VOLUME 6 ISSUE 14
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Levitt Amp concerts continue. Pg A7
APRIL 4 - 10, 2025
Details into the 2023 death of an elderly veteran in the Marion County Jail By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
D Dennis DiGenova [Submitted photo]
ennis DiGenova was killed while in the custody of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Was his death caused by a battering from deputies or a fight with his
cellmate? No determination was made, and no charges were filed. DiGenova, a 73-year-old veteran from Ocala, died on July 28, 2023, from complications related to a cervical spine fracture sustained while he was being held in the Marion County Jail, according to the District 5 & 24
Medical Examiner’s Office. DiGenova was involved in two altercations while in custody. While his death has been ruled a homicide, no detention deputies nor inmates have been charged for their involvement in his death. See Elderly veteran, page A6
Pedestrian deaths rose to 21 in Marion County in 2024 Ongoing pedestrian safety actions include road, crosswalk and sidewalk improvement projects.
Beer dreams can come true Infinite Ale Works starts brewing at its new midtown location.
Katina Jones of Ocklawaha was one of 21 pedestrians struck and killed in Marion County in 2024. Jones, 49, of Ocklawaha, was walking on County Road 464 (Maricamp Road) in Silver Springs Shores when she was struck on May 31. This roadside memorial marker has been placed near the site. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
L Infinite Ale Works owners Kristin and Tom McDonald pour a draught beer from a tap at the new location of Infinite Ale Works in the Midtown Station on Northeast Watula Avenue by Tuscawilla Park in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
T
he dream of transforming the old Ocala Fire Rescue Station No. 1, which overlooks Tuscawilla Park, into the new home of Infinite Ale Works was realized April 2 as the company brewed its first batch of beer at the location. The new brewing operation comes with the added perk of a full bar and independent food hall tenants offering multiple dining options, all under the
same roof and collectively called Midtown Station. The eatery and bar opened in September of 2024, but it wasn’t until Wednesday that the company was ready to brew beer. When Infinite Ale Works started out 11 years ago, they were a small-scale operation, borrowing equipment from another brewery. “As we grew, we were able to buy our own fermenters and grow our brewing program. In 2018, we had grown so much that we were actually awarded Best Large-
Scale Brewery in the state of Florida by the Florida Brewers Association,” recalled co-owner Kristin McDonald on the recent momentous day. McDonald and her husband, Tom, sat down with the “Gazette” to reminisce about the long road to this moment. The couple said their dreams for the location began in 2017, when the city of Ocala issued a request for proposals for the property’s use. It would take years for them to refine their vision and secure the contract.
ast year was deadly for pedestrians and bicyclists on Marion County roadways. Twenty-one pedestrians were killed countywide in crashes in 2024, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. In comparison, Volusia County, with a 2024 U.S. Census population of 602,772 compared to 428,905 for Marion County, had 18 pedestrian fatalities in 2024. Lake County, with a population similar to that of Marion County, had eight pedestrian traffic deaths in 2024. One of the state’s largest counties, Miami-Dade, had 75 pedestrian fatalities in 2024, according to FHP data. The ”Gazette” talked with city of Ocala, Marion County and state officials to learn more about the deaths and some pedestrian safety actions that are being implemented.
See Beer dreams, page A3
See Pedestrian deaths, page A9
Trailblazing female captain dies in Ocala Capt. Virginia Ferguson was the first female and first Black woman to hold a United States Coast Guard captain’s license in Florida and the first female glass-bottom boat captain at Silver Springs. By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
O
ne of Marion County’s most remarkable women, Capt. Virginia Ferguson, has passed away. Ferguson was born Sept. 11, 1941, in Donaldsonville, Georgia,
and grew up in Homestead, Florida. Her family later moved to Ocala to join other family members who were already here. She died March 25, 2025, in Ocala. Ferguson was the first female and first Black woman to hold a United States Coast Guard captain’s license in Florida and
the first female glass-bottom boat captain at the Silver Springs Attraction. She is survived by her children, Youlanda Green Jones, Robert “Rocky” Green and Jessica HadleyBrown. She was predeceased by her son Bobby Eugene Ferguson and grandson Kenyatta “Bear” Jones.
She has 30 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. Hadley-Brown said her mother “loved the water.” “She just had that aspiration of loving the water and would talk about, ‘navigating the current of the See Female captain dies , page A2
Virginia Ferguson [Photo by Mark Emery]
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INSIDE:
Letter to Editor........................... A6 DeSantis .................................... A7 Home Decor ............................... B2 Real Estate ................................. B3 Puzzles ....................................... B7
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