1 - The Independent Florida Alligator

The new shop is expected to open by June. [Photo courtesy of Butler Enterprises]

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is coming to Butler Plaza

By Kristin Bausch | Feb. 22, 2021

The Italian ice shop is expected to open by June.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

We Don’t Care Who You Vote For, Just Vote

Feb. 22, 2021

We want to see SG elections that are representative of the student population. The first step to reaching that goal is extremely simple: the mobilization of students to vote in SG elections.

Alex Klausner, drummer for local band Rehasher, founded Upbeat GNV as a passion project amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE AVENUE | MUSIC

Upbeat GNV launches free mental health programs to support Gainesville music scene

By Valeriya Antonshchuk | Feb. 22, 2021

Registration is now open for the upcoming musician-focused group therapy.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Is UF Doing Enough For Its Black Students?

Feb. 22, 2021

Over the summer, UF President Kent Fuchs shared his plan to combat racism on campus in an email entitled, “Another step toward positive change against racism.” However, if this was truly ‘another’ positive change against racism, what was the positive change before this anti-racism plan?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Amid the pandemic, gratitude

Feb. 22, 2021

COVID-19 has proven to be difficult and exhausting. However, there is nothing more encouraging to me than knowing the hard work of our faculty and staff is making a real difference and that our students are persisting and excelling.

All libraries except for Library West, which is one of two 24-hour spaces on campus, will resume their usual hours from prior to COVID-19 closures upon reopening in August.

NEWS | CAMPUS

UF plans to loosen COVID-19 restrictions starting in Summer B

By Juliana Ferrie | Feb. 22, 2021

Some of UF’s face-to-face courses, which begin June 28, will return back to normal capacity levels, according to an email sent to a course scheduling listserv from Colin Yokomi, UF’s assistant university registrar, and several departments across campus. It is unclear if masking will still be mandatory and which courses this will affect.

Executive candidates for Change Party, Gator Party and Keg Party

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Meet the candidates running for the Spring 2021 executive ticket

By Sofia Echeverry and Carolina Ilvento | Feb. 22, 2021

Gator, Change and Keg Party have candidates running for Student Body president, vice president and treasurer positions.

Spring 2021 Student Government Polling Locations

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT GOVERNMENT

UF student voter guide to the SG Spring election

By Carolina Ilvento | Feb. 22, 2021

Students can vote at the Reitz Union Computer Lab, the Social Lounge at Southwest Recreation Center, the Broward Hall Recreation Room, the Murphree Area Office Conference Room, the Springs Office Conference Room or the Cypress Meeting Room.

Alachua County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler, 69, (right) and her granddaughter Tashayla Downer, 8, (left) fill a jar with soil to honor Andrew Ford at the Gainesville Soil Collection Ceremony on Feb. 20, 2021. Ford was lynched in Gainesville on Aug. 24, 1891, according to a pamphlet from the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project.

METRO

Gainesville’s first soil collection ceremony memorializes city’s lynching victims

By Alan Halaly and Emil Munksgaard Grosen | Feb. 22, 2021

About 100 community members, Gainesville residents and local officials gathered Saturday for a soil collection ceremony planned by the Gainesville Subcommittee of the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project and the Equal Justice Initiative at the Alachua County Administration Building.

Denise Garcia and Jeffery Davis wear face masks in downtown Gainesville.

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Gainesville City Commission drops proposal of a mask mandate in local businesses

By Jack Prator | Feb. 22, 2021

On Jan. 4, the commission approved the drafting of an emergency order to enforce mask-wearing inside businesses. The order would have required patrons to stay seated while eating and drinking in bars and clubs, similar to a Hillsborough County order from December.

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Gainesville City Commission responds to traffic safety concerns

By Jack Prator | Feb. 22, 2021

Commissioners believe there are a number of immediate changes that can be made to stretches of the state highway inside the city, such as lowering the speed limit, equipping sidewalks with better lighting and increasing traffic enforcement. In order to move forward with some of these changes, the commission is wrestling for control over the road with the Florida Department of Transportation.