VOLUME 6 ISSUE 48
Firing up Ocala’s culinary scene.
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Pg A6
December 5 - 11, 2025
Kratom conundrum
Four MCFR first responders lose jobs, will face charges The case includes allegations of harassment, whipping and waterboarding of one of their own. By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
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status is.” Some Florida cities and counties have instituted total bans: Sarasota (2019), St. Johns County (2021) and Winter Park (2024). Florida’s 2023 Kratom Consumer Protection Act sets the minimum purchase age at 21, requires third-party lab testing, bans certain high-risk synthetic alkaloids and explicitly preserves the right of local governments to enact stricter regulations, including complete retail bans. The owner of Muddy Lotus Tea Kava Bar, a local business that sells kratombased products, posted an open letter to Marciano on Facebook criticizing what she believes to be the mayor’s “scientific inaccuracies” on kratom and lamenting his office’s refusal to engage in dialogue. The letter questioned why kratom faces scrutiny when alcohol does not
our Marion County Fire Rescue first responders have been terminated, arrested and charged in connection with a case that includes allegations of harassment, whipping and waterboarding or a fellow firefighter following a dispute that began over grease stains on a shirt, pizza and a Tik Tok video. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods was flanked by MCFR Chief James Banta, County Commissioner Carl Zalak and other county officials who gathered Nov. 26 to announce the arrest. “A hazing incident that went horribly wrong,” is how Woods described the incident opening the press conference. Banta said the behavior was “unacceptable and unacceptable… contrary to the core values (of MCFR).” “(The defendants) have forfeited the right to wear the uniform,” Banta said. Banta said the case does not reflect the values of 800 MCFR first responders who are dedicated with the highest standards and the mission of saving lives and property. He said he had no reports of hazing or any disciplinary action taken regarding hazing in any MCFR station. He said there may have been “one on one incidents.” Banta is reviewing in-place oversight and safeguards. He indicated further administrative action could be taken toward officers who may be included by their “action or inaction.” Zalak said the behavior of the defendants was “absolutely unacceptable” and the county has “zero tolerance” for the alleged actions. He said a review is in process. Kaylee K. Bradley, 25, who served two years as a paramedic, was charged with felony robbery and principle/accessory to robbery. Tate Trauthwein,19, with one year as a firefighter/EMT; Edward Kenny III, 22, who has three years of service as an EMT; and Seth Day, 22, a firefighter/ EMT, were each charged with felony
See Kratom conundrum, page A8
See Four MCFR, page A9
Numerous people representing Muddy Lotus Tea Kava Bar gather in opposition to a proposed ban on kratom during the Ocala City Council meeting at Ocala City Hall on Dec. 2, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
The Ocala City Council will review options on local sales after mayor raises concerns
By Jamie Berube jamie@ocalagazette.com
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en Marciano is not shy about sharing with people his battles with addiction and how he turned his life around and set out on a path that has led him to become the mayor of Ocala. When he recently spoke about his journey with a group of middle school students, he said he was stunned by the interactions he had with some of them after his talk. “There was a significant number, it actually shocked me how many kids came up to me and said that they were either struggling with mental health or substance abuse, and kratom was mentioned, and it really bothered me,” Marciano said. Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like sedation
at higher doses. While state law provides some regulation on the sale of kratom, the substance can be purchased locally at some gas stations and smoke shops as well as certain health boutiques. This easy access has led Marciano to call for a ban of the sale of kratom within the city limits. During the Nov. 18 Ocala City Council meeting, he mentioned that local gas stations are selling kratom without proper regulation, citing it as an “introductory drug” for getting kids into more serious drug use. “There’s been legislation on making kratom illegal, and I don’t know if there’s a timeline on that,” Mariciano said. “So, what can we do as a city to address that?” Ocala City Manager Pete Lee said he did not know if the city can regulate kratom if it is not regulated by the state. “I know there were some proposals last session, and I know that there will be again,” Lee said. “I’ll find out what the
Stage veteran Paul Pierce rides into Ocala The Springer Opera House legend brings his Texas-sized quick-change magic to The Civic’s “A Tuna Christmas” By Jamie Berube jamie@ocalagazette.com
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aul Pierce came to the theatre world late. “I didn’t see my first play until I was a freshman in college. I came from a blue-collar, working-class family who were loquacious storytellers,” Pierce said. Long before anyone handed him a script, the Rome, Georgia,
native had already swung a hammer as a carpenter, run a bandsaw in a factory, cut meat as a butcher, driven trucks, hauled lumber, pumped gas and, in one of his more unusual gigs, helped a funeral home move graves under cover of darkness. Then came that first night in a University of Georgia auditorium. “When I saw my first play at UGA, I sat in that dark theatre thinking, ‘I could do this,’” Pierce
said. “The next day, I declared myself a drama major.” Four years later, at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Norfolk, he earned 28 callbacks in a single weekend. “One of those was with the Repertory Theatre of America for a 10-month national tour. I became friends with the producer, Drexel Riley, and he became my mentor. See Paul Pierce, page A7
Scott Fitzgerald and Paul Pierce rule the stage in “A Tuna Christmas.” [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
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