metro - The Independent Florida Alligator

Metro

Mother and son arrested after bringing injured baby to Shands

Mar. 27, 2012

Gainesville Police arrested a mother and son after they brought a baby to the hospital with injuries more than a day old.

Metro

Sheriff’s Office to keep control of jail

By Adrianna Paidas | Mar. 27, 2012

Standing like a soldier reporting for duty, Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell waited as the County Commission decided her office would keep control of the county jail.

Metro

Plight of farmworkers highlight of National Farmworkers Awareness Week

By Brittany Ann Morrisey | Mar. 26, 2012

Gainesville-area residents can learn more about the plight of farmworkers at events put on as part of National Farmworkers Awareness Week.

Metro

Man killed friend in shooting

Mar. 26, 2012

Bob Harrington shot Allan Reimer three times soon after 7 p.m. Sunday, and Gainesville Police found Reimer, 51, dead at the scene.

Joey Feulner, owner and cook at Bella Donna's Italian Eatery, cooks 30 quarts of marinara, or "red," sauce.

Metro

Bella Donna's Italian Eatery opens in place of Gator Dawgs

By Adrianna Paidas | Mar. 25, 2012

Joey Feulner, his wife Jodi and their son Jacob opened the Italian eatery, located at 1023 W University Ave., on March 10 in hopes of serving their family’s Italian dishes to residents.

UF alumna Anh-Thu Nguyen, 23, plays cards with animal biology senior Chelsea Rence, 24, while waiting in line for the 3:10 a.m. showing of “The Hunger Games.”

Metro

Fans pack theaters for ‘The Hunger Games’ premiere

By Benjamin S. Brasch | Mar. 25, 2012

About 2,000 people turned out to see the premiere of "The Hunger Games." Some wore “mockingjay” pins and others donned District 12 T-shirts, showing off their fandom with tokens from the series.

Gainesville resident Crystal Sorrow, 34, sews up Zoe, one of the seven dolls she made at Wild Iris Books for the Comfort Doll Project, a national project that makes dolls for domestic abuse victims. "I wanted to make her cheerful so she would be a bright spot for a battered woman," Sorrow said.

Metro

Volunteers sew comfort dolls for domestic abuse victims

By Webb | Mar. 25, 2012

Eighteen people gathered at Wild Iris Books on Wednesday evening to make comfort dolls for women seeking haven in local domestic abuse shelters through the Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network.

Metro

Gainesville woman charged with breaking car windows

Mar. 25, 2012

Gainesville Police arrested Brittany N. Leisure, 23, of 8210 SW 95th Lane, at about 11:30 a.m. on charges of aggravated assault and criminal mischief after she smashed two windows of Anderson’s car.

Metro

RTS buses available to help runaway, displaced youth

By Lori Perry | Mar. 25, 2012

A safe place is just a bus ride away for abused and neglected teens and children, but so far, Gainesville youth have not asked bus drivers for help.

Metro

Participants ‘take it off’ for charity, get rained on

By Caitlin Hartley | Mar. 25, 2012

About 40 people stripped down to bikinis and boardshorts at the third annual “Taking It Off For Charity” strip poker tournament at University Commons on Saturday.

Metro

Gainesville man arrested on charges of procuring a minor for prostitution

By Chris Alcantara | Mar. 23, 2012

A Gainesville man was arrested Friday morning on charges of procuring a 13-year-old girl for prostitution.

Metro

Decision on alcohol laws in a downtown parking lot halted

By Adrianna Paidas | Mar. 23, 2012

The city has halted its decision to allow the sale and consumption of alcohol in a downtown parking lot.

Metro

Woman stabs three women during fight

Mar. 22, 2012

A Gainesville woman stabbed three women in the chest, back, arm, neck and head during a fight Wednesday night.

Metro

University of Florida chemistry department to focus on safety

Mar. 21, 2012

Three chemical incidents have called fire and police department officials to Sisler Hall in this school year, and the chemistry department is reacting.

Craig Brashier, planning project manager for Causseaux, Hewett, & Walpole, Inc., explains to the Gainesville planning committee details about the future rehab facility located at 4001 SW 13th St., which was formally a Residence Inn.

Metro

County planning commission moves forward with plans for rehab center

By Sarah Loftus | Mar. 21, 2012

A Shands plan to relocate a drug and alcohol rehab center to a vacant hotel overcame another hurdle Wednesday night.

Metro

Gainesville man arrested, charged with using credit card he found in parking lot

By Samantha Shavell | Mar. 21, 2012

A Gainesville man was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with using a credit card he found in a parking lot.

UF&Shands plans to turn a vacant Residence Inn, located at 4001 SW 13th St., into a drug- and alcohol- abuse treatment center. The project will cost UF&Shands between $3 million and $4 million and will also treat eating disorders.

Metro

New rehab center would draw national patients

By Adrianna Paidas | Mar. 20, 2012

A former hotel, once a sanctuary for travelers, may soon be a safe haven for people seeking treatment for drug and alcohol abuse.

Metro

Switching utility providers may not be possible for Alachua County

By Webb | Mar. 20, 2012

The Alachua County Commission’s hopes to switch from Gainesville Regional Utilities to another utility provider got a reality check from County Attorney David Wagner.

Metro

UPDATED: Gainesville man charged with shattering car window, breaking in to ex’s house

Mar. 20, 2012

During an argument with his ex-girlfriend, a Gainesville man shattered the woman’s car window, police said. Hours later, he tried to break into her house.

A user guesses the word "computer" from a drawing in the app “Draw Something,” which has been downloaded about 35 million times from the iTunes Store.

Metro

New smartphone application Draw Something gaining popularity

By Chris Alcantara | Mar. 20, 2012

Draw Something is the latest game to take the iPhone and Android application world by storm.