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1 week ago | 
ocalagazette.com | Jennifer Hunt Murty
After a host of bills were filed during this session of the Florida Legislature that would erode local control of development across the state and open hundreds of thousands of agricultural acres to developers without local approval, advocates for preserving communities’ rights to choose how they grow are pushing back against legislators, citing a host of reasons these changes would have negative results, ranging from quality of life concerns to potential impacts on national defense.
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3 weeks ago | 
ocalagazette.com | Jennifer Hunt Murty
Gov. Ron DeSantis holds press conference at Marion County Sheriff’s Office on April 2, 2025. [Jennifer Hunt Murty/Ocala Gazette] Posted April 2, 2025 | By Jennifer Hunt [email protected] Gov.
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3 weeks ago | 
ocalagazette.com | Jennifer Hunt Murty
Infinite Ale Works owners Kristen and Tom McDonald pour a draught beer from a tap at the new location of Infinite Ale Works in the Midtown Station on Northeast Watula Avenue by Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
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4 weeks ago | 
ocalagazette.com | Jennifer Hunt Murty
The Marion County School Board discussed next steps in replacing the current superintendent during a workshop on March 24, after Superintendent Diane Gullet tendered her resignation. Gullet, who was the district’s first appointed superintendent, has served in the role since 2020. She will resign at the end of her term on July 11. Chairperson Lori […] To access this entire article, you must Become an Ocala Gazette Member or . Already a member? Click here to log in.
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1 month ago | 
ocalagazette.com | Jennifer Hunt Murty
One adult black bear and two cubs are hanging out in a live oak tree in an old Ocala neighborhood adjacent to the city of Ocala’s municipal golf course. When Lloyd Rawls, Jr. pulled into his home from his twelve hour shift working for Geo-Tech, he knew something was unusual, “I saw garbage strung out on the side of my house and knew something was wrong,” he said. His wife saw the bear first after being alerted by the barking of their Australian Shepard that something was in the backyard.
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1 month ago | 
ocalagazette.com | Jennifer Hunt Murty
Four hundred of the “who’s who” involved in Marion County’s nonprofits and philanthropic outreaches met at Circle Square Cultural Center the evening of March 8 for the third annual Inspire Gala, hosted by the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion. During the evening, a number of awards were presented, highlighting many forms of giving. Ashley Gerds, vice […] To access this entire article, you must Become an Ocala Gazette Member or . Already a member?
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1 month ago | 
ocalagazette.com | Jennifer Hunt Murty |Caroline Brauchler
Jacob Oakie, 39, of Ocala, died last year in the custody of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after developing pneumococcal meningitis. He was delivered by EMS from the jail’s infirmary run by Heart of Florida to Adventhealth ICU by local EMS. Two hours before his hospital transport, records show MCSO staff had pepper sprayed Oakie in the infirmary, then “decontaminated” him in the shower. Oakie was treated for respiratory problems and brain swelling at the hospital, according to MCSO records.
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1 month ago | 
ocalagazette.com | Jennifer Hunt Murty
The Ocala Police Department has initiated an internal investigation into a Jan. 20 service call that ended with three dogs shot dead and two homeowners on the same street in the Bellechase neighborhood with property damage from bullets fired by two OPD officers.
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1 month ago | 
ocalagazette.com | Jennifer Hunt Murty
Marion County’s only community playhouse, the Ocala Civic Theatre, will turn 75 years old this week and is using the milestone to take stock and make plans to ensure its survival. “The time to reshape community theater for the future is now,” said Executive Artistic Director Greg Thompson. For 75 years, OCT has been run as a professionally produced volunteer-driven theater that provides opportunities for talent who make a significant time commitment to deliver ambitious productions.
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1 month ago | 
ocalagazette.com | Jennifer Hunt Murty
Rep. Ryan Chamberlin speaks during the Marion County Legislative Delegation at the Klein Conference Center at the College of Cenral Florida in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025. Posted March 4, 2025 | By Jennifer Hunt [email protected] State Rep.
