Many students who grew up in Florida know that an incoming hurricane almost always grants days off from school. Now that UF students live in their own spaces, they opt to throw “hurricane parties” to pass time.
Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm roughly 90 miles west of Gainesville at Keaton Beach 8 a.m. Aug. 29. While initially predicted to bring large wind and rain to Alachua County, the area was mostly spared. The UF campus in Gainesville experienced only downed tree limbs and minor building leaks, UF Spokesperson Florida Bridgewater-Alford said.
As concerned Gainesville residents spent last week huddled around their TVs to follow Hurricane Idalia's path, first responders prepared for the worst. Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm in Florida's Big Bend region Aug. 30. Although earlier projections predicted a direct hit to Gainesville, cities such as Cedar Key, Steinhatchee and Perry suffered the brunt of the storm's 125 mph winds and 7-foot water surges.
The No. 8 Florida Gators (4-0) swept the No. 5 Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-2) 3-0 in their first home match of the season at the Stephen O’Connell Center Sunday afternoon.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived at the Gainesville Regional Airport at around 1 p.m. Saturday to address damages in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia.
A local drug trafficking organization known as “Billy Blood” was dismantled by the Gainesville Police Department’s Drug Task Force unit. The organization was responsible for selling fentanyl, cocaine, molly, marijuana and prescription medications, according to a GPD press release.
Buchholz High School was ranked No. 54 best high school in Florida and No. 1 in Alachua County Public Schools by US News & World Report for the 2023-2024 school year. The school was also ranked No. 822 out of 17,680 public high schools in the country, putting it in the top 5%.
Florida men’s basketball sophomore forward Aleks Szymczyk will miss 10 to 12 weeks of action after he broke his foot in practice Tuesday, according to Chris Harry, senior writer for the Florida Gators.
The Florida Gators (0-1) fell to the Utes (1-0) 24-11 in Rice-Eccles Stadium Thursday night to open their 2023 football season. The Gators failed to convert in the clutch and ended just 1-13 on third-down conversions.
A Gainesville man led police on a high speed chase — endangering a woman who flew out of his car — after police received a domestic violence call Wednesday.
When he wasn’t jumping from planes as an 82nd Airborne lieutenant, the Gainesville native, history buff and diehard Gators football fan served as a Gainesville city commissioner and mayor-commissioner from 1985 to 1988, followed by two terms in the Florida House from 1988 to 1992. During his time in office, he championed natural resource protection and gun safety legislation. He died Aug. 21.
UF campus will reopen and classes will resume Thursday following Hurricane Idalia, according to an email sent to students Wednesday afternoon.
The Gators open the 2023 season with a daunting road trip to the No. 14 Utes. This is Florida’s first regular season game west of Texas since a 1983 trip to the University of Southern California. And like those Trojans 40 years ago, Utah will provide an early litmus test for UF.
The No. 8 Florida Gators (3-0) swept the No. 2 Stanford Cardinal (2-1) 3-0 Tuesday night. The team traveled to Palo Alto, California, for game three of the Tampa Bay Invitational.
Residents of mobile and manufactured homes, substandard housing and flood-prone areas are under mandatory evacuation, according to Alachua County information about Hurricane Idalia.
This season’s matchup in Salt Lake City looks set to be another competitive game. I connected with Sean Overton, the sports editor of the Daily Utah Chronicle, to get his thoughts on the week one matchup in 2023’s first Know Your Enemy.
Gainesville’s three movie theaters — Regal Celebration Pointe, Royal Park and Butler Town Center — celebrated National Cinema Day Sunday with $4 tickets for all movies and showtimes and discounted snack prices. The theaters even brought back several classic films for the day, such as the award-winning “Lady Bird,” “Jurassic Park,” “Coraline” and “American Graffiti.”
A Gainesville man led police on a high-speed chase through the city, resulting in his arrest at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday, according to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office police report. Police also found drugs.
City officials held a press conference at 5:30 p.m. Monday to discuss city operations and provide safety tips about flooding and power outages as Tropical Storm Idalia approaches the west coast of Florida. Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward was joined by City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut, city manager Cynthia Curry, city attorney Dan Nee, Gainesville Regional Utilities general manager Tony Cunningham and a handful of the city’s emergency response team.
Metcalfe Elementary School will become the 37th site to offer free meals to students on campus after school beginning Sept. 5. The After School Meal Program, or supper program, feeds students during after-school activities.
Solutions by The State News
