TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier issued an opinion concluding that state law expressly preempts municipalities from requiring shopping cart retention plans, approving or denying those plans, imposing penalties, or mandating shopping cart retention systems with the exception of local ordinances imposed between January 31, 2002 to June 30, 2002. This opinion was requested by Allan T. Weinthal, attorney for the town of Davie
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 | 1 – 7 p.m.
Gates Open: 12:30 p.m.
Show Starts: 1:30 p.m.
Citizens’ Circle | 151 SE Osceola Ave.
Join us for the third annual Brick City Bluegrass Festival in beautiful downtown Ocala, Florida! This family-friendly outdoor music festival features dynamic bluegrass bands including nationally recognized artists, creating an unforgettable experience for music lovers of all ages.
Set at Citizens’ Circle in the heart of historic downtown Ocala, the festival offers more than just music—enjoy delicious eats from popular Ocala food trucks, sip on refreshing beverages, and explore the vibrant community atmosphere. Whether you’re a longtime fan of bluegrass music in Florida or just looking for fun things to do in Ocala, this event is a must-attend. Continue reading
The First Friday Art Walk takes place the first Friday of each month, October through May from 6 to 9 p.m. First Friday Art Walk is a free event located within Ocala’s historic downtown. Event festivities include over 30 artist displays, monthly live entertainment, free family art activities provided by local arts organizations and extended shopping hours. The public is invited to enjoy an evening of art, live performances, and downtown shops and restaurants.
(NAPSI)—In local communities across America, the “next big idea” often takes shape in a garage, a small startup office or a community college lab. New American inventors and entrepreneurs are the backbone of our nation. They are responsible for turning bold ideas into products that create jobs and make life easier for all of us. They are often the lifeblood of local economies.
But in recent decades, a particular kind of legal threat has emerged that puts that engine of entrepreneurial innovation at risk. These lawsuits come from shell companies that are commonly known as patent trolls. Patent trolls don’t invent things or make products but exist solely to pursue lawsuits related to patents they buy. Patent troll litigation costs U.S. firms an estimated $29 billion annually in direct legal expenses, and approximately $60 billion when accounting for lost firm value and diverted resources. Patent troll litigation surged 22% from 2023 to 2024 alone, making it a fast-growing issue for American business.
Patent trolls have been at work for decades. But now, in a new twist, patent trolls are being hired to file lawsuits against others in the industry. The aim isn’t to defend a real invention, but to make it harder for rivals by driving up legal costs, scaring off customers, delaying product launches, or pushing for monetary settlements. This puts more pressure on the price of everyday technology products. Continue reading
(NewsUSA) – Artificial intelligence is poised to be a game-changer in managing the increasingly congested and poten-tially contested domain of space, from Earth’s orbit to the Moon and beyond, according to a new podcast from the Spe-cial Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonprofit and nonpartisan initiative with a goal of making recommendations to strengthen America’s long-term competitiveness in AI.
At the recent AI + Space Summit hosted by SCSP, General Jay Raymond (U.S. Space Force, Ret.) joined SCSP’s NatSecTech podcast host Jeanne Meserve to discuss the future of space as a warfighting domain. They explore how AI can improve space traffic management, surveillance, acquisition, and data fusion; the growing role of commercial part-nerships; and the need for stronger norms, faster capabilities, and a technically skilled workforce.
Many Eyes in the Sky Continue reading
RNC CHAT PART 2
MCREC’s Impact in Action: Legislative and Election Achievements
The MCREC’s dedication translates into tangible results, influencing policy and protecting our community’s interests. While each achievement offers a unique perspective for those seeking to understand our value, here are some key areas where the MCREC has made a significant difference:
- Baby Boxes Legislation:** We successfully advocated for legislation that provides a compassionate and realistic alternative to abortion, offering a safe haven for newborns and supporting maternal choice.
- Advancing Medical Freedom:** Our sustained efforts have strengthened patient rights, leading to ongoing progress in opposing mandatory vaccination and safeguarding individual autonomy in healthcare decisions.
- Protecting the Unborn:** We led local opposition to defeat proposed state constitutional changes that would have drastically increased abortion access and funding. Additionally, we actively supported legislation to decouple Florida from any potentially overreaching World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic requirements, prioritizing state sovereignty and individual liberties.
