Ocala Gazette | March 1 - March 7, 2024

‘Ocala Gazette’ sues MCSO over video of jail inmate’s death at hands of deputies

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

The “Ocala Gazette” has filed a lawsuit in Marion County Circuit Court against the Marion County Sheriff’s Office over its refusal to release public records relating to the Nov. 25, 2022 death of inmate Scott Whitley in the Marion County jail.

The “Gazette” seeks to obtain surveillance footage from Whitley’s jail cell that purportedly shows several detention deputies using what his family claims was excessive force against the inmate to gain his compliance. Over the course of the 12-minute altercation that led to Whitley’s death, the nine officers involved deployed tasers 27 times and used pepper foam and physical force to subdue him.

The medical examiner’s office ruled Whitley’s death a homicide as a result of “cardiac arrhythmia during physical restraint by law enforcement.”

With the lawsuit filed on Feb. 28, the “Gazette” asks the court to hold an immediate hearing in accordance with the Public Records Act; to find that the records the newspaper is seeking are subject to disclosure; to find that MCSO had a duty to disclose these records; to find that MCSO’s delay in releasing the records was unjustified; to find that MCSO’s refusal to release the records was unlawful; to order MCSO to permit the “Gazette” access to the footage without delay; and to award the “Gazette” compensation for attorney’s fees, costs and expenses accrued.

Jennifer Hunt Murty, publisher for the “Gazette” explained why the newspaper was filing suit as a matter of public interest.

“I think the reason this jail cell video needs to be considered publicly is so that we are faced with what happens to the mentally ill when families don’t have the resources to care for them. Once we acknowledge the situation, we can have a robust and honest conversation about how we can fix it. We need to have this conversation not only to help those afflicted and their families, but also for the sake of law enforcement who we’ve essentially dumped the problem on without the resources to handle,” Murty said.

MCSO has indicated all further communications regarding Whitely shall go through attorneys and declined a meeting to discuss the matter.

Whitley, 46, was diagnosed as schizophrenic and bipolar and was being held as a suicide precaution inmate. Whitley was denied his medication and was kept naked and alone without bedding, forced to sleep on a concrete slab.

School sales tax to be on the ballot at the same time as county’s penny sales tax

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

On Nov. 5 when voters go to cast their ballots, they’ll have two taxes to decide on—one for funding new schools and another for funding new roads.

A half-cent sales tax has been set in motion by the school board to be placed on the 2024 general election ballot for voters to approve.

This will be the second of two taxes that will appear on the ballot for voters to decide on, the other is the county’s penny sales tax to fund infrastructure and public safety—most notably for a number of

major road projects to help ease traffic as Marion County grows.

The school half-cent tax is intended to fund capital projects, such as building new schools and constructing new wings for existing schools, for the school district and is proposed for a 10-year period. District staff has recommended that five new schools and nine new wings to existing schools need to be constructed over the next 15 years to sustain growth. The cost for this new construction in addition to necessary maintenance and renovations to other schools will cost the district about $1.8 billion, $1 billion of which needs funding.

“I think the data has shown that

we need a half-cent (increase in the) sales tax on the next ballot, and I would recommend that to be for the 2024 ballot for long term,” said Superintendent Diane Gullett when the school board decided to pursue the tax.

Voters previously approved a sales tax for schools in 2004, which expired in 2009. The district has collected a total of $111,164,680 in revenue from the tax since 2004, including in interest from 2010 until the present.

Marion County currently has a sales tax of 7%. If voters approve a half-cent sales tax for schools, the tax will be added on top of the existing tax. The county’s

See School, page A8

Fatal crash leaves questions about City emergency communications

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

At 8:23:54 p.m. on Feb. 19, the Ocala Police Department indicates it received a call about a crash involving two vehicles--a car and an SUV--in the 1500 block of Southeast 36th Avenue. The accident blocked traffic throughout the night and the debris was still being cleaned from the road in the hour leading up to school starting at the nearby Ocala Christian Academy.

In a post to its Facebook account following the incident, OPD reported: “When OPD arrived, the car was fully engulfed in flames. OFR arrived and extinguished the flames within minutes. Sadly, two people from the car, a male and female, were declared deceased at the scene. The male was ejected from the vehicle. The SUV was driven by a juvenile (who) was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.”

OPD spokesperson Jeff Walczak answered email inquiry from the “Gazette” about the timing of the response. “The crash occurred right around 8:23, the reported time was 8:23:54 and officers were on-scene at 8:26:14. There were also off-duty officers in the area and on-scene right after the crash and prior to on-duty personnel arriving.”

Ocala Fire Rescue station is located a short distance from the scene of the accident. Their records reflect that their

personnel arrived at the crash site at 8:30 p.m., or a little more than six minutes after the emergency call came in. It should be noted that sometimes emergency personnel are responding to multiple calls and therefore cannot always immediately shift their direction.

However, one contributing factor that may have slowed the OFR response is that the department wasn’t notified of the accident until 8:25 p.m., more than a minute after OPD took the 911 call. 911 calls in Ocala are routed through OPD and Ocala Fire Rescue’s dispatch works in the same room with OPD’s dispatchers.

The “Gazette” asked OPD why there was a lag in notifying OFR about the collision. Deputy Chief Lou Biondi told the “Gazette” the department was investigating the situation.

The “Gazette” has also requested from Marion County Fire Rescue what time it was notified of the call to send an ambulance.

The “Gazette” asked Biondi if there any analysis is regularly performed on the time it takes between a 911 call to OPD and the dispatch of OFR units. Biondi indicated that each department does its own analysis and that he was not aware of any joint agency effort to examine this question.

OPD is managed by Mayor Ben Marciano; Ocala City Manager Pete Lee oversees OFR. Marciano responded to the “Gazette’s” inquiry promptly and said he was

unaware of the lag in communications but he would look into what happened since that falls under his purview.

Walczak wrote the Gazette, “We are still going through everything and investigating the case, so the 911 calls and crash report is not available at this time. We will release information as soon as it’s available to do so.”

City attorney William Sexton also indicated by email that the OPD was within its rights not to explain the circumstances while the investigation is continuing.

On Feb. 20, OPD posted this on social media: “We are requesting the community’s assistance regarding last night’s deadly crash on SE 36th Ave. If you were in the area of the incident, around 8:20 p.m. and may have witnessed the event, or if you have any relevant home surveillance footage including Ring cameras, please come forward. We are seeking information from anyone who observed the vehicles involved, a white Mazda Miata and a gray Mercedes SUV, at any moment on SE 36th Ave.— especially if you noticed any instances of erratic driving.”

The post noted that “every piece of evidence or testimony can be crucial in piecing together the details of this incident, and we greatly appreciate your cooperation in this ongoing investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to call OPD at (352) 369-7000 or Crime Stoppers at (352) 368-7867.

File photo: Students leave West Port High School in Ocala after the last bell on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

County settles lawsuit against MCFR for wrongful death

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

Marion County is paying one family $125,000 to settle a lawsuit that claims that the actions of two Marion County Fire Rescue EMT paramedics caused the wrongful death of a 91-year-old man while being transported from a rehabilitation center.

Robert Strum died just over a month after falling off a stretcher after EMT paramedics failed to secure him while transporting him to the hospital from the Ocala Oaks Rehabilitation Center after he fell the day before, according to the lawsuit.

Strum’s daughter, Susan Menand, filed a wrongful death and personal injury lawsuit against the county, claiming the injuries sustained by her father at the hands of paramedic John Phillips and EMT Noah Woodrome-Garcia “resulted in aggravation or exacerbation of an existing disease or physical defect,” which prominently caused or contributed to his death, according to the lawsuit.

Philllips was hired by MCFR in 2008. Woodrome-Garcia was hired in 2021.

On March 26, 2022, Strum fell in

the rehabilitation center, and MCFR paramedics were called to transport him to the hospital for testing. At the time, Strum was described by witnesses as being awake and in no acute distress. Surveillance video from the rehabilitation center shows Strum being wheeled out on a stretcher in this condition.

Paramedics failed to fasten and secure the safety belts on Strum, however. The video shows the EMT and paramedic “negligently” handling the stretcher, which tipped over. Strum “fell off the stretcher, head-first, directly onto the asphalt below,” according to the lawsuit.

Strum sustained a head injury when he was dropped, and additionally had bruising on his body that was not present before being taken to the ambulance.

“Rather than reporting the incident, the EMT paramedics falsified the patient care record and indicated ‘(patient) loaded up with no incident’…the report given to the nurse was false as well, it mentions nothing about the events captured on the surveillance video,” according to the lawsuit.

The only record of this incident was the footage captured on video from the rehabilitation center, rather than any reports being made

MCSO lawsuit

Continued from page A1

Whitley was awaiting trial after being arrested on charges of violating a civil injunction from his parents and resisting an officer with violence when they tried to remove him from his parent’s home. Whitley’s parents, Scott Whitley Jr., 81, and Margaret Whitley, 77, filed the injunction in 2022 to have him removed from their home because he was unmedicated for his mental health conditions.

The family said they feared for their safety at times due to their son’s symptoms of schizophrenia and his strength, which they wanted to prevent from escalating into violence. Whitley had no prior criminal history, and his family told the “Gazette” that when he took his medication, he was pleasant.

Under an agreement with the MCSO, the family received video footage of the incident under the condition that they do not share it with anyone. The “Gazette” has asked MCSO to enter into a similar agreed court order for the footage, and MCSO has denied the request.

