About 40 people came together to remember those who had lost their lives to transphobic violence worldwide. The annual vigil at Bo Diddley Plaza was hosted by TranQuility, Unspoken Treasure Society, UF LGBTQ Affairs, Pride Community Center of North Central Florida and UF Pride Student Union.
ACPS hosted the event at Eastside High School instead of the usual venue, Buchholz High School. The change of location was meant to tackle disproportionate success and representation among minority students in Alachua County, College & Career Pathways Director Shannon Ritter said .
Neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote, which resulted in a necessary runoff election on Jan. 25. Chestnut received 46% of the votes, with a 560 lead over Howland, who received 41%. More than 13% of the nearly 90,000 eligible Gainesville voters turned out in the election, according to the Supervisor of Elections Office.
The event targeted Black voters in Gainesville and featured many performances, including gospel singer Keyla Richardson as well as speeches from candidates, city commissioners and other community leaders.
More than 100 people attended the event, which lasted from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. State Sen. Keith Perry made a brief appearance, and Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe made a short, two-minute speech.
The Alachua County School Board voted 3-2 on Wednesday to allow parents to opt their students out of masking from Nov. 12 to Dec. 17. The board also voted to make masking completely optional for students of all grade levels after winter break. The decision is consistent with State Department of Education and State Department of Health requirements.
As of Sunday, almost 8,000 ballots have been cast according to the Supervisor of Elections Office — representing about 8.8% of total eligible voters in Gainesville. More than 6,000 of the ballots have been mailed in.
The Downtown Gainesville Strategic Plan process began last fall when city management and elected officials met to create ways to improve the city.
To honor National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, Oak Hammock Retirement Community at UF hosted a Music & Memory event Nov. 5. The organization uses music to help residents recall specific memories linked to songs that span across every era and genre.
Lightner, a 72-year-old Gainesville resident, united with his half-sister Linda Crosby, a 77-year-old Flagler Beach native, for the first time Nov. 3.
James Dinh, an artist from Los Angeles, spoke at the Veterans Day concert at Evergreen Cemetery.
Antonio Murray, 21, had a warrant for invading a home in Marion County at gunpoint, ACSO spokesperson Art Forgey said. He was booked at Alachua County Jail Monday with a $25,000 bond.
Early voting for the special election begins Nov. 12 and ends Nov. 14, and registered Gainesville residents can vote at the Alachua Supervisor of Elections Office or the Millhopper Branch Library from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
After passing a unanimous vote at a meeting Thursday, city commissioners voted in favor of adding Southern Poverty Law Center and Jenner & Block firm as outside counsel. The commission also voted to add other cities as plaintiffs.
On Wednesday, the City Commission amended its meeting’s consent agenda, which means a motion can pass without discussion. They added one controversial item: the approval of a multi-year event at Depot Park to celebrate one of Gainesville’s Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, Tom Petty.
Swarthy East GNV, a new organization aiming to bring a grocery and retail store supporting local Black-owned farms and businesses to the east side of the city, hosted the first Revolution Before Evolution Festival.
Hundreds of people attended the event, where guitar players, cello players and Egyptian-style belly dancers performed, accompanying artists who exhibited paintings, pottery, sculptures, jewelry, clothing, caricatures, water fountains and wind chimes.
Declan Lott-Kelley, 23, was charged with driving with a suspended license, the death of Audrey Cheves and causing serious bodily injury to her mother, Melissa, all while driving under the influence, a Gainesville Police Department arrest warrant read.
Eric Ramos started RamosStrong Motivational Group Inc. to help K-12 students gain a strong education despite difficult circumstances in their lives.
Members of the Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion committee presented data and recent initiatives on National Immigrants Day to improve immigrant relations in the city.
Solutions by The State News
