them better that way and it makes a lasting connection with them.”
As time went by, Shannon began to see and appreciate the distinct differences between donkeys and horses.
“Donkeys are much more cautious than horses. You can’t manipulate them like you can a horse, let’s say with a treat,” she said. “You have to earn a donkey’s trust over time by what you do and how you treat them. But once you do earn that trust, then you have it for life.”
GOING MAMMOTH
Now that Shannon was into donkeys, Mike, ever the researcher, came across the American Mammoth Jackstock breed. The largest of the donkey breeds, they have their origins in Europe, mainly Spain, and the jacks (males) were bred with horses to produce farming mules. According to the AMJA , which was established in the United States in 1888, the King of Spain gifted George Washington with a jack and two jennets in 1785. This is considered the beginning of the American Mammoth Jackstock being bred in this country.
Shannon said she and Mike will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in September. She recalled when he told her to look into getting an American Mammoth Jackstock and said “that they are supposed to be excellent riding donkeys and that they are rare.”
The Livestock Conservancy agrees with that assessment. The mission of TLC, a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1977, is to protect endangered livestock and poultry breeds from extinction. The American Mammoth Jackstock is classified by TLC as a rare heritage breed with a critical status. The heritage breed designation is given to livestock and poultry breeds raised over generations and bred to maintain specific traits of that breed. A breed is ranked in critical status by TLC if 200 or fewer are registered each year.
Beyond having a verified American Mammoth Jackstock pedigree, the correct height is the primary requirement for registration with the AMJA. Jacks (non-castrated males) must measure no less than 58 inches at the withers while jennets and geldings (castrated males) must measure no less than 56 inches. Adults generally weigh between 900-1,200 pounds. According to the AMJA, solid-colored animals, excluding white, and roans are preferred. Sorrels are the predominant color.
“Rose was my first large donkey. But because her lineage is not all American Mammoth Jackstock, she couldn’t be registered with the AMJA. But now I have three AMJA-registered donkeys in Maya, Loretta and Hazel,” Shannon noted. “My plan is to selectively, sparingly breed them. Then whatever offspring we get will have time to grow up and receive their early training here on my farm. They will stay long enough to be trained to be ridden and/or pull a cart before I find them the best homes that I can.” Shannon also has another mission: “I want to show people that a donkey is a great choice for riding. Ocala is called the Horse Capital of the World, but I want it to be the Donkey Capital of the World too.”
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
Mammoth Donkey, left,
Loretta, an American Mammoth Jackstock Donkey, looks on as Charlotte, left, a Mammoth Donkey, and Hazel, center, an American Mammoth Jackstock Donkey, eat their breakfast at Spider Oak Ranch near Dunnellon, Fla.
Bonnie Shannon rides Rose, a Mammoth Donkey, through the poles at Spider Oak Ranch near Dunnellon, Fla.
Savor a summer fruit salad
Even as summer winds down, there tends to be plenty of time to reap the rewards of backyard gardens and warm-weather entertaining. Refreshing salads are favored at such gatherings, and the interesting pairing of peaches and tomatoes makes the most of these fruits when they’re at their peak. Sweet and savory flavors combine in this recipe for “Peachy Tomato Salad” courtesy of
“The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook” (Rockridge University Press). This delicious side pairs best with grilled fare...
Peachy Tomato Salad (2 servings)
2 Ripe peaches, pitted and sliced into wedges
2 Ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1⁄2 Red onion, thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Toss the peaches, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl. Season to taste. Add the olive oil and lemon juice, and gently toss. Serve at room temperature.
‘Deconstructing Self: Work
Staff report
The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, will showcase the “Deconstructing Self: Work by Seth P. Benzel” exhibit from Aug. 30 to Jan. 4. Opening on the second-floor Preview Gallery, “Deconstructing Self” debuts new works by Ocala-based artist Seth Benzel in the form of two- and three-dimensional paintings and is an exploration of transformation and identity through the lens of abstract painting.
Benzel considers himself a process
painter. Through his work, he is continuously seeking out different ways to express his fundamental and authentic artistic voice. Whether that is expressed through paper, canvas, mixed media, or, most recently, wooden pallets, he feels it all
flows from the same source, according to the news release.
Known for his layered compositions and deconstructive approach, Benzel invites the viewer to see the work in the context of their own unique human experience.