The family’s description of the events shown on the tape differs greatly from how MCSO has

portrayed the incident. The family claims the video depicts Whitley cooperating with detention deputies and submitting to having his cell searched before deputies repeatedly tased him, used pepper foam and physical force to subdue him.

As a result of obtaining the video, the family filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit in November 2023 against MCSO, Sheriff Billy Woods and six deputies which remains pending.

As shown in his autopsy, medical examiner ruled Whitley’s death a homicide as a result of “cardiac arrhythmia during physical restraint by law enforcement.” He also suffered from an enlarged heart and liver, lack of oxygen to the brain, and brain hemorrhage among other conditions, according to the autopsy report.

Nine deputies were involved in the incident, six of whom entered Whitley’s cell. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted an external investigation into the incident, the findings of which were shared with State Attorney Bill Gladson, who decided to not pursue criminal charges against any of the deputies.

Based on the Whitley family’s

by the MCFR personnel themselves, according to the lawsuit.

When he was returned to the rehabilitation center, Strum’s condition had “deteriorated significantly,” and the lawsuit claims this was the beginning of a chain of events that directly led to Strum’s death on May 2.

Menand sought compensation for her father’s medical expenses, physical and emotional distress and conscious pain and suffering in the weeks leading up to his death. Rather than taking the case to trial, Menand offered the county an opportunity to settle.

Marion County disputed Menand’s claim of wrongful death, saying that Strum’s age and underlying medical conditions contributed to his death, but the count remained for the injuries caused by the EMT paramedics.

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners accepted Menand’s offer to settle at the Feb. 20 meeting, paying Menand $125,000 to settle the lawsuit and resolve the claims against MCFR.

The “Gazette” reached out to MCFR for comment on the lawsuit’s settlement on behalf of those involved, but received no response at the time of publication.

“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)

Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

Bruce Ackerman Photography Editor bruce@ocalagazette.com

Caroline Brauchler Reporter caroline@ocalagazette.com

Chris D’Avonzo Marketing Specialist chris@magnoliamediaco.com

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Andy Fillmore Reporter andy@ocalagazette.com

Greg Hamilton Editor greg@magnoliamediaco.com

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Belea Keeney Reporter belea@magnoliamediaco.com

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Cheryl Specht Client Services Guru cheryl@magnoliamediaco.com

Amy Harbert Graphic Designer amy@magnoliamediaco.com

claims that the footage revealed inappropriate use of force by law enforcement, in addition to MCSO not allowing the “Gazette” to obtain this footage to corroborate or dispute these claims, the “Gazette” has sued the MCSO to obtain the footage.

The “Gazette” was first denied this public record on Nov. 30, 2022. The former general counsel for the MCSO, Tim McCourt, claimed an exemption under Florida Statutes §119.071(3) (a)1 and §281.301, saying the footage was confidential to protect the identities of the deputies involved and to keep confidential the operations of the jail as a security measure.

The deputies involved in Whitley’s death all claimed that their identities could be shielded from the public under Marsy’s Law, which keeps confidential the identities of people who are victims of a crime. The Florida Supreme Court in December ruled Marsy’s Law does not shield from public disclosure the identities of police officers in fatal incidents.

The “Gazette,” in turn, has argued this ruling is grounds for MCSO to release the footage as it is part of a public record.

The MCSO next said the cell footage falls under another exemption that states video surveillance can be shielded from the public if it would compromise the facility’s security. In its suit, the “Gazette” claims a video of the inside of a single jail cell does not compromise security of the entire MCSO jail complex.

Marissa Duquette, who has taken over for McCourt as MCSO’s general counsel, claimed a statutory exemption under §119.071(3)(a)1 on Jan. 3. The “Gazette” requested on Jan. 13 to obtain the audio of the incident in Whitley’s cell. This request was denied on Jan. 16.

The “Gazette” next asked the MCSO to be allowed to view the footage, rather than receive a copy of it to share with the public. This, too, was denied. On Feb. 19, MCSO again denied the release of the audio and video footage despite the “Gazette” expressing its intent to pursue legal action.

The newspaper is being represented by husband and wife legal team of Masimba Matuamba and Denise Mutamba of MDM Legal. Their office is located in West Palm Beach but they practice law statewide.

Masimba said the reason the firm was taking on the lawsuit, was because of their “passion for--and years of experience across the country in--civil rights law, First Amendment media cases, and public records matters.”

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Crime scene photo of the cell at Marion County Jail where Scott Whitley was killed. He was held in the cell without clothing, bedding, or medication for days.

Have shoo)ngs in Marion County increased?

By Jennifer Hunt Murty

jennifer@ocalagaze=e.com

AAer hearing concerns from readers that there has been an up)ck in shoo)ngs locally, the “Gaze=e” went to work to determine if percep)on is reality.

Have shootings in Marion County increased?

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

determine if perception is reality.

The go-to sources for this informa)on are state and na)onal agencies that compile this data, but there is always a significant lag )me between when these incidents occur and when the agencies report them. This has led the “Gaze=e’’ to develop a methodology to paint a clearer picture relying on local agencies Since there are mul)ple law enforcement agencies in Marion County, the newspaper reached out to Marion County Fire Rescue because that department provides ambulance service to all of the law enforcement jurisdic)ons throughout the county. The

After hearing concerns from readers that there has been an uptick in shootings locally, the “Gazette” went to work to

MCFR how many calls for service involved

The go-to sources for this information are state and national agencies that compile this data, but there is always a significant lag time between when these incidents occur and when the agencies report them. This has led the “Gazette’’ to

develop a methodology to paint a clearer picture relying on local agencies.

Since there are multiple law enforcement agencies in Marion County, the newspaper reached out to Marion County Fire Rescue because that department provides ambulance service

during the years 2022 and 2023

to all of the law enforcement jurisdictions throughout the county.

The “Gazette” asked MCFR how many calls for service involved firearms during the years 2022 and 2023.

If you count only how many people were injured, according to MCFR that number totaled 95 in 2022 and 73 in 2023. Although many of the injured were transported to area hospitals, some of those wounded by a firearm died at the scene of the incident. Presumably, those deceased persons would be included in MCFR’s call data.

While the data received from MCFR does not conclusively answer whether injuries by firearm are up or down than what they have been historically, it seems there could be a slight reduction in 2023 over 2022.

What is clear based on information collected by the Florida Depar tment of Health, however, is that Marion County has struggled with a higher rate of firearm injuries and deaths than the state average.

There was a marked increase in those metrics since 2015, according to DOH data, but there has also been a slight decline.

Charts for fatal firearm injuries

If you count only how many people were injured, according to MCFR that number totaled 95 in 2022 and 73 in 2023. Although many of the injured were transported to area hospitals, some of those wounded by a firearm died at the scene of the crime Presumably, those deceased persons would be included in MCFR’s call data.

While the data received from MCFR does not conclusively answer whether injuries by firearm are up or down than what they have been historically, it seems there could be a slight reduc)on in 2023 over 2022

What is clear based on informa)on collected by the Florida Department of Health, however, is that Marion County has struggled with a higher rate of firearm injuries and deaths than the state average. There was a marked increase in those metrics since 2015, according to DOH data, but there has also been a slight decline. Charts for fatal firearm injuries place (here) (ID 1 & 2)

Note: This includes all deaths from firearms discharge, regardless of intent. Includes both homicides and suicides. Data is sourced from: Florida Depar tment of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics

Charts for nonfatal firearm injuries

Note: These statistics include hospitalizations with firearm injury where the patient was alive when discharged. The data was sourced from Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) which our local hospitals report to on a regular basis.

One woman is dead after a shooting occurred in Citra on Tuesday.

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

Asuspect was apprehended in Georgia on Tuesday night after a shooting left one woman dead in Citra earlier that day.

Sherese Stafford, 33, was found dead of a gunshot wound at 16849 NE 41st Ct., Citra, when law enforcement responded to a report of a shooting at 4:13 p.m. on Tuesday.

The suspect, Kenron Vereen,

is said to have fled the scene in a white pickup truck, which law enforcement found abandoned nearby, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Vereen turned himself in at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in Jesup, Georgia.

Vereen is now in custody at the Wayne County Jail, after being arrested on warrants unrelated to the shooting death of Stafford.

When asked if any children were involved or present at the time of the shooting, Moore said

that it was possible a child may have heard something when the shooting took place.

Law enforcement initially believed that a child had been kidnapped, but that possibility has since been ruled out.

“It was believed there might have been another child in the area that wasn’t here when we arrived, but that child’s been located and is safe,” Moore said.

The homicide investigation is ongoing as of Wednesday.

Celebrating two special canines

An event on Feb. 22 honored the lives of Molly, the ambassador of Marion County’s animal abuser registry, and Marion County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Leo, who died after being shot in the line of duty.

By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com

Atwo-part event on Feb. 22 paid tribute to two local canines who captured the hearts of the community.

Molly, a white mixed-breed dog who survived life-threatening wounds after being attacked by a human in 2014, later became the ambassador for Marion County’s Animal Abuser Registry, known as Molly’s Law. Molly died of cancer on Feb. 22, 2023, with her human companion Lilly Baron, of the SPCA of Ocala, at her side.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Leo, the partner of Cpl. Justin Tortora, was shot in the line of duty on Feb. 17 and died from his wounds on Feb. 20.

