The state of Florida executed 70-year-old James Hitchcock at 6:12 p.m. Thursday for the 1976 murder of his 13-year-old stepniece.
The state of Florida executed 58-year-old Chadwick Willacy at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday for the 1990 murder of his then-56-year-old next-door neighbor Marlys Sather, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
Florida’s legislative session ended March 13 with under 250 bills passing both chambers, a historic low. Several bills affecting Gainesville still have a chance to be signed at the governor’s desk, including a measure aiming to eliminate property taxes.
He was the fourth person to be executed in Florida this year, following a record-setting 2025 in which the state carried out 19 executions.
The state of Florida executed 66-year-old Melvin Trotter at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday for the murder and robbery of Manatee County grocery store owner Virgie Langford in 1986, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed a new member to the New College of Florida’s Board of Trustees: former UF football head coach Urban Meyer.
From February to August 2025, President Donald Trump’s approval among the young people who voted for him dropped by 23 percentage points.
Over the past six months, Gainesville-based psychologist Ashley Chin said more of her patients, ranging from college- to middle-aged adults, have expressed concerns about politics.
Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly has previously pledged allegiance to three different political parties. He entered Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial race in June as a Democrat to mixed reactions of celebration and chagrin.
As the owner of Sweetwater Organic Coffee Company in Gainesville, Pomeroy is one of many local business owners seeing smaller profits and less supplies since the Trump administration imposed sweeping tariffs in January.
With the Trump administration calling for the dismantling of the Department of Education and Florida’s teachers still struggling to make livable wages, Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, said the future of educators and student proficiency is uncertain.
With the Trump administration proposing new tax policies and tax cuts and Gov. Ron DeSantis calling for Florida’s property taxes to be abolished, taxpayers are left wondering how potential changes could impact their day-to-day lives.
While Alachua County residents celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President Donald Trump's return to the White House happened simultaneously.
As TikTok’s fate hangs in the balance, roughly 170 million users across the United States face the possibility of losing access to the app, which has become the focal point of a growing national security debate.
Across the ocean in Gainesville, a group of UF students are working to help Ukraine return to the normal it knew before Feb. 24, 2022.
In anticipation of Election Day, political analysts debated whether Gen Z could tip the partisan scales. Despite not having an official turnout number, some trends have begun to emerge among the newest demographic of voters.
In Alachua County, over 50% of registered voters have already cast their vote. According to the UF election lab, over 60 million citizens across America have voted as of Oct. 31.
One important and often confusing part of this year’s election cycle is the six constitutional amendments that voters can decide on which require 60% voter approval to pass into law. If approved, these amendments would become a permanent part of Florida’s state constitution and could not be bypassed by any act of legislation. Despite being non-partisan amendments, voters across Florida stand divided on each issue.
Oct. 7 marked the final day for new voter registrations in Florida for the Nov. 5 general election. Registration organizations sought to reach Gen Z, the youngest voting bloc, which has traditionally had low voter turnout.
Amendment 3, appearing on the general election ballot in November, would allow adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase or use marijuana products recreationally. In Alachua County, stakeholders have concerns over the potential impacts if the amendment gains citizen approval.
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