“Every viewer brings their own story to the artwork, and abstract painting allows us to have a different kind of conversation, leading to unforeseen discoveries,” Benzel said in the release. “When we allow ourselves the space to be open, artwork can challenge us to look at our own lives differently.”
Each painting begins intuitively, with
layers of information or emotion. The work is then deconstructed and revised, revealing new possibilities through the process.
“Through this technique I am able to show multiple levels of experience … whether it is spiritual, emotional or transcendent,” Benzel noted in the release. “From a technical standpoint, this means a process that values mistakes and creates work that is fundamentally resolved but still open for interpretation. Aesthetically this means an experience that is transformative and never stagnant. The work keeps changing within the unchanging. This is where art becomes provocative, challenging, and timeless
… when a painting never represents an ending, just another beginning.”
Regular admission fees apply to visit the museum. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month. Benzel will participate in gallery tour and meet and greet events at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sept. 6. as part of Free First Saturday; no reservations are required.
The Appleton Museum, Artspace and store are located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. For more information, go to appletonmuseum.org or call (352) 291-4455.
Through August 17
Fifty Years of Exploration with Ummarid “Tony” Eitharong
Fifty Years of Exploration with Ummarid Eitharong Fifty Years of Exploration with Ummarid Eitharong
Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, noon-5 p.m. 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. | AppletonMuseum.org
“Yellow Composition,” 2016, Seth P. Benzel (American, b. 1975), acrylic, charcoal, oil pastel and pastel on wood. [Photo courtesy Appleton Museum of Art]
“Illuminate,” 2018, Seth P. Benzel (American, b. 1975), acrylic and tape on canvas. [Photo courtesy Appleton Museum of Art]
Seth P. Benzel [Photo courtesy of the artist]
Flor-
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF DENNIS J. WHISLER, Deceased. CASE NO: 2025-CP-1265
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: April 1, 2025. The date of first publication of this Notice is August 8, 2025. The personal representative or curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent, or the decedent’s surviving spouse, is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act, as described in sections 732.216 – 732.228 F.S., applies, or may apply unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211, F.S.
Attorney for Personal Representative: JOSHUA L. MOSES Richard & Moses, LLC Florida Bar No. 119304 808 E Fort King Street Ocala, FL 34471 (352) 369-1300 Primary Email: Josh@RMProbate.com
Personal Representative: APRIL BETHURAM 26823 LakeVue Drive, Apt. 3 Perrysburg, OH 43557
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: 2025CA-1508 One (1) 2021 Toyota RAV4 VIN: 4T3RWRFV3MU049742 Judge: Rogers ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 2021 Toyota RAV4 VIN: 4T3RWRFV3MU049742 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 June 29, 2025, 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
NOTICE UNDER FICTITIOUS NAME LAW PURSUANT TO SECTION 865.09, FLORIDA STATUTES NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Nathan Myers will engage in business under the fictitious name RIPTIDE DIVE SERVICES with a physical address 59 Pine Trace Course Ocala, FL 34472 with a mailing address 59 Pine Trace Course Ocala, FL 34472 and already registered the name mentioned above with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 24CP002756AX DIVISION: PROBATE IN RE: ESTATE OF JUDITH C. WILKENS, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of JUDITH C. WILKENS, deceased, whose date of death was on or about October 1, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, Case Number 24CP002756AX, the address of which is 110 Northwest 1st Avenue, 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 THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DEATH IS BARRED.
The date of first publication of this notice is August 8, 2025.
