VOLUME 7 ISSUE 7
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Divertimentos & Dressage Page A9 February 6 - 12, 2026
Concerns and confusion Zanita Hendry, Marion County’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. [Photo courtesy MCPS]
Hillcrest earns “Triple Crown” Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year and Rookie Teacher of the Year are all from same Ocala school. By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
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or what is believed by officials to be the first time in the 157-year history Marion County Public Schools, three people at one school have earned top honors. On Jan. 30, Zanita Hendry, the art teacher at Hillcrest School in Ocala, was named Marion County’s 2026 Teacher of the Year during the 36th annual Golden Apple Gala at the Reilly Arts Center. Last December, Hillcrest’s Lori Manresa was named home of Principal of the Year and Stephanie Stephens was named Rookie Teacher of the Year. “Hendry’s win solidifies a single school’s Triple Crown win for all three top honors, believed to be the first time in MCPS’ 157-year history,” noted MCPS Director of Public Relations Kevin Christian in a news release. According to its website, Hillcrest School provides educational and training programs for students with significant disabilities in grades 6-12. The programs for exceptional students (ESE) are primarily designed to serve moderate to profound cognitive disabilities and students exhibiting autism spectrum disorders. The Marion County School Board operates Hillcrest School, a unique separate day school, and extends enrollment to all eligible Marion County residents. See Hillcrest page A2
A raging inferno is shown as railroad ties burn behind the Comfort Suites in Dunnellon, Fla. on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2026.
Residents question chain of authority and air quality monitoring following railroad tie fire in Dunnellon.
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
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n the wake of the massive fire involving thousands of creosote-treated railroad ties that started the morning of Feb. 1, residents and local officials have faced a complex web of jurisdictional questions, delayed communications and reliance on a rail operator for safety monitoring. At the heart of the concerns are residents near the fire who face environmental impacts including diminished air quality and the harm that approximately 1 million gallons of water used to fight the fire will inflict on their drinking water and a nearby firstmagnitude spring at Rainbow River. FEMA has confirmed it’s not involved in the matter, and deferred questions to the Florida Department of Emergency Management and Marion County fire departments. Correspondence from CSX to the city of Dunnellon obtained by the “Gazette” dated
Feb. 3 clarifies the company’s view of its role in the aftermath of the fire. “CSX is coordinating environmental response activities with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP),” the letter states. “To date, air monitoring conducted by CSX’s air monitoring contractor GHD has shown no detection, and results have been shared with the Marion County Emergency Management Agency and that CSX’s environmental contractor, Arcadis, is in coordination with FDEP and evaluating next steps,” the letter adds. Numerous visits by the “Gazette” to the site have shown the largest amount of workers once the fire was contained has consistently consisted primarily of CSX contractors. “For questions related to environmental conditions, residents may call 1-888-4796583. For questions regarding claims or property damage, residents should contact Track Line Rail at 312-848-1812,” the letter said.
WHO IS IN CHARGE? While the blaze prompted an immediate response from local firefighters, the question of who holds ultimate responsibility for the site and the incident remains a point of contention. CSX, a major rail operator, has sought to distance itself from primary liability. In an email dated Feb. 2, Austin Staton, the director of Media Relations for CSX, clarified the ownership structure: “Sunday’s fire involved crossties owned by Track Line Rail on a rail line leased by Florida Northern Railroad” but acknowledged that CSX personnel were deployed to the site to “offer our expertise and assist as needed.” Although Marion County officials said the CSX Police Department is involved in investigating the cause of the fire, CSX police on scene and the corporate spokesperson deny they are taking any leadership in investigating the source of the fire. See Fire, page A6
Great Florida Cattle Drive 2026: A living piece of history By Jennifer Schuck Special to the Gazette
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t’s Tuesday morning, Feb. 3, and I’m still wrapping my head around the last few weeks. I signed up for the Great Florida Cattle Drive 2026 knowing it would be an undertaking. My niece Nikki Nodland and my good friend Heidi Petermann were joining me, which meant preparing not just one
horse, but three. No small task — especially when time, weather and life have a way of piling on all at once. I am a lifetime equestrian. Heidi is a lifetime rancher from Montana. Nikki is an accomplished horsewoman and a mechanical engineer. Between the three of us, there is a deep respect for good horses, hard work and grit that can’t be taught. I had the privilege of riding in the
Great Florida Cattle Drive in 2022, so I knew what I was getting into — long days, unpredictable conditions and the quiet camaraderie that forms when people and horses are tested together. I moved to Florida full-time 10 years ago and while my internal thermostat prefers warm to hot, this event demands preparation well beyond an ordinary ride. See Great Florida Cattle, page A3
Jennifer Schuck and Cher
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