Ocala Police Department police officer, Daniel Wagner, was killed Thursday night after he was involved in an off-duty motorcycle crash.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Wagner was riding his white Harley Davidson motorcycle, traveling westbound on SW 95th Street Road when, for unknown reasons, he veered left and traveled across the center grass median while rotating and falling onto its side.
The motorcycle continued sliding into the eastbound lanes of SW 95th Street Road before coming to its final rest on its right side.
Troopers say that as the bike was rotating and falling on its side, Wagner was thrown from the motorcycle and into the eastbound lanes of SW 95th Street Road.
Wagner was transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center where he later died from his injuries.
In a statement, OPD said, “Our hearts are heavy as we come together in remembrance of the kindness and professionalism of Officer Wagner. In times like this, we ask for thoughts and prayers for his family and for the many lives that Officer Wagner impacted as part of our OPD family. Continue to love and support each other.”
Marion County Parks and Recreation is hosting a men and women’s doubles pickleball tournament, at 4 p.m., Sept. 28 at Coehadjoe Park, 4225 NE 35th St., Ocala.
This double-elimination tournament is open to ages 18 and older. Age divisions are as follows: 18+, 50+, 60+, 70+ and 80+.
Each $30 registration fee is due by Sept. 27 and includes a tournament t-shirt. Snacks will be available for registered players (while supplies last). Prizes available for first, second and third place. There will also be food, music, and activities to enjoy between matches.
Tournament format is subject to change as necessary.
For more information, please contact Marion County Parks and Recreation at 352-671-8560.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on September 16, 2019, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (Commission) received a complete application from the City of Miami Beach requesting approval of a draft ordinance to establish a Slow Speed Minimum Wake boating-restricted area within the area surrounding Flagler Monument Island pursuant to Section 327.46(1)(c), Florida Statutes (F.S.) and Rule 68D-21.004, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.).
The Slow Speed Minimum Wake boating-restricted area would be within Biscayne Bay, surrounding Flagler Monument Island, but excluding Meloy Channel (see attached map for details). The City of Miami Beach contends that the boating safety zone is needed for controlled and safer boating conditions within the traffic congested area. The City of Miami Beach is required to provide competent substantial evidence that the ordinance establishing the boating-restricted area is necessary to protect the safety of the public.
As a part of the City of Miami Beach’s ordinance review application, they have provided evidence in support of the proposed zone to the Commission. At this time the draft ordinance has been approved by the Commission based upon the evidence submitted.
As required by Rule 68D-21.001(3), F.A.C., the City of Miami Beach will publish as provided by Sections 50.011-.031, F.S., once a week for two consecutive weeks, a notice of the public hearing on their ordinance in a newspaper of general circulation in the area affected by the ordinance. The City of Miami Beach is required to adopt the Commission approved draft ordinance without amendment.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Pursuant to Rules 68D-21.002, and 68D-21.003, F.A.C., comments regarding this request will be accepted no more than 21 calendar days from the date of publication/distribution of this public notice. The public may provide written comments, recommendations, requests, inquiries, or other correspondence to the Boating and Waterways Section at 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600; or by email at waterway.management@myfwc.com. The Commission will conduct a public hearing within the City of Miami Beach if a written request for such a hearing is received within 21 days following this notice.
DUE DATE: Thursday, October 10, 2019 (5:00 PM EST)
After an extensive investigation by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, 40-year-old Joshua J. Faciane was arrested for 50 counts of possession of child pornography.
On July 7, 2019, the CCSO received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in regards to a male who had been downloading child pornography.
The tip was sent to NCMEC by Faciane’s internet service provider (ISP) stating that there were numerous images of child pornography associated with one of their subscribers.
According to officials, Faciane was arrested at Ocala Regional Medical Center but is not actually an employee of the hospital as originally thought.
Faciane, who lives in Inverness, works for Stryker Corporation, which is a multi-billion dollar corporation. The corporation is a global fortune 500, publicly traded medical-technologies firm.