Brett T. Bradford, Esquire
Attorney for Personal Representative Florida Bar No.: 92276 Bradford Law, PLLC Post Office Box 1073 Fruitland Park, Florida 34731 Telephone: (352) 340-3921 brett@bradfordlawpllc.com
David J. Alves
Personal Representative 129 Kelsey Road Nottingham, New Hampshire 03290
CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION REF NO. 25CP001702AX In re: Estate of FLORA S. KENNEDY, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS (Summary Administration) You are hereby notified that an Order of Summary administration has been issued in the estate of Flora S. Kennedy, deceased, File No.25CP001702AX, by the Circuit Court for Marion County, Probate Division, the address of which is MARION County Courthouse, 110 NW 1st Ave #1, Ocala, FL 34471; that the decedent's date of death was November 27, 2024; that the total value of the estate is $21,000, and the name and address of whom it has been assigned by such order is: THOMAS R. KENNEDY 516 High Knoll Drive Cedarburg, Wisconsin 53012 ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE NOTIFIED THAT: All creditors of the estate of the decedent and persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent other than those for whom provision for full payment was made in the Order of Summary Administration must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE. ALL CLAIMS AND DEMANDS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER APPLICABLE TIME PERIOD, 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 August 15, 2025. Attorney for Thomas R. Kennedy: TERRY J. DEEB DEEB ELDER LAW, P.A. 6699 - 13th Avenue North, Suite 4B St. Petersburg, FL 33710
Ph: #727/381-9800; Fx #727/381-1155
E-Mail: servicekat@deebelderlaw.com
E-Mail: servicedck@deebelderlaw.com
E-Mail: servicejcj@deebelderlaw.com
Florida Bar Number: #997791 Attorney for Thomas R. Kennedy
Person Giving Notice: THOMAS R. KENNEDY 516 High Knoll Drive Cedarburg, Wisconsin 53012
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA
PROBATE DIVISION File No. 25CP001291AX
IN RE: ESTATE OF OLGA V. CHARLES, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of OLGA V. CHARLES, deceased, whose date of death was July 31, 2024, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is P.O. Box 1030, Ocala, Florida 34478. 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. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. 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 August 15, 2025.
Attorney for Personal Representative: NATHAN P. WARREN, ESQUIRE Florida Bar Number: 1054279 N. Warren Law 101 SE 2nd Place Suite 201-E Gainesville, FL 32601 Telephone: (352) 815-6416
E-Mail: npw@nwarrenlaw.com
Personal Representative: WINSTON A. CHARLES 747 Marion Oaks Lane Ocala, Florida 33473
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTHJUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: FORFEITURE OF: Case Number: 2025CA-1177 One (1) 2006 Toyota Scion XB VIN: JTLKT324464117443 Judge: Herndon ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 2006 Toyota Scion XBVIN: JTLKT324464117443 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 May 22, 2025, 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.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF JANICE K. LINDSEY, Deceased. CASE NO: 2025-CP-1956
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: June 25, 2025. The date of first publication of this Notice is August 8, 2025. The personal representative or curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent’s death by the decedent, or the decedent’s surviving spouse, is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act, as described in sections 732.216 – 732.228
F.S., applies, or may apply unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211, F.S.
Attorney for Personal Representative: JOSHUA L. MOSES Richard & Moses, LLC Florida Bar No. 119304 808 E Fort King Street Ocala, FL 34471 (352) 369-1300
Primary Email: Josh@RMProbate.com
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTHJUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: FORFEITURE OF: Case Number: 2025CA-1202 One (1) 2014 Dodge Challenger VIN: 2C3CDYAG2EH282192 Judge: Herndon ALL PERSONS who claim an interest in the following property: One (1) 2014 Dodge Challenger VIN: 2C3CDYAG2EH282192 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 May 24, 2025, 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.
Personal Representative: CLAUDIA F. LINDSEY 8 Holly Lane Branford, CT 06405 Have a legal ad you
Genome sequencing of butterflies resolves centuries-old conundrum
By Jerald Pinson Florida Museum of Natural History
When conditions are just right, organisms can undergo rapid bursts of diversification and what starts out as one species can end up as an entire family tree in the evolutionary equivalent of the blink of an eye.
A new study published in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” shows this is what recently happened to a group of tropical South American butterflies called glasswings, which partially explains why they all tend to look alike and why scientists have historically had such a hard time telling them apart.
“These butterflies have puzzled and exasperated lepidopterists, taxonomists and museum curators for centuries, including me personally for the last three decades,” said study co-author Keith Willmott, a curator at the Florida Museum’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity in Gainesville. “Apparently these species have evolved very recently and hybridized frequently.”
Rapid diversification events can be a headache for the scientists who study them. With so much happening all at once, it can be difficult or impossible for scientists to look back and figure out how everything was connected and which order events took place in.
In the case of glasswing butterflies, dozens of new species evolved within just the span of one to two million years, coinciding with drastic changes in climate that occurred during the Pleistocene ice ages. There were as many as 17 periods of intense cold and glaciation during the Pleistocene interspersed with prolonged stretches of balmy weather.
