Good morning, Ocala.

The seventh annual Give4Marion campaign raised $2,343,153 from 4,618 donors with 7,463 gifts and ended yesterday at 7 p.m. at Reilly Arts Center, celebrating local nonprofits’ work to serve community needs & encourage creative fundraising.

Neighbors in Marion County observed horses being loaded into trailers at a local embryo transfer facility amid concerns for their welfare & a former employee shared photos alleging mistreatment while the sheriff's office found no criminal activity and Dr. Jose Davila said heavy rain prompted the move.

The owners of Wayne’s World of Paintball Inc. received a 90-day extension from Code Enforcement on Sept.

10 to run Sunday paintball until December & will host Haunted Trail events on Oct. 9-10, 16-17, and 23-24 at 4841 S. Pine Ave, though the lease may end by year’s end.

Publix drops its weekly buy-one, get-one offers on Wednesday or Thursday with deals running until store closing the following week.

Florida shoppers must buy both items to save, unlike in other markets where a single item is half price.

The 4th Annual Ocala Film Derby runs Sept.

23–27, allowing Marion County student filmmakers to learn from industry mentors at workshops and an opening reception at IHMC before Derby Day in downtown and a film screening with awards at the Marion Theatre. Admission is $10 with record scholarship funds offered.

Ocala man Guy S. Newman matched all five numbers on a Fantasy 5 ticket and claimed a $56,554.23 prize from the Murphy USA gas station near Walmart at 9558 SW Highway 200 on Sept.

10.

Wyomina Park students will be moved to Oakcrest for the 2027-28 school year, and the plan will be presented today at 9 a.m. by Marion County schools.

The five-year plan uses the Wyomina Park campus for older Bridgeway Academy classes and aims to save $2 million a year.

Florida launched a free online service at claimyourcashfl.gov to help residents search for over $3 billion in unclaimed money from banks & paychecks.

Officials said the system makes it easier to retrieve forgotten assets as state law now mandates notifications for funds worth $50 or more.

Florida Realtors released new data showing that closed home sales in the Ocala market jumped more than 6% from August 2025 to August 2026, while the median price reached $289,000 and the average price edged up 1% (report released Wednesday).

Marion County officials approved a change to Cypress Pointe in southwest Ocala on Tuesday, Sept.

15, reducing the planned 621 townhomes to 337 detached houses on a 103 acre parcel (Liberty Triangle area). The plan relocates the community's amenity center and is expected to cut daily vehicle trips by 1,223.