CCSO Public Information Officer Brittney Carman says that she was able to confirm with the company, which sells orthopedic devices such as artificial joints, hips, etc., that Faciane was a rep for them.
Sources say Faciane received a hefty salary, which he used to support his wife and two children.
CCSO Sergeant Stephen Conley and Detectives Tiffany Barry and Chris Cornell were able to confirm that the images from the ISP, were, in fact, child pornography.
The cyber tip was then assigned to our High Tech Crimes Unit to investigate.
“The most heinous crime is where criminals prey on innocent children,” said Sheriff Prendergast. “Detectives in cases such as these have to view and analyze the images and videos of young children being exploited; it’s upsetting. We appreciate our High Tech Crimes Unit detectives’ commitment in identifying potential victims and arresting the people that commit these repulsive crimes.”
Once the CCSO established probable cause, a search warrant was executed at the suspect’s residence, located at 5554 South Barco Terrace, Inverness, on July 12, 2019. Detectives seized numerous digital media and storage devices for further examination.
Upon further investigation, pictures of a young female, fully clothed, were discovered. Due to the content and location of these pictures, detectives became concerned for her safety. Immediately working to identify and potentially remove the young female from a dangerous situation, detectives interviewed her at Jessie’s Place (a children’s advocacy center) in Lecanto.
During the interview, she did not disclose any information that made detectives believe she was a victim of any physical or sexual abuse. She is now at a safe location and protected from any potential harm.
During the forensic examination of the devices seized during the search warrant, Detective Cornell was able to clearly identify approximately 3,000 pictures and multi-media files depicting child pornography.
The CCSO then worked with the State Attorney’s Office to obtain an arrest warrant for Faciane.
Faciane was located and handcuffed at Ocala Regional on Wednesday. CCSO’s Special Victims Unit detectives and members of the United States Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force were on scene with the Ocala Police Department during the arrest.
Article continued below
Joshua Faciane
When his photo was taken at the scene, he just smirked a little.
Carman told Ocala Post Thursday that Faciane has not made any statements since his arrest.
He remains booked in the Marion County Jail with a $100,000 bond.
Ocala Police Sgt. Erica Hay Shares Meal With Homeless Man–Ocala Post file photo 2015.
Ocala, Florida – Southern Legal Counsel, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida (ACLU), and Ocala attorney Andy Pozzuto filed a federal class-action lawsuit Thursday against the city of Ocala on behalf of named plaintiffs Patrick McCardle, Courtney Ramsey, Anthony Cummings, and more than 200 homeless persons who the ACLU says has had their rights violated by the City of Ocala.
According to the press release, Pozzuto has agreed to take the case pro bono.
“The city of Ocala has adopted and enforced unconstitutional ordinances as part of a deliberate campaign of arresting people in a broken-windows policing strategy called ‘Operation Street Sweeper’,” said Kirsten Anderson, litigation director for Southern Legal Counsel. “With Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn’s public endorsement, the city has been systematically enforcing its open lodging ordinance to make hundreds of arrests, imposing excessive fees and fines, as well as lengthy jail sentences.”
In just a few months, 223 people were arrested under “Operation Street Sweeper,” 87 of those arrests were for homeless people who had fallen asleep where they were not wanted and charged with “Open Lodging.”
Anderson, said, “One plaintiff has spent 148 nights in jail and been assessed a total of $3,690.50 in fines and court costs imposed for 10 counts of open lodging, according to the complaint.”
According to the press release, The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, challenges the city’s use of police practices and arrests under unconstitutional ordinances and policies to criminalize people experiencing homelessness for engaging in necessary, life-sustaining conduct essential to survival.
“For example, the city’s open lodging ordinance criminalizes sleeping outside in all public areas of the city only if the person reports being homeless while allowing others to sleep outside,” says Anderson.