These chaotic shifts in climate resulted in the diversification of several different groups. Florida scrub mints, for example, were separated and later reunited several times as the state alternately flooded when sea levels rose and resurfaced when they sank. Scrub mints were isolated on islands when the waters were high, during which time many evolved into new species. When the waters were low, scrub mints expanded their distributions until they overlapped, resulting in widespread hybridization.
The same pattern seems to have played out in glasswing butterflies, only instead of being separated by an ocean, they may
have become isolated in patches of forest or on opposite sides of the Andes as changes in rainfall and temperature disrupted their habitats. In other cases, closely related species with similar distributions show a preference for different elevations that now keep them separate.
The authors discovered this by sequencing the genomes of almost all species of two particularly fast radiations of glasswing butterflies to remap their evolutionary trees. Of those species, 10 were sequenced to the gold standard of “reference quality” genomes that are freely available to the research community.
By genetically mapping these butterflies, the team found that
THE FRUGAL TEACHER
six geographic populations were more genetically distinct than previously thought, leading to them being recognized as new species. Also, understanding the species from a genomic perspective enables experts to highlight any visual differences that could be used to identify and track the different species, now that they are confirmed as genetically distinct.
“With this new genetically informed evolutionary tree, and multiple new reference genomes, we hope that it will be possible to advance biodiversity and conservation research around the world and help protect the butterflies and other insects that are crucial to many of Earth’s ecosystems,” said first author Eva van der Heijden, a doctoral student at the University of Cambridge.
Glasswings also played fast and loose with the number and arrangement of their chromosomes. These variations likely fanned the flames of diversification, since any two butterflies with different chromosome configurations would not have been able to produce viable offspring. These sorts of chromosome rearrangements have the potential to produce new species more or less instantaneously.
Rapid radiations tend to produce species that all look very similar as well, which is one of the reasons scientists have had such a hard time classifying glasswings. Species in this group also form complex mimicry rings, which means they look even more similar than they otherwise would.
But the butterflies themselves have a surefire way of recognizing each other.
“Chemical communication is likely to be especially important in butterflies that mimic each other, like glasswings, where recognizing members of the same species based on wing patterns is presumably more challenging,” Willmott said.
Glasswing butterflies feed on certain flowers and withered plants that contain a type of bitter alkaloid that birds find distasteful. They take advantage of this by storing as much of it as they can in their bodies. Birds quickly learn from trial and error which butterflies to associate with the toxin and leave them alone. Different species can reduce their losses by all sharing the same warning color pattern, a natural phenomenon called Müllerian mimicry, so that fewer individuals are attacked as predators learn what to avoid – once a bird learns one species, it will avoid them all. But the alkaloids can also be used to make highly aromatic compounds, and glasswings have evolved a specialized organ to diffuse the scent.
“A defining feature of these butterflies is the presence of a ‘hair-pencil’ on the male hindwing, which resembles a paintbrush and is composed of highly elongate wing scales that disperse scents,” Willmott said.
The authors conducted an analysis of the perfume from three closely related species and found that all of them had distinct chemical profiles. Moths and butterflies, in general, have a keen sense of smell. Indian moon moths, for example, can follow the pheromone trail of a female from several miles away. It’s likely that glasswings rely on their distinct chemical calling cards rather than trying to visually identify potential mates in a sea of similar-looking butterflies.
The study was funded in part by the Wellcome Trust, the Branco Weiss Fellowship, The Royal Society, St. John’s College, the University of Cambridge and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.
To learn more, go to floridamuseum.ufl.edu
Fall camping for less
By Christy Jones Special to the Gazette
Fall is almost here and, if you’re like me, you’re looking forward to evening fires around the fire pit, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, and spending more time outdoors. (Translation: pretending it’s crisp and cool outside while still sweating in shorts because it’s Florida.) It’s also the perfect time of year to consider going camping.
Camping tends to elicit strong reactions—people are either passionate enthusiasts or adamant non-campers. There’s really no middle ground. You’re either the kind of person who owns a bear-proof cooler or the kind who thinks a hotel without room service is “roughing it.” Yet it remains one of the most budgetfriendly vacation options and has become very popular in recent years.
HERE ARE MY TOP TIPS FOR TURNING CAMPING INTO THE CHEAPER VACATION OPTION:
1. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
Careful planning is crucial for a successful camping trip. Booking campsites in advance will save you money every time—and also keep you from explaining to your kids why you’re sleeping in a Walmart parking lot. The cheapest option, by far, is to camp at a state park. In Florida, you can book campsites for anywhere between $16 and $42 per night—and Florida residents over age 65 get 50% off. (Perks of aging:
discounted camping and the right to tell everyone how much gas used to cost.)
