The City of Ocala and Feel Downtown LIVE will host the annual Harvest Fest Music and Food Truck Festival Saturday, Nov. 11 from 1 to 10 p.m. at Tuscawilla Park located at 500 NE Sanchez Ave.

Post Date:10/13/2017 1:59 PM

OCALA, Fla. (Oct. 13, 2017) – The City of Ocala and Feel Downtown LIVE will host the annual Harvest Fest Music and Food Truck Festival Saturday, Nov. 11 from 1 to 10 p.m. at Tuscawilla Park located at 500 NE Sanchez Ave.

This year’s Harvest Fest event will feature two stages of live blues, rock and country music with Aaron Tippin and Georgia Satellites headlining the evening’s festivities. Other national, regional and local artists scheduled to perform include Hollis Brown, Lawrence, Savants of Soul, Jamie Davis, Bailey Callahan, Bob Green and the Whiskey Conspiracy, and the Doug Adams Band. [Read more…]

Monday, Oct. 16, the City will begin the second phase of decommissioning, which consists of cleaning out the digesters at WRF #1 and is expected to be completed in early December 2017.

Post Date:10/13/2017 10:30 AM

OCALA, Fla. (Oct. 13, 2017) – The City of Ocala’s Water Reclamation Facility #1 (WRF #1), located at 1220 NW Fourth Ave., has been offline since April 2016. The City began the first phase of the decommission process in June 2017. Monday, Oct. 16, the City will begin the second phase of decommissioning, which consists of cleaning out the digesters at WRF #1 and is expected to be completed in early December 2017.

During this time, there is a potential of a strong, organic odor, which may affect the immediate area surrounding the facility. There are no health concerns regarding this potential odor.

For more information, please contact the City of Ocala Water Resources Department at 352-351-6772.

MARION COUNTY, Florida (October 11, 2017) – Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Major Crimes detectives received information from the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, positively identifying human skeletal remains that were discovered in the Florida Highlands in August 2016. The remains belong to Nicholas Shawn Tillis (DOB: 03/27/1985), who was reported missing to the MCSO by his family in October 2016. Tillis was known to check in with his family monthly, and they had not heard from him in three months. However, deputies could not find anything suspicious regarding his disappearance. Detectives notified his family of this new information Tuesday afternoon.

On the afternoon of Friday, August 26, 2016, MCSO deputies responded to a call for service of human skeletal remains being found in a wooded area near 9587 SW 151st Place in the Florida Highlands in Dunnellon. The reportee said as he was walking through the wooded area, he tripped over a tree branch and upon catching himself, saw bones on the ground. The reportee then called for law enforcement’s assistance. [Read more…]

(OCALA, Fla.) October 11, 2017 – A fire reported this morning at 2841 NE 7^th St. left a family of four displaced.

Ocala Fire Rescue arrived at 9:44 AM, to Berkley Point Apartments, where a structure fire was reported. Upon entry into the apartment complex, firefighters found a smoke and flames showing from a first level corner unit. With medics verifying the wellbeing of the occupants who self-evacuated, firefighters began attacking the flames. The fire, originating in one of the apartment’s bedrooms, was knocked down within six minutes of arrival, and completely extinguished by 9:54 AM.   [Read more…]

MARION COUNTY, Florida (October 11, 2017)- Marion County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes detectives have arrested Gabriel Bowen (DOB: 03/20/1999) for an Armed Home Invasion Robbery he committed in July 2017. In the early morning hours of Saturday, July 22, 2017, Bowen entered the victims’ home, battered and restrained them, and stole miscellaneous belongings along with their vehicle. Bowen was located several hours later driving the victims’ vehicle by the Holly Hill Police Department, where he was arrested for Auto Theft and Resisting Arrest charges. Furthermore, MCSO detectives discovered the victims’ stolen belongings in the back seat of the car Bowen was driving. Bowen was sentenced on the Holly Hill Police Department charges and was extradited back to Marion County to face our charges Monday evening. [Read more…]

MARION COUNTY, Florida (October 11, 2017) – A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Team will be at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office-Emergency Operations Center (692 NW 30th Ave, Ocala, FL 34475) on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 through Friday, October 13, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The FEMA Assistance Team will be assisting with follow-up on Individual Assistance Program for residents that have applied for FEMA assistance. The team can also assist with first time registrations for residents suffered damage to their homes and property during Hurricane Irma. The Individual Assistance Program can provide financial help or direct services to those who have necessary expenses and serious needs if they are unable to meet these needs through other means. [Read more…]

MARION COUNTY, Florida (October 11, 2017) – On Tuesday, October 10, 2017, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Timothy Aaron Hughes (DOB: 08/10/1984) for committing a robbery at the Sunshine Drugs store located at 3450 NE Jacksonville Road in Ocala. Hughes implied to the employee that he was carrying a weapon and demanded pills during the robbery.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., Tuesday morning, MCSO deputies responded to the incident location in reference to a robbery that had just occurred. An employee of the store told deputies that the robber, later identified as Hughes, approached him and said, “I don’t want any trouble. I just need opioids.” The victim stated that the suspect had his right hand in his pocket and looked down at his hand and then looked back at him, making the victim believe that Hughes was armed. The victim complied with the demands and gave Hughes a bottle of hydrocodone pills. Hughes then fled the scene. [Read more…]