“Ocala’s ordinance against sleeping outside explicitly targets and discriminates against homeless people. It allows you to sleep outside if you have a home, but not if you are homeless,” said Jacqueline Azis, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Florida. “It is unconstitutional to punish homeless people for resting or sleeping when they have no alternative. It is even worse than the city has deliberately chosen to punish only people who are homeless for sleeping outside.”
The lawsuit alleges that the city’s enforcement of its open lodging ordinance unlawfully criminalizes homelessness in violation of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and infringes on the plaintiffs’ and class members’ rights to due process. It also alleges violations of the Equal Protection Clause and the Florida constitutional right to intrastate travel, based on the city’s policies of targeting and arresting homeless individuals with the intention of driving them from Ocala.
Anderson says that the city is also issuing trespass exclusion orders, permanently banning homeless people from public squares and parks and making their mere presence in public a crime.
“These are people who need support, housing, jobs, and services,” said Chelsea Dunn, an attorney with Southern Legal Counsel. “Instead, they are caught in a seemingly never-ending cycle of jail, debt, and other collateral consequences. The city of Ocala needs to provide adequate shelter and social services instead of trying to solve homelessness through arrests and harassment.”
Mayor Kent Guinn says in no way is the City criminalizing homelessness.
Financial support for the suit has been provided through a grant by the Impact Fund.
Joshua Faciane smirked for his photo as he was handcuffed.
This article was updated on September 19, 2019, at 8:01 p.m. View those updates here.
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), On July 7, 2019, received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in regards to a male who had been downloading child pornography.
After an extensive investigation, 40-year-old Joshua J. Faciane was arrested for 50 counts of possession of child pornography.
“The most heinous crime is where criminals prey on innocent children,” said Sheriff Prendergast. “Detectives in cases such as these have to view and analyze the images and videos of young children being exploited; it’s upsetting. We appreciate our High Tech Crimes Unit detectives’ commitment in identifying potential victims and arresting the people that commit these repulsive crimes.”
The tip was sent to NCMEC by Faciane’s internet service provider stating that there were numerous images of child pornography associated with one of their subscribers.
Sergeant Stephen Conley and Detectives Tiffany Barry and Chris Cornell were able to confirm that the images were, in fact, child pornography.
The cyber tip was assigned to our High Tech Crimes Unit to investigate.
Once the CCSO established probable cause, a search warrant was executed at the suspect’s residence, located at 5554 South Barco Terrace, Inverness, on July 12, 2019. Detectives seized numerous digital media and storage devices for further examination.
Upon further investigation, pictures of a young female, fully clothed, were discovered. Due to the content and location of these pictures, detectives became concerned for her safety. Immediately working to identify and potentially remove the young female from a dangerous situation, detectives interviewed her at Jessie’s Place (a children’s advocacy center) in Lecanto.
During the interview, she did not disclose any information that made detectives believe she was a victim of any physical or sexual abuse. She is now at a safe location and protected from any potential harm.
During the forensic examination of the devices seized during the search warrant, Detective Cornell was able to clearly identify approximately 3,000 pictures and multi-media files depicting child pornography.
The CCSO then worked with the State Attorney’s Office to obtain an arrest warrant for Faciane.
On Wednesday, Faciane was arrested at Ocala Regional Hospital and transported to the Marion County Jail, where his bond was set at $100,000.00 per the warrant. CCSO’s Special Victims Unit detectives and members of the United States Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force were on scene with the Ocala Police Department during the arrest.
Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn [center] Ocala Post file photoOcala, Florida — Kent Guinn, who has been the mayor since 2011, will remain the mayor in Ocala after winning the re-election Tuesday night.
Barbara Fitos, a former Marion County commissioner, lost to Guinn, 40.9 percent to 59.1 percent.
According to Fitos, she did not feel Guinn was fit for the position. She indirectly accused him of being a racist after Guinn recognized Confederate Memorial Day as an official city holiday.
