VOLUME 7 ISSUE 11
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10th annual VOCAL Furball Page A9 March 6 - 12, 2026
MCSO officers demoted over handling of domestic call By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
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ecent disciplinary proceedings involving two Marion County Sheriff’s Office supervisors, described by Sheriff Billy Woods as “outstanding human beings” with otherwise exemplary records, illustrate the complications law enforcement faces when navigating highly volatile officer-involved domestic violence cases.
The disciplinary proceedings stem from a December incident involving Lt. Ben Adams and Sgt. Jeff Boyles, tasked with retrieving agency property from a home in Lake County shared by two married MCSO deputies who were engaged in a volatile domestic situation. Domestic violence calls are among the leading causes of law enforcement deaths in the line of duty, according to a 2024 report with data compiled by the National
Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF). Recognizing the seriousness of such calls, the MCSO has two policies guiding deputies on how to respond to domestic violence calls, one for the public and the other for deputies. The general policy for the standard response to domestic violence calls involving members of the public emphasizes victim safety, building strong cases, and a pro-arrest policy for the
primary aggressor. The policy for when sworn officers are suspected of being the perpetrator or a victim of domestic violence, however, establishes protocols for early intervention, investigating allegations, providing safety to the victim, and relieving the accused officer of agencyissued firearms. Boyles was demoted from Sergeant to Corporal, and Adams from Lieutenant to a Sergeant. Additionally, Boyles received a 160-hour
suspension and Adams a 240hour suspension- both faced removal from the SWAT team. Both officers appealed the agency’s disciplinary action, entitling them to public hearings at which a panel reviews the evidence. A panel made up of MCSO staff was convened on Feb. 24 under the Career Service Act to consider the appeal of Boyles. The panel’s purview was to either sustain or unsustain the discipline rendered by the agency.
Dunnellon railroad tie burn site backfilled as shallow soil tests pass
THE INCIDENT The incident began on the morning of Dec. 3, 2025, when Deputy Jeremiah Ricketts’ wife, also a deputy, was reportedly planning to leave him due to ongoing domestic issues. Fearing a dangerous domestic dispute if she returned to their shared Lake County residence to gather her equipment, she arranged for the MCSO to assist her by picking up her marked patrol vehicle, guns, and gear. See MCSO, page A8
Senate advances expanded tax cut package By Jim Turner the News Service of Florida
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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the primary regulatory agency, but the physical cleanup and environmental sampling is being managed by CSX Transportation and its hired contractors pursuant to a Source Removal and Surface Water Sampling Work Plan approved nine days after the initial fire.
wide-ranging tax cut bill from the Senate was expanded March 2 to include exemptions on sales taxes on tickets for Association of Tennis Professionals tournaments. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the package (SB 7046), which initially projected $34.1 million in consumer savings by offering an end-of-the-year discount period for sales taxes on select hunting, fishing and camping goods, including guns and ammunition, that was created last year. The package also expands the charter schools eligible to share in the distribution of school taxes collected from a voter-approved property tax levy, the source of tax dollars provided to “fiscally constrained” counties and bans government policies that establish net-zero policies regarding climate change. In voting against the proposal, Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman said the language infringes on the home rule of local governments, particularly regarding net-zero policies, which seek to offset carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. “If a city wanted to have buses that are electric, under this net-zero policy they wouldn’t be able to promote that,” said Berman, D-Boca Raton. “The way the bill is worded you can’t give a preference for that.”
See Dunnellon railroad, page A4
See Tax cut , page A9
This aerial photo from March 1, 2026, shows fill dirt where burned railroad ties were cleaned up on the CSX Transportation line in Dunnellon. [Bryce Hale/Special to the Ocala Gazette]
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
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rews are backfilling the site of the massive Feb. 1 Dunnellon creosote railroad tie fire after shallow soil test results showed below state action levels, but a closer look at the testing protocols leave questions about the sufficiency of the testing. According to an update from the city of Dunnellon, 63 trucks unloaded backfill at the excavation site Monday afternoon, completely covering the eastern half of the
trench. The city confirmed that “all post-excavation test results have returned below soil cleanup target levels (SCTL),” paving the way for the site to be filled and remaining rail cars to be transported out of the area. However, an analysis of the contractor’s work plan and laboratory reports obtained by the “Gazette” shows the soil was tested exclusively for Semivolatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs), ignoring other highly mobile and toxic chemicals. Also, the excavation only extended up to 2.5 feet deep. Given the unique chemical properties of
creosote and the porous nature of Marion County’s geology, reports from other creosote clean-up sites suggest that that 2.5 feet deep is only scratching the surface and may not be enough. Perhaps the greatest concern regarding the shallow excavation is the physical weight of creosote itself. Creosote is heavier than water. Because of its high density, creosote released into the subsurface can rapidly penetrate downward through the soil and significantly below the water table, independent of the direction of groundwater flow.
WHAT WAS FOUND, AND WHAT WAS IGNORED
PETA protest in Ocala
New eatery that features chicken finger meals targeted. By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
Bryan Wilson of PETA pours fake blood on the sidewalk to protest cruelty to chickens with other PETA members during the grand opening of Raising Cane’s on Southwest College Road in Ocala on March 3, 2026. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
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PETA backed demonstration against what the organization sees as inhumane practices in growing and harvesting chickens for human consumption and a lack of
plant-based menu options was held at the grand opening of the Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant on Southwest College Road on the morning of March 3. The eatery features “ONE LOVE is craveable Chicken Finger meals,” according to raisingcanes.com
“It went really well. I think we got our message across,” said Shannon Blair, one of about six protestors at the location. The demonstration began around 8 a.m. and lasted until about 10 a.m., Blair said. Blair said the demonstration included
fake blood, yellow caution tape and signage with slogans like “causing pain” for chickens. Blair, 38, of Brevard County, works at a school but is also a “vegan and an animal liberator” and activist. She said the message of the protest was See PETA protest, page A6
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Artist-Alley exhibition................. A3 Legacy of Black Horsemen......... A6 Deputy clears name...................... A7 Home & Garden............................ B1 Calendar......................................... B6
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