On Thursday, a small crowd first gathered near the white marble statue of Molly that stands outside the city of Ocala’s Citizen Service Center at 201 SE 3rd St. Among those gathered were Baron and Nilda Comas, the sculptor of the statue, and Jane Mabe, owner of the Ocala Dove Experience.

Mabe brought several doves that were released in honor of the two canines, with one dove released by Baron in memory of Molly and one released by MCSO K-9 officer Cpl. Jarrick Donely in

memory of Leo. The crowd then moved to the Marion Cultural Alliance’s Brick City Center for the Arts on Broadway Street for a reception.

As people mingled, among them a number of local elected officials, videos played that showed snippets from Molly’s life as well as Comas at work in her studio in Italy. A large portrait of Tortora and Leo sat on an easel, while Molly’s cremains, in a ceramic urn, rested on a table beneath a large portrait of her.

As the guests enjoyed refreshments, Marion County Judge Lori Cotton introduced Rev. Edwin Quintana, who spoke about the two dogs. He said Molly was a “beloved animal ambassador in this community and beyond.” He expressed hope that Molly’s Law would one day lead to a statewide animal abuser registry.

“I pray it starts at the state level and moves on to other states,” he said, with the audience erupting in applause.

Quintana offered condolences to the MCSO, nodding to Lt. Carlton Curtis in the audience, and said that Leo, in the words of Sheriff Billy Woods, “Did exactly what he was trained to do, fearlessly protecting those deputies and charging directly at danger.”

Baron told the audience that

Molly had had a “good life, a home life. She played in a pasture and rolled in the dirt—every day.” She also directed attention to some Marion County Animal Services personnel in the room and said, “They saved her life. You can’t believe the good work they do day in and day out. They are heroes.”

Baron said that while she had hoped to slow down, the drive to make Molly’s Law a state law did not pass this year, so, “I’ll take that on again.”

“I’ll be working with Marion County Animal Control and the County Commission to make people responsible for their pets. At the next County Commission meeting I’ll be proposing a lot of suggestions and more importantly, work to make Marion County a no-nonsense county. We’re one of the largest counties in the state and when people move here and bring their pets, we’re gonna make sure they are responsible for them,” she said.

“And,” she added, “I have one more project, the ‘Ambassador Molly: The Dog That Made a Difference’ book. That’s why we’re taking so many pictures here tonight,” she said, acknowledging the audience, “You’re all in it!”

Baron introduced Comas, who is in the Florida Artists

“Molly was the perfect dog to represent Molly’s Law. She was loved by everybody, and she knew her job. It was such an honor to have been chosen to do that (sculpt the artwork) and I got to fall in love with her like all of you.”

Nilda Comas

Hall of Fame. Her works have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries in the U.S. and abroad and she recently created a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune for the National Statuary Hall in the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Comas told the crowd she was honored to have been selected to sculpt the statue of Molly, which was crafted from Carrara marble, mined in Italy from what are known as the caves of Michelangelo.

“Molly was the perfect dog to represent Molly’s Law. She was loved by everybody, and she knew her job,” Comas said. “It was such an honor to have been chosen to do that (sculpt the artwork) and I got to fall in love with her like all of you. Her legacy will last a long time and so many people will think of Molly’s Law when they see the sculpture.”

Molly was stabbed three times in the head and had her skull fractured with a baseball bat in early 2014. Her accused attacker, Steven Scott Fleming, served time in state prison on three counts of felony cruelty to animals. The animal abuser registry requires that any offender convicted of an animal abuse crime be placed on in the database, which allows citizens, pet sellers and rescue organizations to verify that they

are not placing an animal with an animal abuser.

K-9 Leo was shot when deputies responded to a call in Silver Springs on Feb. 17, where Jeremy Beshere, 44, was accused of battery by strangulation. Beshere reportedly opened fire on the deputies and Leo was struck. The deputies returned fire and Beshere was apprehended and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced deceased, according to MCSO. In an effort to save Leo’s life, Marion County Fire Rescue transported the K-9 in an ambulance from the local University of Florida emergency veterinary clinic to the UF veterinary hospital in Gainesville. It was one of the first rescues of its kind after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 338 in 2021, which allows EMTs to provide emergency care to K-9s injured in the line of duty and allows the use of ambulances for emergency transport of K-9s.

To learn more about Molly and the creation of Molly’s Law, go to spcaofocala.org

The county’s animal abuser registry is accessible at marioncountyfl.org/aar

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Lilly Baron, right, and Cpl. Jarrick Donely, a K-9 officer for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, center, release doves as Lt. Carlton Curtis, left, also of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, looks on during the SPCA of Ocala Celebration of Life for Ambassador Molly of Molly’s Law near Citizens’ Service Center by Molly’s statue in Ocala on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024.

Doves are released. Artwork and photos of Molly.

Jaye Baillie, Nilda Comas, Lila Ivey and Newy Fagan, left, to right.

Heart health awareness

The annual Go Red for Women luncheon is set for March 22 in Ocala.

By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com

The American Heart Association wants women to be more aware of one of the greatest threats to their health—cardiovascular disease. The local chapter also wants community members to enjoy camaraderie and share a meal together as they learn more about heart health.

This year’s Go Red for Women luncheon will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 22 at Hilton Ocala, 3600 SW 36th Ave., Ocala. The event announcement notes that the “community’s most respected business, healthcare, civic

and philanthropic leaders unite at the luncheon to raise funds for continued research, education and outreach.”

The 2024 luncheon chairperson is Manal Fakhoury, who has been active on numerous local boards for many years. She is the curator of TedxOcala and president of Ollin Women International. Fakhoury, who holds Doctor of Pharmacy and MBA degrees, was the clinical coordinator at Ocala Health for 28 years.

We did a question-and-answer session with Mallory Sealey, development director for the Ocala arm of the American Heart Association, and Fakhoury, to learn more about women and cardiovascular disease and the local luncheon.

CF LIBRARY TO HOST PRESENTATION ON AUTHOR

The College of Central Florida Library is set to host a presentation on Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel “The Yearling.”

The presentation is to be given by speakers Florence Turcotte and Anne Pierce at

12:30 p.m. on March 6 at the CF

Ocala Campus Stearns Learning Resources Center, Building 3. Turcotte and Pierce will discuss how Rawlings’ work was inspired by regional characteristics of Florida and its culture.

The first 25 students in attendance will receive a

MALLORY SEALEY

What is the history of this endeavor in Ocala/Marion County?

Since 2004, Go Red for Women has addressed the awareness and clinical care gaps of women’s greatest health threat, cardiovascular disease. As Go Red celebrates 20 years of making an impact, on the cusp of the American Heart Association’s 100th anniversary, we continue to make bold moves to save lives and pioneer scientific discoveries. We haven’t done it alone. We reach our goals working with organizations and individuals who share our vision for better health and today, the Go Red for Women community is stronger than ever.

Why should women be more concerned about their heart health?

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, claiming more lives than all cancers combined. Nearly 45% of women over age 20 are living with some form of cardiovascular disease. Women experience unique life stages that increase their risk of developing CVD over the course of their lifetime. Go Red for Women is here for their health and well-being at every age, stage, and season of their lives.

How will the luncheon benefit the American Heart Association?

This luncheon ensures we can continue to bring awareness and fund research for the women of Ocala and beyond.

Go Red for Women serves as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally. Through media, events, storytelling, and digital platforms we are raise the voices of women to raise awareness about their greatest health threat—cardiovascular disease. Survivors, health experts, celebrities, and CEOs help carry our message and mission to help all women understand their risk so they can fight back against heart disease and stroke.

free copy of “The Yearling.” Refreshments will be provided.

Attendants are encouraged to RSVP to ruizf@cf.edu.

For more information, visit CF.edu/LibraryEvents

OCALA CIVIC THEATRE IMPROV CLASSES TO BEGIN

The Ocala Civic Theatre’s “Improv with Charles Frierman” classes are set to begin on March 3, and there are

still a few spots left to join. The classes will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on March 3, 10, 17, 24 and April 7. A

performance will take place on April 13. Frierman has worked in a number of improv troupes

by Margaret Ross Tolbert

As many know, women continue to be underrepresented—and underfunded— in both research and STEM fields. We’re addressing this through Research Goes Red, STEM Goes Red and efforts to increase funding and research on CVD in women.

What can people expect if they sign up to attend the event?

The Go Red for Women event experience focuses on connection and engagement— fostering an atmosphere of interaction and networking at every turn. We will connect, empower, and energize. The format will be upbeat, engaging and fun.

MANAL FAKHOURY

What is your involvement with the luncheon?

Marion County’s first Go Red for Women Luncheon was in 2007. I was the 2010 event chair and have served on the committee for many years. I have been a Circle member for many years as well. I was the American Heart Association Heart Walk chair in 2021 and now for 2024, I’m proudly serving as the AHA Go Red for Women chair.

What would you say to area women about taking care of themselves?

I am a huge advocate of your first wealth is health. I intentionally live a healthy lifestyle to the best of my ability, and I encourage everyone to take their health seriously, to be disciplined in food choices, activity level, emotional strength, and spiritual connection. Sadly, too often I hear about the tragic loss of life due to a heart attack or other health issues. Go Red for Women allows us to come together as women to learn, advocate, and practice important health habits.

To learn more, go to heart.org/marioncountygored

MARION COUNTY DAY 2024

Marion County is hosting a free community day to celebrate the county’s 180th anniversary.

