VOLUME 7 ISSUE 39
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Sports coverage Page A10 October 9 - 15 2026
Marion County’s EMS safety net praised by grand jury has funding gap
In transition
Area agencies are working to find ways to continue the services long offered by Marion Transit, through Community Transit Coordinator contractor Marion Senior Services.
Crews respond to thousands of calls that don’t end in an ambulance ride and can’t be billed to Medicare or Medicaid. A local program designed to keep vulnerable residents out of the ER is supported by tax dollars and a grant that lapses every year. By Jennifer Hunt jennifer@ocalagazette.com
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n addition to fighting fires and responding to accident scenes, Marion County Fire Rescue answered about 2,150 lift assist requests and citizen assistance calls in the fiscal year that ended in September — roughly six a day, most of them in the middle of the afternoon. A Marion County crew that takes an 85-year-old man or woman to the emergency room can bill a minimum of $845 plus mileage. A crew that lifts the person back into bed, checks their medications and leaves bills nothing. Last fiscal year, the department made the second choice 2,147 times. “These lift assists are an essential part of our community care,” said James Lucas, MCFR’s public safety information manager. Inside Ocala city limits, two departments respond to every lift assist call. Ocala Fire Rescue, which technically has responsibility to respond to emergencies in city limits, sends a rescue unit staffed at a minimum with two firefighter/EMTs but does not transport. MCFR sends an ambulance with at least two EMT/paramedics in case the patient needs to go. Only one of those units can bill for anything and only if someone is carried out. A single lift assist inside the city, with both agencies responding, costs about $1,400, according to spokespeople for the two departments. That is the arithmetic beneath a program a Marion County grand jury praised in August. In a report filed Aug. 27 concluding that the state agency responsible for protecting Florida’s children and elderly is failing in this judicial circuit, the jurors singled out the local response that includes these paramedics, who they found are often all that stands between vulnerable residents and no help. See EMS safety net, page A6
Marion Transit driver Jeff Porter, right, helps Gladys Lucille Harris, left, get off a Marion Transit bus after taking her back home to Trinity Villas after her shopping trip to Aldi in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2026.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
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ladys Lucille Harris credits Marion Transit with helping her survive through two recent hip replacement surgeries. “Without them, I’d be gone,” she said. Harris, 83, who uses a walker, is one of about 400 people daily in Marion County who depend on The Americans with Disabilities Act equipped Marion Transit buses. The program allows for access to essential services such as doctor’s appointments and dialysis,
getting to work or handling errands like shopping for food. “They’re wonderful,” Harris said during a recent shopping trip about the Marion Transit drivers who help her maintain an independent lifestyle. This reporter and “Ocala Gazette” photographer Bruce Ackerman went along on a “ridearound” with Harris that day. Harris said Jeff Porter, the driver often assigned to her trips, helps with “everything” during her boarding of the transit bus and getting back into her building at Trinity Villas. Harris planned the recent shopping trip with one call to Marion Transit dispatch to set
a pick-up time. The reservation included a two-hour window to shop at Aldi Supermarket on State Road 40 in Ocala and a pre-scheduled return time, which could be changed if needed. Porter had the call that day to pick up Harris. He had details on a computer tablet, which noted that the lift would be needed to assist Harris in getting aboard. Marion Senior Services, a nonprofit that offers a host of services to area seniors, has operated the familiar white and burgundy striped Marion Transit buses for more than 40 years. The Florida statute designated door-to-door ride service covered
about 1.2 million passenger miles in Marion County in 2025, according to Marion Transit literature. The transportation services are open to the general public. Clayton Murch, transportation director for Marion Transit, manages the operation of the fleet. Murch said that in addition to the buses that service preregistered riders daily, Marion Transit operates a Gold Route in the Marion Oaks area and a Blue Route in Dunnellon. He said providing transportation is vital to residents who live in locales in the county known as “food deserts.” See In transition, page A3
Taking guns away Marion County firearm removal orders increased four-fold so far this year. By Jennifer Hunt jennifer@ocalagazette.com
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]
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he Marion County Sheriff ’s Office asked a judge to take away guns from residents 59 times in the first nine months of this year. In no full year since Florida created the power to do so has the agency filed more than 22 such orders.
The Ocala Police Department, the only other agency in the county that can seek the same orders, filed 11 over the same period. That is in line with what OPD has filed every year since 2018. Same county. Same statute. One agency’s use of the law quadrupled; the others did not move. The orders are called risk protection
orders. They are civil, not criminal. A judge who grants one strips a person of every firearm and round of ammunition they own, and of any concealed weapons license, for up to a year. Most of the people named in Marion County’s petitions this year were not charged with a crime. See Taking guns away, page A5
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October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
Kratom crackdown Police chief warns store owners: Check IDs ‘or we’re coming after you.’ By Steve Collins Steve@ocalagazette.com
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ocal law enforcement is cracking down on the sale of kratom to people under 21, having made busts at eight Ocala businesses in September. The first public acknowledgment of the operation came near the end of the Oct. 6 Ocala City Council meeting when Mayor Ben Marciano mentioned an undercover operation at local smoke shops and gas stations. Ocala Police spokesperson Jeff Walczak clarified in an email Wednesday that the operation was carried out on two days in September by the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, which includes officers from the Ocala Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office. “Agents visited 43 licensed locations within the city limits. At eight of those locations, clerks sold specific Kratom products to individuals under 21,” according to the email. The email added that a total of 10 clerks received a notice to appear in court. Kratom is a plant whose chemicals act on the same brain receptors as opioids. Companies now sell lab-made versions, sometimes referred to as “gas station heroin” or “vape shop morphine,” that concentrate one of the chemicals until it acts like a powerful opioid. A “Tampa Bay Times” investigation found that more than 580 people in Florida died from kratom-related overdoses between 2013 and mid-2022. A 2023 state law makes the sale of kratom to anybody under 21 a second-degree misdemeanor that carries up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken said in an interview after the City Council meeting that the operation is ongoing. “Understand that our drug unit operates throughout Marion County, not just Ocala. We’re going to check as many stores as we possibly can to make sure that these operators are following the state law,” Balken said. “If you’re an operator reading the story in the ‘Gazette,’ take note of that, and you better be checking IDs and doing the right thing, or we’re coming after you.” Although Balken has put store operators on notice, those caught up in the sting were whoever was running the cash register and made the sale. However, he said, the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has the ability to sanction business owners whose employees aren’t following the law. “They’re the first line of defense to protect these kids, so yeah, unfortunately, whoever’s making the sale is the
“The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano listens as people speak in opposition to a proposed ban on kratom during the Ocala City Council meeting at City Hall on Dec. 2, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]
one getting charged, but understand the Department of Agriculture is coming in not to go after a clerk, but to ensure that the store owners are complying with state statute,” Balken said. “So, they’ll be dealing with them in short order.” Under a state rule in effect since January 2024, stores must check IDs before every kratom sale and violations can bring fines of up to $5,000 per violation and suspension or revocation of a store’s food permit. The department regulates kratom as a food product and its enforcement has focused largely on 7-OH, a concentrated compound found in some kratom products that the state now classifies as a Schedule I drug when it exceeds a set potency. Inspectors can order stores to stop selling products that contain illegal levels of 7-OH and can fine retailers who sell them. As of June, the department said, it had removed more than 23,000 packages of illegal 7-OH from Florida stores. The department also now requires kratom labels to list their 7-OH content and stores that have not complied face stop-sale orders and fines starting later this month, when a 60-day grace period ends. Marciano said undercover sting operations are part of a larger strategy to deal with kratom. “There’ll be more to come,” Marciano said. “We’re currently working with the attorney general on some things that will be coming out in the next couple weeks and I want to let you know that we are putting a focus on this right now in our community.”
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October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
In transition
the operation of Marion Transit. Marion County has posted a Request for Proposal for the TPO seeking a contractor to replace the current CTC for a four-and-ahalf-year term. ProKel Mobility, a provider in areas including South Florida; Ride I T L, Escambia County’s CTC; and MTM Transportation of Stuart; are among numerous companies that have requested documents for the RFP. The RFP closes Oct. 12. Information is available at marionfl.bonfirehub.com/ opportunities/252483 Marion Transit is funded by a mixture of funds varying by program. Sources include The Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, Florida Department of Transportation, Marion County Board of County Commissioners and rider fares of $2 per one way ride, which can be waived in some cases, according to the workshop presentation.
Continued from page A1 Marion Transit operates buses Monday through Friday and transportation begins as early as 5 a.m. and concludes usually by 7 p.m. Dialysis patients with early, late or Saturday appointments may make special arrangements. Limited service is available on major holidays.
RESHAPING SERVICES
Now, due to increased liability insurance costs and concerns about high liability exposure, Marion Senior Services has announced they plan to cease offering the Marion Transit service by December. Marion Senior Services Executive Director Jennifer Martinez wants the nonprofit to focus on its mission of many vital services provided to seniors, disabled and disadvantaged persons, including the Meals on Wheels program and in-home support. Martinez is concerned about the risk of a major liability lawsuit against Marion Transit, which could cripple the work of Marion Senior Services. “Liability insurance costs have tripled over the last two years,” Martinez said. Recent reports have stated that Marion Senior Services was paying upwards of $1.3 million for liability insurance to operate Marion Transit. Marion Transit is designated by Florida statute to serve the “transportation disadvantaged” or those who are disabled, 60 or older, meet low-income qualifications, cannot drive or have no other transportation option, according to a recent presentation at an Ocala /Marion County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) workshop aimed at setting a procedure to put a new Community Transit Coordinator (CTC) contractor in place in the county. The workshop included reasons why a ride provider for the transportation disadvantaged is needed “Florida remains largely a cardependent state, particularly in rural
A Marion Transit bus stops to pick up a rider in Ocala.
RIDER REVIEWS
Eric Davis, 52, said he “lost a leg” due to a blood clot. He has a routine pre-scheduled 5 a.m. Marion Transit pick-up for a door-to-door ride from his Ocala home to a kidney dialysis center on southwest State Road 200. “Marion Transit made it easier and there’s no stress,” Davis said. Timothy Murphy, 78, has a two-way trip pre-scheduled three times weekly for a ride from his home in a southwest Marion 55-plus community to a kidney center on southwest State Road 200. Murphy lives alone and has no other transportation. “I don’t know where I’d be without Marion Transit,” he said.
Gladys Lucille Harris takes a ride back home on a Marion Transit bus after her shopping trip to Aldi in Ocala on Sept. 16, 2026.
Marion Transit driver Jeff Porter.
communities where fixed-route transit is limited or unavailable,” part of the presentation stated. Additional reasons cited included housing costs forcing residents to live further away from jobs and healthcare, aging of the population and more residents are living with physical, developmental or cognitive disabilities that limit their ability to drive independently.
Each of Florida’s 67 counties has a designated CTC, the local service organizer, set for five-year periods, the presentation noted. In 2024/25, 24 counties served as CTCs and 26 were private nonprofits like Marion Senior Services. The CTC is overseen by a designated agency in each county. Locally, the TPO provides oversight. Options put forth in the TPO workshop to replace the CTC included having the county take over
For more information: Marion Transit, mariontransit.org, 352620-3071 Marion Senior Services, marionseniorservices.org, 352-620-3501 Ocala-Marion County Transpiration Planning Organization, ocalamariontpo. org, 352-438-2631 Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
WWW.FAFO.ORG
“ R AC H I DA” BY F E AT U R E D A RT I S T J U S T I N A L S E D E K
OCTOBER 24-25, 2026 | DOWNTOWN OCALA
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October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
“Ocala Gazette” Q&A with candidates for school board
This is the third week in a four-week project to ask questions of and hear responses from those seeking office. Staff report
kindergarten paraprofessionals in ALL of our classrooms. I have also supported the expansion of our career and technical education programs on all of our campuses, elementary-high school, which give students hands-on learning environments at their zoned school. Both of these priorities are funded from the 1 Mill Referendum. This November voters will be asked again to renew this initiative which will allow the board to continue the expansion of these initiatives, focusing on Early Learning and the expansion of Career and Technical Education, along with other areas encompassed in the voter approved language. One area we need to continue to watch closely and fund less is our purchased services. This is our third largest expenditure category at $136 million and has shown increases mostly due to the cost of contracts. I will continue to work closely with district leadership to analyze these contracts and determine if they are directly improving student outcomes, if the rates are aligned with surrounding districts, could we hire these positions in-house to save money and if we discontinued these services tomorrow, would our students notice? Questions like these need to continue to be asked. Sarah James *** The previous question touches on this one as well. I believe the data shows that school consolidation is the best step forward with our district. So, plainly speaking, the tradeoff for me would be school consolidation that results in a lessened administrative cost. This could result in a substantial and sustainable spend adjustment. Mike Mills
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here are two candidates running for school board seat four, Mike Mills and Brigitte Smith. There are two candidates running for seat five, Donald “Donny” Barber and incumbent Sarah James. The “Gazette” will email a different question each week to all of the candidates, for a total of four questions over four weeks. The candidates are given a week to respond in writing and we do not edit their answers except if it applies to AP Style Rules. The answers are presented in the order in which they were received.
QUESTION THREE: Name one thing in the current Marion County School budget you would fund more and one you would fund less, with the tradeoff stated plainly.
*** Funding for public education has increased about 1%, year over year, from the state since I was elected. However, inflation has been, on average, 3.5% a year since 2022, yielding a combined 14+% increase in the cost of goods. Balancing these two dichotomies has been a challenge that the current board has had to tackle. I have led many of the complex conversations. The task has consistently been, how do we fund our top priorities better, with less, while also keeping students’ needs as the top priority? One thing I will continue to prioritize and fund more is our educators. When I got onto the board, I immediately advocated for the reinstatement of
Brigitte Smith and Donald Barber did not reply by the stated deadline.
Marion County’s $1.7 billion budget approved The budget reflects staffing increases, particularly within the realm of public safety.
By Jennifer Hunt jennifer@ocalagazette.com
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he Marion County Board of County Commissioners has adopted a $1.736 billion total budget for fiscal year 20262027. Commissioners noted that the new tax rate remains among the 10 lowest in Florida. The budget sets the countywide millage rate at 4.28 mills, or $4.28 per $1,000 of taxable property value after exemptions. That is up from 4.02 mills last year, as county government expands to serve a growing population. The overall budget divides funding between $1.174 billion for countywide operations and $561.96 million for noncountywide entities. Countywide operations fund services that benefit all residents, including constitutional offices, the court system and general county administration through General Fund property taxes. In contrast, non-countywide funds cover localized or fee-based services, such as fire rescue, the Law Enforcement Municipal Service Taxing Unit, county water utilities and solid waste disposal, which are supported through
targeted district taxes and user fees rather than general property tax dollars.
TAX RATE AND REVENUE SHIFTS
Property owners will see higher county tax bills. Commissioners raised the General Fund millage rate from 3.09 mills to 3.35 mills. They had proposed 3.49 mills during summer budget workshops and lowered it before final adoption. The Fine and Forfeiture rate (0.83 mills) and the Health Unit rate (0.10 mills) did not change. The new rate is onehundredth of a mill below the 4.29-mill rate the county levied in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Last year, commissioners lowered the rate to 4.02 mills by shifting $7.8 million in one-time interest earned on federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds into the General Fund. At the time, Budget Director Audrey Fowler and Clerk of Court Gregory Harrell cautioned against using one-time revenue for recurring expenses. Countywide taxable property values grew 9.8%, from $38.13 billion to $41.88 billion. Combined with the higher rate,
General Fund property tax collections are budgeted to rise from $111.93 million to $133.27 million, an increase of $21.34 million, or 19.1%. Across all countywide levies, estimated property tax receipts rise from $145.62 million to $170.27 million. Rates for non-countywide districts, including the Law Enforcement MSTU at 3.72 mills and the Fire Rescue and EMS MSTU at 1.11 mills, were unchanged.
DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS AND NON-PROFIT FUNDING
The adopted budget maintains key contracts for external economic development agencies while adjusting funding for other local nonprofits. The Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership received $300,000, continuing its existing contract for services. The Small Business Development Council received a $5,000 inflation adjustment, raising its funding to $185,000 to support consulting staff and rural outreach. Other nonprofit funding includes $175,000 for the Early Learning Coalition, while Marion Senior Services Transit saw its funding adjust to $1.56
million following the expiration of one-time grant allocations. To close an initial $27 million General Fund shortfall identified during summer budget workshops, county officials made significant operational adjustments. The largest single operational reduction came from the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office jail transfer line item, where operating expenses dropped from an initial proposed draft of $31.38 million to $26.26 million. We think the $5.11 million decrease was achieved after removing an initial placeholder following successful vendor negotiations for inmate medical services provided historically by the Heart of Florida Health Center. However, we have not been able to confirm this since the MCSO has not responded to our Sept. 18 records request.
