Former Ocala City Council member Mary Sue Rich passes away
The City of Ocala announced on Thursday afternoon that former city council member Mary Sue Rich has passed away. Born in Ocala on August 31, 1940, Rich dedicated her life to public service, focusing her efforts on helping the underserved communities and developing West Ocala. In 1995, Rich became the...
CDL driver stopped at 70mph argues he’s a professional who would not speed
A Leesburg man was arrested for resisting an officer after repeatedly questioning the validity of radar that caught him speeding at 70 miles per hour. A deputy pulled over 38-year-old Jephthe Jean Louis in an orange 2016 Dodge Challenger in Leesburg at 2:05 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, according to an arrest report from...
Pedestrian, 16, hit and killed by vehicle on SR 44 near I-75
Florida Highway Patrol troopers are investigating a deadly crash involving a pedestrian in Wildwood. Just before 10 p.m. on Dec. 16, a 21-year-old Lady Lake man driving a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck east on State Road 44 struck and killed a 16-year-old Wildwood boy who was walking across the road. FHP reported that...
New-School Retail Space Paddock Market Begins Limited Operations at Paddock Mall in Ocala
OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Paddock Market, a new vendor-style marketplace in Ocala, has begun limited operations inside the former Sears space at the Paddock Mall at 3100 SW College Road, though many businesses planned for the market have not yet opened. Plans for Paddock Market were first announced in...
Underage DUI suspect with open liquor caught driving 97 mph
A Tavares man was arrested after being stopped for excessive speeding with open bottles of lager beside him. Officers spotted 20-year-old Parker Joseph Robinson in a dark vehicle speeding southbound on State Road 25 at 1:10 a.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. Radar...
Habitual traffic offender arrested after traffic stop near Blue Parrot campground
A habitual traffic offender was arrested with a revoked license after being stopped for driving with just her fog lights on near an RV campground in Lady Lake. An officer spotted 27-year-old Taprasha Nigeria Parker of Apopka driving a black Nissan Maxima without working taillights at 11:10 p.m. Wednesday, according...
Unlicensed driver from Mexico crashes car in roundabout in The Villages
An unlicensed driver from Mexico was arrested after crashing his car near the Morse Gate in The Villages. Misael Alonzo Junco, 51, of Leesburg, was driving a gray 2009 Chevy at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when he crashed in the roundabout at Morse Boulevard and El Camino Real, according to an arrest report from the...
Clock ticking on couple’a illicitly painted driveway in The Villages
The clock is ticking with regard to a couple’s illicitly painted driveway at a home in The Villages. Stanway Change and Chunjie Qu are the owners of the home at 1127 Southern Sun Drive at Creekside Landing in the Lake Sumter Landing area that was the subject of a deed compliance case heard this past week by Special...
Woman who allegedly punched friend over missing scooter found near Circle K
A Leesburg woman was arrested on a warrant Tuesday after allegedly punching her friend who she believed stole her scooter. On the night of Oct. 24, Jessica Francine Shrimplin, 36, showed up uninvited to her friend’s house in Leesburg to argue about a scooter, according to an affidavit of probable cause out of Lake...
City approves $125,000 for new bleachers at rec center as mayor questions need
Before city officials approved the purchase of nearly $125,000 in new, electronic bleachers for the E.D. Croskey Recreation Center in west Ocala, the city’s mayor questioned whether they were needed in light of gaps in programming and visitors at the site. The Ocala City Council voted unanimously to approve...