Marion County Day will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 23 at the McPherson Governmental

throughout central Florida and currently teaches improv to teens at the Lakeland Public Library and the Theatre South Playhouse.

Campus at 601 SE 25th Ave.

All are welcome to attend and learn Marion County’s story in an interactive, informative and fun way from local organizations. Vendors will also be present to offer food, games and more.

Tuition for the course is $100. Participants must be ages 18 or older.

Members of the executive leadership team for the 2024 Marion Go Red for Women Luncheon are shown during a planning meeting. [Courtesy of the American Heart Association]

SCULPTURE CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Staff report

The Biennial Ocala Outdoor Sculpture Competition, now in its seventh year, featured artists from across North America. A selection jury, comprised of local community and art organization representatives, selected 10 sculptures to advance in the competition and be on display at Tuscawilla Park and the Tuscawilla Art Park for a 22-month exhibit.

The event is hosted in partnership with the Appleton Museum of Art and the city of Ocala. The city on Feb. 24 hosted the Tuscawilla Sculpture Stroll and on Feb. 27 announced the winners of the competition. They are:

• Best of Show: “Impractical Hardware” by Harry McDaniel (Asheville, NC)

• Second Place: “Dalband Satellite Flower” by Richard Herzog (Athens, GA)

• Honorable Mention: “Beckon” by Jeffrey Repko (Atlanta, GA)

• People’s Choice Award: “Fernando” by Lee Bell (Sarasota, FL)

The other artists and sculptures are:

• Hanna Jubran, Grimesland, NC, “Double Helix”

• Michael O’Khaen, Miami, FL, “Flamingo”

• Roberto Perez Crespo, Hialeah, FL, “Pollination”

• Kirk Seese, Lutherville Timonium, MD, “The Feathers Three”

• Laurie Sheridan, Port Ewen, NY, “Fecund Pod”

• Jamie Weinfurter, Iowa City, IA, “Amalgamation”

An educational scavenger hunt brochure for the new sculpture exhibit is now available. “The scavenger hunt provides a fun, family activity that encourages guests of all ages to take a closer look at each sculpture. The public is invited to participate in the scavenger hunt during daylight hours at Tuscawilla Park. Participants can exchange a completed brochure for free family admission to the Appleton Museum (up to two adults and three children),” noted a city news release. Brochures are available at

• Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave.

• Marion Cultural Alliance, 23 SW Broadway St.

• Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd.

• Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau, 109 W Silver Springs Blvd.

For more information, call the city’s Cultural Arts Office at (352) 629-8379.

Living history

The inaugural Hammer In at the Fort King National Historic Landmark brought frontier days skills to life.

By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com

The loud “clang” of blacksmith’s hammering metal rang out loud and clear on Feb. 24 during the Fort King Hammer In event at the Fort King National Historic Landmark as people stepped back in time to learn about the techniques and role of blacksmiths in frontier-era Florida.

An estimated 400 people attended the inaugural blacksmithing demonstration by members of the Florida Artist Blacksmith Association, which also was an event sponsor, along with Trailer Doc metal fabrication. The event was organized by the city of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department.

The park is located at 3925 SE Fort King St. The site is owned jointly by the city of Ocala and Marion County. The sprawling complex includes a marker denoting it as a National Historic Landmark and a replica of the wooden fort that stood in the vicinity around 1837.

The Hammer In was meant to “showcase the talents and skills” of the blacksmiths as they forged “historically accurate hardware and functional tools” for the blockhouses, gate doors of the wooden fort and the blacksmith shop that was built last May, noted the city’s website.

Keith Hill, of Ocklawaha, is a History Channel “Forged In Fire” blacksmithing competition champion and “construction site lead,” according to the website. He was on hand in the blacksmith shop, which stands just outside the main wooden fort. He and his wife, Janice Hill, wore period clothing as they gave demonstrations. Keith displayed a 22-pound sledge and other tools of the trade. Janice, a historian, showed a .50 caliber smooth bore flintlock long gun used in the frontier days primarily for hunting game.

Bre Ximenes, outdoor historic programs coordinator with the park, said a dozen blacksmiths from Gainesville and Ocala worked at six forges during the event. She explained

that Keith Hill had forged 2,000 nails and other hardware for the building of the blacksmith shop and was involved in the construction project.

Park signage states that in the Florida frontier days, the blacksmith shop was “key to survival and expansion,” with the smiths making essential items such as kitchen utensils, wagon wheels, hardware and horseshoes, and also providing gun repairs.

David and Jenny Biggs of Hawthorne, also outfitted in period clothing, were part of the blacksmith demonstration. David, a metal worker by trade, is with B & T Metals of Ocala and has fabricated copper trim work that is installed at the World Equestrian Center. He demonstrated a hand-cranked fan that stokes the fire.

“He likes to do it,” Jenny Biggs said of her husband’s antique blacksmithing work.

One of the participating blacksmiths said that attendees at the Hammer In watched closely and asked focused questions about the work of a blacksmith.

To learn more, go to ocalafl.gov/ government/city-departmentsi-z/recreation-parks/fort-kingnational-historic-landmark

Best of Show: “Impractical Hardware” by Harry McDaniel

Second Place: “Dalband Satellite Flower” by Richard Herzog

Honorable Mention: “Beckon” by Jeffrey Repko People’s Choice Award: “Fernando” by Lee Bell

David Biggs of Hawthorne demonstrates a hand-cranked fan at the inaugural Hammer In at the Fort King National Landmark. [Andy Fillmore]

Keith Hill, of Ocklawaha, a History Channel “Forged in Fire” program champion, demonstrates a technique at the Hammer In on Feb. 24, 2024, at the Fort King National Landmark in Ocala. The event, organized by Ocala Recreation and Parks, showcased the work of blacksmiths from the Florida Artist Blacksmiths Association. [Andy Fillmore]

Janice Hill displays a frontier-era smooth bore .50 caliber flintlock long gun as her husband blacksmith Keith Hill demonstrates tools at the Hammer In on Feb. 24 at the Fort King National Landmark. [Andy Fillmore]

Raising awareness for veterans

The VFW Auxiliary’s national president recently brought a message of suicide awareness and the 988 veteran crisis line to Ocala.

By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com

Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary National President Carla Martinez made a fourday visit to Ocala recently to honor veterans and deliver a message about suicide awareness.

Martinez placed a wreath at the Medal of Honor Monument at the OcalaMarion County Veterans Memorial Park on Feb. 23, along with Florida VFW Auxiliary President Teresa Bachand. The monument honors recipients of the nation’s highest military honor, including local recipient Hammett Bowen. After the wreath placement, Martinez spoke briefly about her focus mission.

“I’d like to talk about suicide awareness,” said Martinez, who is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and served 13 months in Korea.

She said family members may be at risk especially when a service member has multiple deployments and that children in single-parent homes may be at risk. She said she wants to spread the word about calling 988 (and then pressing 1) in times of crisis.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran Crisis Line at 988 is available around the clock to veterans and those concerned about them. It is manned by VA responders who can “listen and help” and connect callers with additional resources. People also text 838255 for assistance.

During Martinez’s visit to the park,

she was given a proclamation plaque on behalf of the Marion County Board of County Commissioners by Assistant County Administrator Amanda Tart.

The proclamation named Feb. 22 to Feb. 25 “Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Weekend” and welcomed Martinez on her visit here. It also recognized the organization’s support of active duty and veteran service members and stated that the VFW Auxiliary has nearly 500,000 members, with 37,500 of those in Florida.

Husbands and wives, sons and daughters and other family members, including stepchildren, of qualified VFW members, may join the auxiliary.

Bachand, who lives in Ocala, invited Martinez to the city.

While in Ocala, Martinez met with Jeffrey Askew, director of the Marion County Veterans Service Office and overseer of the park, and Ron Oppliger, chairman of the Friends of Marion County Veterans Park Foundation, who was accompanied by Ray Orlosky

On Feb. 24, Martinez was scheduled to attend an Aisle of Flags ceremony for members and guests at VFW Post 4209 in northeast Ocala.

Post member Jarvis Lewis said it was a “huge honor” to host Martinez and “rally the troops” for her cause of suicide awareness.

To learn more, go to veteranscrisisline.net and vfwauxiliary.org

I-75 IMPROVEMENTS MEETINGS

public comment period.

The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing regarding the Project Development and Environment Study for Interstate 75 improvements from State Road 200 to SR 326 in person on March 4 and online March 6.

The purpose of the project is to reduce congestion and

reliability on I-75 through the addition of an auxiliary lane between interchanges within the project limits. The Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative allowed FDOT to advance the much needed I-75 improvements, with construction anticipated to begin in spring 2025.

All attendees, regardless of which platform they choose, will receive the same information.

• In-Person Option: Participants may attend in person by going to the Hilton Ocala, 3600 SW 36th Avenue, Ocala, at 5:30 p.m. March 4 to view hearing materials prior to the presentation, which will begin at 6 p.m. and be followed by a

• Virtual Option: Join over the internet from a computer, tablet or mobile device at 5:30 p.m. March 6. Advance registration is required at fdothearingrsvp. Once registered, participants will receive an email with information about joining online. The virtual hearing will open at 5:30 p.m. so participants can view the materials prior to the presentation at 6 p.m., which will be followed by a public comment period. If using a mobile device, use the GoToWebinar app to view the presentation and submit comments. If joining online, allow time to log in to view the presentation in its entirety. Those unable to attend the hearing may view all materials, including the presentation, and provide comments, through the project website at cflroads.com/project/452074-1. A copy of the draft project documents is available for public review through March 16 at the Headquarters-Ocala Public Library, 2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.