STAFFING AND HEADCOUNT EXPANSIONS
The budget reflects staffing increases, particularly within the realm of public safety. The Board of County Commissioners budgeted 2,058.84 total full-time equivalent positions for the upcoming fiscal
year, up from 1,968.59 positions in the previous budget. Public safety drives the bulk of new hiring, with Fire Rescue and Emergency Medical Services adding 81 new positions. That includes 40 new paramedics and emergency medical technicians to staff new ambulance units and 41 new firefighters. Outside of public safety, general county departments added 10 new positions in areas such as fleet management, utilities, animal services, building safety and veterans services. Separate from the county commission staff, the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office employs 1,147 total staff members according to recent roster records. That total includes 734 sworn officers and 411 non-sworn civilian personnel working across law enforcement, detention and support divisions. As previously reported, this year’s MCSO budget added 27 patrol deputies and three civilian support positions under the Law Enforcement MSTU budget, alongside 10 detention deputies at the jail. To learn more, go to marionfl.org
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October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
Taking guns away Continued from page A1 Seventy petitions were filed countywide between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1. The “Ocala Gazette” examined the 64 filed through Aug. 31 — every sworn petition, docket and available final order. The single largest category was not a threat to anyone else. In 26 of those 64 cases, the danger the deputy or officer described was to the person’s own life.
WHERE THE LAW CAME FROM
Florida created risk protection orders three weeks after the Parkland shooting. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, signed March 9, 2018, added Section 790.401 to state law. Only a law enforcement officer or agency can file a request. A family member who fears a relative is about to kill themself cannot petition on their own; he or she has to persuade a law enforcement officer to do it. The process runs in two stages. First, the agency asks for a temporary order. A judge can grant it the same day, without the person being present or notified, based only on the sworn petition. The person’s guns can be taken away before they can object. Next, the court holds a final hearing, which the statute requires to be held within 14 days. There, the agency must prove its case by clear and convincing evidence, a demanding standard that is higher than a civil case but lower than the criminal standard. If the judge is satisfied, the final order runs up to 12 months and can be renewed. Possessing a firearm while an order is in effect is a third-degree felony. The person may file one written request for a hearing to vacate the order and another after each extension. Two things the statute does not provide: a lawyer and a record. Florida gives no right to appointed counsel in these cases and nothing requires the court to record the hearing. A bill that would have given indigent respondents a lawyer, House Bill 1455, cleared a House subcommittee in February of this year and died in another on March 13. A similar proposal failed in 2024. On the same day in March, a separate bill to repeal the law outright, House Bill 6029, also died in committee.
WHAT THE PETITIONS DESCRIBE
The people named in Marion County’s petitions this year range in age from 19 to 95. The median age was 42. Five people were 80
or older, seven were under 25. In 26 of the 64 cases, the sworn petition describes a person in a suicidal crisis. A 90-year-old Ocala man fell on the floor of his home and asked a neighbor to hand him the firearm from his kitchen table, according to the petition. “Just pass me the gun I’m gonna kill myself,” the officer wrote that the man said. He also said he was going to go home with his wife, who had died about a year earlier. An 80-year-old man called a veteran’s hotline after his own wife died. He told the operator she was the only thing that had been keeping him alive and that he had firearms, and enough of them. The petition notes he has PTSD. A man described in the petition as a former firefighter told deputies he had seen too many people die and wanted to die himself. He had never been formally diagnosed with any mental illness. He had called the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline more than once. A 21-year-old called 911 after shooting himself in the leg. A 76-year-old put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. The gun jammed. A man held a handgun to his head in the Ocala National Forest while deputies watched and they heard a click consistent with a dry fire. Asked whether he had pulled the trigger, he told them he was not sure, because everything happened so quickly. Some of the cases involve children who saw a troubling incident. A mother told her daughters, ages 12 and 15, that she had no reason to live, then went out to her car with a handgun. The girls heard a shot and ran outside to see whether she was dead. Another man put a pistol to his head in front of his wife and their 3-year-old child. In a third case, a daughter physically stopped her father from pulling the trigger. In one Ocala case, the petition records that the man had already sold his gun — because, he told an officer, he was going to use it to kill himself. He had sold his vehicle for the same reason. His sister had gone into his car and removed a firearm on her own. OPD sought the order anyway, and it was granted. Twenty-six of the 64 petitions record that the person was also taken for an involuntary psychiatric examination under the Baker Act. That points at something the risk protection order file does not show. Marion County’s courts opened 2,617 mental health cases
between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1 of this year. Risk protection orders were 70 of them — 2.7%. Of the rest, 2,471 cases show nothing in the clerk’s online system but a case number: no date, no type, no parties. The clerk’s office identifies these as confidential mental health matters without specifying what kind. The firearm removal orders referenced in this story are a thin, visible slice of a much larger body of court business involving people in crisis, nearly all of which the public cannot see.
THE DOMESTIC CASES
Ten of the 64 petitions describe violence or threats against a current or former partner as the main reason for the filing. Another four reference a partner somewhere in the case without it being the central allegation — 14 in all, about 22%. That is close to, and slightly below, what researchers found across Florida. A 2025 study in the “Journal of Interpersonal Violence” coded a random sample of the state’s first 2,406 risk protection order cases and found 26% described threats or violence against an intimate partner. A fifth of those involved someone already under a domestic violence injunction. In one case, the petition described a woman firing a round over her boyfriend’s head after a fight, according to the petition. They had been together four years. In another, a man was arrested in May for battery on his spouse. Six weeks later he texted her, “You are the reason, goodbye.” During a phone call she told deputies she heard what sounded like a firearm being racked, then a loud bang. Another man put a gun to his head during an argument with his wife, told her he would have a shoot-out with police if anyone called them, then drove off with the weapon. Deputies found him later during a traffic stop, still holding it. In one case the petition quotes the respondent telling a woman in the house: “If I kill you, I will get away with it because of my PTSD.” The mix matters because of what the MCSO changed last fall. On Oct. 27, 2025, the agency revised its domestic violence policy to require deputies to administer the state’s new lethality assessment — a 12-question screening instrument the Legislature mandated in 2024 and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued in July 2025. Officers statewide had until
PREMIER HEARING SERVICES IN FLORIDA
Oct. 1 to complete the training. That instrument is built for intimate partner violence. If it were driving Marion County’s increase, the domestic cases should dominate the caseload. They do not. The suicide cases outnumber them nearly three to one.
ALMOST NOTHING GETS TURNED DOWN
It is also worth saying what the number does not prove. A high grant rate can mean a court is not scrutinizing petitions. It can equally mean agencies are only filing the cases they expect to win. The one case anyone backed away from this year is the only evidence in the record of either agency making that calculation, and it came from the OPD, not the MCSO.
Of the 64 petitions filed through Aug. 31, 63 ended in a final order taking the person’s firearms. Circuit Judge R. Gregg Jerald signed all of them. Six more were filed in September; three of those cases remain open. The one exception was not a rejection. In May, the OPD asked to withdraw a petition it had filed a week earlier against a 25-yearold man. Jerald treated the request as a voluntary dismissal under the civil rules and closed the case. He made no finding about the man. The underlying facts included a fight with his wife over alleged infidelity, the petition said. The man took a handgun from the top of his closet and held it to his temple, threatening to shoot himself, while she watched. Asked what changed, City Attorney William Sexton said his office was concerned about meeting the clear and convincing standard at the final hearing. He volunteered that the concern was not the threat the man posed and not the conduct of the officers involved but the other evidence that would have come in at the hearing. That is a lawyer looking at the same judge and concluding he might lose his case. How that compares Florida courts grant these orders at a high rate everywhere. The question is how high. Researchers who reviewed the state’s first 4,695 risk protection order cases, filed between March 2018 and June 2020, found that 89% of final petitions resulted in final orders. County-level figures reported to the Office of the State Courts Administrator in the law’s first year showed wide variation: Pinellas County granted 223 of 228 final orders, while Polk County denied 23 of 233. Marion County’s figure is higher than the statewide benchmark, and it is measured more strictly. The 89% includes petitions that reached a final hearing. The “Gazette’s” count is every petition filed — including those withdrawn, dismissed, or resolved before a hearing. On that stricter basis, Marion granted 98%.
The law did not change. The Legislature left Section 790.401 exactly as it was. What changed was inside the MCSO, and it happened in two steps. On Sept. 18, 2025, MCSO revised its risk protection order policy. The standard for seeking an order did not move, that section is word for word what it was in 2020. What the revision added was a timer. Once a deputy finishes the paperwork, a supervisor now has 24 hours to approve it and get it to the agency’s lawyers. There was no deadline before. The duty to notify the staff attorneys also moved up a rank, from the deputy to the approving supervisor. MCSO’s written criteria say a risk protection order is more likely to be sought when a person poses a danger to third parties “as opposed to only themselves.” Of the orders it sought this year, 41% involve someone whose danger, as the agency’s own deputies described it, was to themselves. The OPD operates in the same county, before the same judge, under the same statute, and it revised its own risk protection order directive in the same six-week window last fall. Both agencies cite the same state accreditation standard, which likely explains the timing of both reviews. However, OPD’s filings did not change. On paper, the OPD has a screening step the MCSO does not. OPD’s directive said if the staff attorney is unsure whether to seek an order, the question goes to the police chief and the department decides. Asked how often the OPD has declined to file one an officer requested, Sexton said he is not aware of any escalated to the chief and not one that was refused. He noted officers call his office for advice before things get that far and those conversations leave no record. MCSO also would not answer any questions about the uptick in filings despite repeated outreach to the department’s attorney who files the petition, Kristi Van Vleet.
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A6
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
$209 MILLION AND WHY IT STOPS SHORT OF OCALA
EMS safety net Continued from page A1 The funding for that local effort hangs in a precarious balance every year. Whatever happens with billing, the fire departments absorbing the cost may soon have less ability to absorb the hits. A proposed constitutional amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot would raise Florida’s homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, applying only to non-school property taxes — the levies that fund fire departments, emergency medical services and county government. That is the money paying for nearly every city lift assist since that agency cannot bill for service. Ocala Fire Rescue’s Chris Hickman, who oversees the Ocala program, said he is concerned that fire departments elsewhere in Florida might shut their paramedicine teams down. “They’re actually probably going to be shutting programs down throughout the state because of the tax issues that are about to come up,” he said.
WHAT IT COSTS AND WHO PAYS
Ocala Fire Rescue’s community paramedicine team is two people. It runs, according to the captain who built it, on less than $400,000 a year — salaries, benefits, vehicles, equipment and fuel included — in a county of 442,660 residents where nearly 30% are 65 or older. MCFR has seven community paramedics among more than 800 employees. That means nine people, for the county. The money that started the initiative came from AdventHealth Ocala. The hospital initially paid $200,000 a year to OFR alone, but when MCFR started its own team, the two agencies split the funding. Sara Russell, a spokesperson for AdventHealth, praised the local team and indicated that although the annual contract is currently lapsed, it’s expected to renew as it has every year. The community paramedicine program does not respond to the continuing needs of seniors alone. A behavioral health counselor is also involved and that position belongs to Marion Senior Services. The counselor’s salary, Executive Director Jennifer Martinez said, comes through LSF Health Systems — the managing entity that administers behavioral health dollars in this region under contract with the Florida Department of Children and Families. DCF is the agency the grand jury concluded in August was failing catastrophically to protect the county’s children and elderly.
WHY THERE IS NO BILL
The reason a fire department cannot charge for keeping someone out of a hospital is structural, and it is national. “All EMS is geared around transport,” said Dr. David Willis, an Ocala family physician and chief medical information officer of CommunityHealth IT, a nonprofit that received four awards totaling $43.7 million — about a fifth of Florida’s $209.9 million firstyear rural health transformation allocation — to expand rural health services including community paramedicine. An ambulance service is paid when it carries a patient to a hospital. Solve the problem in the living room and it is paid nothing, while the savings land somewhere else. “An EMT or a community paramedic gets involved and they prevent a person from having to go to the ER,” Willis said. “Well,
Capt. Chris Hickman of Ocala Fire Rescue, left, talks with Shirley McEarchern, 87, the widow of former Ocala Fire Rescue Chief George McEarchern, as he takes her vitals and provides support at her home in Ocala on Feb. 15, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]
that’s great for the system. It’s great for the patient, but now the hospital doesn’t get paid for an ER visit.” Or, he said, a recently discharged patient is kept from coming back and the hospital avoids a readmission penalty. “So, the hospital wins, but still nobody paid for that service except for general taxpayer dollars, or it’s absorbed into the system,” he said. Hospital-run programs are in the same position. “There’s no billable service for the hospital to do,” Willis said. “The hospital is just absorbing that cost, just like a municipality would.” Ocala Fire Rescue Capt. Jesse Blaire, who has run Ocala’s community paramedicine program since it began in 2018 with the initial focus of addressing drug addiction, wants a different arrangement and spoke candidly. “I want fee for service,” Blaire said. “I don’t want to be paid for anything [as a lump sum]. I don’t need a grant. If Chris goes out and does something, I want Chris [to] be paid for that, and it should be based on productivity.” He does not think public safety dollars should be paying for it. “I don’t think a mobile integrated healthcare program should be set up as a taxpayer-funded thing,” he said. “My guy does 10 calls a day. He gets paid for those 10 calls. If he does eight calls a day, that’s not enough.” Willis, approaching it from a physician’s office rather than a fire station, lands in the same place. “I get paid to see a patient as a primary care doctor,” he said. “Why can’t they be paid to see a patient if they’re providing a valued service? It should be coming out of the health care dollar. It shouldn’t be coming out of the fire dollar or the police dollar.”
THE DOORS THAT ARE CLOSED There is no shortage of proposed fixes. None of them is available to Ocala today. The federal government built the mechanism once. Medicare’s Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport model, announced in 2019, selected 205 participants in 2020 and allowed Medicare to pay participating ambulance providers for treating patients at the scene or transporting them to certain alternatives to a hospital emergency department. The model began in 2021 and was discontinued two years early, at the end of 2023. Federal officials cited lower-than-
expected participation. But an evaluation conducted for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services found that when the alternatives were used, they produced net Medicare savings averaging more than $500 per 911 call. Congress has considered the EMS Reimbursement for On-Scene Care and Support Act, which would allow Medicare to reimburse ambulance providers for medically necessary care provided at the scene even when the patient is not transported. Sens. Peter Welch and Bernie Sanders of Vermont introduced legislation in January, while U.S. Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont introduced the House version, H.R. 7277. The American Ambulance Association supports the legislation. Neither bill has advanced. In Tallahassee, state Senate Bill 1026 would have authorized the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration to reimburse community health worker services through Medicaid, including on a fee-for-service basis and required Medicaid managed care plans to cover the services. Filed in December by Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, the bill died in the Senate Health Policy Committee on March 13 without advancing. Commercial insurers are a longer road. Willis said a partner organization, Paralign Health, has launched a network in Missouri that pays community paramedicine teams on value and quality outcomes, but that money arrives six to 18 months after the work. And there is a category of patient no billing reform reaches. “Many of these patients are uninsured, so there’s no payer looking out for those patients,” Willis said. Asked what else might work, Willis raised an option local governments here have not publicly discussed. “If the hospital district took it up here in Marion County, then obviously they would have dollars that they could put forward from a health perspective,” he said. “That does happen in some other municipalities and counties here in the state where they’ve got indigent care programs, and they’re taking some of those indigent care dollars and forcing them into the community paramedicine teams … because it’s directed at root causes.” Currently, the hospital district manages the community’s portion of opioid settlement funds and contributes toward the paramedicine program that seeks to assist drug users but not the community paramedicine program focused on seniors.
