Ocala Gazette Favorite Pictures Of The Year – 2021

Hayven Ostanik, 14, grimaces as she receives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination from Laura Moffatt, a RN, at the Florida Department of Health in Marion County in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. The Department of Health is offering the COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment and also for walk-ins. The Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Janssen vaccinations are available on different days in addition to booster shots. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

Corey Taylor’s son, Kaiden, 9, holds the Bible for his father, as Taylor shakes hands with Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn after Taylor was sworn in as a Major during a swearing in ceremony for the Ocala Police Department at the First Baptist Church in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

“Ten years ago, who ever thought I’d be getting a hug from the Chief of Police,” said Mojo’s owner Ron “Rondo Fernandez, right, as he gets a hug from Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken, left, as first responders and volunteers look on during the Feeding The Fearless event at Mojo’s Grill and Catering on Southwest 17th Street in Ocala, Fla. on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. Mojo’s and dozens of volunteers worked to feed 1,420 first responders during the 6th annual event that started at Mojo’s. Volunteers then traveled all across Ocala and Marion County to deliver the food in their cars to the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Fire Rescue, Marion County Fire Rescue and Emergency Room health care workers in all of the hospitals in the area. Besides Mojo’s, some of the majors sponsors of the event were Cone Distributing, Coca Cola, Chick-fil-A and Chicken Salad Chick. The meals that were delivered were from Mojo’s and featured their Rajun Cajun Chicken Pasta with green beans and dinner rolls. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

North Marion players dog-pile on top of each other after they defeated Baker County 6-0 in the FHSAA Class 4A Region 1 final at North Marion High School in Sparr, Fla. on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

St. John’s River State College’s J.J. Sousa (9) scores as the College of Central Florida’s catcher Miguel Useche (13) looks for the out as the ball comes out of his glove on Sousa’s cleat during a baseball game at the College of Central Florida in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, April 19, 2021. The CF Patriots won the game 4-3. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

Third graders EchoGracie Harris, 9, Kailynn Berg, 9, and Braelin McCandless, 9, left to right, cry with their teacher, Rachel Burrage, second from right, on the last day of school as they say goodbye to her before the fifth graders walked out of the school for the last time at Eighth Street Elementary School in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. The students were crying because their teacher wasn’t coming back next year. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

An unidentified homeless man sleeps on sidewalk at the Chevron station on West Silver Spring Boulevard near I-75 in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

Susie Debose voices her disagreement with the fire assessment fee as her husband, Ozell, looks on during the Ocala City Council meeting at Ocala City Hall in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. The Ocala City council voted to approve the fire assessment fee during the meeting. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

Bleachers can be seen in the gymnasium as Tommy Amodeo of A&A Trucking and Excavating – The Art of Destruction, operates an excavator to demolish the gymnasium at the old Reddick High School in Reddick, Fla. on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. The 100-year-old school, which many residents in the rural community have considered a landmark, is being totally demolished. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

North Marion’s Chris Foster (1) pulls in a pass over West Florida’s Adrian Swanson (21) during a football game at North Marion High School in Citra, Fla. on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.