Gregory Blackmon, 36, Ocala, was arrested and charged with a felony for aggravated abuse on a child.
The Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau’s third quarter report highlights record-setting media exposure, with national features like Southern Living delivering more than 160 million impressions and over $1.4 million in value.
The Marion County Litter Task Force awarded Miguel Sanchez the Community Impact Award for his leadership in keeping Marion Oaks clean and beautiful. Miguel founded the Marion Oaks Community Beautification Crew, organizes monthly cleanups, and partners with local schools to involve students in community service.
Florida’s twice-yearly swarms of lovebugs have long fueled a myth that they were created in a University of Florida lab, but experts confirm the insects migrated naturally from Central America decades before genetic engineering was possible.
Marion County deputies made multiple arrests in separate cases involving drugs, weapons, indecent exposure, burglary, and impaired driving, according to sheriff’s reports.
Ocala braces for a weekend of heat, humidity, and afternoon thunderstorms from Friday through Sunday. Temperatures will remain in the upper 80s, with daily rain and storm chances—so stay weather‑aware.
This weekend in Ocala offers interactive fun for all ages with Barbie-themed glam, thrilling games, rock tributes, a roller derby showdown, and 90s nostalgia events.
The Marion County Veterans Memorial Park has renamed its cross program to “Remember & Honor” to pay tribute to fallen service members. Families can purchase personalized crosses displayed around Memorial Day and Veterans Day each year.
The College of Central Florida’s President Dr. James Henningsen was the featured speaker at the Ocala Metro CEP’s ExCEPtional breakfast, sharing the innovative program’s that has made the higher learning institution one of the best in the nation.
The Ocala Police Department announced that two men have been charged in separate 2024 homicide cases, officially clearing all homicide investigations for the year.