VOLUME 6 ISSUE 29
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The Sewing Bees Pg B1 JULY 18 - 24, 2025
Disability rights group investigating MCSO over treatment of jail inmates By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
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isability Rights Florida, an agency serving as the state protection and advocacy system for individuals with disabilities, has
indicated to the “Gazette” that the agency is investigating the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office over its treatment of mentally ill prisoners at the county jail. Aaron Victoria, a senior advocate-investigator for DRF, said he could not share more
details because the investigation is active; however, the “Gazette” has made a public records request to the MCSO for all correspondence and reports received from the agency. In a March 28 email to Heart of Florida, the jail’s medical
provider, Victoria wrote: Disability Rights Florida, Inc. (DRF), Florida’s designated Protection and Advocacy system (P&A), has received a report about the death of Mayra I. Ramirez, an individual with mental illness who was an inmate at Marion County
Jail at the time of her death on September 7, 2023. Based on the report, DRF has probable cause to believe that Ms. Ramirez was the subject of abuse and/or neglect prior to her death. The letter See Disability rights group, page A3
Navigating the unthinkable
Ocala city election “reset” By Jamie Berube jamie@ocalagazette.com
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fter the city of Ocala announced that no candidates had qualified for the office of mayor and city council districts 1, 3 and 5, a special election was set by city council during a regular scheduled meeting on July 15 in an attempt to stay on track with the prior election’s schedule. The new qualifying period ran from 8 a.m. July 16 to noon July 18. The city intends to conduct the special election on the same date as originally scheduled: Tuesday, Sept. 16. Although the city clerk, Angel Jacobs, is the qualifying agent for all city candidates under the city’s charter, it contracts with Marion County’s Supervisor of Elections, Welsey Wilcox, to manage the actual election. To keep the special election on the same timetable as the previous one, Wilcox told the city they would need to finish qualifying all candidates by the end of business on July 18, to have the turnaround time involved in getting ballots created, proofed and printed as well as statutory mailing requirements. “I’d need to mail the ballots to registered voters in the military by Aug. 1,” explained Wilcox who said getting everything turned around in two weeks to meet the Aug. 1 deadline would make it a very busy time at his office. “But we’ll get it done,” he said confidently.
THE SPECIAL ELECTION
As of the start of the July 15 city council meeting, all three candidates for Mayor had refiled their intent, Benjamin Marciano, Neil J. Gillespie and Zackary Feliciano. Incumbents, Barry M. Mansfield had filed again for a second term to serve on council for district 1, and James P. Hilty for district 5. Previously, neither incumbent had a challenger. Mark W. Clark and TamBoura Jenkins filed again for city council for district 3 but in this special election will See City election, page A7
Steve and Rebekah Johnson pose for a photo at Marion County Fire Rescue Station 11 in Reddick on July 9. Steve is a firefighter with Marion County Fire Rescue and Rebekah is executive director of the Marion County Firefighters Benevolence Fund’s Embers of Hope Burn Camp. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
The inaugural Embers of Hope Burn Camp will give a dozen young victims of fire injuries a chance to have fun in a safe and supportive environment. By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
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s a survivor of a house fire, Rebekah Johnson knows about the trauma of burns to a human body. For more than 20 years, since she was injured, she has been mentoring children and adults at the UF Health Shands Burn Center and working to raise awareness about fire safety both locally and around the nation. Johnson also is the executive director of the Embers of Hope Burn Camp, which is an outreach of the Marion County Firefighters Benevolence Fund and is geared to children who have sustained a
burn injury. The inaugural camp will take place from Aug. 7 to 10 at Lake Swan Camp in Melrose. It will give the 12 children who are enrolled, ranging in age from 7 to 16, an opportunity to see others with scars and find a sense of acceptance and community. “My husband Steve is a Marion County firefighter and board member of the MCFBF. We are using the umbrella of the MCFBF, which is a nonprofit organization connected to Marion County Professional Fire Fighters union. We also have solicited corporate sponsorships and Hale Products in Ocala committed to a large donation, which is helping with the camp,” Johnson explained. “We also have local unions and fire
departments from all over north central Florida. Every camper will have their own counselor during camp, and they are mostly firefighters or fire educators. Union 3169 MCPFF sponsored funding so we could rent two vans, and we’ve got two Marion County firefighters who will drive the vans to pick the kids up. It’s really a collaborative effort that my husband and I are passionate about and we got a lot of support from our wonderful community,” she added. Johnson said she and her husband both have volunteered with other camps throughout the past nearly 20 years, such as Camp Tequesta and Camp Amigo. During the Embers of Hope Burn Camp, See Navigating the unthinkable, page A2
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SR200 crashes.............................. A3 County projects ........................... A5 Veterans remembered.................. A6 Calendar......................................... B6 Local film showing...................... B10
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