Date: 03/05/2021 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Downtown Ocala
100 SE 1st Ave.
Ocala, Florida 34470
The First Friday Art Walk will feature Retro Sounds, a music and art event, in downtown Ocala Friday, March 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. This year’s Retro Sounds event will celebrate the disco era of the 1970’s with a performance by Bee Gees tribute artists, Bee Gees NOW.
A band fueled by a moment in time during the disco era, the Bee Gees have become a timeless classic brand of American pop music. The Bee Gees were formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. The movie “Saturday Night Fever” with John Travolta brought the band to the musical forefront in the 1970s with hits like “You Should Be Dancing,” “Stayin Alive” and “Night Fever.” Playing those hits and more, tribute band Bee Gees Now, brings that ’70s dance fever to downtown Ocala. Continue reading
By TomL
Trump Impeachment Failed! But it told me something the RIGHT and a lot about the LEFT. It was all theatrics, did you see those lawyers trying to make a point. They even used edited videos so it would help them make their point. I am really disappointed in Mitch McConnell. It was over he had no reasonable reason to make a anti-Trump speech after the impeachment failed. UNLESS the old school Republicans are as afraid of Trump as the Left is!
I believe the Left is afraid of the millions of followers and how far they will follow Trump. Now I’m beginning to think that the old school Republican want him out of the way so they can run a different candidate, because right now there is no question who will run as the Republican candidate.
The Congress, the House and the Senate are composed of many attorneys, not that is wrong but the have a different thought process, they are deal makers. When a guy like Trump comes along. He is half bad boy and half Political Animal. Not many men or women that I know of would stand in a dictators Country and tell them no to a trade. He has told many of them we are not sending money any more and you are not paying your part. Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is securing millions of dollars for Florida through efforts to hold accountable corporations responsible for helping fuel the deadly opioid epidemic. Attorney General Moody today announced the results of a multimillion-dollar action against a marketing company that helped turbocharge the opioid epidemic through a marketing collaboration with Purdue Pharma.
Florida joins a coalition of attorneys general from 47 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories in the $573 million action with one of the world’s largest consulting firms, McKinsey & Company. The multistate action resolves investigations into the company’s role in working for opioid companies to help promote products that fueled the opioid epidemic. As a result, Florida will receive more than $40 million—a majority of which will be made available for allocation by Florida lawmakers during this critical time.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “I’m pleased this money will be available to help Floridians very soon, and I will work alongside our great legislative leaders to ensure funds are allocated to areas hit hard by the opioid crisis. While securing these funds is a great win for Florida, our work is far from over, and I remain committed to fighting tooth and nail, both inside and outside the courtroom, to stop the death and destruction inflicted on Florida families by opioid abuse.” Continue reading
Attorney General Moody Issues Tips to Promote Safe and Responsible Internet Use on Safer Internet Day promoting safe and responsible internet use in recognition of 2021 Safer Internet Day. With COVID-19 forcing more Floridians to learn, socialize and work remotely, secure internet usage is more important than ever. The good news is there are simple steps users can follow to improve online security and protect sensitive information.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Most of us access the internet every day to learn, work or socialize. This increased online activity provides more opportunities for scammers, hackers and thieves looking to steal your personal and financial information. Safer Internet Day is a good reminder to take a fresh look at how to protect your finances, identity and safety online.”
Attorney General Moody is releasing the following tips to help Floridians stay safe online: Continue reading
West Palm Beach, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis proposed new measures to safeguard the sanctity of Florida elections. The Governor’s announcement reaffirms his commitment to the integrity of every vote and the importance of transparency in Florida elections.
“Last November, Florida held the smoothest, most successful election of any state in the country,” said Governor DeSantis. “While we should celebrate this feat, we should not rest on our laurels. Today, we are taking action to ensure that Florida remains a leader on key issues regarding our electoral process, such as ballot integrity, public access to election information, transparency of election reporting and more. By strengthening these election integrity protections, we will ensure that our elections remain secure and transparent, and that Florida’s electoral process remains a blueprint for other states to follow.”
The proposed legislation takes an important step in designing some of the nation’s strongest election integrity protections and providing unprecedented election transparency for Florida residents. The proposed legislation would include the following measures: Continue reading
March 22-28 is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. Addiction can happen to any person regardless of age. It usually starts when a person is young. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is the result of changes in the brain that can come from substance abuse. Addictions affect how people think and what they do. There are no specific “type” of person who becomes addicted. People can face addiction regardless of where they are from, or their social status.
