What's Happening in Ocala, Florida Today?
Only In Ocala publishes daily local news covering Marion County, Florida including community updates, business developments, sports, government meetings, and events. News articles are written by local journalists and updated multiple times daily serving Ocala and horse country.
For the 20th Year, Marion County Students Will Run the County's Official Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 11
Hundreds of students from 19 Marion County public schools will lead the county's official Veterans Day Program on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at 11 a.m. at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park. It is the 20th year in a row the school district has presented the ceremony, which includes a 21-gun salute, a vintage airplane flyover and a giant flag hung between two fire department ladder trucks.
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Ocala Taps $7 Million in Reserves to Keep Electric Bills Steady
Ocala Electric Utility collected about $10 million less than it spent on power in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. City staff want to cover $7 million of it from the utility's rate stabilization reserve and carry the rest into this year, rather than change customers' rates now. The City Council is scheduled to take it up Nov. 17, 2026.
Ocala Moves to End Its Community Solar Program, Which Drew Almost No Customers
Ocala Electric Utility's community solar program began in June 2020 with a 17 megawatt share of a statewide solar project. By October 2026, about 1.17 percent of it was subscribed. A resolution to end the program is on the Ocala City Council's Nov. 17, 2026 consent agenda, and existing subscribers would get 45 days' notice.
Thinking About Starting at CF in the New Year? Three December Open Houses Let You Apply, Tour and Sort Out FAFSA in One Visit
College of Central Florida is holding open houses on Dec. 1 at the Levy Campus, Dec. 2 at the Ocala Campus and Dec. 3 at the Citrus Campus. Applications are free on site, and staff will help with FAFSA, tours and program questions.
A New Kind of Auto-Parts Store Is Testing Ocala's Zoning Rules on Maricamp Road
A company that owns land on SE Maricamp Road wants to build an auto-parts store that is mostly warehouse, with a fleet of delivery vehicles on site. Ocala's code has no category for it, so the company asked the city to write one. The Planning and Zoning Commission took it up Nov. 9.
Sheriff Asks County to Put $596,582 in Leftover Budget Toward Jail Expansion
Sheriff Billy Woods wrote county commissioners that his office returned $2.37 million in unspent FY 2025-26 funds and asked that $596,582 go to the Marion County Jail expansion. The request is on the Nov. 17 commission agenda.
The 1892 Bryant House on East Fort King Street Has Weathered Storm After Storm. Now Its Caretakers Are Asking Ocala for Help
The Historic Ocala Preservation Society is raising money to repair the 1892 Bryant House at 712 E. Fort King St., its headquarters, which the group says has been battered by hurricanes and severe weather. Repairs start with the second floor and run in five phases.
Ocala and Marion County Rewrote Firefighter Pay This Year to Win Recruits. Here Is What Each Offers
Marion County approved a $60 million firefighters' contract in June; in August the City of Ocala ratified one it says will make Ocala Fire Rescue a top choice in North Central Florida. Here is what each department now offers recruits, and why both are moving crews to 24 hours on, 72 off.
Looking for Your Next Booth? We Built Booth Season to Connect Vendors With Events That Need Them
Booth Season is a new free directory from the team behind Only In Ocala that lists markets, craft fairs, festivals, pop-ups and race-day vendor villages accepting vendors, with the booth fee, deadline and how to apply. Organizers can list events free.
Marion Oaks Is Getting Its Own Publix, With Sushi, Pizza and a Liquor Store Next Door, in Early 2027
Publix #2147 is under construction at CR 484 and SW 49th Court Road as the anchor of the 60,825-square-foot Diamond A Shopping Center. The developer lists the center as coming in early 2027, with Publix Liquors, Marco's Pizza, Hair Cuttery, 1981 Nail Salon and Oak Sushi in the shops beside it.
Bravo Supermarkets Lists a Third Ocala Store, on Maricamp Road in Silver Springs Shores
Bravo Supermarkets now lists a store at 6841 SE Maricamp Road, in the Crystal Square Shopping Center, as its third Ocala-area location, with hot food, a deli, seafood, a butcher and a bakery. No hours or opening date are posted yet.
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