Marion County — Members of the Class of 2021 in Marion County Public Schools will receive either six, eight, or 10 graduation tickets based on class size and capacity limits of graduation venues.
This decision, provided after members of the Marion County School Board reached consensus Thursday at their work session, revises prior direction giving all seniors six tickets each regardless of class size.
Under the revised procedure, here’s a look at how many tickets will be allotted to each graduating senior from the following high schools:
· 6 tickets – Forest, West Port
· 8 tickets – Belleview, Vanguard
· 10 tickets – Dunnellon, Lake Weir, North Marion
Six of the seven high school graduation ceremonies are moving to the World Equestrian Center Stadium in Ocala; Vanguard High will remain at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion for its commencement. For graduation schedules, visit this page.
Using these new allotment numbers, each school will have an equal opportunity to fill its venue to about 50 percent capacity. This maintains safe social distancing between individuals as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for larger outdoor events.
In the coming weeks, high schools will provide tickets free of charge to their graduating seniors to share with friends and family.
For more information, contact the Public Relations Office at 352.671.7555.
Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner, Nikki Fried, ridiculed Gov. Ron DeSantis and those who who were in attendance at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Operation Center in Winter Haven on Monday. Stating that the support for HB 1 (Combating Public Disorder Act) is embracing a measure that defies free speech rights.
Fried said, “Republicans love to talk about the constitution, but they’re shredding it with bills like House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 90. Silencing speech and blocking the vote is what communist regimes do. HB 1 should never have been signed.”
Fried says that if people would actually read the bill they would know just how broad and open to interpretation it is.
She says that the bill would allow for the arrest of anyone, who is unwilling, caught up in a protest that happened to turn violent. She said it gives law enforcement too much power and violates the rights of Floridians.
Fried said the bill also allows for drivers to interpret what a peaceful protest is and would protect a driver from criminal prosecution if they plow through a crowd and injure or kill someone.
DeSantis said, “It is the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country and there’s just nothing even close. We’re also putting an end to the bullying and intimidation tactics of the radical left by criminalizing doxing.”
Rep. Fentrice Driskell, of Tampa, agrees with Fried. Driskell said the new law is poorly defined and “open to interpretation,” for law enforcement.
Driskell said, “This bill is not really designed to make our communities safer. It’s further complicating things for Floridians, it’s infringing on their constitutional rights and it’s making it confusing for law enforcement officers because so much is open to interpretation, and I think it will have to be litigated in the courts. DeSantis sought it more for campaigning purposes than governing.”
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “We ask law enforcement officers to take an oath to protect and serve. We, as leaders, in turn, have a responsibility to protect them as they ensure order and safety in the communities they serve.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said, “I commend Governor DeSantis and his strong leadership because he truly knows how to protect this great State of ours. This bill becoming a law is a perfect example of his passion of ensuring that the hard-working, law-abiding citizens and their property is and will be protected. This law will separate the law-abiding citizen exercising their Constitutional Rights from the individual who is committing crimes. Anyone who opposes or fears this law is an individual who cares more about a criminal and criminal acts rather than law and order.”
The NAACP said that everyone who attended on Monday was white and accused them of being racist.
“Today is a sad day for Florida. The Governor signed H.B. 1 into law. The bill is racist, discriminatory, unwise, unlawful, and unjust. The Governor put his stamp on this discriminatory law filled with criminalization and civil rights disenfranchisement aimed at Black and Brown Floridians. We won’t sit silently on this issue and we won’t let this stop peaceful protests across the state of Florida,” said Adora Obi Nweze, President of NAACP Florida State Conference and member of the National Board of Directors.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida also said that the legislation criminalizes Floridians exercising their First Amendment rights.
The ACLU said there is a difference between rioting and protesting, but the bill is too broad and clearly open to interpretation.
“You can tell that not even law enforcement read the bill. All they saw is that it gives them more power.”
“It is dangerous,” said a spokesperson for the ACLU. Like Fried, the ACLU says there is plenty of public opinion from non-experts, but no one has actually read the bill.
Mikah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, said, “Economists have warned that the bill will cost taxpayers millions of dollars, creating new jail beds in a mass incarceration system that is already over-bloated and on the brink of collapse.”
Even more dangerous and costly they say, is Senate Bill 90, which is a controversial elections overhaul that allows for Tallahassee to override budget cuts on the local level.
