The sister of Susan Lorincz, the Ocala woman convicted of manslaughter earlier this month in the shooting death of her neighbor Ajike “AJ” Owens, was charged with child neglect after law enforcement documented several incidents spanning nearly a year. Ellyn Lorincz, 56, was arrested on Aug. 23 after Ocala Police Department investigators observed a pattern […]

Marion County’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan is about to take effect in October; Here is a closer look at how the county plans to appropriate over $16 million toward housing development to serve the low-income community. Through this federal funding, the county plans to develop and preserve affordable housing, prevent and end homelessness, stabilize communities, maintain […]

Editor’s Note: For follow up on the U.S. Supreme Court decision, click this link. Loran Cole is scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Florida State Prison for his role in the brutal 1994 kidnapping of a brother and sister camping in the Ocala National Forest and the subsequent murder of the […]

TALLAHASSEE — With condemned killer Loran Cole scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection at 6 p.m. Thursday at Florida State Prison, his attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution because of issues related to his symptoms from Parkinson’s disease. The attorneys filed a petition at the U.S. Supreme […]

For the first time in about 10 years, a National Night Out celebration was held in Ocala. The event, sponsored by the Ocala Police Department and several private and governmental organizations, was aimed at connecting neighbors and building relationships with law enforcement toward a goal of “safer and more caring” neighborhoods. The annual nationwide community […]

TALLAHASSEE — Environmentalists are seeking assurances that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has scrapped plans for a series of golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park after a state spokeswoman said the proposal has been dropped. Audubon Florida, the Sierra Club and other groups also are rallying against additional changes floated by the state Department of […]

The Florida Realtors agents’ association’s July 2024 market report shows that statewide the median single-family home sale price in Florida rose slightly to $417,000, a 0.5% year over year increase, and townhouses and condo median sales price decreased to $315,000, a 1.3% decrease from July 2023. The Ocala/Marion County’s July median sale price reported for […]

An ongoing rivalry between students at West Port High School escalated into violence on Monday, causing the principal to sustain injuries, one student to be arrested and four students to receive citations. Five female students, who have not been identified, were involved in a fight at about 1:05 p.m. y at the Marion County high […]

Ocala Gazette will be reporting on high school football season without a paywall thanks to help from Florida Credit Union, who has agreed to sponsor the season for a second year. Only as a result of this sponsorship can we commit to covering this football season. The sponsorship also benefits...

The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Ocala is kicking off its newest round of evening lectures on Sept. 12 with a discussion by research scientist Dr. Zachary Graham about the health of the muscle and nervous system. Additional lectures are slated for Oct. 10, Nov. 6 and Dec. 10. Graham received his Bachelor […]

TALLAHASSEE — A divided appeals court has blocked a new federal rule about sex-based discrimination in education programs while a legal battle continues to play out, giving a win to Florida and three other states. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week granted a request from the states and other […]

A small gathering of people at the elegant historic home that is the headquarters of the Arts in Health Ocala Metro nonprofit heard some big news on Monday morning about a monthslong study into the arts as a tool for healing. The mission of AiHOM is to use things such as visual art, dance and […]

The Ocala International Airport is planning to rehabilitate the area surrounding the airport’s terminal, thanks to a grant that will provide funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. Jim Taylor Field’s terminal will be getting much-needed improvements, with the rehabilitation of the apron surrounding the structure. The terminal apron is the area of the airport where […]

Dignity House, an emergency intake center for unsheltered people, which was opened in March by the founders of the local nonprofit Wear Gloves, is expanding from a three-bedroom house into a 13,000-square-foot building in southwest Ocala. The expanded Dignity House will intake persons who were living unsheltered for a 30-day emergency stay. Plans include offering […]

A 35-year-old Ocala man who faces multiple weapon and assault charges was also injured in an incident at O’ Malley’s Alley Irish Pub the evening of Aug. 22. Juan Francisco de Jesus Tejada-Castillo was arrested at 11:19 p.m. after he allegedly fired multiple shots from a 9mm handgun during a melee in an outside area in the rear […]

A special wall was also revealed during a CEP ribbon cutting – the presentation was held at the Boys and Girls Club game room of the Dr. HL Harrell Youth Center where Frank DeLuca donated $10,000 to the Boys and Girls Club. Since 2016, DeLuca Toyota, along with support from Toyota, has provided $130,000 in […]

Hundreds of people gathered at the Marion County Judicial Center for the investiture of Judge Timothy McCourt on Aug 23. The investiture came eight months after McCourt first took the seat appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis following the retirement of former Circuit Judge Larry Metz, who attended the ceremony along with at least 20 other […]

The first goal of the Ocala Gazette is to deliver trustworthy local journalism so corruption, misinformation and abuse are not hidden from the public or unchallenged.

The acclaimed PBS KIDS series “Molly of Denali” is coming to the Explore Alaska in Discovery Center with a new cultural exhibit that follows the adventures of Molly Mabray, her family, friends, and dog Suki in the fictitious rural Alaskan village of Qyah. “Molly of Denali: An Alaskan Adventure” will take visitors on a journey […]

The City of Ocala is gearing up for the start of its new Fall Sunset Songs series. The outdoor music series will take place once a month from September through December, and will feature a lineup of local and regional artists. All concerts are free to attend. The first concert...