Crime · Ocala, FL
Two men were killed and a third person was taken into custody following a shooting at a home on SE 8th Street in Ocala, Florida, according to the Ocala Police Department. One man was found dead inside the home; the second died after being rushed to the hospital. Police described the incident as isolated with no ongoing public threat. Identities of the deceased and the person in custody had not been released at the time of reporting.
Local Business · The Villages, FL
Baum Financial Services, a 30-year-old financial planning firm with offices at Lake Sumter Landing and Spring Hill in The Villages, has abruptly closed operations. Founder Gerald Baum sent clients a closure letter without providing a specific reason, while two former associates launched Summit Wealth Management Advisors to serve former clients. The closure has raised concerns among elderly investors who placed funds in Arenal Hills, a Costa Rica property development marketed through Baum's firm, with payouts having stopped and no confirmed villas built. One investor's son reported his 82-year-old mother had $152,000 tied up in the venture, representing about one-third of her retirement portfolio.