Tyrone Oliver and Ira Bethea are set to go head to head in a runoff election on November 19, for Ocala City Council district 2.
Bethea got 32.4 percent of the vote and Oliver got 43.8 percent. That was less than the needed 50 percent+ 1 to avoid a runoff.
On July 13, 2019, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the apparent murder of 57-year-old Denise Hallowell, after she was found dead at her home, located at 4419 S. Dodge Point off Old Floral City Road.
Denise had two adopted sons, Carlos Hallowell, 17, from Guatemala, and his younger brother, from Honduras.
Denise was the teacher accused of child abuse in 2015 by her youngest son, then 12. The boy had run away, and when he was located, he told what deputies described as a horrifying story of child abuse.
Based solely on the boy’s story, and without any evidence, Denise was arrested. She lost her job as a Citrus County school teacher, fell behind on bills, her credit took a hit, her life was basically destroyed.
Both children were removed from Denise’s home following her arrest and placed into foster care.
Denise told investigators that her son had serious behavioral and anger issues and would frequently try to run away.
In a 2016 statement, Denise, said, “He is troubled…I had logged three years worth of behavior on my youngest son, trying to manage this and take notes. I offered it immediately on that day. That was ignored.”
“Things are not always as they seem,” said Denise.
Denise’s then-attorney, Bill Grant said the entire case and her arrest was built off the face value of the boy’s story. He said she never should have been arrested in the first place.
Denise pleaded for help with the child. She admitted that she had nailed his bedroom window shut, she even documented it, according to her attorney. Denise said it was what she felt she had to do to keep him from jumping out of the window in the middle of the night. At that time, she said she felt helpless. Denise said that she was ultimately responsible for the child, and if he got out in the middle of the night and got hurt, or worse, hurt someone else, that it would be her responsibility.
Ironically, during the abuse allegations, reports show that Carlos also told investigators that his younger brother was a problem child and that he often attempted to run away. Again, her family says, no one listened.
Even other school teachers stated that the boy was seriously troubled.
The charges against Denise were later dropped when the State Attorney’s Office learned that when the boy was removed from Denise’s home, he had threatened other foster parents and attempted to run away. The boy told other foster parents that if he did not get his way he would accuse them of abuse. The other foster parents said he was a pro at making up stories and often had violent outbursts. Ultimately, none of the other foster parents wanted the boy in their home.
Denise later had her record expunged.
Denise then severed ties with her youngest adopted son when he could no longer be controlled. He was again placed in foster care.
Social media rumors then spread that Carlos was not happy about the separation and that he, too, had violent tendencies.
Carlos attended Seven Rivers Christian School in Crystal River but was expelled his senior year for possession of marijuana.
On the night of the murder, Carlos was allegedly sleeping in his room at the time his mother was brutally murdered. He said he was awakened by their dogs barking and called the sheriff’s office once he discovered his mother’s brutally murdered body.
Sheriff Mike Prendergast described the scene as gruesome. So gruesome, that he would not say exactly how Denise was killed.
Officials said, “After a nine-week investigation, scouring through all types of evidence and following up on every lead, we are humbled to say we have arrested 17-year-old Carlos Antonio Hallowell, for First-Degree Premeditated Murder.”
To help build the case against Carlos, Prendergast said that the U.S. Secret Service helped them extract data from several electronic devices that Carlos removed from his mother’s home. Those devices were later thrown into local ponds. They were recovered by the CCSO dive team.
“No two cases are ever the same and this particular case had many unique technological challenges making it one of a kind,” said Prendergast. “The tireless work of our High Tech Crimes Unit and the assistance of The United States Secret Service, brought the much needed hidden digital evidence to the forefront paving the way for the arrest.”
Prendergast said, “However, this case is not over yet; our primary focus was to obtain enough evidence to get Carlos off the streets and behind bars. Moving forward, Detectives will continue their work in conjunction with the State Attorney’s Office to obtain a successful prosecution and ensure Carlos Hallowell is convicted for his alleged crime.”