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Florida is spending more on rural health care than it has in years. The state received a $209.9 million firstyear award from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration and funded entirely by Washington. Community paramedicine is one of 15 initiatives the state named for the money — “deploying community paramedics and other licensed practitioners to provide onsite support for minor illnesses.” CommunityHealth IT, Willis’s organization, received four first-year awards totaling $43,658,794, the largest share of any recipient on the state’s list. Lake Butler Hospital in Union County received nearly $7 million for a bundle that includes community paramedicine, mobile health and remote patient monitoring. Almost none of it can reach Ocala. Willis said only rural pockets of Marion County — around Dunnellon and in the Ocala National Forest — are eligible. Asked whether the need was not also in the city, he said, “Oh, it is, it is.” What the grant money can do, he said, is produce evidence. “Our hope is that while people are lobbying directly for change, we’ll be able to give them data to support that change,” Willis said. He said he is not lobbying for any of the pending bills himself.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO GET REFERRED The program exists to do what a lift assist cannot: come back, find out why someone was on the floor and get services in place if needed. When it works, the next step is usually Marion Senior Services. That agency’s waiting lists, as of Oct. 1: 983 people for Community Care for the Elderly, 1,026 for home-delivered meals, 291 under the state’s Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative, 1,225 for supportive services under the Older Americans Act. Those lists move slowly, Martinez said, because of referrals from the state’s adult protective investigators, which take priority over everyone already in line. “When we get a DCF APS referral, it doesn’t go on the wait list,” she said. “They jump the wait list.” Martinez said she believes the grand jury report has made state legislators and the agency more responsive and added that she believes officials are studying the local Marion County response to see if it can be customized to fit the need other counties similar needs.
“WHAT’S THE POINT OF THAT?”
Willis put the problem with grant funding plainly. “You’re going to pay somebody, bring somebody on, or you’re going to upskill them, and then a year later, when the grant is done, they can’t even do all the things that they learned how to do,” he said. “What’s the point of that?” The grand jury’s report told the people running these local programs something they already knew. “I think validation was probably what I took away from that,” Hickman said. Clark put it differently. “I would say it’s great that they noticed,” she said. “But that’s unfortunate that that’s the case.” Blaire remarked that he was surprised legislators weren’t moving more quickly to address the safety net for seniors given the fact that “we are all marching to that stage in life.”
A7
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
They kept reporting him: He died in the one clean room in the house Marion County crews answer thousands of calls about people who show signs they are struggling to care for themselves. Often, no services are provided after they leave a home. By Jennifer Hunt jennifer@ocalagazette.com
O
cala Fire Capt. Chris Hickman remembers the home because of the pictures. Pizza boxes and fecal matter were strewn through the rooms, he said, the stench so bad that other residents of the building were leaving. The senior living in the mess did not see a problem. Ocala Fire Rescue crews kept going back and kept reporting what they found. “We (the community paramedicine team) kept trying to get him removed and get him out,” Hickman said. “And they (the Florida Department of Children and Families) ended up letting him go back.” The paramedics found him later in the one room in the entire house with no trash in it, face down, deceased. Marion County has the highest rate of fall deaths of any county in Florida. Among residents 85 and older, falls accounted for 84.5% of all injury deaths in 2024. As previously reported, MCFR has answered more than 2,500 lift assists this past year. What happens after such a call is largely up to whoever happened to walk in the door. A lift assist triggers no referral for further help — not to the co-responder team, not to the state. First responders can call the Florida Department of Children and Families hotline when something seems troubling, such as a home that looks unsafe, a person who can’t answer basic questions or an address they keep returning to because the individual lacks the support they need.
THE REPORTING LAWS ALREADY IDENTIFY WHEN THE PROBLEM IS REALIZED
Officially, Florida does not leave this decision to the discretion of the responders. Section 415.1034 names paramedics and emergency medical technicians among those who must report when they know or have “reasonable cause to suspect” that a vulnerable adult is being abused, neglected or exploited. The statute defines neglect to include a vulnerable adult’s own failure to provide the care necessary to maintain his or her physical and mental health — self-neglect — and describes neglect as “repeated conduct or a single incident of carelessness which produces or could reasonably be expected to result in serious physical or psychological injury or a substantial risk of death.” A “vulnerable adult” is someone whose ability to perform daily activities or provide for his or her own care is impaired by, among other things, “the infirmities of aging.” Read plainly, that is a description of a person who cannot get off the floor, who lives alone and falls down again. What the law does not do is mandate any follow-up steps. No emergency care system flags a fourth call for service at the same address as an indication of a problem that needs to be addressed. No dispatch code triggers a referral for more services. Nothing in the protocols of OFR or Marion County Fire Rescue connects a lift assist to a report. “Our folks are trained to go to an address,” Hickman said. “Are you OK? Yes or no? If they answer all of our questions appropriately, we don’t have any reason to pursue any further.” It is only when first responders go inside a residence and see indications of a lack of proper care that actionable concerns can be addressed. Hickman gave the example of a couple who crews noticed were not taking their medications.
“THEY HAD CAPACITY WHEN I WAS THERE” When first responders do report such circumstances, the most common outcome they describe is an investigation that closes without any substantial assistance. The sticking point is mental capacity — whether a person can make decisions for themselves. Mariah Clark, a community paramedic on the Ocala Fire Rescue team, said it is the hardest part of the job. “We go into a home, we see that they’re in crisis,” she said — mail everywhere, medications untouched, the house in disarray, a person who can’t tell you much about themselves. We might do a DCF report. The investigator will go out, say, ‘Well, they had capacity when I was there.’” OFR Capt. Jesse Blaire said the timing of the visit often matters. “(The visit may be) 10 o’clock in the morning,” he said. “They have sundowners, so they’re good till 3 o’clock in the afternoon. And because they can answer three simple questions, that investigation was closed.”
Capacity is not a fixed standard. It changes through the day, and it moves with whatever else is happening in the body. A urinary tract infection can look like dementia symptoms, Clark noted. “People are quick to blame dementia or Alzheimer’s,” she said. “Let’s rule out anything else first.” Those questions matter as much as the hour. Ask someone whether they ate today and they will say yes. Ask what they ate and how they got it, Hickman said, and the answer changes. “Those basic reasoning questions are not there,” he said. Clark put the bind plainly. Clark explained that responders understand the desire of seniors to live independently but that the medics recognize patterns in behaviors and said “we also don’t want something to happen to them.” The “Ocala Gazette” has reached out to DCF with questions about this protocol but the agency has not responded. Additionally, the “Gazette” has requested records showing the number of hotline calls received, accepted and declined and for the outcomes in cases involving mental capacity concerns but those requests for public records have so far gone unanswered.
NOTHING COMES BACK
The second thing crews describe is silence. A report made by phone by a first responder to the DCF hotline typically produces no response. A report filed online produces an acceptance or a denial. Beyond that, Hickman said, the agencies his crews work with, “especially DCF,” tell them nothing. “There’s no closure at times to some of these situations,” he said. “We don’t hear how the story ends, and that’s, I think, a big problem, because we’re still trying to make sure that we encourage our staff to report these cases.” Clark said an investigator will sometimes call before going out, to get background. After that, usually nothing. “Even then, sometimes you don’t hear back,” she said. “You don’t know where that went.” That gap has a practical consequence. Responders who are never told what happened to the person receiving the assistance cannot know whether their reporting worked. Neither OFR nor MCFR track referrals to the hotline, so no local responder can say how many of last year’s calls were answered.
Ocala Fire Rescue Capt. Chris Hickman checks on the inventory of medications in the Ocala Fire Rescue/ AdventHealth Community Paramedicine unit in 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]
struggling to get capacity,” he said. “Legislation needs to change. We need more help in the judicial system. The Fifth Circuit is so busy and so vast that we have way too many people that are in limbo that nobody will even take.”
WHAT THE GRAND JURY FOUND
The Marion County grand jury that filed its report Aug. 27 reached the same place by a different road. (Read that initial story here: ocalagazette.com/failing-catastrophically) “It is clear the judge is the only line of defense, yet has no real power to fix or punish breaches of DCF’s responsibilities,” the jurors wrote. “Deadlines are laid out in the statutes, but there is no recourse for families, or courts, when they are missed by DCF. Further, because of the layers of bureaucracy, the blame as to ‘who’ is responsible is designed to be ever shifting.” The report also noted that most of this happens out of view: dependency hearings are confidential and the department’s own records are exempt from disclosure, with few exceptions. DCF has told the “Gazette” it is preparing a response to questions about its practices in this circuit. Nearly a month later, no response has been received. The department’s employees were invited to appear before the grand jury and they declined. From a review of the report, it seems that the grand jury stopped short of
Martinez said she believes the grand jury report has made legislators and the department more willing to listen to concerns. She tempered her hopefulness, however. “It’s a long road,” she said. “It’s not going to get fixed this year.” In the meantime, the question of whether a vulnerable adult in Marion County will get essential assistance is often in the hands of a responder deciding, while standing in that person’s home, that something here doesn’t seem quite right. “Gut feelings go a long way in this line of work,” Hickman said. “If we have a crew who says, ‘Hey, there’s something — I can’t put my finger on it, but something doesn’t fit’” then action can be taken.
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For people who cannot make decisions and have no one to make them for them, the remaining route is asking the court to appoint a guardian. That takes about six months, Hickman said. And it frequently takes longer, because of a step almost no family knows about: a petition filed for a public guardian can be redirected when the person turns out to have assets, which means starting over with a private guardian. “Nobody restarts it,” he said. “It just goes over to the other pile. So, you have to file again.” “Most folks don’t know that,” he said, “and it’s caused us a lot of anguish.” Asked what would help most, Hickman did not name money. “We need a family court judge to declare capacity among these folks that we keep
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SUBSTANTIATED CONCERNS GO TO MARION SENIOR SERVICES
A report that is accepted and substantiated usually ends at the same place: Marion Senior Services, the local nonprofit that delivers inhome services. As of Oct. 1, 983 Marion County residents were waiting for Community Care for the Elderly services and 1,026 for home-delivered meals. Another 291 were waiting under the state’s Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative. Those lists move slowly, Executive Director Jennifer Martinez said, because referrals from adult protective investigators are handled differently. “When we get a DCF APS (Adult Protective Services) referral, it doesn’t go on the wait list,” she said. “They jump the wait list.” Under a statute the Legislature amended in July, high-risk vulnerable adults referred by APS receive priority consideration for community care services. The law, however, does not provide any additional funds for those services. Martinez said her agency is contracted to serve referrals regardless of how many arrive. “We might have people that are a four and a five at the top of the wait list,” she said, “but we can never get to them because we’re constantly answering APS referrals and our budget doesn’t allow us to take people off the wait list.”
subpoenaing DCF for records or sworn testimony. State Attorney William Gladson’s office has refused to explain why subpoenas were not issued in light of such serious allegations. The grand jury reported 12 cases across the circuit in which DCF or case management workers were accused by law enforcement of falsifying records and said charges were filed in eight. The “Gazette” asked the state attorney’s office for those public records more than a month ago and to date, none have been delivered.
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A8
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
A voter’s guide to Florida’s 3 proposed constitutional amendments Rainy-day savings, a farm-equipment tax break and a sweeping homestead exemption will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. By Judy Johnson Special to the “Ocala Gazette”
Opponents say: • A quarter of the state’s general revenue should not be locked in a fund with restrictions on when it can be used. • There is no need to raise the 10% cap. The fund has grown well beyond 5% only in recent years and the state weathered many hurricanes and emergencies without significant problems. • The money should be available for ongoing state programs and to keep up with Florida’s growth. • Requiring legislative approval for spending takes time and could delay money needed in a crisis.
F
lorida voters will decide three proposed amendments to the state constitution on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Each needs at least 60% of the vote to pass. All three were placed on the ballot by the Florida Legislature. No citizeninitiative petition drives qualified this year; the Florida Department of State announced that all 22 active petition campaigns failed to meet the legal requirements. The amendments deal with the state’s rainy-day reserve fund, a tangible property tax break for farm equipment and a large increase in the homestead exemption paired with new limits on how cities and counties may spend property tax money. Below is a summary of each amendment, followed by the main arguments supporters and opponents make. The arguments are presented as each side frames them.
AMENDMENT 1: BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND
What it does: Amendment 1 would raise the limit on the state’s rainy-day reserve, the Budget Stabilization Fund, from 10% to 25% of general revenue collections. It amends Article III, Section 19 of the Florida Constitution. The Legislature would have to move $750 million into the fund each year, or whatever smaller amount is needed to reach the 25% cap, unless certain conditions are met. Lawmakers could skip a year’s transfer in limited circumstances, such as after money is withdrawn from the fund. The amendment also creates a new way to spend the money. Once the fund reaches 15% of general revenue, the Legislature could withdraw money for a “critical state need” by a two-thirds vote. Those withdrawals could not drop the fund below 10%.
AMENDMENT 2: EXEMPTION OF TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY ON AGRICULTURAL LAND
Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee. [Photo by Jennifer Hunt/Ocala Gazette]
Where things stand: The current constitution requires the fund to hold at least 5% of general revenue collections and caps it at 10%. The fund held about $4.87 billion as of August, according to the state’s General Revenue Outlook. A Senate staff analysis put 10% of collections at $4.9 billion and 25% at $12.2 billion. Supporters say: • Florida needs a substantial rainy-day fund. • The 10% cap does not hold enough in reserve for a major hurricane or other catastrophe, a critical state need or a drop in tax collections. • Spending the money for a critical state need would require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature.
What it does: Amendment 2 would exempt farm equipment and other tangible personal property from property taxes if it meets three tests. It must be habitually located or typically present on land classified as agricultural. It must be used to produce agricultural products or for agritourism. And it must be owned by the owner or leaseholder of the agricultural land. The exemption would first apply to the 2027 tax year. It amends Article VII, Section 3 and Article XII of the Florida Constitution. The Legislature passed it 110-1 in the House and 37-0 in the Senate. What it would cost: State economists estimated the exemption would reduce city and county tax revenue by about $31 million a year starting in 2027. Supporters say: • Farm equipment is expensive to buy and should not be taxed again every year. • Farmers need support to keep their land in agricultural production. • Agriculture produces major revenue for Florida’s economy.
• Food security is a national security issue and the exemption helps secure the future of Florida agriculture to provide food for the nation. Opponents say: • It is another tax break for a special group. Agricultural landowners already pay taxes on their land based on its agricultural use rather than its market value, which substantially lowers their bills, and they receive numerous sales tax exemptions. Like all businesses, they also receive a $25,000 exemption on tangible personal property. • Equipment is already taxed only on its depreciated value. • Either the landowner or a leaseholder can claim the exemption. • It would be available to large agribusinesses with multiple tangible property accounts. The state’s definition of agritourism is broad and opponents say the break could reach businesses such as wedding venues, concerts and horseback riding and hunting operations. • Cities and counties would lose about $31 million in revenue a year.
AMENDMENT 3: INCREASED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION; LOWER CAP ON INCREASES IN NON-HOMESTEAD PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS
What it does: Amendment 3 would make the largest change to Florida property taxes in years. It amends Article VII, Sections 4, 6 and 9 of the Florida Constitution and would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. The Legislature placed it on the ballot during a June special session; the House vote was 75-26 and the Senate vote was 30-9. The amendment would: • Raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes to $150,000 in See A voter’s guide, page A9
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October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
A voter’s guide
Continued from page A8
2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjust it for inflation starting in 2029. Today, homeowners receive up to $51,411 in exemptions: $25,000 against all taxes, including school taxes, plus up to $26,411 against non-school taxes. School taxes would keep the $25,000 exemption. • Set a waiting period for newcomers. People who are not Florida residents on Dec. 31, 2026, would receive a $50,000 exemption, adjusted for inflation, after qualifying for a homestead. They would get the larger exemption beginning after their fifth year. • Allow further cuts. The Legislature must create a uniform procedure for counties and cities to raise the exemption, up to a home’s full assessed value. Special districts could do the same with voter approval. • Lower the cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property, such as businesses, rentals and second homes, from 10% a year to 5%. • Limit how cities and counties spend property taxes to public safety, education and schools, infrastructure, natural resources, bond debt, employee retirement benefits and the operations of county officers, commissions and city governments. Other spending approved
by those officials is allowed unless general law prohibits it. An August court ruling found the original ballot title and summary misleading. The language voters will see was rewritten by the attorney general. What it would cost: The state Revenue Estimating Conference projects local governments would lose about $4.9 billion in the 2027-28 budget year, $8.7 billion in 2028-29 and about $11.8 billion a year once fully in effect in 2031-32. A state trust fund to make up local losses was removed from the proposal before final passage. In Marion County, the conference estimates combined losses for county government, cities and special districts of $87.6 million in 2027-28, growing to $170.9 million a year. Marion County government’s share of that loss would grow from about $78.3 million to $152.2 million. The city of Ocala’s share would grow from about $6.9 million to $14 million. Supporters say: • Homeowners should not have to pay what amounts to rent to the government for using property they own. • It expands the homestead exemption for most Floridians who own their homes. • It focuses property tax dollars on essential services such as law enforcement, fire and emergency services, and the offices of the sheriff, clerk of court, property appraiser, tax collector and supervisor of elections.
