Ocala Star-Banner | www.ocala.com | Friday, September 11, 2020 A3 LOCAL&STATE

Memorial ceremony to resume By Andy Fillmore If you go these veterans." said Jef- Marion County Honor Dave Bice, of the Special to Ocala Star-Banner frey Askew, director of Guard will be on hand for Marine Corps USA TODAY NETWORK WHAT: Quarterly Memorial the Marion County Vet- Saturday’s ceremony. League Marion Ceremony eran Service Office and Bruce Lamoureux, a Detachment, A Quarterly Memorial WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday overseer of park. War veteran and rings a bell as ceremony at the Ocala- WHERE: Ocala-Marion Quarterly memorials chairman of the board of names are read Marion County Veterans County Veterans Memorial have been held for about the local chapter of the aloud during Memorial Park will be Park, 2601 E. Fort St., 12 years at the park. Local Vietnam War Veterans the held again on Saturday Ocala military and veterans of America organization, to honor the after the May edition groups, including the said his group will read deceased during was canceled due to the include the solemn read- Marine Corps League, the veterans' names aloud the Quarterly COVID-19 pandemic. ing of the names of all American , Vet- during the ceremony. Memorial The quarterly cer- Marion County veterans erans of Foreign Wars Lamoureux is also a ceremony in emonies typically are a who died during the first and several local honor member of the Patriot January 2019 chance for the public to two quarters of 2020. guards, have participated. Guard Riders, which pro- at the Ocala- honor local veterans who Guests will be accom- Lewis Alston, a Marine vides flag lines and escorts Marion County died in the previous three modated according to Corps veteran of the Viet- for veterans’ funerals. Veterans months. Saturday’s cer- CDC safety guidelines. nam War and a Purple Memorial Park emony is scheduled to "We want to honor Heart recipient, said the See CEREMONY, A8 in Ocala. [FILE] $2.7 billion A group eff ort state budget shortfall looms

By John Kennedy Florida through, based Sarasota Herald-Tribune largely on directions USA TODAY NETWORK from President . TALLAHASSEE — The state last faced Florida lawmakers similar financial trou- approved a three-year bles during the 2008 financial outlook for the housing collapse, when state Thursday that is its a $3.3 billion budget worst since the Great shortfall eventually led Recession, with a $2.7 to years of spending billion budget shortfall reductions and increases looming next year which in the state’s cigarette is certain to force cuts in tax, motor vehicle taxes schools, health care and and fees and courtroom social programs. charges. The Florida Consti- Tax and fee increases tution requires that the will be an option for Legislature formally lawmakers to consider adopt the three-year when they start work outlook annually. While on the budget next Thursday’s action year, along with a delay included no real dis- in tax breaks handed cussion of what should out to corporations and happen next to bring consumers, and with revenue and spending reductions in education into balance – which and health and human also is a constitutional services, the biggest mandate — the most spending areas. obvious path forward Sweeps of state trust includes spending funds are likely and CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion and Phoenix Rising YouthBuild program members lift and place the fi rst wall of the reductions. could yield $300 million Jimarie Cruz-Sanchez home as about 30 people took part in the Habitat for Humanity Marion County Inc. Raise The Wall The outlook amounts — with affordable hous- event in Silver Spring Shores Thursday. Over 250 homes have been built or rehabilitated locally since 1989 by Habitat to a trail map filled with ing and environmental for Humanity. [DOUG ENGLE PHOTOS/OCALA STAR BANNER] financial markers show- funds frequent targets ing how the coronavirus of the Republican-led sent Florida’s economy Legislature even in good into an abyss. years. A push could be “The big driver is soon underway again to clearly the pandemic,” enact a new gambling said Amy Baker, coordi- compact with the Semi- nator of the Legislature’s nole Tribe, which could Office of Economic and annually take in $350 Demographic Research, million for the state. which prepared the 132- “We assume you’ll page outlook. have a mixture of dif- The most jarring ferent things,” Baker number is the $2.7 bil- said of the balancing act lion shortfall in the facing lawmakers. 2021-22 year, followed The roots of the by forecasts that rev- sobering three-year enue comes up $1.9 forecast were seen just billion short the next a month ago, when state year and $1 billion under economists slashed a state needs in 2023-24. stunning $5.4 billion sets up the Legis- from expected state lature for an extended revenue over the next period of bare-bones two years, with tax col- Jimarie Cruz-Sanchez hammers the fi rst nail into her spending. lections cratering as home as about 30 people took part in the Habitat for And it also puts Gov. the coronavirus froze Darrell Wilkerson, with CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion Humanity Marion County Inc. Raise The Wall event for the Ron DeSantis on course tourism and forced con- and the Phoenix Rising YouthBuild program, writes a Cruz-Sanchez home in Silver Spring Shore on Thursday. to seek re-election in sumers to sharply message on one of the studs used in a wall after about The home, an 1,100-square-foot, three-bedroom and two- 2022 with the state still household spending. 30 people took part in the Raise The Wall event for the bath home will be built between 6 to 8 months. Jimarie awash in red ink from The state’s current Jimarie Cruz-Sanchez home in Silver Spring Shore on will be moving in with her two sons when the home is a COVID-19 crisis he Thursday. complete. is attempting the steer See BUDGET, A8 Spring Jobless claims down in Savings Florida as layoff s loom

By Jim Turner that ended Sept. 5, while The state peaked in News Service of Florida 884,000 new applications first-time claims when it were filed nationally – a received 506,670 during TALLAHASSEE — number that remained the week that ended April 3 Florida continues to see unchanged from the pre- 18, about a month after declines in first-time vious week. the pandemic caused unemployment claims, The state’s latest businesses to begin clos- even as the state braces number is down from an ing down or dramatically for permanent layoffs adjusted total of 45,590 scaling back. (352) over the next few months first-time claims during While the number of 433-2060 of workers –many in the week that ended claims has decreased in tourism and hospitality Aug. 29 and 51,647 recent weeks, the state jobs. claims during the week is anticipating at least All fixtures The U.S. Department of that ended Aug. 22. The 11,000 layoffs across supplied by Labor announced an esti- federal agency initially the state to become per- Hefner mated 36,541 first-time estimated Florida had manent between now Plumbing Co. unemployment claims in 39,335 claims during the Florida during the week week that ended Aug. 29. See JOBLESS, A8 2)26%