The next Citizens Academy program will take place in April-June 2020. Registration for the next program will be announced in early 2020. Check back soon for more information!
Citizens Academy is a free, exciting, 10-week program that touches upon virtually every facet of city government.
Participants will have the chance to visit and interact with nearly every City department including the Ocala International Airport, Ocala Fire Rescue, Ocala Police Department, Public Works Department, Ocala Electric Utility and more. Participants will also have the opportunity to hear from elected officials and top City administrators including City Manager, John Zobler. Each session will include live demonstrations, a question and answer portion, and educational discussions to give participants a better understanding of current City projects and economic development opportunities.
All participants must be at least 18 years of age and currently be a resident or business owner in Ocala/Marion County. Participants must also be able to attend a minimum of eight sessions in order to successfully complete this program. Space is limited and is reserved on a first come, first served basis.
For more information, please contact the City Manager’s Office at 352-401-3977.
City of Ocala Holiday Schedule – Veterans Day – Monday, November 11
Post Date:11/04/2019 5:28 PM
OCALA, Fla. (Nov. 4, 2019) – City of Ocala business offices will be closed Monday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day. There will be no residential collection for sanitation, yard waste or recycling routes Monday, Nov. 11.
Residential sanitation collection regularly scheduled for Monday, Nov. 11 through Thursday, Nov. 14 will experience a one-day delay and will be collected Tuesday, Nov. 12 through Friday, Nov. 15.
Waste Pro recycling collection for City of Ocala residents regularly scheduled for Monday, Nov. 11 through Thursday, Nov. 14 will take place Tuesday, Nov. 12 through Friday, Nov. 15.
For more information, please contact the City of Ocala Residential Sanitation Division at 352-351-6697.
11/01/2019
Detectives with the Lake County sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau, along with the City/County Investigative Bureau (comprised of the Eustis, Clermont, and Leesburg Police Departments), just concluded a two-day undercover sting operation targeting those who sell alcoholic beverages to underage consumers. Detectives used underage, undercover buyers as they visited various locations throughout the entire county this week.
A total of 106 businesses were visited during the operation, 20 of which sold to the underaged buyer. The types of businesses visited include convenience stores, liquor stores, supermarkets, and even some restaurants. Detectives charged all violators through criminal citations.
Attached are two separate lists, one that shows businesses that properly checked for identification and the other showing those that violated the law (click on the icons below). Continue reading
11/07/2019
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office arranged for 20 employees to be trained for a new program introduced earlier this year by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The new initiative, called the Warrant Service Officer Program, was created by ICE to delegate immigration enforcement authority to local sheriff’s employees to allow those employees to execute ICE arrest warrants in local jails.
The training took place recently at the Lake County Jail, during which 18 correctional officers and 2 deputies assigned to the sheriff’s Warrants unit were certified to execute the warrants.
Once a certified officer executes a warrant in the jail on behalf of ICE, the Sheriff’s Office has 48 hours to transfer custody of the inmate. If ICE doesn’t take the illegal alien into custody within that 48 hours, the individual must be released.
This program serves to broaden ICE’s enforcement authority and allows for a smooth custodial transfer of criminal aliens to ICE custody.
“This new program gives us an additional tool that we can use to help ICE remove criminal illegal aliens from our jail, rather than putting them back in our communities to commit more crimes,” Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said. “This partnership is win-win; it helps ICE do their job, and helps us do ours,” he added.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is also a Basic Ordering Agreement partner with ICE.
By Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten
OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 24, 2019
On sale: Now
Four strong, sassy Southern women are drawn together by fate in their quest for happiness… through happy hour! Perfectionist workaholic Randa is struggling with a derailed career. Recently widowed Dot is learning to start her life over alone. Boisterous good ol’ gal Marlafaye is freshly divorced and looking for revenge on her tom-catting ex. And spunky fireball Jinx offers her services as a life coach, though she needs good advice more than anyone. Over six months of laughter, hilarious misadventures, and bonding over cocktails, these Savannah soul-sisters form lasting friendships, renewing their confidence and enthusiasm for life. Cheers to this delightful comedy by the authors of The Dixie Swim Club! Continue reading
By Jeanie Linders
JANUARY 2 – 19, 2020
On sale: November 18
PLEASE NOTE: THIS SHOW CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT AND RACY HUMOR WHICH MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES.
Celebrate “The Change” in this hilarious parody of popular music from the baby boomer era, as four women bond over the shared sisterhood of hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, and sexual woes. Returning to the OCT stage after its popular 2017 visit, the tour of this long-running Las Vegas hit musical will have you laughing, cheering, and dancing in the aisles!
It is time to sign up for this year’s “Experience Lady Lake Expo”.
Wednesday December 4, 2019, 10 am to 3 pm, at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, 1351 Paige Place, Lady Lake, FL 32159
Share your business with the Lady Lake Area.
Call the Chamber office with any questions – (352)-753-6029
Thank you again for all your support!
Call the chamber office with any questions (352)753-6029
(NAPS)—Caregiving for a loved one can be a fulfilling, yet overwhelming experience. Forty million Americans provide care for their aging loved one each year, and spend an average of 24.4 hours per week doing so. Try as one may to create a balanced lifestyle, it’s a role that easily crowds out other important areas of life, including personal and professional relationships, and generates high levels of stress that could lead to serious health problems long-term if not managed.
Caregivers should feel empowered to adopt the following tactics to lighten the burden, and achieve a renewed sense of control:
Remember your own health: It’s important to not lose sight of your physical and mental health during particularly stressful times. Improve your energy level with smart eating choices: plan easy, healthy recipes that take less than 30 minutes, schedule grocery deliveries, or subscribe to meal kits. And, committing to just 10 minutes a day of moving your body will help you feel energized, while boosting your mental health. Exercise is also a good way to engage with your loved one—join them for a walk or even a water aerobics class. Continue reading
(NAPS)—If you spend a lot of time on social media sites or looking for great online deals, you may wear a bullseye when it comes to scammers hunting for prey, according to groundbreaking fraud research from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust and the Stanford Center on Longevity.
Researchers surveyed more than 1,400 Americans and Canadians who were targeted by scammers and reported the fraud to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which tracks scams. Nearly half of those surveyed did not engage with the fraudster. However, 30 percent engaged to some degree but ultimately did not lose money, while 23 percent engaged with the fraudster or offer and lost money. Continue reading