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• It sets spending priorities that will cut frivolous programs and spending. • It will make Florida more attractive to new residents and businesses. • Newcomers must wait five years for the larger exemption, which protects longtime residents. • It leaves school taxes in place, so everyone continues to pay for public education. Opponents say: • It leaves school taxes in place and in some counties school taxes exceed all other property taxes combined, which limits the relief homeowners will see. • It will draw more people and businesses to Florida, adding to growth pressures. • Homeowners will still pay full nonschool taxes on assessed value above the exemption. • Local governments would lose about $11.8 billion a year once the amendment is fully in effect, threatening services residents value, such as parks, recreation, libraries, boat ramps, camps, some childcare services, animal shelters, veterans services, health care and hospitals. • It will hurt local governments’ ability to help with housing and social services, including the health department. • New or higher fees and assessments will be needed to pay for some services. • Service levels will drop while demand for services stays the same. • It does not stop cities and counties from
raising tax rates up to the legal maximum. • Florida’s 29 “fiscally constrained” counties, mostly rural counties with small tax bases, would become more dependent on the state. Some, including Bradford, Lafayette and Union, already levy the 10-mill maximum county tax rate. • Limiting what property taxes can pay for reduces local control and decision-making. Having Tallahassee dictate how local tax money is spent does not reflect the “Free State of Florida.” • Florida needs a better, fairer plan. The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, which the constitution requires to convene every 20 years to review state taxes and budgets, is due to meet in 2027. It should be allowed to do its job and propose improvements to what opponents call an archaic and regressive tax structure.
BEFORE YOU VOTE
Amendments appear on every Florida ballot and all registered voters may vote on them regardless of party. Election Day is Nov. 3. Sample ballots, early voting sites and vote-by-mail information are available from the Marion County Supervisor of Elections (votemarion.gov). Judy Johnson, Esq. is a local retired attorney who presents an explainer on proposed constitutional amendments for each election cycle to local civic groups.
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Jennifer Riggan – household items karyn osman – household items Camila Dosantos De Miranda – Household Items Ashling Cajuste – Household Items The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com . Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
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October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
Sports Forest runs past Belleview
Wildcats whip Rattlers for homecoming win. THANK YOU! To Our Sports Boosters
Forest’s Taj Graham (8) gets his jersey pulled by Belleview’s Tori Turner (1) as he eludes Belleview defenders for a large gain during a football game at Forest High School in Ocala on Oct. 2, 2026.
Forest’s Keziyrehun Rivers (2) makes Belleview’s Mike Cowart (54) miss him.
By Mark Pinson Special to the Ocala Gazette
game. The Wildcats marched 63 yards in only six plays as Rivers ripped off a pair of nice runs and senior Ethan Collins found the end zone from eight yards out. A 2-point pass from Ethan Ritz to Jairah Raines gave the Wildcats an 8-0 lead. Belleview got a nice kick return and moved smartly down the field with sophomore quarterback Gabe Caro completing a 40-yard pass to the Forest 11-yard line. The drive stalled and a 32-yard field goal came up short. The Wildcats added to their lead late in the second quarter as the elusive Rivers gained 54 yards on just three carries to move the ball to the Rattlers’ 2-yard line. Senior Christian Neal powered his way
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orest used a punishing ground game led by senior running backs Keziyrehun Rivers and Cortney Brown to wear down a scrappy Belleview squad by a score of 42-14 for a homecoming victory on Oct. 2 at Mikey Kelly Stadium. Rivers rushed for 225 yards on just 14 carries with one touchdown, while Brown gained 95 yards on 13 carries with two scores to help the Class 5A Wildcats improve to 6-1 on the season. “There are a lot of festivities during homecoming week and distractions,” said Forest secondyear coach John Brantley. “We had about six or seven players on the court and a lot of their time was
taken up this week. We knew we were going to get Belleview’s best shot because the schools are so close together. Any time you can beat a Marion County team, it’s a feather in your cap. We did a good job of blocking and our backs ran hard.” Class 3A Belleview, which dropped to 3-3 overall, trailed by just 15-6 at the half, but injuries and a lack of depth proved fatal against the Wildcats. “We just didn’t have the depth up front,” said Rattlers coach Robert Hartwell. “Coming into the game we were worried that Forest might pound the ball and that’s what they did. We played hard and I’m proud of my guys. We just need to get healthy.” Forest won the coin toss and elected to go on offense to start the
See Sports, page A11
VETERANS HELPING VETERANS USA
Belleview’s Tori Turner (1) looks for some open running room as Forest’s Knox Boutwell (44) tries to stop him.
Supporting Marion County Veterans and their families as they navigate life beyond military service by providing direct assistance, personalized guidance, and community-based support that restores stability, dignity and purpose, so they are not left to face life’s challenges alone.
Forest quarterback Caleb Sanford (18) throws a pass.
www.mission1776.org Todd Belknap • Executive Director 2730 East Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, FL. 34470
Forest’s Keziyrehun Rivers (2) eludes Belleview defenders for a large gain.
Forest’s Ethan Collins (11) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown as he eludes Belleview’s Tori Turner (1).
352-433-2320 x120
Forest’s Cortney Brown (4) eludes Belleview defenders.
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October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
Sports Continued from page A10 across the goal line on the next play. The point after by junior Zane Waldren made it 15-0. Belleview had an immediate answer as junior speedster Tori Turner took the ensuing kick, followed excellent blocking and returned it 90 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. The extra point attempt was no good to leave the Rattlers trailing 15-6 at the half. Belleview’s opening drive of the second half ended with an interception of a Caro pass by Forest junior Damir Jamerson at the Rattlers’ 49-yard line. The Wildcats wasted no time in taking advantage of the turnover as Rivers had a 25-
yard run and broke several tackles on a 16-yard scoring jaunt. The point after gave Forest a 22-6 lead with 9:04 left in the third period. Belleview’s next drive ended with a failed fourth down attempt when a bad snap sailed over the head of the Rattlers’ quarterback. The Wildcats took over at the Belleview 25 and Neal found the end zone for the second time from three yards out. The extra point was blocked to make it 28-6. Belleview continued to fight and found the end zone on a 47-yard pass play from Caro to Turner. Caro completed 4 of 14 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions. A 2-point pass brought the Rattlers within 28-14 heading to the fourth quarter. Forest tacked on a pair
of scores as Brown broke loose for a 38-yard scamper and a sixyard burst for the 42-14 final. Belleview will look to get back in the win column on Oct. 9 with a road game at Dunnellon, while Forest hosts Oakleaf in a key Class 5A-District 3 clash that night. “The district game against Oakleaf is big for us,” coach Brantley said. “We lost a district game to Gainesville Buchholz and that puts us in a tough situation. But we can still make the playoffs, and all of our goals are ahead of us. We just have to take care of our business.” Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
Forest’s Keziyrehun Rivers (2) eludes Belleview’s defenders Kaiden Smith (3) and Knowlen Hanson (11).
Forest sweeps Vanguard in volleyball Wildcats celebrate Senior Night with win over Knights. By Mark Pinson Special to the ‘Ocala Gazette’
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t was certainly appropriate that Aspen Keuntjes and Lexie Quash, the only seniors on the Forest volleyball squad, led the way to a straightset sweep of rival Vanguard on Senior Night on Oct. 6. The Class 6A Wildcats improved to 1311 overall and earned a season sweep of the Knights by scores of 25-12, 25-11 and 25-13. “We’re a very young team and it was nice to let the seniors shine tonight,” said veteran Forest coach Jimmy Collins. “Aspen and Lexie played great and are the kind of people you are blessed to coach. They are excellent students, very involved on campus and with student government. They are great teammates, leaders and the kind of players we love to have at Forest High School.” The loss evened Class 4A Vanguard’s record at 11-11 on the season. “We don’t have a lot of height, so we have to rely on our defense,” said third-year Knights coach Douwyna Montalvo. “The girls do a good job of trying to keep the point alive.” Forest came out swinging in the first set as Quash and sophomore outside hitter Savanna Eatman took turns finding holes in the Vanguard defense with powerful kill shots to take an 11-6 lead. Quash combined for a pair of blocks with sophomore middle hitter Payton Coldwell and junior Alexis Stuart added a crosscourt spike to increase the lead. Freshman Reese Robinson, who played well and provided a spark, served up an ace to end the first set. Vanguard came out strong in the second set as junior outside hitter Kasiyah Jones had two kills and senior Peyton Donahue found the range with a pair of well-placed spikes to even the score at 8-8. Forest, cheered on by a raucous group of students, took full advantage of its superior height and went on a run and outscored the Knights, 17-3. Keuntjes contributed to the run with a spike and an ace serve and Coldwell hammered a kill shot to seal the second set. The Knights continued to battle and closed within 8-7 in the third set on an ace serve by junior Vani Patel. Once again, the Wildcats strung together a number of points as junior Kamryn Kerkela had several nice plays and Miranda Rodriguez had back-to-back ace serves to make it 14-8. Forest, with momentum on its side, closed out the set and the match as Quash had two monster kills. Both teams will prepare for their respective district tournaments that begin on Oct. 12. Vanguard, with nine seniors,
hopes to make a run in Class 4A-District 5. “We have to make sure our serve-receive and our defense is on point for us to be successful,” coach Montalvo said. Forest is in the very difficult Class 6A-District 3. “Our district is crazy tough,” coach Collins said. “Deland is in our district and is number two or three in the state in Class 6A and Gainesville Buchholz is really good as well. We go in as the number three seed and I think we’re going to play West Port in the first round. We were very close in losses to Deland and Buchholz during the season. We’re young and learning how to finish off sets against high-level teams. We’ve been working on playing good, solid volleyball and not trying to do too much. Hopefully it will work out next week.”
Forest’s Savanna Eatman (15) spikes the ball past Vanguard’s Peyton Donahue (6) during a volleyball match at Forest High School in Ocala on Oct. 6, 2026.
Forest players celebrate winning the second set against Vanguard.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
Forest’s Lexie Quash (13) and Payten Coldwell (7) combine to block a spike from Vanguard’s Dorimar Villegas (3).
Vanguard’s Sophie Hunter (34) battles at the net with Forest’s Reese Robinson (9) and Payten Coldwell (7).
Forest’s Miranda Rodriguez (18) makes a dig against Vanguard.
Forest head coach Jimmy Collins.
Vanguard head coach Douwyna Montalvo.
Vanguard’s Sophie Hunter (34) and Carolyn Tate (12) jump to block a Forest spike.
Vanguard’s Dorimar Villegas (3) spikes the ball as Forest’s Payten Coldwell (7) jumps for the block.
Forest’s Alexis Stuart (16) blocks a Vanguard spike at the net.
Forest’s Addison Owens (1) digs the ball against Vanguard.
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October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
People, Places and Things Members of the ‘Greatest Generation’ share memories
Veterans Helping Veterans USA summit included update on organizational ‘reboot.’
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
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our World War II veterans — all members of the rapidly dwindling “Greatest Generation” — shared some memories and observations on Oct. 2 at the Veterans Helping Veterans USA office in Ocala. The summit included an update on a 30day “reboot” for the nonprofit organization. The veteran guests of honor were Micheal Baker, 101, U.S. Navy; Howard Mautner, 102, Army Air Corps (forerunner of the U.S. Air Force); Norman Schutt, 100, U.S. Merchant Marines; and Carl Volmer, 97, U.S. Army. They were seated at a table at the front of the VHV conference room and each veteran had a microphone in front of him to record his remarks. “The liberties we enjoy today are because of these gentlemen,” said VHV Executive Director Todd Belknap to open the hour-long discussion and question and answer session. Mautner’s service included working as an air traffic controller at an airbase in Italy in 1943. He saw some of the first American jet fighters while at the airbase and noted the surprise that there was no propeller. The airbase in Italy was near Mount Vesuvius, the historic volcano, which spewed lava and ash and damaged a number of the B-25 bombers stationed at the airbase while he served there. Baker, also a Korean War veteran, was assigned to a battle repair ship, known as a tender, with a crew of perhaps 200 sailors. He crossed the equator during his Navy service. He said his time stationed in Sydney, Australia, was “the best 10 days of my life.” He recalled some of the antics of his shipmates, including a sailor who tried to dive all the way down to the anchor by swimming along the chain. “My memories are up here, and I can pull them up any day,” Baker said tapping his forehead. During an open discussion period, Baker said that at age 17 he skipped out of classes for several months during his junior year of high school before the war broke out (the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941). He then drove to the recruitment center with his dad and enlisted. “I would do it again,” Baker said. He admonished some in attendance to “learn all you can while you’re young because they can’t take that away from you.” Schutt, a Michigan native, sailed in a 120ship convoy at night from New York to Europe during WWII. He described the conditions as “pitch black” and how the ships’ crews kept the convoy in tight formation by lying on the bows of the ships and listening to propellers and “did a good job.” Belknap recounted that the U.S. Merchant Marine suffered proportionally more casualties than any other service branch. The National World War Two Museum website discusses the U.S. Merchant Marine in the article “Supplying Victory: The History of Merchant Marine in World War II.” There were 243,000 mariners that served in the war. And 9,521 perished while serving — a higher proportion of those killed than any other branch of the U.S. military, the National World War Two Museum website (nationalww2museum.org) states. Vollmer told the audience he didn’t know he was coming to the event, which was evidently a last-minute invitation, and said he wanted to share with them that to have a healthy life like his, at 97 years, to avoid processed food. “You are what you eat,” he offered. “My (military) brothers got me where I am. They got me here,” Vollmer said. Navy Reserve LTJG Dylan Lomelo was recognized for his more recent service in the U.S. Merchant Marine. “Dylan represents the living legacy (of the WWII veterans),” Belknap stated while presenting Lomelo with a plaque. Lomelo’s mother, Dawn Lomelo, was also recognized for her Ponies for Patriots and PintSized Therapy outreach for veterans. Retired Navy Rear Adm. Bill Leigher of TOPVETS, the Ocala Preserve Veterans Club, was on hand for the event. Elected officials at the session included Marion County Commissioners Craig Curry, who is a veteran and Matthew McClain, as well as Jeff Bairstow, who is unopposed on the Nov. 3 ballot for County Commission District 4. Representatives for Rep. Randy Fine and Rep. Kat Cammack also attended the event. James Hilty Sr., an Ocala City Council
Photos by Andy Fillmore Ocala Gazette
Veterans Helping Veterans USA Executive Director Todd Belknap introduces four World War II veterans at a summit held Oct. 2, 2026, at VHV headquarters in Ocala. Seated from right are Micheal Baker, 101, Navy veteran; Howard Mautner, 102, Army Air Corps (forerunner of the U.S. Air Force); Carl Vollmer, 97, U.S. Army; and Norman Schutt,100, U.S. Merchant Marines.
Veterans Helping Veterans USA board chair James Hilty Sr. visited the pet care section of the nonprofit’s food pantry in Ocala during a meeting on Oct. 2, 2026.
Aparna Das, left, executive assistant at Veterans Helping Veterans USA, poses with Dawn Lomelo of Ponies for Patriots and Pint-Sized Therapy and therapy horse Fancy, and her son, Navy Reserve LTJG Dylan Lomelo, both of whom were recognized during the summit.
Volunteer Antionette Jarrett stocks shelves on Oct. 2, 2026, in the food pantry at Veterans Helping Veterans USA headquarters in Ocala, with volunteers Sharon Walker and Warren Gardner. The nonprofit reopened after a roughly 30day pause for internal retraining due to grant changes and to restock the pantry.
member and VHV chairman, said the historical stories from the WWII veterans are important for those not aware of the history to hear and that people can learn from the veterans when they gather and “open up.” Hilty, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in the Vietnam War in 1969 and 1970, has been to historical sites like Normandy, where the D-Day Invasion began; a WWII concentration camp; and Hiroshima, where an atomic bomb was dropped. Belknap said similar summits are planned with veterans of American military service from the Korean War through the Global War on Terrorism.
VHV REBOOT UPDATE
During the gathering, Hilty provided a report on the nonprofit Veterans Helping Veterans following a roughly 30-day “reboot.” (Read the “Gazette’s” initial report here: Nonprofit reboot | Ocala Gazette) “VHV is in really good shape,” Hilty said. “We did some retraining because a grant change will have us doing more outreach for homeless veterans.” The operation has eight paid employees and dozens of volunteers.
A fellow veteran speaks with World War II veteran Howard Mautner at a summit held Oct. 2, 2026, at Veterans Helping Veterans USA headquarters in Ocala.
