Son says Ocala nursing facility ignored mother’s broken hip, hygiene before untimely death
In a lawsuit filed against an Ocala assisted living facility earlier this month, a son claims that the business and its staff were negligent in the healthcare provided to his mother, contributing to her untimely, wrongful death earlier this year. Thomas Cafaro filed the complaint on December 9 in the...
MS-13 Gang member operated drywall service in The Villages
Villagers were shocked in April when Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests of several MS-13 Gang members, including one who had been quietly operating a drywall service business in The Villages. It was the No. 8 story in 2025 in Villages-News.com. Jose Ezequiel Gamez-Maravilla, 29, of Center Hill, has...
Villager’s daughter dies in fall from golf cart resulting in driver’s arrest
A Villager’s daughter died in a fall from a golf cart resulting in the driver’s arrest on a charge of DUI manslaughter. It was the No. 3 story in 2025 in Villages-News.com. Kelly Novit, 60, of the Chicago area, died March 9 at Ocala Regional Medical Center after...
Mother with young children terrified when stranger demands to be let in
A Sanford man was arrested after allegedly breaking into a woman’s home and telling police it was due to someone trying to kill him. Officers responded to an undisclosed residence in Leesburg regarding a suspicious person, later identified as 33-year-old Marvin Eugene Cotton, around 11:35 p.m. Dec. 20, according to...
Former Ocala beverage shop repurposed into flower drive-thru for grab-and-go bouquets
A building in Ocala that served as a beverage stop for nearly four decades has been repurposed into the city’s first flower drive-thru. The Rose Barn is set to open in January at 912 NE 14th Street, the former site of the Beverage Barn. The new business is owned and operated by Jana M. Costa and Robin Leombrone.
Freeze Warnings, Watch issued for 5 Central Florida counties. How long the cold will...
ORLANDO, Fla. – A strong but mostly dry cold front is pushing through Central Florida, bringing a sharp drop in temperatures and a blast of cold air that you will definitely notice. Tuesday will feel much colder than normal for late December. Highs in the Orlando area will struggle...
Top Dumb Criminal in 2025 peed on Spam and Vienna sausages
There were a lot of dumb criminals to choose from in 2025, but the Villager who wears the crown for this past year was arrested after ruining cases of Spam and Vienna sausages after peeing on pallets of the products at Sam’s Club. Patrick Francis Mitchell, 70, of the...
Florida Man Sues Outback Steakhouse After Toilet Allegedly ‘Shattered and Collapsed’ Beneath Him
A Florida man is going forward with a $50,000 lawsuit against Outback Steakhouse, claiming that a toilet seat at the famous restaurant chain "suddenly shattered and collapsed” beneath him while he was seated atop the throne, allegedly resulting in a fall that caused "severe bodily injury." According to a report from...
Ocala police investigate after 72-year-old woman drowns in pool
Ocala police detectives are investigating what led to a woman drowning in a residential pool on Sunday night.
Uninvited guest shows up rambling about nuclear bombs and demons
A Leesburg man was arrested for trespassing after showing up uninvited to an old acquaintance’s house and refusing to leave. Deputies responded to 45-year-old Bryan Lamar Cochran trespassing at the home of a male acquaintance in Leesburg around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, according to an arrest report from the Lake...