Popular state parks like Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine fill up quickly, so it pays to book well in advance. We once booked a camping trip to the Florida Keys a year ahead and paid less than $300 for the entire week. If you’re new to camping, start with a weekend trip to get the hang of it before committing to a full vacation. Start small—just enough to see if your family likes it, or you’ll be Googling the nearest hotel by night two.
2. KEEP IT SIMPLE, ESPECIALLY AT FIRST
There’s no need to buy fancy camping gear and supplies if you’re new to this. Start with the basics: a tent, sleeping bags and a cooler. Grab some chairs,
flashlights and your pillows from home and you’re ready for “car camping,” where you drive to a site and have everything you need in your vehicle. This is hands-down the cheapest and simplest form of camping. You can also borrow gear from friends and family or snag used items from places like Facebook Marketplace. You really don’t need much to camp and it’s smart to see if your family enjoys it before investing in a deluxe solar-powered mosquito-repelling Bluetooth speaker.
3. COOK YOUR MEALS AT THE CAMPSITE
There are so many creative and yummy camping meal ideas out there. A quick Google search will give you everything from campfire nachos to foil-pack pizza (yes, it’s a thing). Keep it simple—there’s
nothing wrong with sandwiches for lunch and easy one-dish meals for dinner. Pro tip: the fewer dishes, the better. You’re camping, after all, so if your dinner isn’t slightly burned and eaten off a paper plate, you aren’t doing it right. Buy your groceries before you leave home or have a grocery order delivered right to your campsite if that’s an option. Pack a cooler with ice for drinks and cold items, and you’ll be all set. Plan each day’s meals and try to avoid eating out too much—it adds up fast, especially if your kids are suddenly “starving” every two hours.
4. LOOK INTO FREE ACTIVITIES
Almost every campground I’ve been to offers free activities and amenities—yes, even for those of us who define “fun” as something that involves air conditioning. They’re usually family-focused, fun and a great way to meet fellow campers (or at least borrow ketchup when you forget it). Try to book a site that offers free things like hiking, swimming or fishing. Before you book, do a quick search for free local attractions or events nearby. Don’t forget to bring board games or a deck of cards for the evenings—because nothing brings a family closer than a game of Uno in the glow of a citronella candle.
I hope you’ll give camping a try this fall. It’s a great way to enjoy the cooler weather, get away for a few days, and spend some quality time outdoors—with or without Wi-Fi (gasp). Just don’t forget the marshmallows. Or the bug spray. Definitely don’t forget the bug spray. And as always, if you want more moneysaving tips from The Frugal Teacher, check out frugalteacherlife.com
Male glasswing butterflies obtain bitter alkaloids from the plants they eat, then use it to create an aromatic fragrance to attract mates. Females get their fragrance strictly from males, so there’s a strong incentive to find one that’s particularly smelly. [Photo courtesy of Keith Willmott]
Embers of Hope Community Day event
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
As part of the inaugural Embers of Hope Burn Camp, the participating children and their family members were treated to a Community Day event at Hale Pumps in Ocala.
The camp ran from Aug. 7 at Lake Swan Camp in Melrose. On the evening of Aug. 8, however, everyone came to Ocala to enjoy a meal, along with facepainting, bounce houses, balloon animals and exploring fire trucks.
Embers of Hope Burn Camp, is an outreach of the Marion County Firefighters Benevolence Fund and is geared to children who have sustained a burn injury. The camp gave the 12 children who were enrolled, ranging in age from 7 to 16, an opportunity to see others with scars and find a sense of acceptance and community, according to Executive Director Rebekah Johnson.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
Jacque Harris, Paul Williams, Bill Bucec, Tina Bucec and Wendy Hutchins, left to right, pose together during the Embers Of Hope Community Day at Hale Products in Ocala, Fla. on Friday, August 8, 2025.
Deja Kilcrease, Kyle Haworth, Rynlee Haworth, 3 1/2 weeks and Nick Glugliotty, left to right. Steve and Rebekah Johnson.
James Lucas, the PIO for Marion County Fire Rescue, left, and Marion County Fire Chief James Banta, right.
