Metro - The Independent Florida Alligator

METRO

Alachua County nears 175 confirmed COVID-19 cases; Florida cases surpass 18,900

By Alex DeLuca | Apr. 11, 2020

Seven new cases were reported in Alachua County today

Forty-nine shirts lined the walkway at Depot Park on Oct. 4, 2018, during the Domestic Violence Community Vigil and Clothesline Project Exhibit. The Clothesline Project began in 1990 and was created to honor survivors of domestic violence and educate others about the reality of abuse. The shirts were decorated by women and children who survived domestic violence.

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Domestic violence and child abuse rates expected to rise in county, state

By Grethel Aguila | Apr. 10, 2020

While data doesn’t currently show a significant increase, law enforcement anticipates a shift

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Town hall meeting addresses COVID-19 healthcare for homeless

By Sarah Mandile | Apr. 9, 2020

Gainesville is ranked within the top 30 Florida cities with the most cases of COVID-19

FILE - In this March 10, 2020, file photo Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., visits outside a polling location at Warren E. Bow Elementary School in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

METRO | POLITICS

Sanders drops 2020 bid, leaving Biden as likely nominee

By Will Weissert | Apr. 8, 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Bernie Sanders, who saw his once strong lead in the Democratic primary evaporate as the party's establishment lined swiftly up behind rival Joe Biden, ended his presidential bid on Wednesday, an acknowledgment that the former vice president is too far ahead for him to have any reasonable hope of catching up.

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

Alachua County Public Schools give out more than 130,000 free meals

By Samantha Chery | Apr. 7, 2020

The school district started distributing the meals March 30

METRO

Ginnie Springs shuts down following state’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order

By AJ Bafer | Apr. 7, 2020

People with April reservations are being offered full refunds

Changweng Deng, one of the donation organizers, unloads boxes of PPE from the back of a pickup truck on Thursday to donate to UF Health Shands Hospital. Everyone present at the donation observed social distancing guidelines by standing six feet apart and wearing facemasks to protect themselves from COVID-19, they told The Alligator.

METRO

Members of Chinese community donate medical supplies

By Kaelyn Cassidy | Apr. 5, 2020

Thousands of masks have been donated.

METRO

Alachua County’s COVID-19 cases reach 115; Florida cases jump to 11,000

By Alex DeLuca | Apr. 4, 2020

Gainesville has a total of 88 cases

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Authorities launch search for 2-year-old last seen in Gainesville

By Samia Lagmis | Apr. 1, 2020

King Crockett was last seen in the 7400 block of Newberry Road and I-75 in Gainesville wearing a black hoodie with a blue Superman logo, black shirt and blue jogging pants with a white stripe on the side, according to the alert.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference at C.B. Smith Park, Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. The park will be used for a drive thru COVID-19 testing facility. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

METRO

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issues COVID-19 30-day stay-at-home order

By Alyssa Feliciano | Apr. 1, 2020

Florida’s stay-at-home order due to COVID-19 will go into effect Thursday at midnight. Florida has almost 7,000 cases of COVID-19.

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

Tuesday COVID-19 updates: Alachua passes 80 cases; public schools closed until May

By Sarah Mandile and Valentina Botero | Mar. 31, 2020

UF fraternity and sorority members have also been directed to leave campus

METRO

Alachua County COVID-19 cases nearly reach 80

By Alex DeLuca | Mar. 30, 2020

The latest cases are all Florida residents

Shmueli Goldman, 13, and his relatives celebrate after he completes his recitation of Jewish law in both Yiddish and Hebrew. His family started dancing in a circle and continued dancing around the room.

METRO

Local bar mitzvah celebrated online because of social distancing due to COVID-19

By AJ Bafer | Mar. 29, 2020

The event was streamed on Zoom to hundreds of friends and family

METRO

Gainesville bars, restaurants temporarily forced to stop selling to-go cocktails

By Samantha Chery | Mar. 29, 2020

The agency’s orders contradicted Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order 20-71

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Gainesville police launch sexual battery investigation

By Samia Lagmis | Mar. 28, 2020

An unknown man offered the victim a ride before the incident

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

LIVE BLOG: Gainesville and Alachua County joint telephone town hall

By Grethel Aguila | Mar. 26, 2020

City and county officials collaborated to answer citizen's questions about the local effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic in a telephone town hall Thursday. The live tweets of the town hall by city commission reporter Grethel Aguila are as follows:

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, left, accompanied by White House Legislative Affairs Director Eric Ueland and acting White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, speaks with reporters as he walks to the offices of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

METRO | POLITICS

Trump, Congress agree on $2 trillion virus rescue bill

By Andrew Taylor | Mar. 25, 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House and Senate leaders of both parties announced agreement early Wednesday on unprecedented emergency legislation to rush sweeping aid to businesses, workers and a health care system slammed by the coronavirus pandemic.

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

Alachua County community to offer free lunches for children and young adults

By Samantha Chery | Mar. 24, 2020

The grab-and-go lunches will be given out until March 27

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Alachua County Commission discuss how stay-at-home order will be applied

By Sarah Mandile | Mar. 24, 2020

The emergency meeting was conducted over Zoom

Dr. Heather Gardner, a 29-year-old oncology intern at the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital, performs an exam on Anora, a greyhound with cancer.

METRO

Racing greyhound found running along I-75

By Sarah Mandile | Mar. 22, 2020

Deputies took the dog to UF Small Animal Hospital without any serious injuries