In August, a $100,000 reimbursable grant was awarded to VHV by Marion County from state and federal funds distributed by the Ocala-Marion County Joint Office on Homelessness Prevention. “These funds will provide street outreach services to engage veterans living on the streets in Marion County. Through street outreach, Veterans Helping Veterans, Inc. will locate homeless veterans, engage them and refer approximately 150 veterans to services so they can become stably housed and self-sufficient,” the county document states. Myles McConico, who leads the VHV outreach of community engagement, will continue his efforts to find and engage veterans living in homeless conditions. They will likely be impacted by the recent announcement that the Ritz Veterans Village will shift from longer term veteran treatment to an emergency shelter only. The change could signal reduced capacity and shortened length of stay at the Ritz for veterans in crisis.
Belknap called the VHV pause a “retooling.” “We utilized this pause to retool policies, procedures and protocols. We were also the recipient of a very large donation and many others, which allowed us to restock our food pantry in advance of reopening,” he wrote in part in a text message. Belknap said a woman directed that $85,000 in proceeds from her estate after her passing be donated to a veteran service organization. The executor of the estate chose VHV. He said the Ocala Jeep Club donated $13,000 to VHV following the most recent Jeeptoberfest event and that TOPVETS (Ocala Preserve Veterans club) donated more than $60,000 to VHV in 2025. VHV records provided to the “Gazette” indicate that from July to September, the operation had contributions, donations and in- kind pantry donations that totaled $150,063.23. Benefits paid out and in-kind pantry distribution totaled $155,707.29, for a -$5,644.06 loss for those months. The August 2026 monthly pantry report states there were 1,401 volunteer hours, 273 households received food, including 19 non-veteran families, and 16,049 pounds of food were distributed. “Veterans Helping Veterans USA is tremendously grateful to all who encouraged us by sharing their prayers, time, talents and treasures,” Belknap said. He also said he invites the public to support VHV in their Mission 1776, which involves making a $17.76 monthly donation. To learn more, go to mission1776.org
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October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
CF Ira Holmes International Film Series
This year’s 65th season offerings will celebrate the Declaration of Independence. By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
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he 65th season of the Ira Holmes International Film Series at the College of Central Florida will celebrate the 250 th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Throughout the season, several of the selected films and accompanying events will ref lect the declaration’s themes, such as the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Ira Holmes, who died June 9, 2024, at the age of 90, was a pillar at the College of Central Florida. For six decades, he was a professor of humanities and social sciences, was the founder of the CF Ira Holmes International Film Series and led more than two dozen study tours to Europe. “The loss of Ira Holmes is deeply felt across our college community,” CF President James Henningsen noted at the time. “Over his many years of service to the college, from professor to division dean, he helped shape CF into what it is today. CF’s very first study abroad course was established by Ira and many CF students and employees had the privilege of participating in study tours he led all over the world. The namesake of the CF Ira Holmes International Film Series, he served as the series director for more than 30 years. Ira’s passion for the arts was contagious — you couldn’t help but get excited whenever he
Ira Holmes [Photo courtesy College of Central Florida]
would share an anecdote about his time touring Europe or discuss potential films for the next year of the International Film Series. His enthusiasm ignited a love for learning in countless individuals.” The 2026 film series season kicks off with Disney’s 2025 re-released movie presentation of the Broadway musical “Hamilton.” Before the showing, there will be a special introduction by Jay Thompson, CF political science professor. The event will be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Appleton Museum of Art, followed by a 7 p.m. showing at CF. “For this year’s movies, we looked for a variety of stories that spoke to both the American experience and the universal pursuit of freedom,” said Wendy Adams, CF professor and series director, in the news release. “There are some historical classics and newer entries, but we think all of these movies are
Wendy Adams, Ira Holmes Film Series director [Photo courtesy College of Central Florida]
going to entertain and spark conversations around their connections to current and past events.” Adams said she is also excited for the series to return to Ocala’s Historic Marion Theatre for the two free and family-friendly movies in this year’s collection, “Avalon” on Nov. 8 and “An American Tail” on March 7.
Series schedule: Oct. 13: “Hamilton,” USA, 2020 – The Broadway musical tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton through the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Film introduction by CF political science professor Jay Thompson. Oct. 27: “The Emigrants,” Sweden, 1971 – An epic immigrant story of a Swedish family seeking a better life in America. The Ocala campus screening includes a 6:30 p.m. film talk with Patricia Tomlinson, executive director of Arts in Health Ocala Metro. Nov. 9: “Avalon,” USA, 1990 – Family Friendly Event, 2 p.m. at the Marion Theatre. Barry Levinson’s autobiographical story of three generations of an immigrant family in Baltimore. Nov. 10: “Come as You Are/ Hasta la Vista,” Belgium, 2011 – A coming-of-age road-trip comedy about three disabled friends determined to live life on their own terms. Nov. 24: “Minari,” Korea/ USA, 2021 – A Korean-American family moves to rural Arkansas in pursuit of the American Dream. Amidst the challenges in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they create a new life. Feb. 8: “Motion Picture Paradise: A History of Florida’s Film and Television Industry,” – Lecture with Florida film history expert David Morton, 12:30 p.m., The Ira Holmes Classroom on the Ocala Campus. This lecture is sponsored by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Bank of America Grant. Feb. 9: “The Flying Ace,” USA, 1926 – Made in Florida, this is set
after World War I, when a former fighter pilot hunts down stolen payroll and the thieves behind it. Both screenings include a film talk with Morton. Feb. 23: “The Wound,” South Africa/Germany/Netherlands/ France, 2017 – A look at South Africa’s Xhosa culture and an ancient coming-of-age ritual in the Eastern Cape. March 7: “An American Tail,” USA, 1986 – Family Friendly Event, 2 p.m. at the Marion Theatre. An immigrant mouse searches for his family after they are separated in 1800s New York City. March 9: “Cinema Sabaya,” Israel, 2023 – A documentary following Palestinian and Israeli women as they learn to document their lives through film. March 23: “Perfect Days,” Japan/Germany, 2024 – This film follows a Tokyo toilet cleaner who finds joy in life’s simple routines. All films will be shown at 2 p.m. Tuesdays at the Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, and 7 p.m. at the College of Central Florida, 3001 S.W. College Road, Building 8, Room 110, unless otherwise noted. Films at the Ocala Campus are free and open to the public. Films at the Appleton are free to all museum and film series members; nonmembers pay museum admission. Films may contain mature content. For more details, visit cf.edu/filmseries Learn more about Holmes in this “Gazette” article: A man of many interests | Ocala Gazette
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
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October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
Well-known artist from Ocala dies in Nashville at 93 Native son Phillip “Phil” Ponder is remembered for his art and his heart. By Buddy Martin Special to the “Ocala Gazette”
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hil Ponder left Ocala as a young man, but he never really left it behind. The boy who grew up around Silver Springs and the old-town rhythms of Marion County carried that sense of place all the way to Nashville — then spent a remarkable second career giving another city its memory back, one brick, one window, one beloved old building at a time.
REMEMBERING PHIL PONDER
Well-known Nashville artist, former Metro Council member and civic leader Philip “Phil” Ponder died Sept. 30, 2026, at age 93. For those who knew him only as the celebrated Nashville watercolorist, Phil was the man who painted the city the way longtime Nashvillians remembered it — and the way newcomers ought to have seen it. For those of us with an Ocala connection, he was something even more personal: one of ours. Phil was the older brother of Carswell Ponder, one of my closest friends, and he came from that kind of family background that seems built from Florida sunlight, old stories, good manners and an appreciation for home. Born and raised in Ocala, Phil attended the University of Florida, graduating in 1955. He served as a U.S. Navy officer aboard a minesweeper before building a 30-year business career with Genesco in Nashville, retiring in 1989. Yet the place that formed him stayed with him. “Growing up in Ocala was like growing up in Mayberry,” he once said. “There is no place as wonderful as Ocala.”
Phillip “Phil” Ponder at the drawing table in 2021.
Phil Ponder with his brother Carswell Ponder of Ocala, taken about a month ago.
NASHVILLE’S VISUAL HISTORIAN
Nashville has produced generations of great musicians, and its musical history rightly gets much of the attention. But among non-musical artists, Phil Ponder may have been as prolific — and as essential — as anyone in Tennessee history. He painted more than 700 works, many of them painstaking architectural portraits of Nashville landmarks, neighborhoods, churches, homes and commercial buildings that had become part of the city’s bloodstream. His limited-edition prints found their way into homes, offices and public spaces across Tennessee. Beginning in 1982, Phil also produced a major painting of downtown Nashville every four years. Those quadrennial works became something more than attractive cityscapes. They were a running visual record of a city changing rapidly before its own eyes — old buildings gone, new towers rising, familiar streets reshaped, but the essential Nashville still there if you knew where to look. Calling Phil an “artist” almost understates the matter. He was a preservationist with a watercolor brush. Before he painted, he photographed. He measured. He sketched. He counted bricks, stones and blocks because close enough was not close enough. His process moved from photographs to pencil, then permanent ink, then watercolor, sometimes requiring up to 100 hours for a single work. In a city where treasured buildings can vanish between a zoning vote and a construction fence, Phil made sure they did not disappear completely. “History is what really speaks to me,” he said. “I want this to be a representation, as much as possible, of what this scene looked like when I took the pictures.”
SERVICE BEYOND THE CANVAS Phil did not merely document Nashville. He served it. He represented his community on the Nashville Metro Council from 1995 to 2003, spent 12 years on the Metro Planning Commission and worked for a decade as an aide to former U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper. Those were not ceremonial affiliations. They reflected a lifelong instinct to get involved, help shape his city and protect the things that made it worth loving. His public work and artistic work fit together perfectly. One helped guide Nashville’s future; the other preserved its past. The Metro Council Office honored him with a dedicated conference room and the community’s response to his death made
Phil and Dot Ponder in Blessed Trinty Church in Ocala with their wedding party in 1956. Carswell Ponder is standing next to Dot.
Onie Ponder holding her son Phil, under the age of 1, in Ocala.
the Phil Ponder Memorial Foundation at St. Stephen Catholic Community, Alive Hospice, Greenways for Nashville or the Exchange Club of Donelson-Hermitage. Carswell’s older brother gave Nashville a lasting gift: the ability to look back and recognize itself. And from everything people have said about him, Phil Ponder gave them something else, too: a reminder that the nicest people often leave the deepest mark.
PHILIP CHAZAL PONDER
Phil Ponder reading to his mother, Onie Ponder, a few months before she passed away in 2010 at the age of 112.
Photos courtesy Ponder family Phil Ponder with a “mess of fish” on a dock at Lake Kerr in the Ocala National Forest.
clear that he had become one of those increasingly rare civic figures who belonged to everybody. His art was even adapted into a Second Avenue mural after the Christmas Day bombing in 2020 — a fitting tribute to a man who spent his life rescuing the city’s visual history from the eraser of time.
THE LITTLE BIRD AND THE BIG HEART
Phil’s work was exacting, but it was never cold. There was playfulness in it, too. For decades, viewers learned to look for “Happy,” the small gray-blue pigeon Phil tucked into his paintings. It began with a bird he spotted while working on an early Nashville scene, then became his personal visual signature — a little friend hidden amid the details. That tells you something about him. Here was a man determined to get every cornice, brick and roofline right, yet still willing to leave a wink for the person who studied the painting long enough to find it. He had the skill to become famous, but more importantly, he had the temperament to be loved. You never met a nicer person. He was a gentleman in the
fullest sense — not because he was soft or polished or old-fashioned, though he could be all three, but because he cared about people, place and community without making a performance of it.
AN OCALAN WORTH CLAIMING
There are people who make a town proud because they leave and conquer the world. Phil Ponder did something more enduring. He left Ocala, made a life in Nashville and used his gifts to honor the places that other people might have taken for granted. He understood that a building is never just a building. It is where somebody worked, worshiped, met a sweetheart, bought a pair of shoes, heard bad news, celebrated good news or found a piece of home. In preserving Nashville’s architecture, Phil preserved thousands of personal stories that otherwise might have been lost beneath glass, steel and progress. Visitations and a funeral mass for Ponder were held Oct. 8 and 9 at St. Steven Catholic Community in Old Hickory, TN. A memorial event is planned for Oct. 22 at the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial gifts to
Members of Mr. Ponder’s family shared more information, including a statement. Born on April 6, 1933, in Ocala, to Lester and Onie Ponder, Phil grew up in Ocala alongside his younger brother, Carswell. After graduating from Ocala High School in 1951, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida in 1955, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. Following graduation, he attended the U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and served three years of active duty aboard the Navy minesweeper U.S.S. Hummingbird. On June 7, 1956, Phil married the love of his life, Dot Connell. Together, they built a life centered on family, faith and service. The family shared this obituary, which contains much greater detail: dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/oldhickory-tn/phil-ponder-13058927 In their family statement, they offered, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our father, Phil Ponder (93); celebrated artist, veteran and active community leader. “Dad’s life was defined by love for his family, deep faith and dedication to capturing the heart, history and community of Nashville through art. With his landmark watercolor prints, he spent decades preserving the places and memories that make Middle Tennessee so special — but to us, his greatest masterpiece was the warmth, humor, generosity and kindness he brought into our everyday lives. “We are immensely proud of the legacy he leaves behind — the history he captured through his artwork, the enduring friendships he made along the way, his service to countless organizations and the immense impact he had on his community.”
B5
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
CF breaks ground for new Criminal Justice Institute The $19.4 million, 31,201-square-foot complex is funded by the state legislature and local funding. Staff report
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he College of Central Florida hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 1 for a new Criminal Justice Institute at its main campus in Ocala. The new center will house up to five Law Enforcement Academies and four Corrections Academies, with approximately 180 students on an annual basis. The complex also will provide training in advanced/specialized courses to more than 600 law enforcement professionals from 14 agencies within region six
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(Marion, Citrus, Levy, Hernando and Sumter counties) annually, the news release noted. The $19.4 million, 31,201-square-foot complex is funded by the state legislature and local funding. Comprised of an academic and training building on one side and a simulation and defensive tactics building on the other, with a covered “Main Street” connecting the two, the institute will eliminate the disconnect between classroom theory and street reality, giving real-world training in a safe environment, according to CF.
The first building, for academic and training, will feature 10 classrooms, a simulator room for firearms and scenario-based simulation training and an exercise/fitness room. The second building, for simulation and defensive tactics training, will contain staged environments for realistic scenario-based training exercises, as well as a defensive tactics training area. The complex is slated to open for classes in January 2028.
Breaking ground for CF’s new Criminal Justice Institute were, from left, Charles Eades, dean of the Criminal Justice Institute; Jennifer Fryns, vice president of Workforce and Innovation; Jose Juarez, vice chair, District Board of Trustees; James Henningsen, CF president; Bill Edgar, trustee, district board; and Matt McCormick, president/CEO, Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership. [Photo courtesy College of Central Florida]
For more information, visit cf.edu/cji
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B6
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
Travel Road tested: Family travel adventures in the USA Colorado’s wildly different national parks - Part 2
Photos courtesy Biondini family Panoramic view of Molas Pass on the Million Dollar Highway. The Biondini family at Dream Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.
By Staci Biondini Special to the ‘Ocala Gazette’
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n part one of this article, we traveled south from Denver, Colorado, to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park in Alamosa and Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez. In part two, we head north to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Rocky Mountain national parks — with a few adrenaline-fueled adventures along the way. The next leg of our Colorado vacation was definitely for the thrillseekers. We left Cortez and backtracked to Durango to begin one of the most memorable drives of our trip: the Million Dollar Highway. This 25-mile stretch of U.S. Route 550 winds between Silverton and Ouray, climbing nearly 3,000 feet through the San Juan Mountains. And when I say winds, I mean winds. The Million Dollar Highway is notorious for its steep drop-offs and lack of guardrails. In many places, there is absolutely nothing separating your tires from a vertical plunge of hundreds — or even thousands — of feet into the canyon below. It is the kind of road that makes you grip the steering wheel a little tighter and reminds you that the scenery is beautiful for a reason: you are way, way up there. The exact origin of the name is a mystery as historians have never been able to definitively pinpoint a single source. Most likely it is believed that when the original 1880s road was paved for automobiles in the 1920s, it reportedly cost a million dollars per mile to construct. From Durango to Silverton, we climbed through two mountain passes. The views were spectacular and deserved to be savored. As we gained elevation, the temperature dropped, providing a welcome break from the summer heat for these Floridians. TIP 1: Just 15 minutes outside of Durango, stop at Pinkerton Hot Springs — a striking, multicolored mineral mound with geothermal water just steps from the road. We spent about an hour exploring picturesque Silverton, a National Historic Landmark known for its beautifully preserved 19th-century Victorian architecture and extreme alpine setting. There was very little traffic since most visitors arrive by train from Durango. The town has plenty of gift shops, restaurants, bars and a brewery. We happened upon a moose casually strolling down the street, adding even more charm to this already charming stop. A few minutes north of Silverton, we reached Red Mountain Pass. It will either strike you as the highlight of the Million Dollar Highway or the absolute apex of danger. At 11,018 feet, it delivers a cocktail of sheer adrenaline and awe that few roads can match. The mountains seem to rise straight up around you and every curve reveals another jaw-dropping view. Our reward for making it through the pass was Ouray. Dubbed the “Switzerland of
View of the Rocky Mountains from Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved road in the continental United States.