File photo: Motorists drive on I-75 as shown from the Southwest 66th Street bridge south of Ocala on Tuesday, February 1, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

VFW Auxiliary National President Carla Martinez, center, is presented a proclamation from the Marion County Board of County Commissioners by Assistant County Administrator, Amanda Tart, holding plaque, in front of the Medal of Honor monument at the Ocala-Marion Veterans Memorial Park on Feb. 23, 2024, with, at left, Jeffrey Askew, director of the Marion County Veterans Service Office and overseer of the park, and right, Florida VFW Auxiliary President Teresa Bachand. [Andy Fillmore]

VFW Auxiliary National President Carla Martinez, center, speaks with Ron Oppliger, chairman of the Friends of Marion County’s Veterans Park Foundation, during her visit to the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park on Feb. 23, 2024, with Florida VFW Auxiliary President Teresa Bachand at right. [Andy Fillmore]

School tax

Continued from page A1

penny sales tax for infrastructure and public safety, first approved by voters in 2016, will also be on the 2024 general election ballot to continue the tax for a term of 20 years.

The sales tax will appear on the ballot for voters to approve as follows:

School Capital Outlay Sales Surtax to Improve Safety and the Learning Environment

To retain high-quality teachers, reduce classroom overcrowding, and improve safety and security by expanding, constructing, and improving school facilities, with collected revenues shared according to Florida law with eligible public charter schools based on their proportion of total school district enrollment, with oversight by an independent volunteer committee, shall the school district of Marion County levy a one-half cent sales surtax for ten years to fund such activities for Marion County schools?

The measure was written by School Board Attorney Jeremy Powers, County Attorney Guy Minter, the school board and attorney Reggie Bouthillier.

“Everyone who follows education knows that there’s just a critical shortage of educators all around,” said School Board Chair Nancy Thrower. “If you have teachers that are teaching only portables with terrible lighting and holes in the

carpet, any teacher is probably going to be thinking ‘where’s the funding for public education?’”

The county commission has expressed its disapproval in the timing of the sales tax, as the county’s penny sales tax to fund infrastructure and public safety is also slated for the 2024 ballot. County officials worry that having both taxes up for voter approval in the same election will decrease the chances of both being passed.

“At a basic level, having one tax at a time is probably something that the county would have preferred, and I can understand that,” Thrower said. “However, I also understand that we’re in dire need and (the county is) in dire need. There are certainly a lot of projects that they need to have funding for.”

When the school board’s tax came before the county commission to be placed on the ballot, they did so out of “administrative responsibility,” Commission Chair Michelle Stone said.

“We don’t want the public to think that we are making this request on (the school board’s) behalf because that is not the intent of this board,” said Stone.

That, in addition to the language of the ballot measure proposed by the school board, gave the county commission pause when discussing it.

Commissioner Carl Zalak expressed issue with the language used, saying that it is misleading to include “to retain high

quality teachers” as a purpose, given that the half-cent sales tax for schools can only be used for capital projects such as building new schools or constructing new wings on existing schools.

“You can’t fund police officers and firefighters with our (penny) sales tax, but the school board says, ‘this is to retain high quality teachers.’ That’s an educational element that they can take on themselves, I’m just pointing it out,” Zalak said.

The county’s penny sales tax was first approved in 2016 and increased Marion County’s sales tax from 6% to 7%, then renewed in 2020 for another four-year period. Now, the county asks for voters to approve the tax for the next 20 years.

If passed by voters, the penny sales tax is projected to generate about $65 million a year, 70% of which will go toward road and infrastructure projects and the other 30% toward public safety needs.

The county engineer has put forward a list of 27 road projects to be funded by the penny sales tax over the next 20 years and would cost upward of $1.4 billion—$1.1 billion of which needs funding. That shortfall could be filled by the penny sales tax revenue.

With the penny sales tax up for approval, the county commission has routinely expressed concern over the school board also pursuing a sales tax when funding sources for schools have been discussed.

SENATE TARGETS CAMPAIGN MATCHING FUNDS

By Florida News Service

The Republican-controlled Senate voted 28-11 along party lines Wednesday to approve a proposal that would ask voters in November to ditch a program that has given more than $33 million in state matching money to gubernatorial and Cabinet candidates over four recent election cycles.

The proposed constitutional amendment (SJR 1114), which still would need House approval to go on the ballot, seeks to do away with a

campaign matching-funds program that voters approved in 1998. “This is actual taxpayer dollars that’s being used because of how our current statutes read,” Senate sponsor Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, said. “I think this would be better spent on other things.”

Under the program, statewide candidates can receive matches for individual contributions of $250 or less. In exchange, candidates agree to abide by certain campaign expenditure limits.

Matching funds are not available for contributions to political committees or

outside of statewide races.

Sen. Bobby Powell, a West Palm Beach Democrat who voted against the proposal Wednesday, suggested public financing is needed to counter the “outsized impact of corporate donors” since the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The ruling prohibited the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns.

When created, the state matching-funds program was promoted as a way to reduce the influence of big-money contributors by

Rather than passing a resolution in favor of the school board’s half-cent sales tax, the county commission instead voted to hand off the measure to Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox to place it on the ballot.

“The school board can’t ask. They can ask the BOCC to direct me to put it on the ballot, but the school board can’t directly ask me,” Wilcox said.

Additionally, Wilcox said that the SOE office has no guidelines for how items are presented on the ballot, and that the school board may phrase their request to voters in whatever way they deem fit.

“I’ll read through it to see if there are any grammatical errors. Other than that, (I’ll check) if there’s a word spelled wrong or something like that,” he said. “Other than that, with the actual text of it that’s their choice.”

Marion County is currently seeing 200 new residents per week, a fact that Commissioner Craig Curry emphasized when discussing the coming expansion to Interstate 75.

Regardless of the two governmental bodies’ differing opinions, they share one common denominator of a problem— growth. Marion County is projected to see explosive growth in the coming years, which can’t be handled without funding for schools, infrastructure and public safety alike.

helping underfunded candidates compete in costly statewide elections.

But critics have long described it as welfare for politicians.

A 2010 ballot proposal to eliminate the program failed when it got 52.5 percent of the vote, short of the required 60 percent for approval.

In the 2022 election cycle, Gov. Ron DeSantis received $7.3 million from the state for his re-election bid.

Charlie Crist, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, picked up $3.89 million from the state.

State Behavioral-health teaching hospitals backed

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

The Florida Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a plan that would designate at least four behavioral-health teaching hospitals, as lawmakers look to improve care for people with mentalhealth and substance-abuse issues.

“This is the next step in really modernizing the whole system of mental health,” Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairwoman Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, said. “When you look at the problem that we have, not just in the state of Florida but across the country, in the whole mental-health, substanceabuse issues, we have got to address that. It came to the forefront during the (COVID-19) pandemic, certainly, and people began to realize how important mental health and behavioral health is.”

The bill (SB 330), sponsored by Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, would designate four behavioralhealth teaching hospitals linked to universities. They would be Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida; UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville and the University of Florida; UF Health Jacksonville and the University of Florida; and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and the University

of Miami.

Also, it would allow the state Agency for Health Care Administration to designate four more behavioral-health teaching hospitals over the next two years.

A House version of the bill (HB 1617), sponsored by House Health Care Appropriations Chairman Sam Garrison, R-Fleming Island, has moved through committees and is positioned to go to the full House. The Senate made changes Wednesday to its bill, with Boyd indicating the Senate and House have tried to work out differences.

The Senate bill would provide $100 million a year over the next three years to the behavioral-health teaching hospitals, with additional money provided for such things as residency positions for psychiatrists.

For example, the bill during the upcoming 20242025 fiscal year would provide $6 million for 10 residency positions at each of the four designated teaching hospitals through what is known as the state’s “Slots for Doctors Program.” It would provide another $6 million for residency slots if additional teaching hospitals are designated.

Also, it would provide $5 million for a newly created Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida. The teaching hospitals would work with the center about behavioral-

health workforce issues.

In addition, the bill would require teaching hospitals to take steps such as working with the universities on programs for students in colleges of medicine, nursing, psychology, social work and public health “related to the entire continuum of behavioral health care, including, at a minimum, screening, therapeutic and supportive services, community outpatient care, crisis stabilization, shortterm residential treatment and long-term care,” the bill said.

“This (bill) is groundbreaking in terms of mental health and teaching hospitals in the state of Florida,” Sen. Darryl Rouson, a St. Petersburg Democrat who has long worked on behavioral-health issues, said Wednesday.

The bill has been linked to a broader effort by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, to increase the number of doctors in the state and expand access to health care. The Senate and House have passed a plan that Passidomo’ calls the “Live Healthy” proposal, which is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

While Passidomo’s plan would address a broad swath of health-care issues—from increasing medical-residency slots to trying to provide care outside emergency rooms for patients with nonemergency conditions—the Boyd and Garrison bills are more narrowly focused on behavioral health.

FLORIDA NEWS SERVICE BRIEFS

SENATE APPROVES ‘RURAL EMERGENCY HOSPITALS’

The Florida Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that would create a new category of “rural emergency hospitals” in the state, with supporters saying it would help ensure access to health care in rural areas.

The bill (SB 644), sponsored by Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, came after a federal law allowed the creation of rural emergency hospitals and made them eligible for Medicare payments.