“This case has truly been a team effort, and we could not be more proud of the dedication of every employee involved in this case. To our Patrol units, Crime Scene Specialists, Major Crimes Unit, Dive Team, High Tech Crimes Unit, United States Secret Service, State Attorney’s Office and the citizens of Citrus County, thank you for your time, dedication and patience,” said Prendergast.
Prendergast said that Carlos did not show any remorse or emotion as he was being questioned by detectives.
Denise was teaching at Liberty Middle School in Marion County at the time of her death.
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice announced today a new awareness campaign aimed at addressing school threats made by students in Florida. The “It’s No Joke” campaign aims to dissuade youth from making school threats because doing so can lead to being arrested and charged with a felony.
“We want young people in Florida to understand that, in today’s environment, every threat is taken very seriously and, even if made in jest, can lead to devastating consequences,” said DJJ Secretary Simone Marstiller. “There is nothing funny about threatening a school, and there is nothing funny about being charged with a felony. We want young people to think twice before casually threatening violence in their schools.”
School-related offenses include making false reports concerning a bomb, explosives, or firearms and possessing or discharging weapons or firearms on school property on a school-sponsored event. The “It’s No Joke” awareness campaign seeks to educate youth and parents that even threats made online, including on social media and gaming sites, can lead to a youth being charged with a felony offense.
Youth, parents, and teachers are also encouraged to report any and all threats they see or hear. They can notify law enforcement of a threat or can report a threat anonymously through Florida’s FortifyFL app, a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.
“Our top priority is the safety and security of students and teachers,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran. “It is critical that students take threats very seriously and report suspicious activity. I encourage all students and educators to download the FortifyFL app to report potentially unsafe situations, which could prevent a tragedy.”
The number of Florida youth charged with school threat-related offenses has risen steadily in the last three years. In Fiscal Year 2016-2017, 629 youth were charged with school threat-related offenses, followed by 687 youth in the Fiscal Year 2017-2018, and 779 youth in the Fiscal Year 2018-2019.
A man with a history of domestic violence was arrested after he battered and threatened to kill a woman he is romantically involved with.
According to the arrest affidavit, the victim had discovered phones calls and text messages on Noswil Jonnol Torres-Berreras’ phone and decided to confront him
Torres-Berreras, 27, became defensive and pushed the victim to the ground. The victim stated that she was going to call the police, at which time, Torres-Berreras tossed her cellphone into a wooded area.
The victim jumped up, grabbed the phone, and dialed 911. Torres-Berreras again shoved the victim and told her that if she called the police that he would kill her.
According to the victim, after a few minutes, Torres-Berreras left and that is when she called 911.
According to the arrest affidavit, On September 3, during an argument, Torres-Berreras struck the victim in the chest. She called 911, but because he had threatened to kill her when deputies arrived she told them the altercation was only verbal. A witness told the deputy that he had visually seen Torres-Berreras strike the victim, however, no arrests were made during the September 3 incident.
As for this last incident, Torres-Berreras was arrested and charged with Battery and Obstructing Justice-Intimidate or Threaten a Victim or Witness. He is being held on a $25,000 bond. His next court date is slated for October 15.
Torres-Berreras was also arrested in 2017 and charged with Domestic Battery by Strangulation.
The body of 43-year-old paddleboarder, Joshua Hensley, was recovered Monday by Marine Unit Deputies in the waters of Kings Bay in Crystal River. Hensley’s board was later found at Christmas Island.
According to deputies, Hensley had last been seen Saturday evening on his stand-up paddleboard leaving Hunter Springs Park. He was heading to Shell Island to watch the sunset.
The Citrus County Sheriff said, “We offer our deepest condolences to Joshua’s family and friends in this difficult time. “Captain Jack” was a beloved figure in the community and will be missed.”
