Ocala Star Banner

The East Florida Banner began its weekly publication in 1866 in Marion County, Florida, under the guidance of printer and editor Francis Eppes Harris (1846-1928). This publication is the direct ancestor of the current Star-Banner. George W. Wilson acquired the East Florida Banner in 1881, and it was rebranded as The Florida Banner-Lacon after merging with The Florida Lacon. In 1883, the name changed again to The Ocala Banner. By 1890, The Ocala Banner transitioned to a daily newspaper format. In 1895, a rival publication called The Ocala Evening Star was launched. On September 1, 1943, The Ocala Star-Banner was formed by merging both newspapers and has continued to serve as the daily news source for Marion County ever since.

Local

English

Newspaper

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#149878

United States

#32130

News and Media

#1457

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

Trump mentions ‘fat shot drug’ in executive order announcement. Will Ozempic get cheaper?

1 day ago | ocala.com | Kinsey Crowley

Trump mentions ‘fat shot drug’ in executive order announcement. Will Ozempic get cheaper? Trump signs executive order, discussed 'overweight' friend taking the 'fat shot drug.' It wasn't confirmed whether he meant Ozempic or Wegovy. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on May 12 aimed at lowering drug prices to better match what other countries charge.
Rosie charity golf tournament raises more than $200K, honors Dreyfoos graduate

2 days ago | ocala.com | Craig Dolch

PALM CITY — The second annual Rosie, a charity tournament held May 12 in honor of award-winning golf journalist Tim Rosaforte, raised more than $200,000 that will be used for college scholarships for First Tee Florida Gold Coast and the Evans Scholars Foundation.Hosted by the Floridian Golf Club – where Rosaforte was a longtime member and once held court with President Obama on the range – many of Rosaforte’s close friends, colleagues and family gathered at the picturesque setting to raise...
Athlete Sam Woods, daughter of golf legend Tiger Woods, to graduate from high school in Florida

2 days ago | ocala.com | Jennifer Sangalang |Lianna Norman |Clayton Freeman

• Sam Woods, Charlie Woods and Kai Trump are students at the Benjamin School in Palm Beach County, Florida. • Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump, ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr., have been dating for months. • While at the Benjamin School, Sam Woods was on the track team and played soccer. Sam Alexis Woods, daughter of golf legend Tiger Woods and model Elin Nordegren, had one epic (last) weekend as a Benjamin Buccaneer.
Dramatic video shows high-speed police chase after May 8 Ocala bank robbery

4 days ago | ocala.com | Austin Miller

• Two suspects in a May 8 Ocala bank robbery are being held without bail pending a pre-trial detention hearing. • One suspect, Randall Williford, is hospitalized with a gunshot wound after allegedly pointing a gun at police officers. • The two officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave pending an FDLE investigation. • The same bank was robbed a few days prior in a separate incident. A former sheriff's deputy has been arrested in that case.
Portillo's announces 'The Leo' sandwich and new location in The Villages' Middleton Community

5 days ago | ocala.com | Julie Garisto

Portillo's announces 'The Leo' sandwich and new location in The Villages' Middleton CommunityTHE VILLAGES — The new pope isn't the only one making Chicago-style news. Portillo's, the Chicago-style hot dog and Italian beef sandwich chain, is opening a new location in Middleton, a community in the southwest Villages.
New York Yankees at A's odds, picks and predictions

5 days ago | ocala.com | Corey Scott

The New York Yankees (21-16) and the A's (20-18) open a 3-game set Friday. First pitch from Sutter Health Park in Sacramento is scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's MLB odds around the Yankees vs. A's odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets. The Yankees are coming off a 2-1 series win vs. the San Diego Padres in New York, capping the set with a 4-3 victory in 10 innings as -172 favorites Wednesday with the Under (8) hitting.
NHL Playoffs: Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets odds, picks and predictions

5 days ago | ocala.com | Ryan Dodson

The Dallas Stars take on the Winnipeg Jets in Game 2 of this best-of-7 series in the Western Conference semifinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Friday. Puck drop from Canada Life Centre is set for 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT / TruTV / MAX). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NHL odds around the Stars vs. Jets odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions. Dallas took Wednesday's opener 3-2 as a +102 road underdog with the Under (5.5) cashing.
Photos: Investigating Ocala bank robbery, chase, officer-involved shooting

5 days ago | ocala.com | Austin Miller

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating an officer-involved shooting that happened on May 8, 2025. Two Ocala Police officers fired at a man who was running away from a crashed vehicle. The man was hit in the right wrist. Police say the man had fled and crashed the vehicle after robbing a TD Bank branch in Ocala. Two other people, a man and woman, also were in the vehicle, police say.
King, Crown and Indica among baby names rejected in New Zealand in 2024. See full list

6 days ago | ocala.com | Greta Cross

What do Rogue, Crown, Fanny and Mighty all have in common? They are all baby names rejected by New Zealand's federal government last year. New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs recently published a full list of names (40, to be exact) that were requested and rejected in 2024. The majority resemble a title or rank, such as King, which was requested and denied 11 times. Prince and Princess were also requested, in addition to alternative spellings like Pryncess and Prynce.
NC residents saw a power outage. The reported cause? A black snake.

6 days ago | ocala.com | Saman Shafiq

Over 10,000 people in North Carolina were without power earlier this week due to an unlikely suspect: a snake, according to reports. North Carolina's Durham area faced a power outage that lasted several hours around 11 p.m. May 5 with a Duke Energy spokesperson telling local media outlets WBTV , WSOC-TV, and WNCN that it may have actually been caused by a snake.