In other words, if an agency were to use funds to hire someone actually trained in dealing with mental health calls instead of using funds to hire new officers, Tallahassee could step in and overrule the decision following a hearing.
Representatives say that Senate Bill 90 is also a blow to taxpayers who fund public servants.
Additionally, SB 90, sponsored by Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley, would ban drop boxes, require all voters to request vote-by-mail ballots more frequently, and allow only immediate family members to drop off vote-by-mail ballots. It will also remove every Florida voter who has an active request for a vote-by-mail ballot once it goes into effect.
Alan Hays, the Lake County Supervisor of Elections and a Republican, said, “Senate Bill 90 will cost the taxpayers of Florida somewhere between $12 and $16 million, and so that itself is enough to get your attention and say, whoa, we better rethink this.”
Florida Supervisor of Elections is also against the bill.
Dozens of civil rights organizations have already said they are seeking to have the new laws blocked by courts on constitutional grounds.
A 14-year-old, identified as Javariy Wilson, was killed in a crash Monday after he took his grandmother’s SUV without permission and went for a joyride.
The grandmother stated that she had told Wilson to take out the trash, and when he took too long, she looked outside to find that her Trailblazer was gone.
Based on witness testimony, and according to OPD, Wilson was traveling at least 90 MPH westbound on Northwest 42nd Street near 25th Avenue. The speed limit in that area is 30 MPH.
Crash investigators said that the evidence shows that the SUV entered the eastbound lane, returned to the westbound lane, then veered off the roadway. The SUV then went airborne and slammed into a utility pole, snapping it in half.
The SUV came to its final rest on top of a barbed-wire fence.
The teen was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Wilson was a student at Silver River Mentoring and Instruction.
Ocala, Florida — The College of Central Florida has been approved by the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Division of Plant Industry to produce industrial hemp at its Vintage Farm Campus in Ocala. It is the first license of its kind approved for a state college in Florida.
The cultivating of hemp will be utilized as an educational tool by the college’s Agribusiness program to complement its existing fruit and vegetable production, greenhouse and nursery production, as well as livestock production facilities. Hemp production will focus on seed germination, soil, water, nutrient, and light requirements, proper pruning techniques, pest management, harvesting, and curing of the crop.
Industrial hemp is a variety of Cannabis sativa and has many uses, including food and feed intended for animal consumption, paper fiber, clothing, and many industrial applications. It contains very low trace amounts of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in the plant, and varying amounts of Cannabinoid compounds, most notably CBD and CBG, which may have therapeutic properties, according to federal regulations.
Hemp was federally legalized in 2018 and has posed enormous legal battles for those who sell and or use CBD oil because the roadside presumptive test kits used by law enforcement cannot differentiate between marijuana and hemp. In fact, a study was completed in 2019 in a Washington State forensic lab that showed not only are the roadside tests faulty, but more than 100 police officers surveyed could not even tell the difference between legal hemp and marijuana.
“Due to statewide and local interest in the burgeoning hemp industry in Florida, and the uniqueness of the college’s Vintage Farm Campus facilities and areas of study, it was a natural fit to add to the curriculum of the Agribusiness program at CF,” said Tavis Douglass, Agribusiness program manager. “Because hemp is a relatively unknown crop in our climate, not much is known of how it will perform. Therefore, we will be testing and growing plants under various growing conditions. Additionally, our program will focus on hemp products that may have used in agricultural sectors such as our local livestock and equine industries.”
The curriculum will be designed not just on cultural practices, but also on navigating compliance, and marketing raw hemp harvested materials.
CF offers an Associate in Science degree in Agribusiness Management, Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Management Agribusiness Specialization — both unique to the Florida State College System — as well as Certificate programs in Nursery and Landscape and Livestock Production Management. There will be a short-term noncredit course or lecture for the community as an introduction of industrial hemp in fall 2021 or spring 2022, though no specific details are in place yet.
Marion County, Florida — A Silver Springs Shores man was arrested after it was discovered that he was torturing a woman he had been holding captive.
The woman was able to call 911 on April 7 and told dispatch things nightmares are made of.
The woman told detectives that the man, identified as William Rodriguez-Cordero, 41, had tortured her for days inside his home located at 10 Dogwood Trail Run, Ocala.
She said that she and Rodriguez-Cordero had argued outside his residence, and during the argument he became violent.
