VOLUME 7 ISSUE 25
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“Cats & Dogs: A Portrait of Devotion” Page B1
June 12 - 18 2026
Jail medical care challenged
Choked by algae
Family of deceased inmate Jacob Oakie sues Marion County Sheriff and Heart of Florida. By Jennifer Hunt jennifer@ocalagazette.com
Jacob Oakie at a family wedding. [Submitted photo]
F drastic numbers. Historically, Silver Springs f lowed at around 820 cubic feet per second, but today it has dropped to an average of 430 cfs — just 53% of its historic volume. This reduction in flow is proving fatal to the river’s native plant life, particularly its eelgrass. Under normal, healthy conditions, strong river currents push against the underwater plants. Hawthorne explains that f low is crucial for the grass’ survival because it forces the plants to rub against themselves, allowing them to naturally scrape and clean algae off their blades. Without this strong f low, the water becomes stagnant, the plants stop moving and they lose their ability to self-clean.
ollowing the tragic death of 39-year-old Jacob Oakie in the Marion County Jail nearly two years ago, his mother, Marilyn Oakie, has filed a comprehensive federal lawsuit in the Middle District of Florida against Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods and others connected to the facility on behalf of his estate and survivors. Oakie, who was a pretrial detainee at the jail, died of pneumococcal meningitis on July 28, 2024, after experiencing days of escalating medical symptoms that the lawsuit alleges were ignored and mishandled by jail and medical staff. Who is being sued? The lawsuit names a wide array of defendants involved in the operation of the jail and the medical care provided to its inmates. The primary defendants include: • Woods (in both his official and individual capacities). • Heart of Florida Health Center, Inc. (the private contractor providing medical services to the jail). • Jail and medical supervisors, including Major Clint Bowen, Deputy Chief Robert Douglas, Capt. Brian Spivey, Capt. Alesia Chisholm, Director Monica Hopkins, Dr. John Pearson and Dr. Jose Rodriguez.
See Choked by algae, page A8
See Jail medical care, page A4
Statues left from movie filming years ago in the Silver Springs headsprings are constantly covered in algae, which is cleaned once a month by members of the Silver Springs Professional Dive team. [Alan Youngblood/Ocala Gazette file photo]
Silver Springs faces an ecological crisis as experts call for local action to turn the tide. By Jennifer Hunt jennifer@ocalagazette.com
F
or decades, the crystal-clear waters of Silver Springs have captivated visitors, drawing them to its vibrant aquatic life and striking underwater landscapes. But those intimately familiar with the Silver River and the springs are witnessing a heartbreaking transformation. Boat captain Sebastian Didato, who has navigated the Silver River since childhood, during a recent boat tour pointed to a specific spot he used to highlight for guests. The area features two spring vents that once gushed water so powerfully they stirred up white limestone and shells into what he called a “Florida snowstorm.” Today, those vents
are empty and the underwater snowstorm has ceased to exist due to a severe lack of water f low. The disappearance of the “snowstorm” is a visual symptom of a much larger, systemic crisis. According to Haley Moody, director of the Florida Springs Institute, the health of Silver Springs is being dismantled by two major threats: groundwater withdrawals and nitrogen pollution. As human demand for water increases, the amount of water bubbling up from the aquifer into the springs has plummeted. Add a drought to the mix, and the problem is only compounded. Bill Hawthorne, a senior environmental scientist who has conducted extensive ecological health assessments on the river, notes the
The write-in wrinkle
Two candidates could block 127,131 registered Marion County voters from participating in upcoming primaries. By Jennifer Hunt jennifer@ocalagazette.com
A
s the qualifying period for local candidates neared its end—set for June 12—two writein candidates filed for Marion County commission seats, a move that effectively locks 127,131 registered independent and
Democrat voters out of these races. Unless a registered Independent or Democrat candidate officially qualified in those races by the deadline, Marion County voters with those political affiliations will have no say in who will represent them on the county commission. Mark Oakus is a write-in
candidate for the District 2 seat, while Leonard Michael Racioppi has filed as a write-in hopeful for the District 4 seat. Because Florida is a closed primary state, voters are usually restricted to voting only for candidates within their registered political party. A notable exception to this rule is a Universal Primary Contest
(UPC). A UPC occurs when all candidates for an office share the same party affiliation and face no opposition in the general election, which opens the primary up to all registered voters, regardless of party. Since all the other candidates in the Districts 2 and 4 races are registered Republicans, all 263,464 registered voters
in Marion County would be allowed to vote for these seats. However, the addition of two write-in candidates means the GOP primary winner will have at least a nominal opponent in the November general election. This maneuver closes the primaries to only registered Republicans. See The write-in wrinkle, page A4
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War Cry 4 Peace event................. A6 Aging with Grace.......................... A8 Recycling revisions....................... A9 Juneteenth revamp....................... B2 Calendar......................................... B6
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