Hensley, who was known as Captain Jack because he dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean films, was well known to most in Crystal River and surrounding areas.
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said that Hunter Springs Park rangers contacted the sheriff’s office Sunday night with concern for Hensley. They stated that his vehicle had been left in the parking lot overnight.
Overnight, Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk conducted a search. A Coast Guard Station Yankeetown 29-foot Response Boat began searching Monday morning.
On Facebook, Carrie Rizor Anderson, wrote, “He’d do tricks for the kids back and forth as they swam, weather bringing his paddleboard to nearly a 90-degree angle as he paddles by, or standing on his head on his board as he floated by. He would always tie his board up, and walk around the beach, taking pictures and entertaining families and their children”
Dozens of other comments described Hensley as a good guy who loved people, his community and making others smile.
Casei Jones, 32, a Marion County mother who has been missing for six weeks, has been found dead. Jones’ children, Cameron, 10, Preston, 5, Mercallie, 2, and Aiyana, 1, were found dead a short time later.
At this time, investigators are not saying how the children were killed or where their bodies were found.
Jones was reported missing by her family on September 14. They said they had not seen her for six weeks.
Jones’ body was discovered in Brantley County, Georgia.
Michael Jones
An arrest warrant has been issued for Jones’ husband, Michael W. Jones Jr., 38. He was located after he was involved in a traffic crash and is being questioned at this time. He is charged with Homicide-2nd Degree. The State Attorney’s Office is still working on the charges against Michael involving the four children.
At the scene of the crash, it was determined that Michael had his wife’s body in the car.
Sources say that Michael led investigators to where he had left the bodies of the children.
Investigators have also obtained a warrant to search Michael’s vehicle.
Casei Jones, 32, a Marion County mother who has been missing for six weeks, has been found dead. Her four children are still missing.
Jones was reported missing by her family on September 14. They said they had not seen her for six weeks.
Jones’ body was discovered in Brantley County, Georgia.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Jones’ husband, Michael W. Jones Jr., 38. He was located and is being questioned in Georgia at this time. He is charged with Homicide-2nd Degree.
The search for Cameron, 10, Preston, 5, Mercallie, 2, and Aiyana, 1, is ongoing.
Marion County — At approximately 10:30 p.m., Friday, a 911 dispatcher took a call in which she could hear screaming in the background.
When investigators arrived at the residence, located at 8700 NW 43rd Court, which sits off the road in a heavily wooded area, they discovered that a man had been shot.
According to a source close to the investigation, the man who had been shot was breathing when investigators arrived but died a short time later.
The man’s name has not being released pending next of kin notification.
No charges have been filed against anyone at this time.
The Market of Marion flea market, following a recent fire, has passed all of their inspections.
The Market will re-open for business on Saturday, September 14, to vendors and customers. However, vendors will be required to be off the property by 5 p.m.
MCFR Public Information Officer James P. Lucas said that 17 units and 53 firefighters responded to the fire and that, approximately 30,000 gallons of water was used to extinguish the fire.
The fire damaged building C. Approximately 9600 square feet of the building was destroyed.
The owner estimated property loss at approximately $300k.
Ocala, Florida — The Marion County Legal Support Association is now accepting applications for the Mary Sullivan Scholarship Award in the amount of $500.00 for students interested in obtaining a degree in the legal field.
Deadline to apply for the scholarship is December 1, 2019.
No application fee.
For scholarship information and/or an application packet, please contact Scholarship Chair, Lisa M. Wilson, FRP, at lisa@deananddean.net or 352-368-2800 x 108.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) 2019-2020 High School Fishing Program offers high school fishing clubs or teams the opportunity to apply for the Florida Sport Fish Restoration R3 Fishing Grant. This grant program is focused on recruiting new anglers, retaining active anglers and reactivating lapsed anglers to ensure the future of fishing in Florida.
