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ALACHUA COUNTY
Gainesville Fire Chief Joe Dixon resigns
By Natalie Kaufman | Sep. 7Dixon served as fire chief since March 2021.
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CITY COUNTY COMMISSION
Gainesville City Commission approves contract extension with homeless shelter
By Sofia Meyers | Sep. 6The one-year contract between the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry, Inc. and the City of Gainesville. would allot $1.5 million to GRACE Marketplace’s and an additional $350,000 to fund GRACE Marketplace’s supplemental emergency shelter.
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CITY COUNTY COMMISSION
Gainesville City Commission approves contract extension with homeless shelter
By Sofia Meyers | Sep. 6The one-year contract between the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry, Inc. and the City of Gainesville. would allot $1.5 million to GRACE Marketplace’s and an additional $350,000 to fund GRACE Marketplace’s supplemental emergency shelter.
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CITY COUNTY COMMISSION
Demands for Gainesville to divest from corporations heat up at City Hall
By Natalie Kaufman | Sep. 6Representatives from more than 60 local organizations gathered Thursday on the steps of Gainesville’s City Hall, demanding the city divest from weapons corporations supporting the Israeli Defense Force as the war in Gaza intensifies.
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CITY COUNTY COMMISSION
Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority to attempt to cancel referendum on November ballot
By Sofia Meyers | Sep. 5The referendum, slated to be on the November ballot, would give citizens the opportunity to decide if GRU should be controlled by the city, or by the state-appointed GRU Authority. GRU’s decision Wednesday could prevent the referendum from appearing on the ballot.
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ALACHUA COUNTY
Alachua County, UF in negotiations over new animal shelter on university property
By Julia Levi | Sep. 5Alachua County is negotiating with UF to build a new animal shelter on a 12.6-acre section of campus. The $3 million ground lease would allow Alachua County to occupy a section of the swine unit, situated two miles southwest of UF’s main campus.
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ALACHUA COUNTY
Alachua County divested from corporations, including pro-Israel ones. Is Gainesville next?
By Natalie Kaufman | Sep. 4On July 9, Alachua County commissioners unanimously voted in favor of an amended investment policy. Groups supporting the Palestinian cause remain unsatisfied, denouncing the City of Gainesville for failing to follow the county's lead.
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CITY COUNTY COMMISSION
Why downtown Gainesville parking changes are upsetting businesses and customers
By Sofia Meyers | Aug. 31Implemented over the summer, changes to parking rates in downtown Gainesville cause concern among business owners and customers.
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Florida executes ‘Ocala national forest killer’ convicted of murder of college student
By Carlos Alemany | Aug. 30Loran Kenstley Cole, 57, became the first person to be executed in Florida in 2024, marking the 13th execution this year and the 106th in Florida since the United States Supreme Court’s reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.
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CITY COUNTY COMMISSION
Alachua County Commission approves East Gainesville affordable housing
By Sofia Meyers | Aug. 28The goal of the East Gainesville Legacy Community Engagement Project is to build low maintenance, affordable housing at the market rate on the 13-acre property owned by the county. The project is also meant to decrease poverty and promote routes that are walkable for civilians and bicyclists.
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CITY COUNTY COMMISSION
La comunidad hispana local reflexiona sobre la pérdida de representación en el gobierno de Gainesville
By Eneida Escobar | Aug. 26Gainesville da la bienvenida a los funcionarios locales recién elegidos. Los miembros que forman parte y están involucrados en la comunidad hispana se encuentran reflexionando sobre lo que depara el futuro para su representación en la política local.
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ALACHUA COUNTY
Inflation rocked the Gainesville community. How are the locals faring?
By Natalie Kaufman | Aug. 26With financial assistance from the state hard to acquire, steady cost increases on essentials have caused many Alachua County residents to rein in their discretionary spending.
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CITY COUNTY COMMISSION
Local Hispanic community reflects on loss of representation in Gainesville government
By Eneida Escobar | Aug. 26Members part of and involved in the Hispanic community find themselves reflecting on what the future holds for their representation in local politics as new local government officials make their way to office.
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ALACHUA COUNTY
Alachua County School Board passes resource officer program
By Sara-James Ranta | Aug. 22The Alachua County School Board at its meeting Aug. 21 unanimously put funds toward four school resource officer programs.
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ALACHUA COUNTY
Meet your candidates for the Alachua County primary election
By Morgan Vanderlaan | Aug. 5The upcoming primary election season brings eight open seats and six competitive races in Alachua County.
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ALACHUA COUNTY
Equal Ground and partners address legislative voter suppression
By Sara-James Ranta | Aug. 5Equal Ground Education Fund, a Black-led voting rights organization aiming to increase civic engagement through voter education and preparedness, sponsored the event. Speakers shared information from multiple organizations, including the Alachua County NAACP, Social Justice Committee of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Gainesville Residents United and Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson, D-Gainesville.
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ALACHUA COUNTY
North Central Florida nonprofits receive state grants to address homelessness
By Sara-James Ranta | Aug. 5On July 30, TaskForce Fore Ending Homelessness allocated over $700,000 in state grant awards to Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry, Family Promise of Gainesville, Peaceful Paths, St. Francis House, Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Corporation, Another Way, Lee Conlee House and Catholic Charities Bureau.
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CITY COUNTY COMMISSION
Gainesville City Commission approves city funding for the Hippodrome Theater
By Morgan Vanderlaan | Aug. 3Following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ June veto of all requested state arts and culture funding, the City of Gainesville agreed to provide $150,000 for the Hippodrome Theatre’s operations in a six to one vote, with Commissioner Reina Saco dissenting.
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Gainesville man arrested on suspicion of possessing and distributing child pornography
By Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp | July 25The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cybertip from Kik, an online messaging app, on “child exploitation” May 29 related to a user under the name “jamestk91.” The tip included 18 pornographic videos depicting both pre-pubescent and pubescent minors shared in private chats from April 19 to April 22, according to the arrest report.
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Mount Olive Primitive Baptist Church pastor arrested on accusation of rape
By Lee Ann Anderson | July 24The Gainesville Police Department arrested a pastor Sunday on suspicion of raping his 15-year-old niece, who was booked into UF Health Shands Hospital for examination a day after the incident.