- Insurance and Tort Reform:** We’ve tirelessly advocated for crucial reforms aimed at reducing frivolous litigation, thereby working to stabilize and reopen Florida’s insurance market. While incremental changes have been made, this remains a critical work in progress.
- Preserving Our Heritage:** The MCREC has actively opposed legislation that threatened the preservation of our vital farmlands and the character of our cherished rural neighborhoods.
- Direct Legislative Influence:** Our members have provided impactful oral testimony to Senate and House Committees in Tallahassee on critical bills, frequently gaining support and influencing beneficial changes.
- Strategic Advocacy:** We maintain consistent engagement and meetings with State Senators and Representatives to advocate for issues specific to Marion County, ensuring our local concerns are addressed at the state level.
- Election Integrity Enhancements:** The MCREC championed legislation for improved county voter rolls and enhanced ballot box security, including more rigorous ID verification, to ensure fair and transparent elections.
- Leadership in Advocacy:** Our MCREC is widely recognized as a leader among county RECs for coordinating legislative advocacy letters, amplifying our collective voice across the state.
- Local Governance Impact:** We are deeply involved in local activities, engaging with the County Commission and School Board on crucial issues.
- Fair Impact Fees:** We successfully advocated for the fair reinstatement of transportation and school impact fees, a measure designed to alleviate taxpayer burdens and ensure responsible growth.
By Matt McCormick
When you’re new to a role, especially one rooted in community and connection, the best place to start is by listening. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with business leaders, partners, and stakeholders across Ocala and Marion County. Those conversations have been invaluable—not only in understanding where we are today, but in shaping where we’re headed next.
As we look toward 2026, the Ocala Chamber & Economic Partnership is entering the year with clarity around what matters most. Our work will be guided by three core priorities: growth, workforce development, and supporting our business community. These aren’t new ideas, but they are the right ones—and they are deeply connected.
Growth continues to be a driving force across our region. Businesses are expanding, new opportunities are emerging, and Ocala and Marion County are attracting attention for all the right reasons. The CEP’s role is to help support smart, sustainable growth—whether that’s through business attraction, expansion, or retention. It also means being a strong advocate on issues that directly affect growth, including transportation infrastructure and housing availability. These factors play a critical role in a company’s ability to invest, hire, and plan for the future. Continue reading
Staff writer
Drain the Swamp OR Clean the swamp! Donald Trump’s elected to Clean the swamp of terrorist, drug dealers, gangs, dishonest politicians and this is currently in the process. It will be hard to address but he is walking right into it, facing it with “True Grit!” A Modern Day John Wayne! I’m not sure how all this will end up but I’m sure the United States will be in a better place. As we race forward a great speeds with the internet and the cell phones, communications is instant, Knowledge is instant. The internet cost the newspapers a lot of money over night. The biggest money maker for paid newspapers was the classified pages, the Internet did it free. Some times progress hurts. Antique business had a change, buyers use to go to auctions and antique stores buying and part of the price of the product was to find it. I had some Flo Blue plates worth $100 per piece over night they dropped in half. Because they were easier to find.
Yes we are living and traveling at the speed of light, we are breaking the sound barrier every day. You can talk to your cell phone and get information in seconds! I really think that would be considered “Warp Speed!” I would like it to slow just a little. Give us time to think and make good decisions.
TomL
From the net!
I believe the voting by mail is the second best voting process. I myself challenged whether or not the mailing was safe, I had large mailings going into the Villages. There they own their own postal centers, their own streets, their own security and etc.
USPS continues to recommend that voters who plan to vote by mail send their ballots at least seven days before Election Day to ensure receipt by election officials.
If you want to make sure ballot is postmarked on the date it is received you may go to any post office and request a manual postmark free of charge. Continue reading
Dr. Matthew Cretul, Marion County’s legislative manager provided the Marion County Board of County Commissioners with a legislative update in advance of the beginning the of 2026 Florida legislative session. Marion County and FDOT approved a utility subordination agreement to address how existing utility infrastructure will be handled during construction of the I-75/ interchange. (Marion County Commission Provided Information)