The hospitals are required to be licensed by states, creating a need for the bill. Under the measure, facilities designated as rural emergency

hospitals could provide emergency services, observation care and outpatient services that do not exceed an average length of stay of 24 hours.

They would be exempted from requirements about providing inpatient care and such things as surgical care.

A Senate staff analysis said Florida has 22 rural hospitals and that rural hospitals in DeFuniak Springs, Williston and Lake City have closed since 2010. Also, it said 15 states have approved designations of rural emergency hospitals.

The House is scheduled Thursday to take up the issue.

FLORIDA GAS PRICES STABLE, INCREASE LOOMS

Gasoline prices in Florida were little changed over the past week, but an increase remains in the forecast for the coming months.

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded Monday in the state was $3.30, up a penny from a week earlier and up 13 cents from a month earlier, according to the AAA auto club.

“The recent increases are attributed to rising oil prices, as refineries conduct seasonal maintenance,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a prepared statement. “Florida’s gas prices are likely to face continued upward pressure through the next month as the presence of winter residents and spring breakers contributes to strong fuel demand.”

The national average price Monday was $3.26 a gallon, down 2 cents from a week earlier and up 16 cents from a

month earlier.

AAA credited the stable prices over the past week, in part, to news that the BP-Whiting refinery that processes about 440,000 barrels of crude oil daily in Indiana will soon reopen after being offline since early February because of power issues.

But gas prices are expected to go up as refiners finish pre-summer maintenance ahead of producing an EPA-mandated summer blend of gasoline. The summer blend is more expensive to produce than a winter blend.

The Panama City and Pensacola areas had Florida’s lowest-average prices Monday at $3.06 a gallon, while the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area had the highest average at $3.49, according to AAA.

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People, Places & Things

Honoring achievements

A Feb. 23 awards gala saw the induction into the Howard Academy Community Center Black History Museum Archives of nine local residents who have devoted themselves to excellence and to helping others.

By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com

Nine people, including a local high school coach whose past student players include a current Super Bowl champion team member, were inducted into the Howard Academy Community Center Black History Museum Archives on Feb. 23.

The Black History Museum is located at the community center, at 306 NW 7th Ave. The inductees’ award information will be entered into the archives at the museum and their portraits will be displayed there.

The 2024 awards gala was held at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, at 1821 NW 21st St. About 250 guests attended the second annual gala, which honored the inductees as leaders who made a difference in the community, including Vanguard High School football coach Edwin Farmer, who was honored as a Beacon of Light inductee.

Farmer, an Ocala native, who holds a master’s degree in education and has more than 20 years of service with Marion County Public Schools, has mentored hundreds of players with “post high school educational and athletic endeavors” with programs like “Academic Huddle,” according to a program biography.

The biography states that 21 of his VHS players signed this year to pursue football beyond high school and he has been recognized as the Florida High School Athletic Association District 5A Head Football Coach of the Year and 2023 Marion County Area Football Coach of the Year. His VHS Knights team has won district and regional titles over the last eight years.

Farmer said he seeks to give “direction” to student players and “focus on academics” and requirements with the

tools to succeed. He said he was “excited” about the award.

Kansas City Chiefs team member and 2017 VHS graduate Tyree Gillespie attended the gala and saw his former coach honored. Gillespie, who wears number 42, plays in the safety position.

Farmer’s wife, Tabitha Farmer, said her husband “loves” mentoring youth. The couple have three children, Josiah Farmer, Ty’Aleah Farmer and Tyevanshay Farmer, the biography states. Family member Zy Duffy and Farmer’s sister, Cinzhasha Farmer, both called Edwin Farmer. a good example.

“My father taught me what it takes to be a man and taught me hard work, discipline and respect will take you a long way in life,” said Josiah Farmer, 16, in a text message after the event. “It is amazing to have someone like him be recognized for his dedication and respect for our community. I am truly blessed to have him as my father and I absolutely love playing football for him.”

State Representative Yvonne Hinson, whose district includes northwest Marion County, served as mistress of ceremonies for the gala.

Diane Gullet, Superintendent of Marion County Schools, sat with several MCPS administration and board members and spoke at the gala. She pointed out that at least four of the inductees had ties to MCPS.

Immerse Church/Gap Productions members Abagail Rose-McCoy, Madison Nichols, Kimberly Pompey-Jenkins, Natasha Ortiz and Mary Hollingsworth shared a table at the gala. Pompey-Jenkins led three members in a presentation about what is described on the Library Of Congress website as the destruction in 1921 of a 35 block Greenwood district in Tulsa, a wealthy Black community in

Oklahoma known as “Black Wall Street.”

Asia West with Gap Productions provided a praise dance to the song “For Every Mountain” and a group of middle school girls with the Dare 2 B Great mentoring program were introduced as part of the program.

Thelma Edwards, a relative of Emmett Till, who died at age 14 in a racially motivated murder in Money, Mississippi, in August 1955. His mother bravely insisted on an open coffin viewing service for her son, who had been beaten and horribly disfigured. In the summer of 2023, the White House announced plans to create the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, with three locations in Illinois and Mississippi dedicated to their memory.

Barbara Gordon-Cobb and daughter Kimberly Govan also were among the guests who saw nine people inducted from a group of more than 20 nominees.

Davida Randolph and Theresa Brooks handled the induction announcements.

In addition to Farmer, the inductees, with biographical information from the program, are:

* Judge LeAnn Mackey-Barnes: A Marion County native, she holds a doctorate from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and has more than 21 years of courtroom experience, including felony, misdemeanor and juvenile cases. She is licensed for state and federal court. Mackey-Barnes said she is the only female Black judge in the State of Florida Fifth Judicial Circuit. She said the induction is “heartwarming” and that considering previous inductees, she’s “humbled.”

* Rev. Eric Cummings: A Marion County native and former law enforcement and correctional officer, he was with the Florida Department of

Corrections for 25 years. Cummings is pastor of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church and has served on the Marion County School Board since 2018, with two years as chairman. He believes child education is a “team effort” involving the school and the student’s community.

* Scott Hackmyer: Also hailed as an “Unsung Hero,” he came to the Marion County area in 1975 and served for 33 years with MCPS and was involved in upgrading Howard Middle School to an “A” school. After his time with MCPS, Hackmyer worked with Devereux Kids and served as manager of the Ocala Family Resource Center and assisted many families, mostly in West Ocala. He has been associated with various local organizations, including the Marion County Children’s Alliance to help residents in need with their rent, utilities and transportation. He has also been active with the annual Community With A Heart outreach. He called the induction a “privilege,” for which he’s “very grateful.”

* Lena. Hopkins: Hopkins is the senior manager of pro bono services with Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida and is in her 25th year with the legal aid organization. She is a board member of Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, the Central Florida Community Action Agency and the Greater Ocala Community Development Corporation. She serves on the Marion County Continuum of Care board, the Marion County Children’s Alliance Family Violence Prevention Workshop and works with Community With A Heart. She has been involved with the Back 2 School Bash, a joint effort of the Marion County Children’s Alliance and the city of Ocala, which provides backpacks and school supplies to youth. She is a graduate of Focus on Leadership

Adjahnae Piner, left, talks with coach Edwin Farmer, right.

Judge LeAnn Mackey-Barnes, right, gets a hug from Theresa Brooks, center, as she receives her award as Rep.

Yvonne Hinson, left, applauds.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Katrina Colston Thomas, center, poses with her award with Theresa Brooks, right, and Davida Randolph, left.

Lena Hopkins Smith, right, reacts as she receives her award from Davida Randolph, left, and Theresa Brooks, center, during the Howard Academy Community Center Black History Museum Archives Gala at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place in Ocala on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.

Panama Canal expansion rewrites history of world’s most ecologically diverse bats

In 2007, engineers, excavators and geologists gathered in Panama to begin widening and deepening the canal. Paleontologists weren’t far behind.

By Jerald Pinson Florida Museum of Natural History

Most bats patrol the night sky in search of insects. New World leaf-nosed bats take a different approach. Among the more than 200 species of leaf-nosed bats, there are those that hunt insects, drink nectar, eat fruit, munch pollen, suck blood and prey on frogs, birds, lizards and even other bats. They’re among the world’s most ecologically diverse mammals, and until recently, it was thought they originated in South America.

“The theory that people have proposed is they got into South America early on, where their only competition was from insect-eating bats. So, they evolved a bunch of different feeding strategies,” said Gary Morgan, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History.

A new discovery suggests the story may be more complicated. In an article published by the “Journal of Mammalian Evolution,” Morgan and his colleagues describe the oldest-known leaf-nosed bat fossils, which were found along the banks of the Panama Canal. They’re also the oldest bat fossils from Central America, preserved 20-million years ago when Panama and the rest of North America were separated from southern landmass by a seaway at least 120 miles wide.

Based on these and other fossils, Morgan thinks previous studies may have singled out the wrong continent as the birthplace of leaf-nosed bats.

“We think they may have had a northern origin.”

Once-in-a-century opportunity leads to several new discoveries

In 2007, hundreds of engineers, excavators and geologists gathered in Panama to begin the daunting task of widening and deepening the country’s historic canal. Paleontologists weren’t far behind. After the work crews used dynamite to blow apart sections of the bank, researchers moved in, picking out fossil fragments from the rubble. The bones held clues to one of the greatest mass migrations of animals in Earth’s history, and the canal expansion marked the first time anyone had this close of a look.