According to the arrest affidavit, Rodriguez-Cordero punched the woman in the face several times, and when she tried to run, he stabbed her multiple times.
Rodriguez-Cordero then dragged the woman inside his house, and once inside, he began torturing her.
The woman said he repeatedly raped, beat, and stabbed her.
The victim said, Rodriguez-Cordero, who referred to himself as Lucifer, would clean her up by wiping off blood and dirt from her body, bandage her wounds, give her a day to heal, and then start the torture all over again. While cleaning her body, the victim said that Rodriguez-Cordero told her he would show her mercy.
According to authorities, the woman was stabbed numerous times in the back, stomach, legs, and other parts of her body with various objects including a foot-long knife.
According to reports, the victim was also tortured with a broomstick.
Medical reports noted that the woman’s head, face, and body were covered with bruises, her body had multiple stab wounds, and she has several broken ribs.
In between “healing,” the victim said that her capture would drink heavily and listen to music before torturing her again.
On April 8, Rodriguez-Cordero was arrested and charged with Attempted Second-degree Murder, Sexual Battery, Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon, and Kidnapping.
He is being held without bond.
Rodriguez-Cordero had just been released from prison in September for Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Fleeing and Eluding. Additionally, he had previously served time for Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon.
Doctors said the victim is currently recovering in an undisclosed hospital and might have to undergo multiple surgeries.
Rodriguez-Cordero denied any wrongdoing and told investigators that the torture was consensual.
The victim was able to escape after Rodriguez-Cordero showed his father a photo on a cell phone. When the father saw the photo, that is when he helped the victim escape.
Ocklawaha, Florida — A 31-year-old woman was killed in a crash Monday after she lost control of her vehicle.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the woman, who was from Daytona, was traveling eastbound on CR-464C, near SE 99th Place, Ocklawaha, in her late model Saturn.
Troopers say the woman was speeding, lost control of her vehicle, and veered off the roadway to the right.
The driver then overcorrected, began rotating clockwise, crossed back over the roadway, and flipped multiple times.
The Saturn hit a traffic sign and slammed into three trees.
The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and ejected from the vehicle.
Dunnellon, Florida — The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is investigating after approximately 1,000 gallons of wastewater spilled from a City of Dunnellon lift station on Monday.
In a press release, DEP officials said that technicians received a call in regards to the leak at 8:30 p.m. and had the leak stopped by 9 p.m.
Officials said that breakers in the main power panel had failed which caused the pumps to lose power. The emergency alarms also failed.
The lift station dumped nearly 1,000 gallons of wastewater into the ground and a storm drain that exits to the Withlacoochee River.
Water testing started on Tuesday and the situation is being monitored by state officials.
Steven Anthony Shields, 24, of Dunnellon, was charged with setting fire to and damaging the Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Ocala by a federal grand jury in Orlando, who returned an indictment against him.
According to the indictment, Shields intentionally set fire to the Queen of Peace Catholic Church on July 11, 2020. The indictment alleges that he was motivated to set this fire due to the religious character of the church.
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According to reports, Shields crashed his minivan through the front doors of Queen of Peace Catholic Church, located at 6455 SW State Road 200, Ocala, Fl, at approximately 7:30 a.m. on July 11. Shields then exited his vehicle, poured gasoline in the foyer area of the church, and set it on fire.
Shields then fled the scene but was spotted by Marion County sheriff’s Deputy Josue Gonzalez, who stopped Shields by performing a pit maneuver on the minivan.
When he was pulled from the vehicle, the deputy said that Shields “reeked of the smell of gasoline.”
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According to the arrest affidavit, Shields told detectives that what he did was “awesome.” The report states that Shields laughed and smiled as he was being questioned by detectives and referred to himself as the “king” and stated that, he was “on a mission.” He also quoted several Bible scriptures during the interview. Shields said he had a big problem with the Catholic church.
Following his initial arrest, Shields was charged with Attempted Homicide, Arson-First-degree, Burglary with Assault, and Fleeing and Eluding.
In addition to the aforementioned charges, Shields is charged with one count of Intentional Damage to Religious Property, a hate crime charge that falls under the Church Arson Prevention Act, and one count of Using Fire to Commit a Felony.
Shields has been clinically diagnosed as a bipolar schizophrenic and initially planned to use that as a defense, however, the grand jury did not go for it. He had stopped taking his medications days before setting fire to the church.
