Marion County's Top Stories of 2021: COVID-19 shots top the list; WEC opening is second

At the beginning of 2021, a rush to get the COVID-19 vaccine created a logjam among Marion County's most vulnerable citizens.

Some residents ages 65 and older, who were not familiar with the internet, cellphones and computers, faced an uphill battle trying to get registered for a COVID-19 vaccination. But quickly, local health officials created a way to help them register.

By April, after months of headaches and long waits, most every citizen age 65 and older who wanted a vaccine was able to get one. By June, the vaccine was available to most everyone who wanted it. Now, children ages 5-17 can even get a vaccine.

A look back: It's been a year: Marion somberly marks its COVID-19 anniversary

2020 top stories: COVID-19 pandemic voted Marion County's top story of 2020

2019 top stories: Quintuple murder voted top story of the year

And by fall, as the new COVID-19 variants like delta and omicron have taken over, many Marion County residents have now gotten heir booster vaccinations.

The COVID-19 vaccination push was Marion County's top story of 2021, as voted on by the staff of the Ocala Star-Banner. Vaccinations narrowly beat the grand opening of the World Equestrian Center for the top spot on this year's list.

The year started out with a bang. Marion residents flooded the telephone lines in late December 2020 to get on the Florida Department of Health in Marion County's vaccination list. In one week, more than 50,000 people registered for a shot.

By January 2021, thousands of older Marion County residents were dazed and confused about how to get on a list, any list. That was when a state database allowed citizens to register for a shot.

By mid-December 2021, 89% of all of Marion County residents age 65 and older had gotten at least one COVID-19 vaccination. More than 80% had gotten both shots and many of those have gotten their booster.

In Marion County, 60% of all residents have gotten at least one vaccination, while 54% have gotten both. Two-thirds of residents ages 5 and older have gotten at least one shot.

Marion County did suffer more deaths in 2021 and now about 1,760 local residents have died from COVID-19.

Here are the remaining Top 10 stories and honorable mentions.

2: World Equestrian Center

The World Equestrian Center was open for business in January and then unveiled its hotel in May. WEC is one of the largest venues of its kind in the country. High school and college graduations were held at the venue in 2021.

3: Property values

The value of local property increased by 7.01% to $24.14 billion in 2021, surpassing the previous high mark of $22.55 billion last year, according to data released by the Marion County Property Appraiser’s Office.

4: Insurrection arrests

At least seven Marion County residents have been arrested so far in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C.

5: Residential growth

Marion County had the largest percentage increase in new home permits from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 than any of the nearly 400 municipal statistical areas in the nation.

6: Medina Spirit

The horse had an apparent heart attack at Santa Anita Park in California. Trained by Bob Baffert, the horse won the Kentucky Derby on May 1, but tested positive for betamethasone, a corticosteroid illegal if found in the blood on race day. The horse was bred in Marion.

7: Housing prices

Housing prices nearly doubled in 2021, with sales showing a year-over-year increase of more than one-third. In November, the average sales price increased by 29.3%, when compared to the same month in 2020.

8: Shane Alexander

The City of Ocala fired Fire Chief Shane Alexander on June 25, citing performance issues. He had been with the agency 27 years and chief since 2018. County Commissioner Jeff Gold then appointed Alexander to a fire & EMS advisory board.

9: Business growth

Fueled by an explosion of new warehouses, including a mammoth Dollar Tree distribution facility off County Road 484, Marion County is experiencing a surge in business growth.

10: AdventHealth Ocala

AdventHealth Ocala, a full-service community hospital with over 400 beds, opened a Belleview ER facility, its second in the county after the TimberRidge ER, a 16-bed facility in southwest Marion County.

Honorable mentions

• Hospitality trade: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, owners of hospitality businesses, especially restaurants, let go of employees by the thousands. As the economy bounced back, finding workers has been an issue.

• Homeless: The City of Ocala can no longer arrest or cite homeless people for simply sleeping outside without first checking on the availability of emergency shelter beds, according to a U.S. District Court ruling issued in February.

• Marion County roads: Widening Southwest 80th Avenue and connecting the Southwest 49th Avenue to the 42nd Street Flyover are planned projects designed to help ease traffic jams along State Road 200.

• Invasive tilapia: A recent fish count of Florida’s famous Silver Springs revealed alarming results: Blue tilapia, an invasive fish, now make up 86% of the biomass, or weight, of the total fish population in the springs.

• COVID-19 schools: In mid-August, just after K-12 schools opened, Marion County had a positivity rate of 30% and the Marion County School Board decided to implement a mask mandate with an opt out clause.

Top 10 stories on ocala.com

1. "2 dead, 4 injured in U.S. 441 crash north of Ocala. Driver charged with DUI manslaughter"

2. "14-year-old killed in Ocala crash was allowed to sit in grandma's vehicle, but not drive"

3. "Grass is the word: Marion County celebs John Travolta, daughter Ella, dance into Super Bowl"

4. "22 Publix stores in Florida to provide COVID-19 vaccinations for seniors"

5. "Marion County's Jumbolair Aviation Estates sells for $9.5 million"

6. "Ocala girl, 17, dies in crash. Other driver was passing on double yellow line on SR 40 E"

7. "Auburn students headed to Tampa for Super Bowl shot on I-75 in Ocala"

8. "Academy Awards: Kelly Preston honored at Oscars 'In Memoriam' "

9. "Together 6 years, Marion couple killed while doing what they loved: riding a motorcycle"

10. "Villages developer Mark Morse, daughter sell Marion County ranch for $15.5 million"

Other deaths

(COVID-19 victims: Marion County has had at least 1,760 local residents die from the deadly virus since March 2020.)

• Howard Conrad, longtime high school basketball coach.

• Willie Green, 85, blues musician.

• Jeff Hartwell, 57, well known local hair stylist.

• Darrell Riley, 63, College of Central Florida professor, former Ocala Star-Banner editor, Ocala Civic Theatre thespian.

• Patty Roberts, 76, Dunnellon funeral home director.

• Emory Schley, 81, Star-Banner columnist.

• Mary Williams, 72, community leader and wife of the former Ocala Police Chief Sam Williams.

• Bob Wines, 79, owner of Bob Wines Nursery & Landscape and Camellia Garden.

Joe Callahan can be reached at (352) 817-1750 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeOcalaNews.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: COVID-19 vaccination push voted top Marion County story of 2021