Mitavius P, 8, Madison Johnson, 14, Brook D, 13, and Zoie H, 15, left to right.
Alex Heckman, Michael Haworth and Corey Hynes, left to right, all of Marion County Fire Rescue.
Zachary Inderlied, 10, left, and Mason Evans, 6, play together inside one of the bounce houses.
Charlotte Shear, 8, right, gets her face painted by Raven Heller.
Emmanuel Evans, 17, Aniah Latimore, 17, and Leia Latimore, 10, left to right.
Blake Williams, Rebekah Johnson and Rylen H, 16, left to right.
People attend the Embers Of Hope Community Day at Hale Products in Ocala.
Porter Whittenberg, left, and Mitch Painter, right.
Blake Williams, James Lucas, James Cussins and Kevin Mims, left to right, all of Marion County Fire Rescue.
Government
AUG. 18 AND 25
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.
AUG. 19, SEPT. 2 AND 16
Marion County Board of County Commissioners
McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala
9am
The commission meets 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
The commission meets the first and third Tuesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video available at belleviewfl.org/200/agendas-minutes
AUG. 26, SEPT. 9 AND 23
Marion County School Board
1614 E Fort King St., Ocala
5:30pm
The board meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Agendas and minutes are available at go.boarddocs.com/fl/marion/Board.nsf/Public
SEPT. 10
Dunnellon City Council
Dunnellon City Hall, 20750 River Dr., Dunnellon
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
AUG. 20 AND 26
State of the County
Various locations and times
Marion County Commission Chairman Kathy Bryant will speak. The presentations are open to the public and include updates on public safety, roadways, infrastructure, economic development and projects. For details, go to marionfl.org/soc
Arts
AUG. 16
The Great American Soulbook
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
7:30pm Get ready to groove with this high-energy celebration of Motown, R&B and soul music. Featuring choreographed male vocalists, powerhouse female leads and a full band, this show brings the hits of legends like The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross to life. Learn more at reillyartscenter.com
AUG. 16
Mind Magic LIVE Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala
7:30pm
Experience an intimate evening of laughter and amazement with mentalist Joshua Seth, winner of The Magic Olympics at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. He has amazed audiences worldwide, from five international TV specials to sold-out theaters in 40 countries. For ages 12 and older; seating is limited. Learn more at joshuaseth.com/tickets
AUG. 21
Classic Albums Live: Bob Marley – “Legend”
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
7:30pm
Experience rock perfection, where world-class musicians recreate iconic rock albums live on stage. The first half delivers the album in its entirety; the second half rocks the artist’s greatest hits. Learn more at reillyartscenter.com
AUG. 23
Josué Comedy “Soy un Papá Fresita”
Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala
8pm
After a successful tour that visited cities across the United States and Puerto Rico, where he made history by filling the “Choliseo” with a family comedy show, Josué Comedy returns with his stories about a dad, a husband and a Latino “strawberry.” A night of wholesome humor for the whole family. Learn more at ocalacivictheatre.com
AUG. 24
Tasha Robinson: Bach to Zeppelin with 94 Strings!
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
3pm
Experience a one-of-a-kind concert with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s Tasha Robinson as she sings and tells stories through the sounds of ABBA, Bach, and Led Zeppelin—performed on 94-string acoustic and electric harps. Learn more at reillyartscenter.com
THROUGH AUG. 30
“Art of Aging” Gallery of Gratitude” exhibit
Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala
Tuesday- Friday, 10am to 5pm; Saturday 11am to 4pm
Art of Aging is an annual collaborative partnership of Marion Cultural Alliance and Marion Senior Services that celebrates aging through art, stories and education. The alliance invited members of the creative senior community ages 55+ to submit artworks in any medium that relates and interprets this year’s theme. Admission to the gallery is free. To learn more, go to mcaocala.org or call (352) 369-1500.
THROUGH JAN. 18
“The Human Pulse: Photographs by John Elliott”
Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
Community
AUG. 17
Enchanted Evening in Paris
Cotillion
Mary Sue Rich Community Center, 1821 NW 21st Ave., Ocala
4pm This will be the third cotillion for the Dare 2 Be Great mentoring program. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free. To learn more, call the Howard Academy Community Center at (352) 671-4175.