About 5 million years ago, shifting tectonic plates erected a land bridge between North and South America. After more than 100 million years of separation, animals in the northern hemisphere could freely trek down south and vice versa.

“Animals like sloths and armadillos came north, while horses, tapirs, bears and elephants went south,” said study co-author Bruce MacFadden, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The event is referred to as the Great American Biotic Interchange, and it helped shape the present-day distributions of innumerable plants and animals on the American continents.

Had the Panama Canal not been constructed, it’s likely this event would still remain a mystery to scientists.

“That showed the Panama Canal Basin, which was part of North America at the time, was full of the kind of mammals you would have found in Nebraska or Florida rather than South America,” said Jonathan Bloch, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum.

Rare fossils provide clues to the origin of leaf-nosed bats

Nearly all animals found in fossil beds of similar age near the canal zone represent the southernmost range of species from higher latitudes. There were bear dogs, miniature horses, rhinos, camels, early relatives of modern hippos, ungulates with paired antlers protruding from their heads and snouts, and at least one species of chalicothere, a bizarre chimeric animal that resembled a sloth crossed with a horse grafted to a giraffe.

The first mammal from South America discovered in the older beds was from a primate species, which is presumed to have rafted across the seaway.

The leaf-nosed bat is the second South American mammal found at the site. This may suggest that animals were better at crossing the oceanic barrier than previously assumed. The seaway separating North and South America was five times wider than the modern Strait of Dover between England and France and 15 times wider than the Strait of Gibraltar that divides Europe from Africa.

Yet other animals seem to have had little trouble making the journey. The list of non-mammalian animals that made their way from south to north includes a boa constrictor, a crocodile and frogs. There’s little doubt about where these organisms came from, but the fossil record of leaf-nosed bats is more ambiguous.

Today, leaf-nosed bats are distributed from South America through Arizona. Although they’ve been around for 20 million years or more, they’ve left behind surprisingly few fossils. Three extinct species in this family of similar age to the Panama specimen have been found in Colombia, and the fossils of much younger vampire bats were pulled from several sinkholes in Florida. Beyond that, there isn’t much for paleontologists to go on.

Zooming out, things become even hazier. Fossils from two closely related families that have been found in Florida predate South American leaf-nosed bat fossils and those of their relatives by 10 million years.

Further fossil discoveries will be needed to determine where leaf-nosed bats came from and why they developed such varied and refined appetites. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of fossils from the canal. Though the expansion project lasted only nine years, paleontologists collected enough material to keep them busy for the foreseeable future.

“Time was of the essence, so we collected fossils much more rapidly than we could have done the science,” Bloch said. “There are probably fossils from the project that will be described 50 years from now.”

Nicholas Czaplewski of the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Aldo Rincon of the Universidad del Norte and Aaron Wood of Iowa State University are also co-authors on the study. Funding for the study was provided by the National Science Foundation.

To learn more about, go to floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science

The extinct species discovered near the canal is thought to be closely related to the big-eared woolly bat (Chrotopterus auritus), one of the largest bats in Panama. [Illustration courtesy of Fiona Reid, from “A Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America and Southeast Mexico]

Fossils from the Panama Canal have helped scientists document one of the greatest mass migrations of animals in Earth’s history, when for the first time animals could freely cross between North and South America via the Isthmus of Panama. [Image by Thomas Römer/ Openstreetmap data]

Container vessels dramatically increased in size and number during the 20th century, and the Panama Canal had to be expanded to keep pace with the acceleration of global shipping. [Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage]

Scientists aren’t sure what the extinct bat would have eaten, but it’s likely it had a similar diet to the big-eared woolly bat, which primarily subsists on insects and small vertebrates. [Florida Museum photo by Jerald Pinson]

Many of the fossils preserved near the Panama Canal are minuscule. To find them, paleontologists shifted sediment through screens of varying size. [Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage]

84th annual Southeastern Youth Fair

Maron County’s 4-H and FFA students have been demonstrating their skills in a variety of subjects, including showing animals, at the annual event.

By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com

Ah, the smell of fresh hay, the splashes of water flying around as steers and other animals get groomed for the showring and the focused tension of students working to prove to judges that their hard work should be rewarded. Welcome to the Southeastern Youth Fair.

This year’s fair had 2,966 entries and 886 exhibitors vying for titles including Grand Champion in numerous contests. The 84th annual fair, the oldest and largest of its kind in the nation, was dedicated to businessman and cattleman Hugh Dailey. The fair, which takes place at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion started Feb. 22 and ends March 2.

In addition to showing a variety of animals, student participants could also exhibit in areas of cooking, home arts, photography, horticulture and even tractor driving.

The Steer Show, the foundation of the SEYF, began in 1941. The fair in its current form started in 1978. The SEYF operates with one paid employee and more than 200 volunteers. The students showing animals can market them at fair sales to raise money, which typically is used to further their education.

According to SEYF Executive Director Sara LeFils, the new Southeastern Youth in Agriculture Foundation, which is a separate 501(c)(3) from the nonprofit SEYF, will help “provide more scholarships for our SEYF graduates. This year we are giving away over $21,000 in scholarships.”

Dailey, she added, who is a long-time supporter, executive board member and former exhibitor at the fair, spearheaded establishing the foundation.

“As a former participant, 4-H leader and active member of several fair committees, I have seen the positive impact the SEYF has on our community,” Dailey said. “My goal is to help the Southeastern Agricultural Youth Foundation raise over $1 million to help support scholarships for youth fair participants for many years in the future.”

To learn more, visit seyfair.com

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Ellie Routh, 14, of the Town and Country 4-H, left, and Corey Liles of the Youth Fair Barn Committee, right, try to coax Ellie’s steer “Romeo” to his stall during the Steer Weigh-In and Check-In during the Southeastern Youth Fair at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.

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Painted bunting [MichaelWarren.com]

government

MARCH 4 & 11

Marion County Development Review Committee

Office of the County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave., Building 1, Ocala

9am

The first step for new development projects, the committee reviews and votes on waiver requests to the Land Development Code, major site plans and subdivision plans. The committee meets weekly on Mondays. See marionfl.legistar.com/calendar.aspx for agendas and minutes.

MARCH 5

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

MARCH 1 & 8 VFW

The

MARCH 1 & 8

South Ocala Chess Club at Freedom Library Freedom Public Library, 5870 SW 95th St., Ocala 10am-12pm

The club meets weekly on Fridays and new members are welcome. Bring your own chess set. For more information, contact Walt Lamp at (352) 854-9378.

MARCH 1 & 8

Kiwanis Club of Ocala

Elks Club, 702 NE 25th Ave., Ocala 12pm

The club meets weekly on Fridays and supports Camp Kiwanis, children’s literacy and Habitat for Humanity. More information is available at ocalakiwanis.org.

MARCH 2 & 9

Ocala Chess Club at Headquarters Library Headquarters Library, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 11am-3pm

The club meets weekly on Saturdays and new members are welcome. Bring your own chess set. For more information, visit facebook.com/groups/53070499106

MARCH 5

Belleview City Commission City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 5:30pm

The commission meets the first and third Tuesday of the month. Belleview government agendas, minutes and video are available at belleviewfl.org/200/Agendas-Minutes

MARCH 5

Ocala City Council

City Hall, 110 SE Watula Avenue, Ocala 4pm

The council meets the first and third Tuesday of the month. Ocala government agendas and minutes are available at ocala.legistar.com/calendar.aspx

MARCH 12

Belleview Planning & Zoning Board

City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 5:30pm

The commission meets second Tuesday of the month. Belleview government agendas, minutes and video are available at belleviewfl.org/200/Agendas-Minutes

MARCH 2 & 9

Toastmasters Early Bird Ocala

Marion County Literacy Council, 120 SW 5th St., Ocala

8am

Newcomers are welcome. Learn to feel comfortable with public speaking and improve leadership skills. This club meets Saturday mornings for practice. Contact toastmaster.sherrivaughn@gmail.com or 6938954.toastmastersclubs.org for more information.

MARCH 2

Blooming Violets of Marion County

Marion County Sheriff’s Southwest District Office, 9048 SW State Road 200 Ocala, FL 34481

10:30-12:30

The Blooming Violets of Marion County meets the first Saturday of the month to celebrate and enjoy African violets. Meetings include refreshments, raffle and the program. Guests are welcome.

MARCH 3

Ocala Camellia Society

Marion County Sheriff’s Office South Station, 3260 SE 80th St., Ocala

2pm

This club meets on the first Sunday of the month, September–March, with educational speakers about gardening, especially camellias, general plant advice and refreshments. For more info, FB.com/people/Ocala-Camellia-Society/100064745886741

MARCH 5

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 27

Herbert S. Coleman Center, 2001 SE 32nd Ave., Ocala

6pm

The post’s auxiliary meets the first Tuesday of each month. For more

information, contact Anna McCurry at (352) 895-8890.

MARCH 6

General Francis Marion Stamp Club

Marion County Sheriff’s Southwest District Office, 9048 SW State Road 200, Ocala

1pm

The club meets the first and third Wednesday of each month; newcomers welcome.

MARCH 6

VFW Lunches

Angela S. Santos FVW Post 4781, 9401 SW 110th St., Ocala

11am-2pm

The post offers weekly lunches on Wednesdays for about $5-$7 with a variable menu. The dining room is open to the public, meals are prepped by VFW Auxiliary volunteers and proceeds benefit veterans

arts

THROUGH MARCH 5

“A Cracker at the Ritz” Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th Ave., Ocala 7:30pm

The two-act social satire skewers Florida living when Earlene, a true Florida cracker, rants, raves and sings about living in this crazy state. Tickets are $35, and the play shows every other Tuesday until March. See reillyartscenter.com for more information.

