1 - The Independent Florida Alligator

METRO

Alachua County buys Serenola Forest for $3.2 million

By Josephine Fuller | Jan. 7, 2019

The 111-acre forest will likely feature accessible trails, observation platforms and more.

METRO

Gainesville prepares to implement Amendment 4

By Karina Elwood | Jan. 7, 2019

Felons will be able to register to vote on Tuesday.

FILE - This Aug. 15, 2017, file photo shows an arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen in New York.

METRO

Newberry mayor fights against teen opioid addiction in county

By Karina Elwood | Jan. 7, 2019

In 2016, Alachua County ranked second in the state for opioid addiction among adolescents.

A girl stares out the window of an Alachua County school bus on West University Avenue.

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

Study finds discrimination among special needs applicants in charter schools

By Kelly Hayes | Jan. 7, 2019

The study sent 6,452 emails to schools in 29 states and Washington D.C.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Proposed bill could ban texting while driving

By Kelly Hayes | Jan. 7, 2019

It will go into effect Oct. 1 if passed.

During his lunch hour, 26-year-old UF chemical engineering doctoral student Virat Upadhyay serves himself Krishna Lunch using their new to-go containers. Krishna staff has started using the containers in order to help keep food servings — and customers — warm.

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Gainesville City Commission is stepping closer to banning plastic

By Karina Elwood | Jan. 7, 2019

The law would ban the use of plastic bags and foam containers.

NEWS | SFC

Santa Fe College president announces retirement

By Lakshmi Gomez | Jan. 7, 2019

Jackson Sasser has served as president for 17 years.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Man arrested after identifying as 'your mama'

By Katherine Wallace-Fernandez | Jan. 7, 2019

He was charged with resisting an officer without violence.

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Two men accused of punching delivery driver for pizza

By Katherine Wallace-Fernandez | Jan. 6, 2019

Police arrested two men Friday accused of stealing a $23 pizza.

Since the 2009-2010 school year, the number of on-campus scooter decals bought dropped by about 4 percent, according to UF’s Transportation and Parking Services.

NEWS | CAMPUS

Parking garage construction closes part of commuter lot

By Tien Le | Jan. 6, 2019

Four UF student and faculty decal types will have relocated parking.

METRO

Donuts, bubble tea and burgers: The Gainesville restaurants opening in 2019

By Kelly Hayes | Jan. 6, 2019

A local bar closed after five years.

Jimmy Toney, the 45-year-old pastor of The Pentecostals of Gainesville, leads a vigil for the victims of the I-75 accident last Thursday. People filled the church Sunday evening to support the families of the victims and pray for their recovery. “They’ve been stuck in hospitals with doom and gloom and death,” Toney said. “I just think it meant the world.” // Chris Day, The Alligator

METRO

Church remembers I-75 victims

By Katherine Wallace-Fernandez | Jan. 6, 2019

About 400 people attended the vigil.

The Week 15 AP Poll for college football featured eight SEC teams in the Top 25, three of which were in the top 10 (No. 1 Alabama, No. 6 Georgia, No. 10 Florida).

SPORTS | COLUMNS

SEC bias? Nope, just dominance

By Kyle Wood | Jan. 6, 2019

The Southeastern Conference is the best conference in college football, and it’s not particularly close. Those who disagree with that sentiment, apart from not knowing college football, would likely label it “SEC bias.” This is a term often used by fans of teams from other conferences that feel spurned by ESPN, the College Football Playoff Committee, AP Voters or anyone else that they can point a finger at in defiance instead of realizing that the SEC is simply better than the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, Pac-12 (I shouldn’t even have to say that at this point) and yes, the American as well.

Coach Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators currently have the nation's No. 11 recruiting class according to 247Sports. The incoming class is the fifth-highest in the Southeastern Conference.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Gators gather sneaky-good incoming recruiting class

By Mark Stine | Jan. 6, 2019

Coach Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators ended 2018 on a sweet note with a decisive victory over Michigan at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, but they welcomed 2019 with an equally chipper attitude toward their incoming recruiting class.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

Introducing the Spring 2019 Alligator sports staff

By Jake Dreilinger | Jan. 6, 2019

The confetti has fallen. The stands are empty.

A last-second, full-court heave to South Carolina forward Chris Silva helped the Gamecocks earn a 71-69 win over the Gators on Saturday at the O'Connell Center.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Loss to South Carolina highlights Florida’s shortcomings

By Tyler Nettuno | Jan. 6, 2019

The Gators men’s basketball team finished its non-conference schedule in a respectable manner. UF squandered an opportunity to upset No. 8 Michigan State, but it took care of business against Mercer and Florida Gulf Coast before manhandling Butler on Dec. 29.

Trey Burton played in every game of the season, racking up 54 receptions for 569 yards and six touchdowns.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Gators in the NFL: 2018 Season Review

By Bryan Matamoros | Jan. 6, 2019

A total of 45 former Gators were on 24 NFL teams by the end of the 2018 regular season.

Sophomore Alyssa Baumann earned First-Team All-America and All-SEC honors in her freshman campaign with the Gators.

SPORTS | GYMNASTICS

National title aspirations no stretch heading into UF’s 2019 campaign

By River Wells | Jan. 6, 2019

Since UF gymnastics took home the NCAA title three years in a row from 2013-2015, it has made repeated trips deep into the postseason, reaching the Super Six twice.

Rhoel Dinglasan, UF associate professor of infectious diseases and leader of the project which developed the Saliva-based Malaria Asymptomatic Asexual Rapid Test device, sits next to one of his agilent mass spectrometers which was used to gather data. Courtesy to The Alligator.

NEWS

UF professor develops tool to test for malaria using saliva

By Samuel Schaffer | Jan. 6, 2019

The tool may be on the market in 2020.

“You have to learn that in the SEC when you get punched you can’t flinch, you can’t falter,” said Gators women's basketball coach Cam Newbauer. “We just kinda flinched a little bit at the wrong time and got away from what our game plan was.”

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida falls to Auburn in second-straight conference loss

By Sam Campisano | Jan. 6, 2019

The Florida women’s basketball team needed big performances from its two leading-scorers in Funda Nakkasoglu and Delicia Washington to win on Sunday. They didn’t deliver.

El Caimán