VOLUME 5 ISSUE 45
Coach Brantley retires from Trinity Catholic NOVEMBER 22 - NOVEMBER 28, 2024
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Horse Farms Forever hosts fall Conservation Summit
People in the Marion County Jail are suffering. This is why it matters. Editorial by Jennifer Hunt Murty and Caroline Brauchler
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Guy Marwick, the founder of the Silver River Museum and the director of the Felburn Foundation, center, receives the Acorn Conservation Award from Bernie Little, the Horse Farms Forever President, left, and Margaret Spontak, also of Horse Farm Forever, right, during the Horse Farms Forever Springs Forever Conservation Summit at the Ocala Breeders’s Sales Company in Ocala, Fla. on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.
Guest speakers offer updates about Florida’s springs, the aquifer and how conservation of horse farms and farmlands benefit both. By Belea T. Keeney belea@magnoliamediaco.com
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hey came in tailored suits or jeans, some sporting riding boots, others rocking stylish heels, and many of the local farmers, horse owners, conservationists and residents at Horse Farms Forever’s annual Conservation
Summit left with a ray of sunshine and optimism about Florida’s springs. Dr. Jason Gulley, a University of South Florida geology professor and National Geographic Explorer, was one of the guest speakers at the Nov. 14 event at the Ocala Breeders Sales Company complex where over 450 people registered to attend. He told an encouraging story about the successful
restoration efforts in Kings Bay and Crystal River in nearby Citrus County. “The Kings Bay project included removal of decades of algae, debris and muck from its bottom and the careful planting of over 100 acres of new eel grasses that support wildlife and healthy oxygen levels,” he said.
fter nearly two years of pressing the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office for more details surrounding the Nov. 25, 2022 death of inmate Scott Whitley in the Marion County Jail, on Sept. 23 “Gazette” reporters finally were allowed to watch a security video showing what transpired in Whitley’s cell that day. Pursuant to a court order granting that access, however, the “Gazette” was allowed to view the video, not share it with the public. The “Gazette” has since asked Lake County Circuit Judge James Baxley to reconsider his ruling, to which he denied. We have decided not to appeal the judge’s decision. Sheriffs in other jurisdictions in Florida have allowed the public to view similar footage from their jails, but Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods has steadfastly refused to budge. His office has cited security concerns, mainly that the video might give away details about jail cameras placement. That concern does not stand up to scrutiny. Since the video only shows what happened in one jail cell, the footage could easily be edited to alleviate any concerns about
See Farms, page A6
See Jail, page A2
Ocala City Council debates CEP contract after disagreement over railroad use By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
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Kevin Sheilley, the President/CEO of the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership, speaks to Florida legislators during the Marion County Delegation at the Klein Conference Center at the College of Central Florida in Ocala, Fla. on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette] 2021.
he Ocala City Council took issue with this year’s proposed contract with the Ocala/ Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership, which for the past 12 years has been approved without a hitch. After the CEP, against city leaders’ wishes, backed a proposal that would increase the traffic on the railroad running through downtown, the council on Nov. 5 tabled discussion on the contract. It will be revisited next month. Ocala has had a contract with the CEP since 2013, which at the time cost $145,000,
broken up into four quarterly payments. Now, the contract is up for renewal at the cost of $190,000. “Generally, this agreement will look at some of the partnerships that will occur between the city, and it will include attraction of businesses that the CEP will do,” said Planning Director Aubrey Hale. “The city works with them on multiple agreements, such as projects including the airport logistics, Optimum RV, Averitt, FedEx, Chewy and AutoZone.” Councilmember Jay Musleh brought up the recent endorsement of the Advanced Drainage Systems proposal to utilize the old Certified Grocers site and the
railroad, which the city made clear it opposed due to the potential for disruption to downtown businesses and traffic. “I’m a huge supporter of the CEP. I think they’ve done a fabulous job,” said Musleh. “However, I think it’s time for us to rethink how we move forward. $190,000 a year to me is too big a scope for what we’re doing now.” Musleh said he felt the CEP served Marion County’s interests more and expressed concerns about paying the organization a hefty amount after the group’s leaders disregarded the city’s wishes. “What I am very miffed about is that even in the CEP’s meeting agenda minutes where they
endorsed the project, there was never one discussion brought up about any impact that this would have on the city of Ocala downtown. I perceive it to be a negative impact,” Musleh said. Musleh agreed that the likelihood of converting the railroad to a multiuse trail was slim but expressed that the traffic on the rail should not have increased against the city’s wishes. The decision to approve the ADS proposal came down to the county commission, which heard hours of public debate beforehand from stakeholders. Musleh argued that the CEP doesn’t need See Contract, page A3
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