Metro - The Independent Florida Alligator

Alachua County residents show up to vote in the Florida primaries at the Reitz Union Sunday evening.

METRO

Early voting sites taking extra measures in midst of coronavirus

By Anna Wilder | Mar. 11, 2020

4,700 people have voted early so far this year

Crew members swab down Florida's House floor at the state Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., Monday, March 9, 2020, after several members voluntarily submitted themselves for testing of a new strain of coronavirus. The Florida House abruptly recessed Monday afternoon and cleared public galleries after several of its members agreed to be tested for the new strain of coronavirus after recently attending a political event in Washington where one attendee tested positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Bobby Caina Calvan)

METRO

Virus threat: Florida governor declares state of emergency

By Caina Calvan | Mar. 9, 2020

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Swift-moving developments over the new coronavirus ricocheted across Florida's Capitol as Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday and lawmakers disrupted their legislative session so crews in surgical gowns could swab down the House chambers.

METRO | POLITICS

What you need to know about Florida’s presidential primaries

By Alyssa Feliciano | Mar. 9, 2020

Floridians will help decide on the nominees for the Democratic and Republican presidential elections. Election day for the state’s presidential primary is March 17, but early voting is going on until Saturday. Florida is a closed-primary state, which means voters can only vote for candidates in their registered party. Gainesville voters can elect city commissioners, regardless of party.

Residents pictured are gathered around the lid of the coffin of Rose ‘Granny’ McDonald-Loston. They wrote notes to her and tied them onto the lid. She was buried after the service at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, located at 7204 County Road 234.

METRO

‘She chose to be Granny’: Remembering Rose McDonald-Loston

By Stephany Matat | Mar. 8, 2020

More than 100 people attended the vigil

METRO | POLITICS

UF students exposed to coronavirus at pro-Israel conference

By Grethel Aguila | Mar. 8, 2020

U.S. and Israeli officials were also in attendance

METRO

UF graduate tours Florida counties as Teacher of the Year

By Hope Dean | Mar. 8, 2020

He focuses on music education

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Robbery reported outside Campus Walk Apartments

By Sarah Mandile | Mar. 8, 2020

Police said the victim was knocked down and had their wallet and cash stolen

Esther Gianan, of Tampa, a retired registered nurse, prays for those who are affected by the coronavirus during Mass at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Tampa, Fla., Friday, March 6, 2020. (Octavio Jones/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

METRO

Florida: 2 dead in the state who tested positive for virus

By Adriana Gomez Licon | Mar. 6, 2020

MIAMI (AP) — Two people who tested positive for the new coronavirus have died in Florida, marking the first deaths on the East Coast attributed to the outbreak in the U.S., health officials said Friday.

A voter makes her choice during the Democratic Presidential primary voting Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

METRO

Super Tuesday at Oak Hammock celebrates a woman’s right to vote

By Tristan Wood | Mar. 5, 2020

Nearly 40 invited officials were at the event

The first memorial service for "Granny" took place Tuesday at Bo Diddley Plaza. City Commissioner David Arreola attended the service and posted this photo on Facebook with the caption, "Granny's babies came to say goodbye."

METRO

‘It's a staggering loss for the community’: Gainesville honors the life of hit-and-run victim known as 'Granny'

By Alex DeLuca | Mar. 5, 2020

A second memorial service will be held Friday at Bo Diddley Plaza

METRO

Human Rights Coalition hosts community ID drive

By Tristan Wood | Mar. 5, 2020

Drive is meant to help immigrants, elderly and LGTBQ+ community

Nestor Garcia, a 21-year-old industrial engineer major, attends the early voting session on Oct. 22, 2018, at the J. Wayne Reitz Union to vote for the first time.

METRO

Gainesville residents can request to vote by mail

By Stephany Matat | Mar. 2, 2020

More than 23,000 voters have registered to vote by mail

In this Feb. 21, 2020 photo, a doctor in a protective suit checks with patients at a temporary hospital at Tazihu gymnasium in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province. Florida's governor disclosed late Sunday, March 1, that a few people had become the first in his state to test "presumptively positive" for COVID-19 and ordered his top health officer to declare a statewide public health emergency. (Chinatopix via AP)

METRO

Florida has two confirmed cases of new coronavirus

By Tamara Lush | Mar. 2, 2020

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida officials tried to reassure residents Monday that the risk posed by a new strain of coronavirus remained low, despite revelations that two people had become the first in the state to test positive for the virus.