1+ day, 1+ hour ago   (1203+ words) A grand jury of Marion County citizens on Aug. 27 filed a report in the Fifth Judicial Circuit finding that the Florida Department of Children and Families is “failing catastrophically” in its duty to protect this community’s children and its elderly....

4+ day, 7+ hour ago   (972+ words) Brian Stoothoff stands by the Flag of Honor, which contains the names of everyone killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, at the Ocala Fire Museum on NW Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. [Bruce…...

5+ day, 6+ hour ago   (698+ words) The founding of Howard Academy, Ocala’s first African American school, will be marked with a daylong 160th Anniversary Inaugural Homecoming celebration on Sept. 19 at the Howard Academy Community Center. “I’m very excited about it,” said Narvella Haynes, an Ocala resident and…...

6+ day, 2+ hour ago   (442+ words) Wednesday marks the first of two opportunities for the public to weigh in on the city of Ocala’s proposed new budget. The budget hearing will begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday in City Council chambers. There’s a lot to wrap your mind…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago   (107+ words) A year-round resident in thick forests of Marion County, the white-eyed vireo is more easily heard than seen. Birders often use memory phrases to identify their song, such as “Quick, give me a rain check!” To my ear, their songs…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (358+ words) Every community has challenges that are difficult to solve. Homelessness. Hunger. Mental health. Addiction. Child abuse. Veterans struggling to transition home. Seniors living in isolation. Families facing crisis. These issues are complicated, deeply personal and rarely have simple solutions. Yet…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago   (557+ words) After 40 years of operating the familiar Marion Transit buses, Marion Senior Services is calling it quits. The organization first announced its intentions to drop the bus service in July. During an Ocala/Marion County Transportation Planning Organization workshop on Aug....

2+ week, 4+ day ago   (194+ words) Companies may soon pay a little less to do business in Ocala. At its Aug. 18 meeting, the Ocala City Council took an important step toward eliminating the city’s business tax receipt requirement, which is essentially a business license that’s required…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago   (222+ words) Big Brother peering into people’s privacy or crime fighting angel on the public’s shoulder? The debate over automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, which has been called a hot topic by Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, continues. Flock Safety Company,…...