If convicted, Shields faces a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment for intentionally damaging religious property. Shields faces an additional mandatory minimum of 10 years for using fire to commit a felony. He also faces up to three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution.
Shields has had previous arrests for Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Assault while Committing a Felony, and Domestic Violence.
Ocala, Florida — On March 10, Ocala Police Officer Roger Hollingsworth was exiting the Ocala Police Department onto South Pine Avenue when he saw a grey BMW traveling northbound on Pine with one headlight.
A BOLO had also been issued on the vehicle for a traffic violation in which the driver of the vehicle traveled into oncoming traffic on Silver Springs Boulevard earlier in the evening.
When the driver, later identified as Michael De La Cruz, saw Officer Hollingsworth, he quickly turned into the Racetrack gas station parking lot at a high rate of speed. He then exited the parking lot, at which time Officer Hollingsworth became involved in a high-speed chase with Cruz.
During the chase, Cruz failed to stop at multiple stop signs while accelerating at high speeds.
Cruz failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of SW Broadway Street and SW 1st Ave. and seeing the danger due to the high volume of pedestrian traffic in the downtown area, Officer Hollingsworth turned off his lights and sirens and terminated the chase.
A short time later, Lieutenant Matt Bos ended up behind Cruz and activated his siren and emergency lights. A second chase then ensued.
Lt. Bos continued to chase the vehicle southbound on Pine Ave. at speeds in excess of 70 MPH.
During the chase, Cruz slammed into a grey Jeep at the intersection of South Pine and SE 23rd Place.
Bos continued to pursue the fleeing suspect until he crashed his BMW in the front lawn at 500 SW 35th Street. Cruz then exited his vehicle and fled on foot. A K-9 was brought in and Cruz was apprehended.
Cruz was charged with Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding, Leaving the Scene of a Crash, Resisting Arrest, and Driving without a License.
The driver of the Jeep was transported to a local hospital with complaints of pain, chest pain, and loss of feeling in his left arm.
Reddick, Florida –A 14-year-old Marion County girl first presumed to be a runaway is now considered a suspicious missing person case.
Alliana Marie Gargis was last seen at her home in the 13000 block of NW 168th Place in Reddick.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said, “Gargis was initially reported as a runaway, but due to the length of her absence and other suspicious circumstances, law enforcement and her family are concerned for her well-being.”
Gargis was described as a Hispanic girl, about 5 feet, 2 inches tall, and 130 pounds. She has brown eyes and blonde hair.
She has been missing since March 2.
Anyone with information about Gargis’ whereabouts is urged to call 911.
Three people died and another was injured Monday after a single-engine plane crashed into a black SUV on a Florida road.
Megan Bishop, 35, was driving with her son, Taylor Bishop, 4, on Southwest 72nd Avenue in Pembroke Pines when the plane, with two adults on board, suddenly dropped from the sky.
A man rushed to Bishop urging her to step back from her SUV. The man told Bishop, “don’t look,” trying to shield her from images of her son.
Megan was screaming, “My baby. My baby. Somebody help my baby.”
Fire Chief Marcelino Rodriguez said two victims were on board the Beechcraft Bonanza plane, which went down Monday near the North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Pembroke Pines Fire Department said Taylor died at Memorial Regional Hospital.
Megan was transported to a hospital and released the next day.
The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
The neighbor, Anabel Fernandez, who caught the crash on her RING video, said she normally walks with her children in the same spot around the same time every day, but on that day she just happened to get a late start.
An FAA spokesperson said the agency and the National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating the fatal crash.
Megan Bishop, 35, was driving with her son, Taylor, when the plane, with two adults on board, suddenly dropped from the sky.
Ocala, Florida – The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Marion region was 5.5 percent in January, up 1.4 percent over December 2020 and 0.9 percentage point higher than the same time last year. There were 11,193 unemployed in the region, an increase of 2,882 over the month and 1,706 more than in January 2020.
According to Adrienne Johnston, Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity’s director of the Division of Workforce Services, every March DEO and the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics releases January employment and unemployment estimates as well as revised historical data.
Today’s release is a result of that annual “benchmarking” process and, Johnston said in a statement, uses a new statistical model reflecting the “unprecedented economic changes that occurred this past year.”
The Ocala metropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Marion County, was among the revisions of nonfarm job counts going back to 2004.