America,” Ouray sits in a dramatic river valley surrounded by the rugged peaks of the San Juan Mountains. It is a popular vacation destination for Coloradans and an adventurer’s playground, with off-roading, hot springs and a via ferrata, a 5.8-mile perimeter trail that circles the town. We enjoyed hamburgers for lunch at Maggie’s Kitchen, thanks to a recommendation from a local in Silverton, before visiting Box Canyon Falls. If you are only passing through Ouray, like we were, this is the stop to make. The easy, 500-foot trail leads to a suspended metal-grate catwalk built into the canyon wall. Thousands of gallons of water per minute roar into the deep, enclosed fissure below, creating a deafening wall of sound. It is one of those places where you can feel the power of the landscape as much as you can see it. We left the white-knuckle driving behind us in Ouray and traveled 45 minutes north to spend the night in Montrose, the gateway to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Black Canyon is the least visited of Colorado’s national parks and that relative lack of crowds makes it feel like a hidden gem. It is often compared to a miniature Grand Canyon, but without the crowds. We spent our time exploring the seven-mile South Rim Drive, stopping at its many overlooks and hiking the 1.6-mile Oak Flat Loop Trail. It was a strenuous hike, but we took our time and were rewarded with spectacular views of the canyon’s ancient rock — some of it dating back roughly 2 billion years. While we were literally catching our breath, two fellow hikers struck up a conversation with us. They were from Tampa. We talked about where we had been and where we were headed next and they gave us an outstanding recommendation for dinner that we would put to use a few days later. TIP 2: Talk to people you encounter in town and on the trail. We get some great recommendations that way. From Montrose, it was just over two hours to Glenwood Springs, where we would go whitewater rafting the next day. The landscape changed dramatically during this relatively short drive, transforming from wide-open plateaus into narrow, rugged mountain valleys. We oohed and aahed as I-70 began following the banks of the Colorado River. Tan desert gave way to deep red and gray walls of rock rising on either side of the highway. Every bend seemed to reveal another postcard-worthy view.
The charming town of Silverton, Colorado, features many Victorian buildings that were built in the late 1800s gold rush.
The Biondini family whitewater rafting on the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
View of Rocky Mountain National Park from a gondola at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.
Glenwood Springs feels like the set of a Hallmark Christmas movie — even in the middle of summer. The scenic resort town is known for its hot springs and Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, America’s only mountaintop theme park. We didn’t have plans to visit the theme park, but we did take advantage of the free gondola ride that carries visitors from the parking lot up the side of Iron Mountain to more than 7,000 feet above sea level. Then came the part of the trip I had been looking forward to — and my family had been worrying about. Whitewater rafting. I was very anxious about our rafting trip, mostly because I was the only one who really wanted to do it. For months leading up to our vacation, I made my family watch multiple YouTube videos to convince them that rafting would be fun, not scary. Blue Sky Rafting in Glenwood Springs advertised a “mild and scenic” half-day trip through Class II rapids. Perfect. Except when we checked in, I asked the girl behind the counter, “This is the Class II trip, right?” “Well, you did book that trip,” she said, “but we’ve had so much snowmelt that they’re Class IV rapids now.” I grimaced. My family faked smiles. So much for “mild and scenic.” We were fitted with life jackets and sat through a safety talk with our fellow adventurers before boarding a school bus to Grizzly Creek. A short time later, we were sitting in the Colorado River with our guide, Chris, who hailed from New Jersey and had only been on the job for two weeks. What could go wrong? I thought. The Class IV rapids were interspersed with enough stretches of calm water that we could actually take in the stunning canyon scenery. Chris did an excellent job recounting the history of Glenwood Springs and pointing out wildlife along the way. We saw mountain goats and a bald eagle as we paddled through the cold whitewater, getting completely drenched in the process. We also got to know our fellow rafters as we worked together to navigate the river. Somewhere between the nerves, the freezing water and the screams as we hit the rapids, we realized we were having an absolute blast. Blue Sky had photographers stationed at a couple of points along the river and the photos speak for themselves. Every single one of us is smiling from ear to ear. We had the time of our live s— and I can’t wait to go whitewater rafting again someday. After changing into dry
clothes — and buying ALL THE PICTURES — we continued on to Grand Lake. We would spend one night there so we could enter Rocky Mountain National Park from the west and avoid a large portion of the summer crowds. Tip 3: Step outside of your comfort zone and try new things. Pushing yourself is a great confidence booster and makes some excellent memories. Grand Lake is small. Only about 400 people live in the town, and with that small population comes fewer options for groceries and dining. When we arrived around 6 p.m., everything was already closing for the day. Fortunately, we had enough leftovers in our cooler from our Airbnb in Cortez to cobble together a hotel picnic dinner. The next morning, we entered Rocky Mountain National Park with our Trail Ridge Road timed-entry reservation at 9 a.m. Because the park is so popular, reservations are required during the busiest part of the day from late May through midOctober. We first stopped at the Holzwarth Historic Site, a preserved 1917 homestead and former dude ranch located in the Kawuneeche Valley. It is an easy one-mile roundtrip walk to the ranch. What I enjoyed most about this stop was crossing the beginnings of the Colorado River, the very same river we had floated down the day before. Only here, it looked more like a babbling brook. As we climbed higher on Trail Ridge Road, we made stop after stop. We crossed the Continental Divide, stopped at an alpine lake where we happened upon a grazing moose and spotted a herd of elk near the Alpine Visitor Center. Then, as we began our descent toward Estes Park, the roadside wildlife became considerably smaller. We had fun shouting “marmot!” and “whistle pig!” every time one of the furry little critters made an appearance. Estes Park is famous for the Stanley Hotel, which inspired Stephen King’s “The Shining.” We didn’t stay there, opting instead for an Airbnb condo. After several days of hotel hopping, it was nice to have a kitchen and laundry facilities. And we followed the recommendations of our new Tampa friends and had dinner at Antonio’s Real New York Pizza, where robot servers deliver food from the kitchen to the tables. Estes Park reminded me of a mountain version of St. Augustine — fun, conveniently located near everything we wanted to see, but
definitely on the touristy side. We enjoyed slowing down after several busy travel days. We wandered through the shops, sampled fudge and elk jerky and picked up our last souvenirs of the trip. TIP 4: Always make sure your Airbnb has air conditioning. It’s something we take for granted in Florida, but air conditioning isn’t always considered a necessity in other states. Unfortunately, we have now stayed in places that “don’t need” air conditioning — but apparently they do if you’re Floridians who are accustomed to sleeping in a refrigerated bedroom. On our final day in Rocky Mountain National Park, we had another timed reservation, this time for the Bear Lake Road corridor and our hike to Emerald Lake. A month ahead of time, the only reservation I could get was for 1 p.m. The 3.5-mile hike to Emerald Lake gains 715 feet in elevation and I was shocked by how many people were on the trail, even with the reservation system in place. There were plenty of times when we had to step to the side to let faster hikers pass us. The trail passes three beautiful lakes: Nymph Lake, Dream Lake and Emerald Lake. Each one provides a natural resting point, plenty of room to stop for pictures and another spectacular view. And somehow, it just keeps getting more beautiful as you climb. We didn’t get to spend much time at Emerald Lake because a storm began moving in surprisingly quickly. First came the thunder. Then the lightning. That was our cue to turn around. We started our descent back toward the parking lot as the first drops began to fall. Then came the hail. At that point, I abandoned all dignity, left my family behind and sprinted toward the car. I made it back, retrieved the car and managed to meet my family at the trailhead just as the sky opened up and the bottom completely fell out. It was quite an ending to our Colorado adventure. That night, back at our Airbnb, the clouds finally parted. We stepped outside to watch the most beautiful sunset of the trip, with temperatures hovering around a perfect 60 degrees. The next morning, we would fly home to Florida. After days of towering mountains, roaring rivers, alpine lakes, wildlife and roads that tested our nerves, we were heading back to the heat and humidity of a Florida summer. Colorado had certainly given us an adventure to remember.
B7
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
RICK STEVES' EUROPE
Climbing for Europe’s best views and a broader perspective
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rom church domes to bell towers and fanciful rooftops to skypiercing monuments, Europe is full of climbable structures. While most lead to impressive views, the best also offer insights into the historical, artistic, and religious thinking of their times. These are some of my favorites. In Milan, a highlight is strolling the rooftop of the Duomo – the city's cathedral and the third-largest church in Europe. After taking the stairs or elevator to the top, visitors can climb up and down the roof ’s multiple terraces, wandering among gargoyles, statues, and frilly spires. The roof features 135 lovinglydecorated spires that are similar, yet different. Walking among them, it's inspiring to think that every detail – each flower, saint’s face, and so on – is an individual work of art carved out of pink marble centuries ago by artists who believed that few would ever see it. Their art was a gift for God to enjoy from the heavens. Another worthwhile climb is to the top of the dome at Florence’s Duomo. Though it was built when Gothic style dominated Europe, the Florentines decided not to cap their cathedral with a spire — but left it instead with a gaping hole. (They bet that technology would soon catch up with the city's vision, and the Duomo could be completed with a dome instead.) In 1420, Filippo Brunelleschi won the job and built the dome that kicked off the architectural Renaissance. Brunelleschi's dome, which inspired
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the likes of the US Capitol and St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, showed how art and science could be combined to make beauty. Today, it rewards those who ascend the 463 steep, narrow steps with glorious views. Along the way, climbers are treated to a close-up of the dome’s Last Judgment ceiling painting, a grand view of the cathedral's interior, and a look at Brunelleschi’s “dome-within-a-dome” construction. A thoroughly different – but equally spectacular – dome climb is the hike to the top of the Reichstag in Berlin. Completed in the late 19th century, the German parliament building was gutted by a mysterious fire and World War II bombs, then stood like a ghost, barely repaired, through the Cold War. But after German reunification, this historic ruin was rebuilt with a modern element: a striking glass dome. A walkway winds all the way to the top, providing 360-degree views. Climbers see forests of skyscrapers interspersed with historic sights, such as the nearby Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Cathedral’s massive dome. But for Germans, mindful of their dark 20th-century history, the view that matters most is inside, where a cone of mirrors points down, directing your vision toward where legislators gather. The architecture comes with a poignant message: The people are determined to keep a wary eye on their government. Ascending the Eiffel Tower is one of Europe’s great travel thrills, period. Built
As you climb the dome of the Reichstag, you circle a cone of mirrors that point down, directing your vision toward where legislators gather. CREDIT:(Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli, Rick Steves' Europe)
for the 1889 World’s Fair, the project celebrated the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution and demonstrated that France had the wealth, knowledge, and can-do spirit to erect a structure taller than anything the world had ever seen. Even with a reservation, many stand in long lines to take the elevators up and down. For hardy visitors, it’s cheaper and less crowded to climb the stairs. It’s quite a hike – 720 steps up to the second level (the top level is only accessible via elevator). But as you ascend, you get an up-close look at Gustave Eiffel’s amazing engineering. Perhaps the most memorable climb I’ve done in Europe was just 28 steps – on my knees – up Rome’s Scala Santa (Holy Stairs) next to the Church of San Giovanni in Laterano. In AD 326, Emperor Constantine’s mother brought home what was reputed to be the marble steps of Pontius Pilate’s residence in Jerusalem. Jesus is said to have climbed these steps on the day he was sentenced to death. Today
the steps are covered with wooden slats to protect the marble, but they're spotted with glass-covered holes to show stains from Jesus’ blood on the original stairs. For centuries, pilgrims have ascended the Scala Santa on their knees while reciting a litany of prayers. And for decades, I watched them from a staircase on the side. But finally, a voice inside me said “Do it!” and I tried the climb myself. With my knees screaming, weathered faithful struggling up the staircase beside me, and a fresco of a crucified Christ high above, I climbed each step, learning about both the bone structure of my legs and the value of pain when praying. Because they're so popular, many of these sights require reservations in advance. But for the savvy traveler who's up for going up, these climbs are worth it. From ascending the first Renaissance dome to climbing steps on your knees, a little exertion can mean a big payoff in your travels.
SERIOUSLY SIMPLE
MAYO CLINIC
Give cauliflower soup a glow-up
Why are my feet always cold?
aulif lower makes an elegant, versatile soup when paired with warm curry, sweet apple and a bright mango yogurt drizzle. This version is satisfying enough for a light lunch entree, yet refined enough to serve as a first course. Apple and caulif lower cook down beautifully in vegetable or chicken stock, then blend into a silky puree without the need for cream. Choose a balanced, aromatic curry powder, mild or spicy depending on your preference, and add a splash of hot sauce if you want a livelier finish. The mango yogurt drizzle adds a distinct sweet-savory layer, while crumbled papadums bring a crisp, unexpected garnish. Together, they give the soup color, texture and a polished finish. Curried Caulif lower Apple Soup with Mango Yogurt Drizzle Serves 4 to 6 For the mango yogurt drizzle: 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1 tablespoon mango chutney 1 teaspoon curry powder Salt and white pepper For the soup: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, sliced 1 carrot, peeled and sliced 1 celery stalk, sliced 2 tablespoons good quality curry powder 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 pounds caulif lower f lorets, cleaned 1 apple such as Pink Lady, Envy or Cosmic Crisp, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped 6 cups vegetable or chicken
Silky cauliflower soup gets a sweet-tangy finish with mango yogurt and crisp papadums. CREDIT:(Diane Rossen Worthington/TCA).
stock Salt and white pepper to taste To garnish: Papadums, crumbled Parsley sprigs 1. Make the mango yogurt drizzle. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, chutney, curry powder, salt and pepper until well blended. Add 1 tablespoon water, or enough to reach a drizzling consistency. Cover and refrigerate until serving. 2. In a medium soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and very lightly colored. Lower the heat to medium, add the curry powder and stir for 1 minute. Add the
garlic and saute for another minute, taking care not to burn it. 3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until creamy and smooth. Season with salt and white pepper, whisk to incorporate and taste for seasoning. 4. Add the caulif lower, apple and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the caulif lower and apple are soft. Remove from the heat. 5. To serve: Reheat the soup. Ladle the soup into shallow soup bowls. Drizzle with the mango yogurt sauce, sprinkle with crumbled papadums and finish with parsley sprigs. Serve immediately, with the remaining sauce on the side.
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Even when it’s not chilly outside or in the house, my feet are always cold. Should I be concerned about this? ANSWER: If you live in a colder climate, having cold feet isn’t uncommon during the winter months, and it usually can be remedied by putting on warm socks or covering your feet with a blanket. Other simple remedies include raising your feet to improve circulation. Sometimes, just moving around or going for a short walk will take the chill out of your feet. There are other causes of cold feet other than cold or chilly days. Staying well hydrated can help keep your feet warm because water distributes heat from head to toe. Eating a balanced diet with a variety of foods will help ensure you’re fueling your body with the nutrients it needs to support cell function that keeps you warm. In addition to your feet being cold, pay attention to their color. It’s not uncommon for your feet to change color somewhat when it’s really cold outside. But if you notice discoloration more frequently or if you experience sensations in your feet such as tingling or burning, these could be indications of a medical condition. If your feet are consistently cold or discolored, you should consult with your health care professional for an evaluation. An evaluation can help identify any underlying health conditions and determine possible treatments. Among the conditions cold feet may indicate include circulatory issues, heart conditions, nerve disorders or autoimmune problems, such as thyroid disease. Circulatory problems These can include peripheral artery disease (PAD), a narrowing of the arteries in your legs caused by a buildup
of plaque from cholesterol and other substances on the walls of the arteries. You may have leg pain when walking which can cause lower blood pressure in your legs and contribute to cold, discolored feet. Smoking is a cause of PAD, so if you smoke, seek help to break this habit. Raynaud’s disease causes your body to overreact to cold. It’s more common in cold climates and typically affects women more than men. When you’re exposed to cold — a frosty day or chilly air conditioning — this disease causes the arteries in your feet and hands to spasm and constrict. It is benign and remedied by warming the extremities. Heart conditions A number of conditions, such as heart rhythm or valve damage, can affect how strongly your heart beats and circulates blood throughout your body. Nerve issues If sensory nerves in your feet are damaged, it can affect how your brain receives sensations from the skin, such as temperature, pain, vibration or touch. Some vitamin deficiencies may contribute to this, as well as diabetes. Thyroid disease Hypothyroidism — or not enough thyroid hormone — can increase your sensitivity to cold. Your physician or clinician can perform some simple evaluations in the office and also order other testing to ensure you don’t have circulatory issues. Blood tests can determine if you have an autoimmune problem, including anemia, caused by various issues, which can also be a factor in cold feet. Based on the results of the tests, your healthcare professional can help find treatments that alleviate your cold feet.
