Marion Sheriff Billy Woods is fit to serve and should be respected
As a state of Florida Investigator that has known Billy before he was elected, morale was at an all time low. He took office and I made a point to interview every officer I made contact with out on the road on my duties. Every one told me that they were very happy with him and the way the office was operated.
Elderly man files 8th slip-and-fall lawsuit against Ocala Publix this year
An elderly man claims he was injured after his cane got caught on a shelving unit and he tripped near a bathroom at a Publix in Ocala, joining at least seven other individuals who have made similar claims locally over the past six months. Attorneys representing James Eldon Long filed...
Leesburg teen threatens to stab cousin at apartment complex
A Leesburg teen who was arrested for threatening to stab her cousin was also charged for kicking the officers who handcuffed her. Officers responded to a weapon complaint involving 18-year-old Echline Cilis at Turtle Oaks Apartments, located at 2311 Griffin Rd., at 2:05 p.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report...
We don’t need government getting involved in licensing golf carts
Evidently, the person who wants to register golf carts has not lived here for long. We do not need more government taxing our way of life. So, he must be a liberal who wants more taxation, more government control on another activity that we who have lived here for over 21 years enjoy.
Woman sues trucker for accident on SR 200 in Ocala
A woman has filed a lawsuit against a truck driver over an accident that occurred on State Road 200 in Ocala, accusing the driver of being “negligent and careless” and leaving her with “serious and permanent injuries.”. The lawsuit was filed by attorneys representing Arlena Jones against...
Private company controls access to public land at Florida national park
I have a friend named Sandra Friend. She writes guidebooks about hiking in Florida. Not long ago, my friend named Friend contacted me about a different kind of hike: the hike in prices for using our national parks and forests. She told me via email that she was “horrified to...
Think twice before blowing grass into the street — it could harm more than...
OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Yard work, mowing the front lawn, washing your car in your driveway, applying fertilizer and pesticides to your lawn to keep it green, trimming trees and hedges and blowing the debris into the street may provide for curb appeal in beautifying the neighborhood, but also may come with...
CRIME ROUNDUP: Meth arrests, fake names, and a fruit stand standoff in Marion
OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Here’s the latest from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office:. Deputy Larson and Deputy Trainee Knapp pulled over a vehicle at Brooke Road and Lake Road after the driver failed to stop at a stop sign. The driver, Matthew Quick, was found to be driving without a valid license. A search of the...
Villagers deeply divided on taking over age-restriction enforcement
Villagers are deeply divided on the possibility that their community development district could take over enforcement of age-restriction violations here in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. Over the past two weeks, CDD boards have heard a pitch on possibility of taking over two age-restriction requirements – one...
DUI suspect stopped for swerving with open Heinekens in truck bed
A Fruitland Park man was arrested for DUI after he was stopped for swerving in his lane with open Heineken beers in his truck bed. An officer spotted 44-year-old John Francis McAuliffe speeding in a silver Ford pickup truck on County Road 466A at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland...