Dale French, CareerSource CLM’s executive vice president, said that while many of the “unprecedented” impacts, such as layoffs related to Covid-19, would not hit the region until later, “I think it’s important to point out that we are only 0.9 percentage point higher in unemployment than last year while dealing with Covid restrictions we did not have a year ago.”
French added that the region’s continued recovery is well-positioned as “we have had more job orders consistently month over month compared to the same period a year prior.”
From July through December 2019, before Covid restrictions were in effect, businesses posted 3,285 job orders; while July through December 2020, there have been 3,590 job orders.
According to January’s preliminary jobs report, Levy County maintained the lowest jobless rate in the region at 4.7 percent, up 1.0 percent point over the month; Marion County followed with a rate of 5.3 percent, an increase of 1.4 percent; and Citrus County’s rate was 6.3 percent, up 1.5 percent compared to December 2020. Florida’s not seasonally adjusted jobless rate – a measure that matches the way local rates are calculated – is 5.3 percent, an increase of 1.1 percent over the month and 1.9 percent higher than January 2020.
The Ocala Police Department is asking for the public’s help with identifying a man they say pulled a “Dine and Ditch” and vandalized the bathroom.
The man in the photos ran out without paying his tab at the Bank Street Patio Bar as well as causing significant damage to the bathroom before leaving the property.
If you recognize the man, call the Ocala Police Department 352-369-7000 OR
Crime Stoppers 352-368-7867 to remain anonymous.
Deland, Florida – A Florida man is behind bars after he brutally killed his grandfather Saturday.
According to reports, deputies arrived at a home on Lake Mack Drive in DeLand to find a man, identified as Ronal Wells, Sr., 77, dead on the front porch and covered in blood.
Deputies say that Wells had been savagely beaten with a baseball bat, stabbed, and had his ears cut off.
The suspect, Kolby Allen Parker, 30, told investigators that he and his grandfather had been smoking “laced” marijuana when Wells became agitated and attacked him.
Parker told deputies that Wells came at him with a knife.
However, Parker later changed his story and stated that he initiated the attack, grabbed a baseball bat, and bashed his grandfather in the head multiple times. He said he then grabbed a butcher knife and stabbed him in the heart and neck.
Investigators said that after Parker was done stabbing his grandfather, he cut off his ears.
In an interview while still on the front porch, Parker stated, “I did it because I wanted him to be with my grandmother. It was his time to go.”
While speaking to Parker, deputies said he reached into his pocket and pulled out his grandfather’s ears.
Parker then became combative with deputies and demanded one of their weapons. The deputy stated no and Parker attacked another deputy and reached for his Tazer.
Parker was then escorted to the ground and tased.
Inside the home, deputies found the bloody baseball bat, bloody butcher knife, and a bloody cooking apron that read “The Family butcher.”
Parker was charged with Second-Degree Murder, Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, and Resisting Arrest with Violence. He is being held without bail.
A 15-year-old South Florida boy has now been charged as an adult in the shooting death of a real estate agent.
Ft. Lauderdale Police say that the teen, identified as Henry Lee Lewis III, approached Stefano Barbosa with a gun, forced him into a car, and ordered him to drive to a Bank of America.
Once at the bank, Lewis forced Barbosa to make two withdraws — each was in the amount of $500.
When the two got back into the car, the teen told Barbosa to drive. As the vehicle traveled down the road, Lewis shot Barbose twice in the upper chest. The vehicle then plowed through a chain-link fence, slammed into a tree, and coasted to a stop.
Lewis fled the area on foot.
Authorities say Barbos was a prominent, well-educated businessman who was a pillar to the community. They said he had literally just obtained a signed real estate contract with a client when the teen who approached him ended his life.
Barbosa, 37, used to be an accountant before he began investing in real estate and ultimately became a successful real estate agent. He held multiple college degrees.
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Surevelince photos and videos from the bank were released to the public, and despite the boy wearing a dark-colored ski cap and dark clothing, someone recognized him and turned him in.
Police said Lewis was a student at Cross Creek School in Pompano Beach, a school for kids with severe behavioral problems and that, three school staff members identified Lewis from the videos.
On March 6, Lewis went before a judge for the first time.
According to transcripts, Broward Judge John Murphy stated, “I know you’re only 15 years old, but you’ve been charged as an adult with a first count of murder while engaged in a robbery with a firearm…these are not bondable offenses.”
Lewis replied, “Uh, I don’t understand big words.”
Officials said Lewis was “very smug” through the entire process and did not show any remorse.