The Florida Sport Fish Restoration R3 Fishing Grant will award 40 high school fishing clubs or teams up to $500 of financial assistance as a part of the 2019-2020 High School Fishing Program. Program participants will receive an updated educational curriculum comprised of lessons and activities on fisheries conservation and resource management, plus a chance to compete with participating clubs or teams in the Costa Kick Plastic Conservation Project competition.
The grant program is open to new or existing freshwater or saltwater fishing clubs or teams at public, private and charter high schools throughout Florida. To be considered for the grant, high school fishing clubs or teams must have a minimum of five members and be represented by a school faculty member who will follow the provided instructor’s manual.
The deadline for submitting applications is Oct. 7 at 5 p.m. ET. Submit applications to R3Fishing@MyFWC.com or mail to FWC’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management, Attn: High School Fishing Grant, 620 S. Meridian Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399.
Contact Conor Hughes at Conor.Hughes@MyFWC.com or 850-617-6012 for more information.
Belleview, Florida — Marion County Fire Rescue crews Monday night were fighting a massive fire at the Market of Marion flea market, located at 12888 Southeast U.S. 441.
MCFR Public Information Officer James P. Lucas said that 17 units and 53 firefighters responded to the fire.
According to Lucas, approximately 30,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire.
The fire damaged building C. Approximately 9600 square feet of the building was destroyed.
The owner estimated property loss at approximately $300k.
The State Fire Marshal said it is too early in the investigation to determine how the fire started.
Firefighters arrived on the scene at 7:12 p.m. and had the blaze under control by 8:19 p.m.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is reminding people to help prevent conflicts with bears by securing garbage and other items that might attract these animals.
In the fall, Florida black bears begin preparing for the winter by consuming extra calories to pack on fat. During this time, they will eat anything that’s convenient and feeding on garbage provides more calories and less effort than foraging in the woods.
By securing your trash and other food attractants, you can help keep both people and bears safe.
To keep bears wild and away from your home, follow these simple tips:
Secure household garbage in a sturdy shed garage or a wildlife-resistant container.
Put household garbage out on the morning of pickup rather than the night before.
Secure commercial garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters.
Protect gardens, bee yards, compost and livestock with electric fencing.
Encourage your homeowner’s association or local government to institute ordinances to require trash be secured from bears.
Feed pets indoors or bring the dishes in after feeding.
Clean grills and store them in a secure place.
Pick ripe fruit from trees and remove fallen fruit from the ground.
Remove wildlife and bird feeders or make them bear-resistant. See the new “Bears and Bird Feeders” video in the “Brochures and Videos” section at com/Bear.
It is illegal in Florida to intentionally feed bears or leave out food or garbage that will attract bears and cause human-bear conflicts. If you see or suspect someone is feeding or attracting bears, please call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
You also can help people and bears stay safe by remembering to watch for bears while driving.
This time of year, bears are traveling across more roads in search of food, which results in more vehicle-bear collisions.
The FWC advises drivers to be aware of their surroundings as they drive in bear country, especially around dusk and dawn, and when there is a forest on both sides of the road.
The FWC works with Florida Department of Transportation to post bear crossing signs in areas that receive particularly high levels of vehicle-bear collisions and plan locations for wildlife underpasses to allow bears and other animals to cross safely under roadways.
Motorists traveling in Marion County will experience temporary lane closures in the northernmost westbound lane of County Road 42, between the intersections of Southeast 73rd Avenue and Southeast 90th Court.
The closures will take place on weekdays from September 9 through 27, 2019.
Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc. will be conducting maintenance on the splice boxes located in the county right-of-way.
Crews will place barricades, signage, and have flaggers to direct traffic through detours and the work zone while work is being performed.
Please note that construction schedules may change due to weather or other circumstances, and if this happens, the closure may be rescheduled.
Officials ask that all drivers remember to yield to roadside workers and obey posted speed limits. Speeding fines are doubled in a construction zone.
MCSO sergeant resigns following child erotica allegations, no charges filed