THROUGH AUG. 18
Early “Byrd” Special for the Taste of the Town Charity Fundraiser
Benefitting Estella Byrd
Whitman Community Health Center
Online or by phone
Get early tickets for the event, which will take place Sept. 12 at the Ocala Downtown Market. It will include music and savory samplings of different restaurants and food trucks, and wine and beer vendors. Learn more by calling (352) 875-2226 or go to ebwchc.org
AUG. 27
Careers and Colleges Expo
College of Central Florida Ewers Century Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala
5-7pm
This free event offers high school seniors, transfer students, current college students and
their families the opportunity to explore career paths and talk with more than 60 vendors representing colleges and universities, trade schools and local career opportunities. The expo is part of the Florida School and College Relations Tour and is presented in connection with Marion County Public Schools. For more information, go to cf.edu/events
AUG. 29-30
Ocala Shrine Rodeo
Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2200 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala Gates open 5:30pm Proceeds from the event will help support the Ocala Shrine Club and various youth organizations. This event is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. Learn more at ocalashrinerodeo.com
THURSDAYS THROUGH SEPT. 25
Free Diabetes Self-Management
Classes
Howard Academy Community Center, 306 NW 7th Ave., Ocala
5:30-7:30pm
The Community Home Project, an initiative of the Marion County Hospital District, is hosting the free, eight-week series. Classes are open to those age 18 and older who are prediabetic or diabetic, and those who support someone with diabetes. Attendees will learn to improve eating habits, increase physical activity, monitor blood sugar and related metrics, and prevent complications associated with diabetes. For more information or to register, call (352) 671-4186 or email chp@mchdt.org
SEPT. 27
Fall Arts & Crafts Show Countryside Presbyterian Church, 7768 SW State Road 200, Ocala
9a3m-1pm
The show will feature a variety of handmade items from local crafters and artisans, as well as the popular basket raffle and bake sale. Food and drink will be available at the Country Café. To learn more, call (908) 902-3484.
The exhibit features 42 black-and-white prints from the Ocala-based photographer’s ongoing series, “The Human Pulse,” shaped by his life and travels across 32 countries. His photographs reflect a dreamlike vantage point: floating somewhat above, sometimes even at a great distance, but still connected to the moment. Learn more at appletonmuseum.org
THROUGH SEPT. 1
Blue Star Museums free admission for military veterans
Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
Hours vary
Through Labor Day, the annual Blue Star Museums program will provide free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and up to five family members. Blue Star Museums is a nationwide initiative led by the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and museums across the country. Free admission is available to those currently serving in the United States military, including the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Space Force, as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps and NOAA Commissioned Corps. Eligible participants must present ID. To learn more, go to appletonmuseum.org/visit/ plan-your-visit/blue-star-museums/
SEPT. 6
The Boss Project: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
7:30pm
Experience the power, passion and heartland rock of Bruce Springsteen with the ultimate tribute to The Boss and the E. Street Band. One night only. Learn more at reillyartscenter.com
SEPT. 7
Ocala Symphony Orchestra
- Music Box 1: Joshua and Hannah Mazur
NOMA Black Box, Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
3pm
Join virtuosic musicians from the Ocala Symphony Orchestra and their talented friends for an intimate chamber music experience. Joshua Mazur, baritone, and Hannah Mazur, soprano, present “Grand Moments from Grand Opera: Up Close and Personal,” a program of arias and duets from the operatic masterpieces of Mozart, Bizet, Wagner, Verdi and more. Opera’s wonder lies not only in its grand spectacle — a full stage with orchestra — but in its rich characters and deeply human stories. In this intimate recital, Joshua and Hannah bring these vivid characters to life, revealing the music’s power to illuminate the emotions, struggles and psychology of singing actors at their most expressive. Get details at reillyartscenter.com
SEPT. 14
Phantasmagoria’s Poe, Through the Tales Darkly Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd.
7:30pm Journey with members of the acclaimed Victorian horror troupe as they bring to life the tales and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe. From the haunted stirrings of “The Raven” to the sheer terror of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” from the obsessively plotted revenge of “The Casque of Amontillado” to the bittersweet and lovely longing of “Annabel Lee,” along with a selection of other whimsical, macabre, and terrifying stories and poems, you are invited to celebrate an evening of Poe’s works. There will be a talkback and photo op after the performance. Learn more at ocalacivictheate.com
The Boss and the E. Street Band, a tribute. [Photo courtesy Reilly Arts Center]
Sarah Aschliman and Alicia Trump pose for a photo during the 2024 Charity Taste of the Town fundraiser for the Estella Byrd Whitman Community Health Center. [File art by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
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.
