Metro - The Independent Florida Alligator

METRO

Gainesville officials ban conversion therapy for minors

By Jessica Giles | Apr. 8, 2018

Gainesville is now the first city in North Florida to ban conversion therapy for minors.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

GPD: Woman cuts, robs man at knifepoint

By Robert Lewis | Apr. 8, 2018

A Gainesville woman woke a man sleeping in his car and then cut and robbed him early Thursday, Gainesville Police said.

The Copper Monkey will be reopening April 23 in the Creekside Mall, located on 3501 SW Second Ave., in the old location of Mancini's Restaurant. It will have two stories, with bars both downstairs and upstairs as well as a banquet room.

METRO

Copper Monkey will reopen in Gainesville

By Carolina Watlington | Apr. 8, 2018

Copper Monkey is returning to Gainesville nearly a year after it was sold on eBay.

Politicians, including candidates for U.S. Rep. District 3, Florida Rep. District 21 and Florida Senate District 8, sat in at a town hall on gun law reform in the Reitz Union on Saturday. The event was organized by student group UF Stands with MSD, which is changing its name to Never Again UF.

METRO

Fact checking politicians’ claims about gun reform

By Amanda Rosa | Apr. 8, 2018

Jason Haeseler, a candidate for the Florida Representative seat in District 21, said Florida has the lowest funding for mental health resources of all states. This is mostly true. The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute says Florida is 51 out of 52 in the U.S., ahead of Puerto Rico. PolitiFact reported that the data used to make the ranking is based on money spent by Department of Children and Families’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Office and doesn’t include funding from other sources, like Medicaid.

METRO | POLITICS

Politicians hold town hall on gun reform

By Christina Morales | Apr. 8, 2018

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior Taryn Hibshman would’ve been in the Holocaust study class that Nikolas Cruz shot into on Valentine’s Day had she not left school early that day.

YouthBuild, a Gainesville non-profit, opened its new building, located at 635 NW 6th St. on Saturday. The organization helps young adults earn high school diplomas and receive affordable housing in the community.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Nonprofit that helps high school dropouts moves into new building

By Heaven Wilson | Apr. 8, 2018

A Gainesville nonprofit founded in 2009, held a grand opening and open house of its center Saturday.

The area is by apartments like Campus Lodge.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Deputies release name of man found shot to death on SW Williston Road

By Robert Lewis | Apr. 8, 2018

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office released the name of the man shot and killed on Southwest Williston Road on Friday.

Professor Christopher S. Parker shares his research on why President Donald Trump won the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

METRO | POLITICS

Professor says fear of changing America convinced Trump supporters

By Amber Bond | Apr. 6, 2018

A professor who claims to be one of the few to have foreseen President Donald Trump would win the 2016 presidential election visited UF.

METRO

Oaks Mall Plaza to be sold this month

By Rachel Porter | Apr. 5, 2018

The Oaks Mall Plaza will be sold on April 26, according to a notice of sale the U.S. Bank National Association submitted to the Alachua County Circuit Court.

METRO

Kilwins chocolate store to open in Gainesville

By Robert Lewis | Apr. 5, 2018

To Emily Fradet, Kilwins means Christmas.

Noam Bilitzer, 25, a 2011 graduate of the Institute of Culinary Arts at Eastside High School, won the title “Chopped Champion” and $10,000 on Food Network's “Chopped” episode that premiered Tuesday.

METRO

Eastside High School alumnus wins on Food Network show

By Sabrina Conza | Apr. 5, 2018

Noam Bilitzer’s mom was shocked when she turned on the TV and saw her son live his childhood dream.

METRO

Alter Ego Fitness donating equipment to YMCA

By Nicole Cruz | Apr. 5, 2018

Steve Szanca received a call in March from a man saying he had some equipment to donate to the North Central Florida YMCA.

Vera Mathews (left) holds Nate, and Yvette Mathews holds Bella as they pose for a photo at St. Francis Pet Care.

METRO

St. Francis Pet Care to build new clinic to meet demand

By Jessica Giles | Apr. 5, 2018

With 800 cats and dogs running around, St. Francis Pet Care is organized chaos.

A student carries a clear backpack outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Monday, April 2, 2018. The bags are one of a number of security measures the school district has enacted as a result of the Feb. 14 shooting at the school that killed 17.

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

High school students voice concerns with school safety

By Elliott Nasby | Apr. 5, 2018

Brandon Shavers knows what loss feels like after his friend took her life a year ago.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

GPD arrests man after he fled a traffic stop a week ago

By Robert Lewis | Apr. 4, 2018

An Archer man was arrested Tuesday, a week after he drove away from a traffic stop and told officers he used a razor blade to cut crack cocaine, Gainesville Police said.

METRO

Sen. Keith Perry tells UF students he’ll work to add on-campus early voting polls

By Romy Ellenbogen | Apr. 4, 2018

State Sen. Keith Perry (District 8, Republican) said he will make it his job to bring early voting locations to colleges and universities as he and other local politicians debated how to get college students to vote early.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

GPD: 10 shots fired in apartment complex, no fatalities

By Robert Lewis | Apr. 3, 2018

Gainesville Police are investigating an attempted homicide between a boyfriend and girlfriend that took place on Sunday.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

GPD partners with company to answer mental health calls

By Jessica Giles | Apr. 3, 2018

A new partnership between Gainesville Police Department and Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, a health care provider, will change how police responds to calls involving a mental health crisis.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

GPD to review, change policy on handling non-citizens

By Robert Lewis | Apr. 3, 2018

The Gainesville Police Department released a statement Tuesday morning saying it will work to revise its policy for dealing with non-citizens.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

GPD: Guatemalan national kicked girlfriend, kept her from leaving apartment

By Robert Lewis | Apr. 2, 2018

Gainesville Police is investigating the immigration status of the Guatemalan nationals involved in an arrest Sunday.