B8
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS
Government
Community
Marion County Development Review
OCT. 9
OCT. 12, 19, 26
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.
OCT. 13, 27
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
OCT. 14
Dunnellon City Council
Dunnellon City Hall, 20750 River Dr., Dunnellon 5:30pm The council generally meets the second
Arts
OCT. 9
Sunset Songs Series kickoff
Citizens’ Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala 7-9pm The city of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department announces the return of the series for its third season. This monthly outdoor concert series takes place on the second Friday of each month, October through March, and features local and regional artists performing original music ranging from reggae and blues to rock and electronic. All concerts are free to attend. For more information, visit ocalafl.gov/ sunsetsongsseries
OCT. 10
Queen- A Royal Tribute
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St. Ocala 7:30 pm Yvan Pedneault brings his powerhouse vocals to America with Queen – A Royal Tribute, performing Queen’s biggest hits with top musicians. Hear favorites including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Somebody to Love,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “We Will Rock You,” “We Are the Champions” and more. Get tickets at reillyartscenter.com
OCT. 11
Phantasmagoria XVII, “Frankenstein”
Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 2 and 6:30pm Journey with the acclaimed Victorian horror troupe as they light the candles at the Villa Diodati, to celebrate Mary Shelley’s legendary and iconic tale as well as “The Vampyre” by John Polidori, along with other stories. To learn more, go to phantasmagoriaorlando.com
Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band Countryside Presbyterian Church, 7768 SW State Road 200, Ocala 3pm Enjoy an afternoon of tunes from pop and rock legends Elvis, Neil Diamond, Elton John, the Beatles, plus Broadway marches and more. Admission is free and open to the public. A voluntary love offering will be taken. Call 352237-4633 for further information.
OCT. 13-18
Wednesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video are available at dunnellon.granicus. com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=1
2026 Emerging Farmers Symposi1um: Land, Livelihood & Legacy
OCT. 20, NOV. 3, 17
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/agendasminutes
Ocala Hours vary Admission to the museum is free Oct. 13-18 in honor of the birth date of museum founder Arthur I. Appleton (1915–2008). Learn more at appletomuseum.org
OCT. 16
Blues in the Box: Jason Ricci and the Bad Kind
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St. Ocala 7:30pm Multiple award-winning harmonica player, singer, and songwriter has performed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and recorded a Grammy-winning album with Johnny Winter. He continues to tour with The Bad Kind and the Ricci/Krown Trio. Learn more at reillyartscenter. com
OCT. 18
The Secret River: A Storybook Ballet
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala 2 and 6:30pm The Legacy in Motion Dance Center presents the ballet, inspired by the beloved Florida story by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Journey into the beauty and wonder of Florida as young Calpurnia sets out on an unforgettable adventure along a mysterious river through ballet, storytelling and imaginative characters. Get details at reillyartscenter.com
“Psycho: Scene & Score”
Marion Theatre, 50 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala 3pm Lecture, followed by a screening of the movie. Step back to 1960 as Alfred Hitchcock takes on Hollywood’s Hays Code with the thriller “Psycho.” Join film historian Dana Buckler to discover how Hitchcock used visual misdirection to bypass strict censorship laws, paired with special guest Matt Wardell, music director of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, breaking down the brilliance behind Bernard Herrmann’s score. Supported in part by Marion Cultural Alliance and the National Endowment for the Arts. Learn more at reillyartscenter.com
Marion County Extension Office, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala 9am-4pm Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension, in partnership with the University of Florida/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Marion County Extension, present the sessions include farm start-up, USDA Farm Service Agency beginning-farmer resources, NRCS cost-share programs, Best Management Practices, water programs, agricultural classification, heirs’ property, a beginning-farmer panel, Markets & Agritourism and Ranching Foundations. The luncheon keynote speaker is Karen Skyers, Esq., partner at Heiress Law, presenting “Inherited Land, Now What? Protecting Your Property and Your Family’s Legacy.” Skyers is bilingual and will offer a limited number of one-on-one mini-consultations. To register, go to emergingfarmers.eventbrite.com
Wills & Estate Planning Clinic
Marion County Extension Office, 2232 Jacksonville Road, Ocala 1-4pm Hosted by The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. Free to attend. Learn about wills, estate planning, heirs property and resources to help protect your family, land and legacy. Register at eventbrite. com/e/wills-estate-planning-workshop-tickets2001617968225?aff=oddtdtcreator
OCT. 10
more, go to braverangels.org or email dhoswald@ gmail.com
OCT. 17
7th Annual Free Gas Giveaway
Wawa, 8380 SW State Road 200, Ocala 10am In partnership with Revealing Truth Ministries Outreach Christian Center and Wawa. Last year the outreach served 123 families with free gas and is seeking sponsors to help make the event bigger this year. To learn more, call 352-209-7515 or email beyondus@revealingtruthocc.org.
OCT. 24
Springs Friendly Yard Workshop
Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens, 4990 NE 180th Ave., Williston 10-11am Presented by the Howard T. Odom Florida Springs Institute. Director Haley Moody will walk attendees through the steps to achieving a Florida Springs Friendly Yard. Class is free with price of admission. Learn more at info@floridaspringsinstitute.org
Halloween Skelebration and Family Fall Festival Lecanto Community Park – Education Park, 3798 W Sovereign Path, Lecanto Noon-9pm Friends and Families Reaching for Abilities event. Costume contests with prizes, live music and entertainment, food and craft vendors, photos, pumpkin and face painting, hayrides, games, inflatables, drawings and more. Get details at ffrastars.org/skelebration
Ruck-or-Treat
All-Breed Horse Parade
Downtown Ocala 9am Hosted by the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership and presented by Pat Myers Electric. The annual parade showcases the diversity of Ocala/Marion County’s equine community, bringing horses, riders and a wide variety of breeds and disciplines. Learn more at ocalacep.com
“Wear Your Wings” 5k
College of Central Florida, 3001 College Road, Ocala 7am The fundraising event proceeds will benefit the Marion County Children’s Alliance Family Violence Prevention workgroup, which provides education, resources and support for victims and survivors of domestic violence. Advance registration is $35 through Oct. 9, and $40 the day of the event. On-site registration begins at 7 a.m., followed by pre-race celebration at 7:30 a.m. and race at 8 a.m. Shirts for first 150 registrants and medals for first 150 finishers. To register, go to wearyourwings5k.itsyourrace.com.
OCT. 11
2nd Sunday Makers Market
Heart of the Park, 516 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala 10am-2pm The community-driven monthly market celebrates local makers, artists and small businesses. It features handmade goods, art and crafts, food trucks, live music and more in a family-friendly setting. Learn more at ocalamainstreet.org
Marion County Veterans Memorial Park, 2601 E Ft. King St., Ocala 3-7pm American Legion, Ocala Memorial Post 27, invites everyone to honor those who have served, raise awareness for veteran mental health and strengthen the community. Building on the success of last year’s event, which enabled Post 27 to support two deserving programs in Marion County, organizers are looking forward to making an even greater impact in 2026. Activities will include a 2.2-mile ruck walk, trick or treat zone, costume and coloring contests, crafts and games, a scavenger hunt, raffles and food. To learn more, call 352-6243563 or email commander@post27ocala.com
NOV. 6
Free mammograms
Silver Springs Shores Community Center, 590 Silver Road, Ocala 8am-4pm The Florida Department of Health in Marion County will host the 3D Mobile Mammography bus to provide free or low-cost mammograms to women ages 40-64 who have a household income that is less than or equal to 200% of the poverty level, have no health insurance to cover the cost of a clinical breast exam, mammogram, or pap smear and whose primary residence is in Florida. To see if you qualify, call 352-644-2696, 352-644-2661 or 352-644-2732.
NOV. 7
Marion County Chili Cookoff
OCT. 15
Braver Angels monthly meeting
Marion County Public Library Headquarters, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 5:15pm Braver Angels is a national organization with a mission to strengthen democracy through civil discourse. The guest speaker will be Marion County Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox. To learn
Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 Jacksonville Road, Ocala 10am-4pm The 45th annual event will include more than 30 teams competing for prizes for chili, booth decoration and more. It will include entertainment, family activities and a car show. Proceeds benefit The Cornerstone School. Learn more at marioncountychilicookoff.com
OCT. 25
Applaud the Arts: 25th Anniversary Gala
Farm, 12081, S Highway 475, Ocala Founder’s Week – Free admission Protea 6pm Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Guests at the Marion Cultural Alliance’s
annual celebration will enjoy live music by the Ocala Symphony Orchestra Quartet, Sensational Selfies, a cash bar, hors d’ oeuvres and a gourmet dinner curated by Chef Patti and La Casella
Catering. There will be the presentation of $60,000 in Cultural Grants to local arts organizations, along with MCA’s annual Art Awards. Get tickets at mcaocala.org
Appleton Museum of Art
INTRO TO COLLAGE Workshop for Adults
Saturday, October 17, 1-4:30 p.m. Scan the QR code to learn more, or contact AppletonEducation @cf.edu.
This beginner-friendly workshop, taught by Deborah Horvath, welcomes anyone curious about the popular art form of collage. All materials are provided. $65 for Appleton members | $80 for nonmembers
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
-an equal opportunity college-
B9
October 9 - 15 2026 | 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.
Across 1 Cop to 6 Of this clue, approve he would 10 Flows back 14 Previous 15 Brief analysis? 16 Blind strip 17 Christmas party 19 Unit of lipstick 20 Fuel made from corn 21 Beverage with tapioca pearls 23 Winter coat? 25 Many an island in the South Pacific 26 Slumber party 32 Starting squad 33 "Good Omens" co-writer Gaiman 34 Couple 37 Pasta filling, sometimes 38 Popped with a low blow 40 Source of a low blow? 41 Justin Trudeau and Christopher Luxon, for short 42 Degs. for filmmakers 43 Call for pizza, say 44 Halloween party 47 Professionals who might bug people 50 Impassioned request
51 Seemingly unbeatable foe 54 Get the big picture 59 Maroon 5 lead singer Levine 60 Cocktail party 62 Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, say 63 Glutinous glob 64 D sharp equivalent 65 Whole lot 66 Border lines? 67 Black Sea resort Down 1 Choir section 2 "Dang it!" 3 Ho Chi __ City 4 Crumb 5 Classic Pontiac 6 Like many a school bus 7 Egg cells 8 Mark on a bingo card 9 "On top of which ... " 10 Lot of wealth? 11 Popeye's rival 12 Genesis locale 13 Terrific bargain 18 Nutmegger's st. 22 Word with hard or soft 24 Apple often used to make cider 26 X Games launch point
27 "Unexpected __ in bagging area" 28 Pair in a pod 29 Factory tub 30 Word that indicates a name change 31 "Diary of a Wimpy __" 34 "Seriously, man!?" 35 Superlative prefix 36 Couple in a boat 38 Company whose X account only follows some Spice Girls and seven guys named Herb 39 "Don't bother" 40 Tackle 42 Fail to notice 43 Walter who moved the Dodgers to Los Angeles 44 Granny, to some 45 Puts in a seat 46 Host before Fallon 47 Bumps in the road 48 One of two on a tricycle 49 Instagram upload 52 Urge 53 Worn-down part of a shoe 55 __ Romeo 56 Streamlet 57 Tiny pest 58 "¿Cómo __?" 61 May celebrant
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON PAGE B11
B10
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE Public Notice
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Ocala City Council has introduced the following ordinance(s) and will consider its adoption at the regular meeting to be held on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. in City Hall, 2nd Floor, Council Chamber, 110 SE Watula Avenue, Ocala, Florida. Interested parties are invited to appear at the meeting and be heard with respect to the proposed legislation. Copies of the proposed documents may be inspected in advance at the office of the City Clerk, Ocala City Hall. Any person who decides to appeal any decision of the Ocala City Council with respect to any matter considered at this meeting will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purposes, may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made.
Public Notice 21 ST MORTGAGE CORPORATION , Plaintiff,
IN THE 5th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA
vs.
Case No. 26-CA002143
HANK LEE CARTER; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF HANK LEE CARTER; ANY UNKNOWN PARTY WHO MAY CLAIM AS HEIR, DEVISEE, GRANTEE, ASSIGNEE, LIENOR, CREDITOR, TRUSTEE, OR OTHER CLAIMANT, BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST KATHARYN OLIVE DITTMAR; and UNKNOWN TENANT / Defendant.
If reasonable accommodations are needed for you to participate in this meeting, please call 48 hours in advance TO: so arrangements can be made through the City Clerk’s office at 352-629-8266. ORDINANCE 2027-1 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA, REPEALING THE LOCAL BUSINESS TAX, BUSINESS TAX CERTIFICATE, BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE WITHIN THE CODE OF ORDINANCES; REPEALING SECTION 22-356, SECTION 10-33 AND CHAPTER 62, TAXATION, ARTICLE III. - LOCAL BUSINESS TAX; AMENDING SECTION 6-2, SECTION 10-205, SECTION 222, SECTION 22-32, SECTION 22-428, SECTION 54-32, SECTION 54-98, SECTION 110-3, SECTION 110-52, SECTION 122-921, SECTION 122-1198, SECTION 122-1210, SECTION 122-1214, SECTION 122-1216, SECTION 122-1224, SECTION 122-1225 AND APPENDIX A, ARTICLE III, SECTION 6 BY REMOVING REFERENCE TO LOCAL BUSINESS TAX, BUSINESS TAX CERTIFICATE, BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT, AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ORDINANCE 2027-2
last known address, 4425 NE 167 th Place #5, Citra, Florida 32113
NOTICE OF ACTION ANY UNKNOWN PARTY WHO MAY CLAIM AS HEIR, DEVISEE, GRANTEE, ASSIGNEE, LIENOR, CREDITOR, TRUSTEE, OR OTHER CLAIMANT, BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST KATHARYN OLIVE DITTMAR
Notice is hereby given to ANY UNKNOWN PARTY WHO MAY CLAIM AS HEIR, DEVISEE, GRANTEE, ASSIGNEE, LIENOR, CREDITOR, TRUSTEE, OR OTHER CLAIMANT, BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST KATHARYN OLIVE DITTMAR that an action of foreclosure on the following property in Marion County, Florida: LOTS 21, 22, 23 AND 24, BLOCK A, THE MEADOWS, UNIT 7, AN UNRECORDED SUBDIVISION DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: THE NORTH 115.0 FEET OF THE EAST 200.00 FEET OF THE WEST 1510.0 FEET OF THE SOUTH 3/4 OF THE EAST 1/2 OF SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP 13 SOUTH, RANGE 22 EAST, BEING IN MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA.
Public Notice
Public Notice
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2026-CP-2200 IN RE: ESTATE OF
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 26CP002121AX
SAMANTHA E. OAKES, Deceased.
IN RE: ESTATE OF GLORIA MARIE RAJSKI, Deceased.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the Estate of SAMANTHA E. OAKES, deceased, whose date of death was March 14, 2026, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW 1st Ave. Ocala, Florida 34475. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative's attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. The personal representative has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is October 2, 2026.
The administration of the estate of Gloria Marie Rajski, deceased, whose date of death was July 31, 2026, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW 1st Ave, Ocala, FL 34475. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative's attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. 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. 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 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 October 9, 2026.
