BUSINESS BRIEFS: Airport taxiway, broadband expansion and new residency program

Marion County Parks & Recreation held a groundbreaking ceremony on June 24 for the future Taxiway A at Marion County Airport X35. [Photo courtesy Marion County]

New taxiway for Marion County Airport

Marion County Parks & Recreation held a groundbreaking ceremony on June 24 for the future Taxiway A at Marion County Airport X35.

The airport is located at 14968 SW 110th St., Dunnellon. The project includes construction of a new 35-foot-wide taxiway parallel to Runway 5-23, with updated grading, drainage, lighting, signage and markings.

Parks & Recreation leadership, Commission Chair Kathy Bryant, Dunnellon Mayor Walter Green, members of Marion County Administration, representatives of the Ocala/Marion County Chamber and Economic Partnership and others were present for the ceremony.

The Federal Aviation Administration and Florida Department of Transportation provided 98% of the total project cost. Other partners include CWR Contracting and Hoyle-Tanner and Associates, the engineer of record.

Spectrum expands service

Spectrum has completed construction projects that expanded broadband service in Marion County. In addition to Spectrum Internet, the company will provide mobile, TV and voice services.

Spectrum’s multi-year rural construction initiatives are driven by more than $7 billion in private investment from Spectrum and will ultimately add an additional 100,000+ miles of fiber-optic network infrastructure and deliver symmetrical and multi-gigabit speed internet access to more than 1.7 million new locations across the country, the news release noted.

Spectrum recently awarded United Way of Marion County a $30,000 Spectrum Digital Education Grant to further its digital education initiatives.

SMA Healthcare residency program

SMA Healthcare has launched a new residency program to help address a need for psychiatrists in Central Florida. The residency has been slotted for 10 positions per year, for the first four years, and the first class started July 1.

The accredited SMA Healthcare Psychiatric Residency Program is a four-year education and training program for medical school graduates to prepare them for work in the field of psychiatry. Upon receiving accreditation, SMA Healthcare interviewed and selected the inaugural class of residents.

During their training, they will work in SMA programs. They will begin with crisis services in Volusia and Marion counties and complete rotations in programs across SMA’s six-county area, including in neurology and family medicine with HCA Florida Ocala Hospital.