Restrictions on the Gainesville Police Department’s ability to enforce open container laws on city property gets further approval from most city commissioners
City hall is operational again after Gainesville Fire Rescue deemed most of the building clear of chemicals
Gainesville City Commission is implementing parking fee increases to create more spaces for drivers, reduce climate change effects and increase pedestrian safety.
Gainesville City Commissioners are considering accepting a deal to build a new supermarket in East Gainesville, but some community members feel they have been left out of the decision process.
Gainesville’s City Commission unanimously passed a motion that will notify residents of any future land development updates. The notifications would be sent to affected neighborhood associations and anyone who voluntarily signs up to receive them.
Residents of Suburban Heights successfully thwarted plans to build drive-thru businesses behind the neighborhood. But now, they’re worried about the potential for a large housing unit to go up instead.
Students from Gainesville and Duhok, Iraq, worked together on an art submission through a virtual exchange program.
Gov. DeSantis signed an executive order invalidating local emergency COVID-19 orders requiring masks and social distancing around the state, but Alachua County will not be affected by the change.
The mandate requires customers to wear masks in businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The commission also voted to add a section to the order barring county officials from asking residents for proof of vaccination.
Judge Stephan P. Mickle will now be known not only as a trailblazer for Black students at UF, but as the namesake for the Alachua County Courthouse.
Residents who have received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, can visit unvaccinated residents in private without wearing masks or socially distancing.
Johnson and Duncan-Walker, whose swearing-in ceremonies have not yet been planned, have continually fought against the construction of luxury student housing in the city’s historically Black neighborhoods.
In the tight race that some East Gainesville residents followed closely, Desmon Duncan-Walker replaced incumbent Gigi Simmons, who was elected in 2018, for the District 1 seat by just 119 ballots.
Gainesville residents will vote on two city commission seats Tuesday: District 1 and At-Large Seat B. Development in East Gainesville and public health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic are hot-button issues in the election.
Gigi Simmons faces Desmon Duncan-Walker in the March 16 municipal election to represent District 1, which encompasses most of East and downtown Gainesville. Some of the major issues currently facing the district are economic development, food insecurity and COVID-19 relief.
Residents and city leaders alike have expressed frustrations with Florida politicians and UF’s response to the pandemic. After UF reopened in the Fall, COVID-19 cases climbed and the university’s decision to return to in-person classes brought protests. But some residents agree Gainesville was better off than many other cities over the past year.
The city passed a similar ban last month, which raised concerns about the homeless population among experts and community members.
The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections sent an email Wednesday reminding voters of polling place changes for the election on March 16.
Voters can go in person to vote early from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at four locations: the Supervisor of Elections Office, the Millhopper Branch Library, the Reitz Union and the Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center.
Commissioner Gail Johnson, policy experts and community activists proposed a plan for the city to look into creating a community grocery store in East Gainesville, where several neighborhoods qualify as food deserts. The commission unanimously passed the plan.
Solutions by The State News
