Sumter County News Digest

• Marion County residents oppose a proposed food waste de-packing facility in Ocala, citing fears of severe odors from processing commercial waste
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HCA Florida Healthcare is building a new stand-alone ER that will serve Sumter County residents, including those in The Villages and nearby retirement...

Marion County lifted its mandatory burn ban on May 28, returning to normal rules despite ongoing "D3" extreme drought. Sumter residents traveling...

A routine traffic stop on County Road 466 in Oxford led to the arrest of 23-year-old Trey Anthony Shell for driving with a suspended license and...

Community Events

• Live Square Entertainment: Cable Cars, Rocky and The Rollers, CLUB CTRL, Greg Warren Trio, DeadLanders, and The Voodoo Gypsies...

• Joshua Gene Ostrander, 41, of Leesburg, was arrested Friday as the second suspect in the May 20 Publix deli theft.
• He and Selena Korren Perry, 29,...

Fort King National Historic Landmark in Ocala is hosting a Summer Nights Lecture Series throughout June, offering nearby Sumter County residents an...

• Stephanie Galarza and Brandy Richardson convicted of child neglect after failing to stop an attack at Kids Central in October 2024.
• The pair...

Leesburg police ran an undercover check at Murphy USA on May 14, sending an underage informant to buy JUUL cartridges. Cashier Eugene Hougardy, 56,...

Quick guide to today's music across The Villages squares:

• Greg Warren Trio starts at Sawgrass Grove noon
• Cable Cars, Rocky and The Rollers, and...

Justin Alsedek turned years of painting tourists in Maryland and Key West into striking public murals across Central Florida after settling in Ocala....

A free community festival celebrating faith and togetherness comes to Tuscawilla Art Park in Ocala this Saturday, with live music, food trucks, kids' activities like face painting, and uplifting messages from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m..

Sumter County lifted its countywide burn ban May 29 after drought conditions eased, allowing outdoor burning under state and local rules.

• Yard...

A missing rear light led Wildwood police to stop 47-year-old John Terrell Jackson on his bike, where a K-9 alert revealed 0.41 grams of methamphetamine in his backpack. He faces possession charges and a $3,500 bond.

Leesburg's new fire chief Ryan Henry left a UCF computer science program after three years to pursue emergency services.

• Friends steered him toward...

Sumter County commissioners refuse to spend anything fixing safety issues on North Morse Boulevard and instead threaten to cut golf cart access unless...

Mary Beth Lawson, 50, of Summerfield pleaded not guilty Tuesday to felony battery on a medical staff employee after choking a registered nurse at...

Former Sumter commissioner Oren Miller, who served jail time after a perjury conviction before clearing his name, has qualified unopposed for the vacant Seat 5 on The Villages CDD 9 Board of Supervisors.

Two Sumter County high school teams competed in the 2026 Central Florida Dragon Boat Challenge, representing the Sumter County Dragon Boat Club...

Property Tax Developments

• 🔥 Special Session Called: Florida lawmakers will return next week for a special session that could eliminate property...