Additionally, police said that Lewis, despite being 15, has a lengthy criminal record and is no stranger to violence.
Lewis was 12 when he committed his first robbery with a firearm. Following that arrest, he was arrested dozens of other times for burglary, battery, beating a 65-year-old, battery on law enforcement, just to name a few.
Paddock Mall is celebrating the start of spring through family-friendly Easter events while offering opportunities to meet the Easter Bunny.
The Easter Bunny arrived on March 4th and will be available for visits on select days and times until April 3rd.
Advanced registration is not required, but if interested in reserving your spot call 352-427-8722.
Face coverings are highly encouraged while waiting in line, but not mandatory during photos. Each person will be required to sanitize to enter the event space and socially distance while in line and during the photo. The safety of the public is our top priority as we bring Easter Season back to the community while still practicing local, state, and CDC guidelines.
Paddock Mall will host a Hide and Peep Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 20, from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Located inside the mall, the Egg Hunt will include bunny ears, an Easter egg hunt bag, one 4×6 print, and a digital download with the Easter Bunny.
Spaces are limited to allow for proper social distancing during the event. Reservations for the Hide and Peep Egg Hunt are required and can be made here.
Paddock Mall will host Cute as a Bunny Crafts on March 23, from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. This event gives children 5 and under the opportunity to create special Easter-themed crafts before or after their visit with the Easter Bunny. Hosted in partnership with KidX Club®, an organization that sponsors free events to encourage creativity, learning, and curiosity, Cute as a Bunny Crafts will offer opportunities for children and families to connect while making Easter crafts. Reservations for Cute as a Bunny Crafts are required and can be made here.
“We are thrilled to welcome the start of spring through Visits with Bunny, Hide and Peep Egg Hunt and Cute as a Bunny Crafts,” said Ashley Wheeler-Gerds, General Manager at Paddock Mall. “We are proud to continue to offer opportunities for our community to safely gather at Paddock Mall and to reimagine time-honored traditions in new ways.”
Paddock Mall personnel said they remain focused on providing a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.
All Easter events will follow the town center’s COVID-19 safety protocols, including rigorous disinfectant and cleaning practices during each event.
In addition, the Code of Conduct, posted at the Center and available online, includes the following guidelines:
• Practice social distancing and stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) from other people
• Covering your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover in accordance with state and local
guidelines
• Do not gather in groups
• Adhere to each individual tenant’s COVID-19 policies
• Adhere to all federal, state, and local regulations, recommendations, and mandates regarding COVID-19
Dates and Times:
Friday, March 12 | 4pm-8pm
Saturday, March 13 | 2pm-6pm
Sunday, March 14 | 12pm-4pm
Tuesday, March 16 | 12pm-4pm
Wednesday, March 17 | 2pm-6pm
Thursday, March 18 | 4pm-7pm
Friday, March 19 | 4pm-8pm
Saturday, March 20 | 2pm-6pm
Sunday, March 21 | 1pm-4pm
Thursday, March 25 | 4pm-7pm
Friday, March 26 | 4pm-8pm
Saturday, March 27 | 2pm-6pm
Sunday, March 28 | 1pm-4pm
Thursday, April 1 | 4pm-7pm
Friday, April 2 | 3pm-8pm
Saturday, April 3 | 12pm-7pm
Package Options:
$10 | Digital Version only
$15 | Digital plus one 4×6 print
$20 | Digital plus two 4×6 prints with added pose
$15 | Wall Crawl add on*
$20 | Wall Crawl only*
*The Wall Crawl option allows you to take pictures at each of our 4 sets with your own camera. A ring light will be set up at each set to allow for better lighting and hands-free selfies.
These Easter celebrations illustrate Paddock Mall’s commitment to creating innovative, engaging experiences within the community. For more information on photos with the Bunny, Hide and Peep Egg Hunt, Cute as a Bunny Crafts, and other events at Paddock Mall, visit paddockmall.com.
Detectives say they now have two possible suspects in the death of a mother who was murdered inside her home.
Melissa Nease, 29, was shot to death inside her home on 68 Guava Pass Drive, a remote stretch of road in Ocklawaha on February 28.
A short video clip from surveillance footage taken from Nease’s home has no been released to the public.
While the sheriff’s office knows of two possible suspects, they have not identified at least one of them…the person in the video. Detectives are hoping that the public can help with that.