FLEET SLIMY SPRAWL OUTAGE
Answers: Jerry Rice caught 197 TD receptions from several quarterbacks over the — PASSAGE OF TIME
Just ‘gearheads’ having fun
Four local car enthusiasts take part in traveling power tour.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
Four Ocala car enthusiasts survived the recent five-day, 1,000-mile-plus 2025 HOT ROD Power Tour Long Haul, which is billed by the organizer as “the world’s largest traveling car show” and which featured 6,000 entries.
The group included Jose “BarbaCuban” Juarez, Randy Buss, Ken Kirkpatrick and Randy Keuntjes.
“Belly laughs,” was one of the takeaways from the tour for Keuntjes, who rode in the multi state event in a 2024 Lotus Emira with car owner Kirkpatrick. Keuntjes, owner of Eaton’s Beach Sandbar and Grill, said the tour was a “riot…(and) great time.” Kirkpatrick, who oversees restaurants from Orlando to Brunswick, Georgia, with the Sonny’s BBQ company, has made the HOT ROD Power Tour three times. He said the tour is like a fishing or camping trip, but cars are the central focus. He remarked on the “camaraderie” shared by all the car buffs.
According to HOT ROD.com, the 2025 Power Tour began June 9, 2025, at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and traveled to Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois. The caravan wound through Fort Wayne and Monroe, Indiana, on the way to Norwalk, Indiana, and arrived at Summit Motorsports Park on tour closing day, June 13.
Tour rules state that “any year, make and model of car or truck is accepted” and helmet and other safety gear is needed for racing.
Juarez and Buss, both longtime collectible car enthusiasts, friends and northeast Ocala neighbors for 30 years, were two “spark plug” entrants whose fun “grudge match” drag race at Indianapolis Raceway was a reoccurring theme throughout the tour.
Juarez, 62, whose nickname comes from his line of “Florida BarbaCuban Crafted Sauces,” which he markets through Publix Supermarkets, also is an officer with Victory Solutions, an 11-employee consultant firm in Ocala.
Juarez drove a Cameo White 1977 Pontiac Firebird Hardtop Coupe on the tour. The Firebird was purchased four years ago from the California-based original owner, who bought the car in the summer of 1977 through Webster Pontiac in National City, California.
Juarez christened the car Marla Jane in honor of the original owner. He learned of the car through Hemmings Classic Cars. The window sticker, preserved in an album, indicates a price of $6,254.80 including options. The car was originally equipped with a 3.6-liter V-6 Oldsmobile engine.
Juarez said about 500 of the cars entered made the Long Haul, which consisted of stops in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.
The is the third time on the tour for Juarez, who made the run in the late 1990s when the event included a leg from Daytona International Speedway to the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Marion County. He said he and his son, Brock, did the one-day tour back then and they promised each other they would do the HOT ROD Power Tour together again. They did so in 2023.
the
Buss, a realtor with NAI
convertible, which he has upgraded over 12 years. The car’s original 273 V-8 engine, with a two-barrel carburetor, has been swapped out for a 340 V-8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor. It has a four-speed manual shift, Holley fuel injection and classic Cragar Mag wheels.
Buss also owns a 1968 ‘Cuda, which was originally his parents’ car, and another ‘67 ‘Cuda that he uses for parts.
Buss and Juarez ran three onequarter mile drag races at Indianapolis Raceway at the start of the tour and Juarez’s Firebird bested the ‘Cuda in two of the three races.
Buss fabricated a “winner’s trophy” out of spare car parts for Juarez, including a part that resembles a stylized section of the Firebird.
“We do it all for the trophy. The loser makes the winner a trophy,” Juarez said.
To learn more about the annual event, go to hotrod.com/hot-rodpower-tour-2025
Broom Hilda
Heritage Realty, made
2025 tour in his red 1967 Plymouth Barracuda
Randy Buss stands by his red 1967 Plymouth Barracuda convertible and Jose Juarez by his Cameo White 1977 Pontiac Firebird Hardtop Coupe, which they drove on the 2025 HOT ROD Power Tour.
Randy Buss and Jose Juarez show off the trophy Buss created after he lost to his friend in a series of drag races as part of the HOT ROD Power Tour.