Attorney for Personal Representative:
SAMANTHA SHEALY RAUBA, ESQ. Attorney Florida Bar Number: 59503 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF McGraw, Rauba & Mutarelli OCALA, FLORIDA AMENDING SECTION P.O. Box 4440 90-2, SECTION 90-20, AND SECTION Ocala, FL 34478 82-33, CODE OF ORDINANCES, Telephone: (352) 789-6520 PROVIDING FOR CLARITY BY Fax: (352) 789-6570 RENUMBERING THE DEFINITION TOGETHER WITH A 2021 TRU E-Mail: Samantha@LawMRM.com MODEL MANUFACTURED OF “LETTER OF MAP CHANGE” MH Secondary E-Mail: Gina@LawMRM. BEARING SERIAL NOS.: AND REVISING THE DEFINITION OF HOME com
“MARKET VALUE” TO BE CONSISTENT SA4079874ALA AND SA4079874ALB. WITH THE FDEM DEFINITION; PROVIDING FOR CLARITY THROUGH has been filed against you and you are CODE REFERENCES TO RELATED required to serve a copy of your written PROVISIONS OF THE FLORIDA defenses, if any, to it on Leslie S. White, BUILDING CODE REGARDING Esquire, the Plaintiff's attorney, whose REPETITIVE FLOOD DAMAGE address is, 420 S. Orange Avenue, Suite AND CUMULATIVE SUBSTANTIAL 700, P.O. Box 2346, Orlando, Florida IMPROVEMENT; PROVIDING 32802 30 days from the first date of DIRECTION TO STAFF; PROVIDING publication and file the original with the DIRECTION TO THE CODIFIER; clerk of the court either before service REPEALING INCONSISTENT AND/ on the Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately OR CONFLICTING PROVISONS; thereafter; otherwise a default will PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY OF be entered against you for the relief ORDINANCE PROVISIONS; PROVIDING demanded in the complaint or petition. FOR MODIFICATIONS ARISING FROM CONSIDERATION AT A PUBLIC DATED ON OCTOBER 2, 2026. HEARING; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. GREGORY C. HARRELL, ESQ. Clerk of the Circuit Court By : /s/ H. Bibn ORDINANCE 2027 - 3 As Deputy Clerk AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA REPRESENTING A FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH AND GRANTING TO PEOPLES GAS SYSTEM, INC., A NON-EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE TO USE THE PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY OF THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF A NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA; PROVIDING FOR AND DESCRIBING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH SAID NON-EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES AND FRANCHISE MAY BE EXERCISED; PROVIDING DIRECTION TO STAFF; PROVIDING DIRECTION TO THE CODIFIER; REPEALING INCONSISTENT AND/OR CONFLICTING PROVISONS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY OF ORDINANCE PROVISIONS; PROVIDING FOR MODIFICATIONS ARISING FROM CONSIDERATION AT A PUBLIC HEARING; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
NOTICE OF RULE DEVELOPMENT BY THE UPLANDS STEWARDSHIP DISTRICT In accordance with Chapter 120, Florida Statutes, and Chapter 2026-217 Laws of Florida, the Uplands Stewardship District (“District”) hereby gives notice of its intention to develop Rules of Procedure to govern the operations of the District. The proposed rule number is Chapter 1.
Personal Representative: LESLIE SZALONTAI Personal Representative 5001 SW 20th Street, Apt. 7910 Ocala, Florida 34474 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF EUGENIO J. ROTGER, Deceased. CASE NO: 2026-CP-2185 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: July 5, 2026. The date of first publication of this Notice is October 9, 2026. 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.
The Rules of Procedure will address such areas as the Board of Supervisors, officers and voting, district offices, public information and inspection of records, policies, public meetings, hearings and workshops, rulemaking proceedings, competitive purchase including procedure under the Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act, procedure regarding auditor selection, purchase of insurance, pre-qualification, construction contracts, goods, supplies and materials, maintenance services, contractual NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the un- services and protests with respect to dersigned, desiring to engage in business proceedings, as well as any other area of under the fictitious name of PURE Home- the general operation of the District. River Property Management of Florida located at 1600 E 8th Ave, A200, in the City The purpose and effect of the Rules of Tampa, County of Hillsborough, Florida, of Procedure is to provide for efficient 33605, intends to register the said name and effective District operations and to with the Division of Corporations of the ensure compliance with Florida law. The Attorney for Personal Representative: Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, specific grant of rulemaking authority for JOSHUA L. MOSES Richard & Moses, LLC Florida. the adoption of the proposed Rules of Dated at Tampa, Florida, this 1st day of October, 2026. Name of Owner: Home Encounter LLC, FEIN #46-2780922 NOTICE UNDER FICTITIOUS NAME LAW
Procedure includes Chapter 2026-217(6) (6)(e), (6)(6)(q) and (6)(20), Laws of Florida. The specific laws implemented in the proposed Rules of Procedure include, but are not limited to, Sections 112.08, 112.3143, 112.31446, 112.3145, 119.07, 119.0701, 120.54, 120.542, 120.5435, 120.56, 120.69, 120.81, 189.053, 189.069, 218.33, 218.391, 255.05, 255.0518, 255.0525, 255.20, 286.0105, 286.011, 286.012, 286.0113, 286.0114, 287.017, 287.055, and 287.084, Florida Statutes, and Chapter 2026-217(5), (6) (1)-(4), (6)(6)(c), (6)(6)(e), (6)(6)(q), (6) (19), (6)(20), Laws of Florida.
Pursuant to Section 865.09, Florida Statutes, notice is hereby given that William Goodnow, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name Oneflame Solutions, located in Marion County, Florida, intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Division of A copy of the proposed Rules of Procedure Corporations. and the related incorporated documents, if any, may be obtained by contacting the District Manager c/o Governmental NOTICE OF INTENTION TO REGISTER Management Services – Central Florida, FICTITIOUS NAME Notice is hereby given that Catalyst Group LLC, 219 E. Livingston Street, Orlando, Strategic Solutions LLC, desiring to en- Florida 32801, (407) 841-5524. gage in business under the fictitious name of CATALYST CONSULTING GROUP, intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, pursuant to Section 865.09, Florida Statutes.
George S. Flint District Manager Governmental Management Services Central Florida, LLC
Florida Bar No. 119304 226 NE Sanchez Avenue Ocala, FL 34470 (352) 369-1300 Primary Email: Josh@RMProbate.com Personal Representative: HEIDI J. ROTGER 3110 SE 47th Street Ocala, FL 34480 Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 15855 S.US Highway 441 Summerfield Fl, 34491 on October 20th, 2026 @ 12pm. Kenneth H. Whiting engine with hoist, kids playhouse, vacuum William David Grant mirror, tool chests, cabinets, washing machine, chairs, fishing poles, table saw, husky welder, dolly, glass table top The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Attorney for Personal Representative: Joseph M. Percopo Attorney Florida Bar Number: 70239 Dean, Mead, Egerton, Bloodworth, Capouano & Bozarth, P.A. 420 S. Orange Ave, Ste 700 Orlando, Florida 32801 Telephone: (407) 841-1200 Fax: (407) 423-1831 E-Mail: jpercopo@deanmead.com Secondary E-Mail: probate@ deanmead.com Personal Representative: William Robert Rajski 21575 W. Hilandale Court Kildeer, Illinois 60047 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN RE: ESTATE OF IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA SANDRA LOUISE ROBERTSON, CASE NO.: 2026-CP-2072 DECEASED, NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of Sandra Louise Robertson, deceased, whose date of death was December 1, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is, 110 NW 1st Ave., Ocala, Florida 34475. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative's attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. The personal representative or curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in sections 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The first date of publication of this notice is October 9, 2026 Attorney for Personal Representative Caleb V. Smith, Esquire The Florida Legal Advocacy Group, P.A. 445 NE 8th Ave. Ocala, Florida 34470 Florida Bar No.: 1008368 352-732-8030 Telephone 888-399-3129 Facsimile cs@FlagOcala.com Personal Representative Moritatan Măria Tatum 1414 Vogue Drive Tallahassee, FL 32311
Public Notice
Public Notice
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2026-CP-2139 IN RE: ESTATE OF JOHN ALBERT BEEMAN Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of JOHN ALBERT BEEMAN, deceased, whose date of death was July 6, 2026, is pending in the Circuit Court for MARION County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, #1, Ocala, Florida 34471. 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. 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 October 2, 2026. Personal Representative: JOHN WILLIAM BEEMAN Attorney for Personal Representative: SHANTA MATTHEWS, Attorney Florida Bar Number: 69935 814 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Suite D OCALA, FL 34470 Telephone: (352) 421-8722 Fax: (352) 306-3759 E-Mail: shanta@smatthewslaw.com Secondary: lori@smatthewslaw.com
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2026-CP-2177 IN RE: ESTATE OF JOYCE MARIA TRZASKA Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of JOYCE MARIA TRZASKA, deceased, whose date of death was January 14, 2026, is pending in the Circuit Court for MARION County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, #1, Ocala, Florida 34471. 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. 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 October 9, 2026. Personal Representative: JOSEPH TRZASKA Attorney for Personal Representative: SHANTA MATTHEWS, Attorney Florida Bar Number: 69935 814 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Suite D OCALA, FL 34470 Telephone: (352) 421-8722 Fax: (352) 306-3759 E-Mail: shanta@smatthewslaw.com Secondary: lori@smatthewslaw.com
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2026-CP-1960 IN RE: ESTATE OF DAVID FAISON, SR. Deceased. AMENDED NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of DAVID FAISON, SR., deceased, whose date of death was July 29, 2026, is pending in the Circuit Court for MARION County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, #1, Ocala, Florida 34471. 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. 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 October 2, 2026. Personal Representative: AUDREY D. SIMPSON Attorney for Personal Representative: SHANTA MATTHEWS, Attorney Florida Bar Number: 69935 814 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Suite D OCALA, FL 34470 Telephone: (352) 421-8722 Fax: (352) 306-3759 E-Mail: shanta@smatthewslaw.com Secondary: lori@smatthewslaw.com THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA CARLTON LEE, Plaintiff, V. ESTATE OF DORIS M. TRAVIS and ANY AND ALL UNKNOWN PARTIES CLAIMING BY, THROUGH, UNDER, AND AGAINST DORIS M. TRAVIS, WHETHER SAID UNKNOWN PARTIES MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST AS SPOUSES, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, OR CLAIMANTS, Defendants. Case No.: 2026-CA-1593 To the following Defendants: NOTICE OF ACTION Estate of Doris M. Travis and Unknown Parties Claiming By, Through, Under, and Against the Estate of Doris M. Travis Last known address: 2776 NE 147th Terrace, Silver Springs, Florida 34488 Current address: Unknown YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a lawsuit has been filed against you regarding the following described Real Property: The South 80 feet of the North 400 feet of the West 100 feet of the East 225 feet of the East 1/2 of the Northwest 1/4 of the Southeast 1/4 of Section 4, Township 15 South, Range 24 East, Marion County, Florida, being Lot #216 of an unrecorded subdivision, known as SILVER SPRINGS CAMPSITES. Parcel Identification: 31947216-00 You are required to serve a copy of your written defenses to this action, if any, on Daniel J. Raymer, counsel for Plaintiff, whose address is 445 NE 8th Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34470 on/or before Nov 9th, 2026. The original must be filed with the clerk of this court either before service on Plaintiff's attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint filed herein. Dated this 24th day of Sept. 2026. Gregory C. Harrell As Clerk of the Court
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Ocala City Council has introduced the following ordinance(s) and will consider its adoption at the regular meeting to be held on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. in City Hall, 2nd Floor, Council Chamber, 110 SE Watula Avenue, Ocala, Florida. Interested parties are invited to appear at the meeting and be heard with respect to the proposed legislation. Copies of the proposed documents may be inspected in advance at the office of the City Clerk, Ocala City Hall. Any person who decides to appeal any decision of the Ocala City Council with respect to any matter considered at this meeting will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purposes, may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made. If reasonable accommodations are needed for you to participate in this meeting, please call 48 hours in advance so arrangements can be made through the City Clerk’s office at 352-629-8266. ORDINANCE 2026-35 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA, CHANGING THE ZONING FROM PUD-RO, OFFICE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMET TO PD, PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, FOR CERTAIN PROPERTY LOCATED AT 325 SE 24TH STREET (PARCEL 30576-000-00), APPROXIMATELY 4.26 ACRES (CASE NO. PD26-0002); PROVIDING DIRECTION TO STAFF; REPEALING INCONSISTENT AND/ OR CONFLICTING PROVISIONS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY OF ORDINANCE PROVISIONS; PROVIDING FOR MODIFICATIONS ARISING FROM CONSIDERATIONS AT A PUBLIC HEARING; PROVIDING DIRECTION TO THE CODIFIER; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. IN THE COUNTY COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA - CIVIL DIVISION AIR SOURCE ONE, INC., a Florida profit corporation, Plaintiff, V. PRISCILLA COLEBROOK, an individual, Defendant. Case No. 26CC001642AX NOTICE OF ACTION - CONSTRUCTIVE SERVICE TO: PRISCILLA COLEBROOK 10544 SW 27TH AVENUE OCALA, FLORIDA 34476 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action to foreclose on a construction lien on the following property in Marion County, Florida: PARCEL ID NO. 35770-048-08 MARION COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER; AND AS DESCRIBED IN THE DEED RECORDED AT BOOK 8543, PAGE(S) 662664 IN THE OFFICIAL RECORDS FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA Also known as 10544 SW 27th Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34476. has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Rashkin Law PLLC, the Plaintiff's attorney, whose address is 12191 W. Linebaugh Ave. #676, Tampa, Florida 33626, on or before 30 days after 1st publication, 2026, and file the original with the clerk of this Court either before service on the Plaintiff's attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition. WITNESS my hand and the seal of said court on SEPT. 22ND, 2026. Clerk of Circuit/County Court MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA By: N. Bih as Deputy Clerk Rashkin Law, PLLC 12191 W. Linebaugh Ave. #676, Tampa, FL 33626 Telephone No. (813) 906-0529 Counsel for Plaintiff
B11
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
Bird of the week Ovenbird Week of October 9th thru October 15th 2026 ARIES
March 21-April 20
Aries, some free time opens up this week. Focus on social outings and keeping things light. Use the time to relax and recharge.
LIBRA
September 23October 23
Embrace a challenge for all it has to offer, Libra. A unique situation arises this week, and you can learn something about yourself and feel a strong sense of accomplishment.
TAURUS
SCORPIO
Tact may be required in the days ahead, Taurus. You have strong opinions about how to approach a situation, but present your views with kindness and express a willingness to be flexible.
Harsh words can be hard to forget, Scorpio. Be careful about how you communicate with others. Your intentions are good, so take a thoughtful approach to how to express them.
April 21-May 21
GEMINI
May 22-June 21
Gemini, save up your energy for something fun instead of getting swept up in someone else’s drama. Patience is your best friend this week, even if it doesn’t always come easy.
CANCER
June 22-July 22
You tend to be very careful with money, Cancer. Financial discipline is a great asset that will pay dividends for you in the days ahead.
LEO
July 23-August 23
You may find yourself in a highly visible position this week, Leo. That means you will need to be on your best behavior at all times . People will notice your every move.
VIRGO
August 24- September 22
Virgo, steer clear of any controversial subjects this week because they may escalate into something that can be off-putting for all involved. Try to keep your opinions to yourself.
October 24November 22
SAGITTARIUS
November 23 -December 21
This week you are juggling many things, including work, appointments and family obligations. Optimism and patience will be key for the time being, Sagittarius.
CAPRICORN
December 22January 20
Concerns about money may be on your mind, Capricorn. If you can get a handle on your finances, you will feel more secure about spending money.
AQUARIUS
January 21-February 18
There is no winning if you enter a fray between family members right now, Aquarius. It is best if you keep your distance and do your own thing this week.
PISCES
February 19-March 20
Your input will be sought this week, Pisces. Carefully consider an emerging situation, and then use your critical thinking skills to come up with the right advice.
Named for its nest, which is shaped like a domed oven, this cute ground-loving warbler is most often found walking around the forest floor looking for bugs in the leaf litter. Listen for a distinct call that sounds like “Teacher, Teacher, Teacher!” They breed up north but can be found in Marion County from about August to April. This one was photographed near Mill Dam Lake in the Ocala National Forest. Photo by Michael Warren. See more at https://michaelwarren.com/birds
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Animal Crackers
Broom Hilda
ANSWERS FOR PAGE B9 Sudoku
Middletons
Jumble
Crossword
DUNCE Gasoline Alley
DRESS FLAVOR THEORY Answers: The vintage sweater with so many buttons was — OLD-"FASTENED"
B12
October 9 - 15 2026 | OCALA GAZETTE
Your Financial Future Deserves a Second Look No pressure. Just perspective. Whether you're preparing for retirement, working toward your financial goals, or planning what's next, it can be helpful to step back and gain perspective. A complimentary financial review gives you the opportunity to discuss what's important to you, ask questions, and explore options with a local financial professional. Together, you'll evaluate how your current strategy aligns with your goals and review recommendations tailored to your needs.
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Ready for a fresh perspective? JARRETT KRIENES Financial Advisor Jarrett.Krienes@suncoastcreditunion.com Meet virtually or at a Suncoast Credit Union service center near you:
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