Metro - The Independent Florida Alligator

METRO

Gainesville tackles climate change and zero waste goal through green policy pursuit

By Alexandra Harris | Sep. 22, 2021

The City of Gainesville Zero Waste Subcommittee, a leg of the city commission, addressed the city’s zero waste goal and updates to its solid waste ordinance at a meeting Aug. 31. The initiative follows the principle of eliminating all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.

A worker is seen at the Alachua County monoclonal antibody site at the Fellowship Church in High Springs, Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021.

METRO

Monoclonal antibody treatment center supplies high hopes in High Springs

By Troy Myers | Sep. 20, 2021

The rollout of this treatment option was an initiative by Gov. Ron DeSantis, meant to give patients monoclonal antibodies without a prescription or referral.

METRO | BUSINESS

Gainesville spa brings luxury services to children

By Bryce Brown | Sep. 20, 2021

The spa provides girls, from toddlers to high schoolers, with a unique experience that owner and founder Edwennia Moore said will leave them feeling like a princess.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Man dies in crash after crossing Interstate 75 on foot

By Isabella Douglas | Sep. 20, 2021

The victim was struck twice on the interstate: first by a pickup truck driven and later by an unknown vehicle in a hit-and-run. Both vehicles were traveling south on I-75.

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

City cancels commission meeting after non-criminal threat, city clerk retracts resignation

By Meghan McGlone | Sep. 17, 2021

After a heated Monday commission meeting Gainesville activist Chanae Jackson made a Facebook post threatening City Commissioner Reina Saco, Gainesville Police Department spokesperson Graham Glover said. City manager Lee Feldman asked GPD to investigate the post, but the comments were not criminal threats. There are no criminal charges pending, Glover said, so it was a city decision to cancel the meeting.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Preschool teacher arrested and charged of sexually assaulting a minor Wednesday

By Isabella Douglas | Sep. 17, 2021

A Gainesville preschool teacher was arrested Wednesday after being accused of sexually assaulting a child younger than 12 years old at a daycare.

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

Alachua County suffers school bus driver shortage

By Emma Behrmann | Sep. 15, 2021

The ACPS website now includes a late bus tracker that lists which routes are late each day and states whether there was a driver in extreme delays.

Gainesville City Manager Lee Feldman attends a city commemoration of 9/11 at Reserve Park on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. There have been four resignations of city officials in the past four months — two of whom cited him as a reason for submitting their resignations after an investigation into his conduct. Feldman's termination will be discussed at a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021.

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Gainesville city manager resigns, GRU manager keeps position

By Meghan McGlone | Sep. 15, 2021

City manager Lee Feldman submitted his letter of resignation Sept. 13, and his last day in city hall will be Nov. 12. The Gainesville City Commission also discussed terminating Gainesville Regional Utilities general manager Ed Bielarski at the Sept. 13 meeting, but he will be keeping his job.

Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd of over 200 involved in a lawsuit filed against the City of Gainesville for mandating vaccines for city employees at Clark Plantation Wedding Venue in Newberry, Florida, on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021.

METRO | BREAKING NEWS

DeSantis and Florida Republicans support lawsuit against Gainesville employee vaccine mandate

By Jiselle Lee | Sep. 15, 2021

A crowd of more than 200 mostly maskless Gainesville city employees and their families donning “Make America Great Again” hats and shirts attended the event in support of a lawsuit attempting to reverse Gainesville’s vaccine mandate for city employees.

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Collard greens, strawberries and onions: Alachua County debuts plant program

By Meghan McGlone | Sep. 15, 2021

The Alachua County Commission announced its Plant of the Month Program Sept. 1 in a county newsletter. It aims to bring community members together and encourage county residents to grow their own food for their benefit. Alachua County Commissioner Mary Alford partnered with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Working Food, a local nonprofit, to plan her idea.

METRO | BREAKING NEWS

Buchholz High School student arrested for two counts of false bomb threats

By Isabella Douglas | Sep. 13, 2021

A Buchholz High School student was arrested by Alachua County Sheriff deputies Monday in connection with false bomb threats. The student could be charged with a second-degree felony with the potential to pay fines up to $10,000, Behl said.

The Gainesville Fire Rescue and Gainesville Police Department joint honor guard does a presentation of colors at Reserve Park on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. The three flags represent the city, state and country (from left to right).

METRO

Gainesville stands in unity for 20th anniversary 9/11 commemoration

By Faith Buckley | Sep. 13, 2021

Roughly 50 members of the Gainesville community came together at Reserve Park Sept. 11 and recognized those who were forever impacted by the day of Sept. 11, 2001, and the effects on our country thereafter.

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

Investigation continues into Buchholz High School bomb threats, campus security questioned

By Renee Hancock | Sep. 13, 2021

Buchholz is the largest public school in Alachua County, with more than 2,200 students. The string of recent false bomb threats at the school has led to work disruption, missed class time and curriculum setbacks for the thousands of students, teachers and parents involved.

METRO

Publicly-owned internet proposal coming to Gainesville City Commission

By Troy Myers | Sep. 13, 2021

Connected Gainesville advocates for accessible and high-speed internet for the community through publicly-owned internet to solve the digital divide — the gap between those with and without reliable technology and internet.

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Gainesville may terminate both its city and GRU managers

By Meghan McGlone | Sep. 13, 2021

The Gainesville City Commission will decide whether to terminate City Manager Lee Feldman at a meeting Thursday. Mayor Lauren Poe also asked Gainesville Regional Utilities General Manager Ed Bielarski to resign Friday.

METRO

Racial disparities at the forefront of Gainesville City Commission’s 10-year comprehensive plan

By Jiselle Lee | Sep. 13, 2021

Currently in planning, Imagine GNV is a state-mandated plan meant to reinvent the city over the next 10 years. The plan aims to guide the city on how it spends public funds and determine guidelines for residential areas, schools, cultural centers and infrastructure.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

One woman raped, another kidnapped blocks away from UF’s campus

By Isabella Douglas | Sep. 10, 2021

UF Public Safety sent out an email to students Friday after the Gainesville Police Department was notified of an attempted rape, assault, robbery and kidnapping around 12:15 a.m. and a rape and robbery at 3:30 a.m.

METRO

City of Gainesville attorney and clerk resign

By Meghan McGlone | Sep. 9, 2021

City attorney Nicolle Shalley and city clerk Omichele Gainey submitted written letters of resignation Wednesday. Shalley’s last day will be Nov. 12, and Gainey’s will be Oct. 8. In an email to the City Commission, Shalley wrote she will become Levy County’s attorney, but Gainey did not explain why she was resigning.

Miranda Carver Martin packs a bag with groceries for the Free Grocery Store at the Civic Media Center on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021. "I want to live in a world where people take care of each other," Martin said.

METRO | BUSINESS

What is mutual aid? Here’s how one Gainesville group takes part

By Troy Myers | Sep. 8, 2021

After closing in 2020, much of the CMC has been upkept by organizers who let volunteers run the mutual aid programs. Some of the CMC’s programs include the Free Grocery Store, Food Not Bombs and Gainesville Books to Prisoners, who use the courtyard for meetings and outdoor events.

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

Alachua County Public Schools parents and students lose structured online learning option

By Bryce Brown | Sep. 7, 2021

After a year of Alachua County Public School students having the choice to learn from home, parents now have one less remote option.