On the day of the murder, a 911 call went out after a family friend found Melissa Nease, 29, inside her home.
When authorities arrived at the home, they discovered that Nease had been shot to death.
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Melissa Nease
Nease’s sister, and only sibling, Amy Harris, said, “I don’t understand how somebody could just take somebody away from their kids, especially when she’s so young, so young, so beautiful, so full of life.”
Harris said that Nease lived with her children, stepchild, and the father of her children.
“The rest of the family was in Tennessee seeing the snow, but Nease stayed behind because she had to work at a new clerical job she started just days before she was killed,” said Harris.
Nease’s children range from ages 2 to 10-years-old.
The father of Nease’s three children, Shane Jenkins, said he had left with the children on Friday, February 26. He said he messaged Nease multiple times while he was in Tennessee, but she never answered him back. He said doesn’t know anyone who would want to hurt Nease.
Jenkins said that Nease was an amazing woman who loved her children. He said the children are heartbroken about the loss of their mother and continually ask him about her but he just doesn’t know how to answer them.
Detectives have interviewed family, friends, and neighbors, but so far, authorities have little to go on.
Harris says she does not have any idea who could have murdered her sister and does not have any suspicions about anyone.
“I just don’t know… because I don’t know anybody that did not like my sister,” said Harris.
Harris said that she knows that someone took a mother from her three children and she wants answers.
Anyone with information about this homicide can call Detective Daniel Pinder at 352-368-3508 or contact Crime Stoppers at 368-7867 or ocalacrimestoppers.com.
Marion County — A man was killed Thursday after his motorcycle collided with a black bear.
The crash happened at approximately 11 p.m.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 42-year-old man was riding a 1999 Honda motorcycle traveling westbound on State Road 40, just west of State Road 19, near the Ocala National Forest when the front of his bike slammed into a bear that was in the westbound lane.
Troopers say the motorcycle overturned and the driver was thrown from the bike.
The man, who was not wearing a helmet, was transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center where he later died from his injuries.
Ocklawaha, Florida — The investigation continues after a mother of three was found murdered in her home.
On February 28, a 911 call went out after a family friend found Melissa Nease, 29, inside her home on Guava Pass Drive, a remote stretch of road in Ocklawaha.
When authorities arrived at the home, they discovered that Nease was deceased.
Nease’s sister, and only sibling, Amy Harris, said, “I don’t understand how somebody could just take somebody away from their kids, especially when she’s so young, so young, so beautiful, so full of life.”
Harris said that Nease lived with her children, stepchild, and the father of her children.
“The rest of the family was in Tennessee seeing the snow, but Nease stayed behind because she had to work at a new clerical job she started just days before she was killed,” said Harris.
Nease’s children range from ages 2 to 10-years-old.
The father of Nease’s three children, Shane Jenkins, said he had left with the children on Friday, February 26. He said he messaged Nease multiple times while he was in Tennessee, but she never answered him back. He said doesn’t know anyone who would want to hurt Nease.
Jenkins said that Nease was an amazing woman who loved her children. He said the children are heartbroken about the loss of their mother and continually ask him about her but he just doesn’t know how to answer them.
Detectives have interviewed family, friends, and neighbors, but so far, authorities do not have any leads.
Harris says she does not have any idea who could have murdered her sister and does not have any suspicions about anyone.
“I just don’t know… because I don’t know anybody that did not like my sister,” said Harris.
Harris said that she knows that someone took a mother from her three children and she wants answers.
Nease’s death has been classified as a homicide but no details about how Nease was killed have been released.
Anyone with information about this homicide can call Detective Daniel Pinder at 352-368-3508 or contact Crime Stoppers at 368-7867 or ocalacrimestoppers.com.
Ocala Fire Rescue (OFR) responded to reports of a vehicle crash with entrapment on the 5100 block of SR 40 at 12:47 a.m. on Tuesday, March 9.
OFR Engines 4, Rescue 4, Tower 1, Battalion Chief 11, and a Safety Officer were dispatched to the call.
Upon arrival, crews encountered a two-vehicle collision involving a semi-truck and a sedan with heavy damage. The driver of the sedan was entrapped.
Crews from Engine 4, Rescue 4, and Tower 1 stabilized the vehicle and began extrication. Within 16 minutes, the patient had been extricated and prepped for transport. The patient was then trauma alerted to Ocala Regional Medical Center.
