VOLUME 6 ISSUE 10
MARCH 7 - 13, 2025
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Florida legislature bills would likely remove FPA protections in Marion County
This is a composite image of State Sen. Stan McLain and property inside the Farmland Preservation Area in Marion County. McClain, R-Marion, and Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Pasco, have each filed bills that would wrest local control of development from cities and counties across the state and open up hundreds of thousands of agricultural acres to developers without review from local governments. If passed, the new laws would supersede any local overlay zones of protection, including Marion County’s Farmland Preservation Area
The proposed state-controlled development would supersede local land-use regulations and require automatic approval of certain developments at maximum density. By Belea T. Keeney belea@magnoliamediaco.com
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tate Sen. Stan McClain, R-Marion, and Rep. Kevin Steele, R-Pasco, have each filed identical
bills that would wrest local new laws would supersede any control of development from local overlay zones of protection, cities and counties across the including Marion County’s state and open up hundreds of revered Farmland Preservation thousands of agricultural acres to Area. developers without review from local governments. If passed, the See Florida legislature bills , page A10
Save The Civic
State legislatures propose statewide consolidation of 911 By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
S The Ocala Civic Theatre has been providing community entertainment for 75 years, including plays, classes and camps.
The Ocala Civic Theatre rebrands on its 75th birthday, launches a fundraising campaign and announces the 2025/26 season. By Jennifer Hunt Murty
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arion County’s only community playhouse, the Ocala Civic Theatre, will turn 75 years old this week and is using the milestone to take stock and make plans to ensure its survival. “The time to reshape community theater for the future is now,” said Executive Artistic Director Greg Thompson. For 75 years, OCT has been run as a professionally produced volunteer-driven theater that provides opportunities for talent
who make a significant time commitment to deliver ambitious productions. In honor of that civic engagement, the theater has taken on a new nickname for its birthday, The Civic. See Save The Civic, page A10
New student industrial labs in progress By Lauren Morrish lauren@ocalagazette.com
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he Marion Technical College West Bay area is swiftly remodeling to include two industrial labs for the 2025-26 school year, anticipating the growth of career fields. After the School Board of Marion County approved the $1.33 million remodel during the Feb. 25 meeting, the project began on March 3.
A new welding lab with 20 stations will be added to teach students to weld mild steel, aluminum, and stainless steel, according to the agenda. The current Heating, Venting and Air Conditioning (HVAC) program that MTC started two years ago will also have a classroom space alongside the welding lab. MTC Principal Gary Smallridge said the West Bay See Industrial labs, page A2
Marion Technical Institute [File photo by Jennifer Hunt Murty/Ocala Gazette]
tate Sen. Jay Collins and Rep. Shane G. Abbott have each filed identical bills that would consolidate hundreds of 911 call centers across Florida down to 67—only one per county. Part of the bill seeks to amend 365.171, Florida Statutes, by adding a “unified 911 system” under each county’s sheriff. It also calls for a single computeraided dispatching software, commonly referred to as a CAD, “regardless of the agency being dispatched.” CAD systems are vital to tracking and organizing incoming calls and dispatching calls, but they are also a very important part of data collection that public safety agencies use to track efficiencies like call times or trends in community needs. Sometimes, the information collected in that system, such as call history from a certain address or number, could be used by a public safety agency for investigating a concern. Other than the name and telephone number of the caller, most of the CAD information is public record. Currently, in Marion County there are two 911 call centers. The largest one is operated by Marion County and falls under the fire chief, James Banta. However, the sheriff has his own law dispatchers who work from the county 911 center and dispatch their own calls—while the county dispatches everything else. The second call center is the City of Ocala, operated by the Ocala Police Department, under Police Chief Michael Balken. That center dispatches law and fire and medical calls in the city limits. As previously reported, experts nationwide have been encouraging the consolidation of emergency communications and the use of a See State legislatures, page A2
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