THROUGH MARCH 17

“Seeing Christ in the Darkness: Georges Rouault as Graphic Artist” Exhibit Webber Gallery, College of Central Florida, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala 10am-4pm; Monday-Thursdays

The exhibition features 18 original etchings, lithographs and wood engravings. Admission is free. For more information, visit cf.edu/student-life/arts-and-culture/ webber-gallery

THROUGH MARCH 17

Holly Yocum

South State Bank Art Gallery, 1632 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Daily bank hours

The bank’s second floor art gallery offers exhibition from artist Holly Yocum. Her work has been shown at the Appleton Museum of Art, Homosassa State Park and the Marion Cultural Alliance. Her work focuses on nature, birds, flower arrangements and European scenics.

THROUGH MARCH 17

Deadline/Call to Artists: Student and Emerging Artist Competition Online application

The city of Ocala’s annual competition has three divisions: high school students, artists with one to three years active experience and those with four to six years. Entries must have been completed in the past two years. The deadline is March 17. Entries can be submitted online at ocalafl.gov/ StudentAndEmergingArtistExhibit, via email to artinfo@ocalafl.gov or mailed to City of Ocala Cultural Arts, 201 SE Third Street, second floor, Ocala, FL 34471. For more information, visit ocalafl.gov/culturalarts.

THROUGH MAY 11

“Turtle Travels” Exhibit

Opening Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala

Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10am-4pm

This exhibit is all about turtles and tortoises, with interactive exhibits such as a board game that shows migration routes and habitats, and a loggerhead turtle’s cameraview of swimming. General admission is $8 per person, $28 for a family of four and annual memberships are available. For more information, visit mydiscoverycenter.org

THROUGH MAY 13

“Tranquil Realms” Exhibit

Recreation and Parks Administration Building, 828 NE Eighth Ave., Ocala

Mondays-Fridays, 8am-5pm

As part of its Art in Public Spaces program, the city of Ocala hosts artist Lor Gill to exhibit her collection of landscape oil paintings using certified Bob Ross techniques and products. Visit the artist’s portfolio at gallerygill.com. For more information, visit ocalafl.gov/artincityspaces

THROUGH JUNE 2

“Water’s Margins” Exhibition

Opening Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

Tuesday-Saturday museum hours

Artist Margaret Tolbert focuses her creativity and art about, on and in the waters of Marion, Levy and Citrus counties. For more information, see appletonmuseum.org

THROUGH JUNE 11

“Bodies of Water” Exhibit

Clerk’s Office Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala

Mondays-Fridays, 8am-5pm Artist Rebecca Pujals-Jones exhibits this collection focused on the waterways of Florida, including Crystal River, the Chassahowitzka River and the Tsala Apopka Lakes. Visit or visit ocalafl.gov/ artincityspaces

THROUGH JULY 2

“Wanderlust”

citizen engagement

MARCH 2

Ocala Vision 2050 Plan Public Meetings Citizens’ Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala 12pm

The city of Ocala will host multiple community meetings this year to discuss the Vision 2050 plan. The purpose of these meetings is to solicit input from the community about the future of our city. The vision plan serves as a roadmap for the future and is built upon community consensus to promote continued support and implementation of projects over time. Once established, the vision document will act as the basis for updating the comprehensive plan. For individuals unable to attend meetings in person, a survey will be available at ocalafl.gov/vision2050 until April 5. For more information, contact the Growth Department at gmd@ocalafl.gov, or call (352) 629-8488.

MARCH 7

Ocala Town Hall Meetings

IHMC, 15 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala

Noon and 5:30pm

The city of Ocala will host two town hall meetings on March 7 at noon and 5:30 p.m. Both sessions will cover the same topics. These meetings are free and open to the public. Staff will cover topics

including but not limited to parking garage two, the downtown parking program, loading zones, future pedestrian improvements, underground trash receptacles and lighting. Citizens will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with staff in an open forum setting. For more information, call the City Manager’s Office at (352) 401-3977.

DEADLINE: MARCH 8, 2024

Applications due for 2024 Ocala Citizens Academy Program

Online only

The city of Ocala is accepting applications for its 2024 City of Ocala Citizens Academy program. Citizens Academy is a free 11-week program that touches upon virtually every facet of city government. Sessions will be held Thursdays, March 21 through May 30, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at various locations. Food and other refreshments will be provided at each session. Participants will visit and interact with nearly every city department including the Ocala International Airport, Ocala Fire Rescue, Ocala Police Department, Public Works Department, Ocala Electric Utility and more. Participants will hear from elected officials and top administrators including City Manager, Peter Lee. Each session will include live demonstrations, a question-and-answer portion, and educational discussions to give participants a better understanding of current city projects and economic development opportunities.

All participants must be at least 18 years of age and currently be residents or business owners in Ocala/Marion County. Participants must also be able to attend a minimum of nine sessions to successfully graduate from this program. The deadline to register is March 8. Space is limited and is reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, visit ocalafl.gov/citizensacademy or call (352) 401-3978.

WANT YOUR EVENT IN OUR EVENTS CALENDAR?

TO SUBMIT YOUR EVENT GO TO OCALAGAZETTE.COM/EVENTS-CALENDAR-SUBMISSIONS

Black History awards

Continued from page B1

and Leadership Ocala/Marion. She is an ordained minister and elder elect of the Pressing Place Church.

* Winsome Jacobs: The native of Jamaica attended the College of Central Florida (then Central Florida Community College) in 1991 and by 1992, as part of her associate degree in computer science, was an intern for the city of Ocala IT department for a year and then was hired and served as a system analyst and implementation manager from 1993 until 2012, when she became the IT director and certified chief information officer. Around 2006, Jacobs was involved in converting city computerization and as IT director helped merge information technology and operational technology, and cyber and physical security. She holds a business administration degree magna cum laude from Saint Leo University and an MBA from Webster University. She earned a doctorate in Christian counseling in 2023. She retired from the city this year. Jacobs has been in ministries in the Church of God and has served as president of the Women’s Aglow Ministry in Ocala. She said the induction honor was “great” and gives credit to God.

* Dennis McFatten: McFatten was hailed for his “unwavering commitment to his family, his community and service and safety.” He graduated from VHS in 1985. He served in the Persian Gulf War in 1991 with the 351st MP Army Reserve Unit.

In 1991, he began work as a correctional officer in Lake County and then Marion County. He was a correctional officer, patrol officer, riot squad commander and lieutenant district commander with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. He retired as a patrol captain in 2015. He completed Saint Leo University Officer Command School and is the first chief of police for the Marion County School Board Police Department. He has volunteered for more than 10 years to coach Pop Warner football and is past president of the Rotary Club of Belleview. He also has served as president of Governor’s West. He is a deacon and trustee at Progressive Union Baptist Church. He said the honor was “a great surprise” and one he “didn’t look for.”

* Adiahnae Vereen Piner: An Ocala native, she studied psychology and juvenile justice at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University after graduating from Belleview High School in 1998. While attending college she worked as a juvenile residential counselor at Greenville Hills Academy. She worked as a juvenile probation officer at Eckerd Youth Alternatives for six years and later became a family engagement specialist at The Centers. Piner began serving as an educator in 2015 and soon applied to become coordinator at the VHS Future Educators Academy and is in her second tenure. She initiated senior college tours to FAMU and Florida State University, after school and placement programs, an annual Washington, D.C., trip and

community service activities. Piner is a member of Delta Sigma Thera Sorority and chairperson of Delta Academy, a mentoring and teaching resource for middle school girls. She was hailed as a Beacon of Light for “nurturing young minds.”

* Katrina Colston Thomas: Thomas, a member of New St. John Baptist Church, founded the KDC and The Sunshine Sliders dance group with her mother in 2015. Thomas’ sister, Daphne, was part of the group, adding the “D” to form the name. The group gave classes for the city of Ocala and soon became the “only such (organized dance group) in Ocala” and performed in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, the Ocala Christmas parade and other events. Thomas organized Pray Out Loud and a “give back” cancer awareness group and has given baton lessons to youth and provided prom attire to needy youth. She operated Special Blessings Hair and Nail Salon for 20 years, provided cosmetic services for Cunningham Funeral Home and operated Fashion by Dynasty for modeling and fashion and talent.

Ocala City Councilman Ire Bethea and City Manager Pete Lee attended the gala.

“It’s all our history,” Lee said about the historic accomplishments of numerous Black citizens in the area.

The Black History Museum and Archives of Marion County was founded in 2004. It includes vintage photographs, research articles, artifacts and personal items from prominent residents. For more information, call (352) 671-4175.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Rev. Eric Cummings, right, gets a hug from Theresa Brooks, second from right, as he receives his award as Davida Randolph, second from left, look on during the Howard Academy Community Center Black History Museum Archives Gala at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place in Ocala on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.

Scott Hackmyer, right, is announced as a winner by Davida Randolph, left, as Theresa Brooks, center, looks on.

ANSWERS FOR PAGE B4

Sudoku

The bird that didn’t fly away in the face of danger was -UNFLAPPABLE

Crossword

Gasoline Alley

Broom Hilda Middletons

Giselle presente

Pink Martini feat