(352today.com) – This is a new feature we’re experimenting with at 352today. We’re calling it 352 SnapShots. It’s a collection of things we captured over the course of the month. Events and happenings. People and places. Things we think you should know or things we just found interesting. It’s news in brief.
Here are the 352 Snapshots for April 2024:
Florida Agriculture Commissioner says food supply is a national security threat
Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture delivered a sobering message at a Horse Farms Forever event on Wednesday, April 24, at the Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club.
Commissioner Wilton Simpson told the audience that he’s concerned about the security of the nation’s food supply. He said most Americans know oil is a national security issue and said the country has a six-month supply of it.
Simpson asked the audience to consider what would happen if terrorists attacked the food supply chain. “What if for five days there were no groceries at the store?” He surmised that it would cause panic. Simpson said, the general public doesn’t know where food comes from and in as little as 30 days some people might starve to death. His message wasn’t intended to strike fear but rather to educate about the importance of farmers saying, “Everyone in this room needs a farmer three times a day.”
He described the impact of inflation on farmers saying they’re “on the ropes now” and if not for them, America would have to get food from foreign groups.
Florida Attorney General tells Ocala business leaders state is not immune to challenges experienced elsewhere
Florida’s Attorney General (AG) both informed and entertained Ocala business leaders gathered for the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) monthly breakfast meeting on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
Perhaps it was being on stage at the Reilly Arts Center that prompted AG Ashley Moody to share lyrics she had written to a song decades ago about growing up in Plant City.
Her message: “Capitalism works best without criminals,” said Moody as she showcased how the Sunshine State attacks crime and punishment as compared to other states in the nation.
“We’re not immune from these challenges. We’re just very deliberate about how we go about things in Florida,” said Moody. “I’ve been watching the national trends and watching the criminal justice policies and then pushing here in Florida the exact opposite.”
Moody reviewed the state’s six-point crimefighting policy she unveiled in Ocala earlier this month.
AdventHealth breaks ground on new medical office building
Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano helped AdventHealth Ocala break ground on a new facility on Thursday, April 25.
The dirt digging took place at 1219 S Pine Ave. where AdventHealth Ocala says it’s building a 57,000 square-foot, 3-story, state-of-the-art medical office building which will house services ranging from cardiovascular to neuroscience, orthopedics and women’s health.
The Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership says the new facility will make it easier for the community to access and navigate the healthcare system.
The $35 million medical center is expected to open in fall of 2025.
Fantasy gala supports dream of ending childhood cancer
A couple hundred people donned tuxes and gowns to attend a fundraising gala for Stop Children’s Cancer, the nonprofit raises money to fund research to find cures for pediatric cancer.
On Saturday, April 6, the Reitz Union ballroom on the University of Florida campus was transformed into the undersea kingdom of the Lost City of Atlantis for this year’s fantasy event theme.
During the event, Howard Tuuri, President & General Manager of North Central Florida Media (352today’s parent company) revealed the final tally raised from this year’s Bear-A-Thon. Thanks to listeners of 93.7 K-Country, 92.5/95.5 Wind-FM and readers of 352today, the one-day blitz drive raised $135,000 to go toward the fight to end childhood cancer. In 25 years, Bear-A-Thon has now donated $1.7 million to the cause.
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