Though this may be a difficult topic to discuss with a family member or friend, it is important to have this discussion as it may save a person from problems in the future that can include arrest, loss of employment, or even death. Teens are especially vulnerable due to peer pressure from friends who may experiment with drugs and alcohol. One important sign of addiction is that a person continues to use drugs even though it’s harming their life: physical health, performance at school or work, or relationships. They feel like they can’t stop using drugs, no matter what happens. Continue reading
The Ocala Police Department strives to make our community one of the safest places in Florida to live, work, and play. Every member of the agency is dedicated to this mission, which is accomplished by effectively responding to crime, addressing our community’s safety concerns, and by maintaining an effective presence throughout the City of Ocala. The Ocala Police Department is an exceptional law enforcement agency with over three hundred employees who are dedicated to selfless service and who hold an immense commitment to their community. As your new Police Chief, it is an honor to represent these fine men and women who give so much for so little.
As most people know, 2020 proved to be a challenging and tumultuous time for law enforcement. While trying to deal with a deadly pandemic, police around the country were also faced with protests, violence, and general anti-police sentiment which seemingly swept across the nation. We, however, are lucky enough to serve a great community, one that supports their law enforcement officers while still demanding the highest level of professionalism and ethical standards. Continue reading
By TomL
Have you ever had a cloud hanging over you. Here is how you handle it. My Business Bank account got hacked, the Bank took care of it with much worry on my behave! “But I Smiled!” I came home the other night and the drain was back up in the Kitchen. I found the Plumber snake and got it working after much worry on my behalf. But I Smiled. Two days later my AC unit broke down. The AC guy came and after much worry on my behalf and four days without AC it was fix. When I paid the bill it hurt. But I just Smiled. So today I will start out smiling before anything happens and maybe nothing else will break for a while. JUST KEEP SMILING AND DON’T LET IT GET TO YOU. SMILE!
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From a reader…
A reader pointed out that ebay will not allow sales of Confederate Flag. So now the factory’s are not making as many, for not making them at all. Just another way of controlling what we can purchase. Continue reading
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity recently released the December unemployment information for Florida communities. As a number of media outlets have reported, the Ocala Metro (Marion County) reported a December unemployment rate of 5.6%. This was down from the adjusted November rate of 5.7% and is below both the Florida (6.1%) and US (6.7%) averages. The Ocala Metro has reported an unemployment rate that is lower than the state and national rates for every month since the beginning of the pandemic.
While this is good news it only tells a portion of what is a much larger and better story. A community or state can report a lower unemployment rate without creating jobs. If the workforce and/or the number employed decreases from the previous period, then the unemployment rate may decrease especially if individuals have stopped looking for jobs. These discouraged workers stop showing up in the numbers and can give the illusion of shrinking unemployment when that is not actually occurring.
Job growth occurs when the area reports an increase in both the size of the workforce and in the number of those employed. In December, the Ocala Metro was one of three Florida metros (out of 24) to report positive year over year gains in both of these key categories. Additionally, the Ocala Metro reported more than triple the number of jobs created (1,900) than the other two positive metros combined. The Ocala Metro has led the state in these two critical areas for the last four months and is the only metro area to report positive growth in each of the last four months. One only has to drive briefly around town to see all of the Now Hiring signs and the consistently increasing wages to know that these numbers ring true. Continue reading
Dear Friends,
The 2021 Legislative Session will be underway as of March 2 and already the picture is becoming a little clearer about what the priorities of the Florida Legislature will be. The eight weeks of committee hearings leading up to this have had numerous state agency and local government presentations, along with citizen input, about the challenges our state faces and the needs we will be asked to meet. I will share a few of those highlights with you today.
The state budget is always the top concern, as the only constitutionally mandated duty of the Florida Senate is to pass a balanced budget. We do not have to do anything else or pass a single bill, except that one. Which we have done, faithfully, each year. This year, with the COVID crises, the forecasting is predicting a budget shortfall, which means that cuts will be made and many good projects will go unfunded. This will be an exercise in frugality and efficiency and will not be all together bad for our state. A budget event like this can be a good reset for Florida as it brings in to focus those things, which are actually a priority. We are in a good place with Senator Kelli Stargel leading our efforts in this area and she has my full confidence. Continue reading
