Good morning, Ocala.

Traffic was heavy at the I-75 South exit to CR 484 on Tuesday, May 12, with vehicles queued from mile marker 340; motorists were advised to seek alternate routes after a fatal accident closed a section further south in Sumter County.

Last Friday, rescuers from the MCSO Aviation Unit located a pregnant woman, her partner, and their three dogs suffering from heat exhaustion in Ocala National Forest after they ran low on water during a remote hike and provided an IV drip before evacuating the group.

Frank J. DeLuca, founder of DeLuca Toyota, was inducted into the Florida Automobile Dealers Association Hall of Fame on May 7 at Waldorf Astoria Orlando + his decades of leadership and community generosity were honored alongside seven other dealers.

E-ONE broke ground on a $23.5 million expansion project on Southwest 57th Avenue, adding about 80,000 sqft to meet rising demand for fire apparatus.

The project will boost productivity and create roughly 100 jobs in the area, with construction planned to continue through next year.

Two women (formerly from New York) now living in Stonecreek bring old family recipes to life on their YouTube channel The Nonnas of Stonecreek.

They share family traditions with locals today.

Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy will close soon, leaving families and advocates worried about at-risk youth programs.

Local supporters have asked the governor to save the program that many in Ocala and Marion County depend on.

The 2026 hurricane season will start on June 1 while the National Hurricane Center begins daily tropical outlooks on May 15.

NOAA ended Hurricane Preparedness Week last week — advising residents on evacuation zones and supply kits to prepare for upcoming storms.

Florida retailers can round cash transactions to the nearest nickel as of May 11, which may affect cash prices while card payments remain unchanged.

The law defines rounding rules (1,2 and 6,7 cents round down; 3,4 and 8,9 cents round up) following the discontinuation of the penny.

On Friday, May 15, flags over public buildings will be flown at half-staff to honor Peace Officers Memorial Day as part of Police Week, recognizing law enforcement officers who lost their lives or were disabled in the line of duty.

The measure includes Florida officers and runs nationally + locally.

Ocala City Council approved plans on Tuesday, May 5 for a 251-acre mixed-use development that may bring over 2,700 new homes and nearly one million sqft of commercial space to southwest Ocala.

The project led by KAS Ocala, LLC includes conditions such as 30-foot landscape buffers & strict height limits.

Leena Ocala, a new development ($62.5M) with 300 apartments and 60 townhomes, is being built at Southwest 60th Avenue and 52nd Street; construction began in late April with first units arriving late 2027.

Ocala Athletix team Code Red won the Division II cheerleading competition at the D2 Summit Championship held at Walt Disney World in Orlando from May 8 to May 10.

The athletes, including second-place finishers Red Angels, marked a historic win for the local program — a milestone in competitive cheerleading.

Grand Prix May Dressage Dining Experience

8-11 a.m. — The Equestrian Hotel Terrace — $145 per person — Delight in brunch while world-class dressage athletes compete in the Grand Outdoor Arena.

Grand Prix May Dressage Dining Experience

6:30-9:30 p.m. — World Equestrian Center - Ocala — $205 per person — Dine on exquisite buffet meals while world-class equestrians captivate with their grand prix freestyle performances.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Concert

7:30 p.m. — Reilly Arts Center — Ticket information TBA — Celebrate the 33rd anniversary of this iconic swing band with a night of vibrant music and high-energy performance.

Hear Us Roar III Fundraiser

7 p.m. — Ocala Civic Theatre — VIP tickets $50 — A vibrant fundraiser supporting Arts in Health and The Arc Marion in Ocala.