Missing Marion County woman found safe
MARION COUNTY, Fla. – UPDATE: A missing 78-year-old woman has been found safe, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Details about Martha Woods Morris’ recovery have not been released. ORIGINAL STORY:. A statewide Silver Alert was issued on Wednesday night for a 78-year-old Marion County woman,...
Suspected drug dealer tried to make sales through social media
A Fruitland Park woman has been charged with unlawful use of her phone after a warrant revealed she used social media to sell methamphetamine. On Oct. 27, 32-year-old Kylie Evelyn Rae Mertz was arrested for trafficking methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to an arrest report from the...
Michigan man tasered earlier in year in SWAT standoff arrested again in The Villages
A Michigan man tasered earlier this year in a SWAT standoff at a home in The Villages is in trouble again. Darrel Colin Fuson, 47, was taken into custody Tuesday night by Sumter County sheriff’s deputies at a home at 779 Evelynton Loop in the Village of Lynnhaven. He...
Home Depot gets key approval for new Ocala store near retirement community
Marion County officials have cleared the way for a new Home Depot to be built at a site in southwest Ocala next to a retirement community that was previously approved for an apartment complex. The Marion County Board of County Commissioners approved the special use permit request from Home Depot,...
Man allegedly punches housemate during argument over drug dealers on property
A Summerfield man was arrested for battery after allegedly punching his housemate when she told him to get off the property. The female housemate of 66-year-old Calvin Dale Hooker told law enforcement that he hit her in the face at their shared residence on Southeast 94th Avenue in Summerfield at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday,...
New problem reported at dead Villager’s home with reverse mortgage
A new problem has been reported at a dead Villager’s home with a reverse mortgage. The property at 2051 Thurmond Ave. in the Mount Vernon Villas in the Village of Liberty Park was the subject of a public hearing Tuesday morning before the Community Development District 5 Board of Supervisors at SeaBreeze Recreation...
Sisters find mother’s Ocala apartment emptied days after her death
OCALA, Fla. – Two sisters are seeking answers after discovering their mother’s apartment was emptied of belongings shortly after her death, potentially violating Florida law regarding deceased tenants’ property. On Labor Day weekend, Kayla Zisk and Kirsten Dorsey got the call no one wants: their mother took...
Ocala man sentenced to 10 years for robbing convenience store at gunpoint
An Ocala man who robbed a local convenience store at gunpoint in June 2024 has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison. On Friday, November 14, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced that 23-year-old Johnisaac Felix has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for...
Tiny cross in Florida yard sparks yearslong legal battle
A five-year dispute over a 12-inch cross displayed in a resident’s front yard has ended with a settlement totaling nearly $250,000, bringing closure to a long-running fight over community rules in The Villages.
Teen driver with suspended learner’s license arrested at Walgreens in The Villages
A Groveland teen who was arrested last week for driving with a suspended learner’s license was charged again after being stopped at a Walgreens in The Villages. A gray Honda Accord with dark tinted windows passed by an officer on Powell Road at 10:35 a.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police...
