Government

Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet have officially appointed Dave Kerner as Executive Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The City of Ocala’s business offices will be closed on Monday, January 16 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and there will be no residential collection for sanitation, yard waste, or recycling routes.

The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department is inviting the public to attend the grand opening celebration of the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place on Saturday, January 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Construction is officially underway on the Fort King National Historic Landmark's blacksmith shop.

The Florida Municipal Electric Association recently recognized Ocala Electric Utility, along with 24 additional public power utilities in the state, with the Restoring Communities Award.

The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department is seeking applications from young people between the ages of 15 and 21 who would like to participate in the Developing Recreation Professionals’ Aquatics Program.

The Ocala Police Department is looking to sponsor Marion County residents who want to kick off the new year with a career in law enforcement.

City of Ocala business offices will be closed on Monday, January 2, 2023, in observance of New Year’s Day, and residential sanitation and Waste Pro recycling routes will experience a one-day delay.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Tuesday, January 10, from 11 a.m. to noon, to celebrate the opening of the brand-new Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place in Ocala.

As residents prepare to celebrate the Christmas holiday this weekend, Marion County is providing tips for proper disposal of holiday-related waste.

Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that a special election will be held in March and May to fill the Florida House seat that was vacated by indicted former State Rep. Joseph Harding.

The Florida Highway Patrol is mourning the loss of a retired colonel who passed away after serving the state's residents and visitors for over 30 years.

Marion County Fire Rescue recently received $858,000 in grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the purchase of new stretchers.

The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion region continued to hold steady at 3.4% in November, which is unchanged over the last two months and 0.4 percentage points lower than the region’s rate from a year ago. “The reality is, today we have more people employed in our region than we did before Covid hit,” said Rusty Skinner, CareerSource CLM’s chief executive officer.

The City of Ocala has announced that its business offices will be closed on Friday, December 23 and Monday, December 26 in observance of Christmas. Additionally, city offices will be closed on Monday, January 2, 2023, in observance of New Year’s Day.

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners recently brought back the Salvation Army Angel Tree program on the McPherson Government Campus, and Marion County employees adopted an “Angel” to provide Christmas gifts to local children.

State Rep. Joseph Harding resigned from his seat in the Florida House of Representatives on Thursday, a day after he was indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements.

The Florida state representative from Ocala and Marion County who introduced the controversial Parental Rights and Education bill has been indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements.