MediaUpdate

​According to Alachua County Fire Rescue officials, ACFR crews and Gainesville Fire Rescue crews responded to the fire in the area of 2516 Southeast 35th Street just after 1 a.m.

Watch the story​.​

​Early this morning, fire crews contained a fire to a shed and greenhouses, keeping it from spreading into brush and a nearby home.

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​An education about civics and civic involvement highlighted the information provided to young people during a four-week grant-funded program led by a nonprofit organization affiliated with one of the oldest Black churches in Gainesville.

The “Civics in Action: An Experience for Today’s Youth” program featured former and current elected officials and others educating 11 middle school- to college-aged students about the history of voting and civics in the U.S.

The program ended with a session on the evening of Nov. 10 at Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, founded on July 16, 1867, that featured local elected officials discussing politics and the importance of voting.

“It’s about voting, but we are not here to tell you who to vote for,” said Carolyn Cosby-Edwards, a member of Mount Pleasant, who wrote the grant proposal to Cox Charities, the charitable arm of Cox Communications Inc.​

​The grant was given to Vessels of Hope, a nonprofit organization affiliated with Mount Pleasant.

It is important for residents to be involved with the school district and individual schools, Tina Certain, an Alachua County School Board member, told the students and others attending the event.

​Each school has an advisory committee that must include at least one member of the community, Certain said.

She also said economic development in communities is affected by schools because investors look at factors such as school grades and Title I funding when determining where to invest in because it lets them know what kind of pool of potential employees they will have to choose from.

​Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward talked about how city government works and the importance of residents being involved with city government.

“The best way you can influence how we vote is for you to come and talk to us,” Ward said, adding that commission decisions are often influenced by residents who show up to commission meetings “time and time again.

​State Rep. Yvonne Hinson, D-Gainesville, talked about the state Legislature and how laws are passed. She encouraged the students to get involved with government and to let their ideas be known.

“Kids give me ideas about how laws can make their lives easier,” Hinson said.

The county commission has the privilege of working with a variety of sectors of governments, including local municipalities, state and federal agencies, said Alachua County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler.

​“It’s the best job I’ve ever had,” Wheeler said, adding that the county commission is working hard to lure more development and resources to the eastern part of the county.

Students participating in the program received a $400 stipend for completing the program that was paid for with a $5,000 grant from Cox Charities, said Aaron Green, a member of the church and one of the organizers of the program.

The program was designed to teach “young people about the importance of voting and the significance of not voting,” Green said.

The sessions included lessons about the history of voting in the U.S., and the struggle Blacks and women had to endure to get the right to vote, as well as presentations made by Kim Barton, Alachua County supervisor of elections and Elections Office spokesman Aaron Klein and Larry McDaniel, a founding member of the Alachua County Accountability Alliance of Alachua County, Green said.

“We wanted to develop a consciousness in the minds of the young people,” Green said. “I think, to a great extent, they were surprised at how Blacks and women had to struggle to get the right to vote.”

​With a current tendency led by conservative leaders to prohibit teaching history as it used to be taught in public schools, it is going to be up to others to educate the next generation about history, especially political history in the U.S., said Green, a former Gainesville mayor/commissioner.

“Teaching the history is very important, and churches must fill the gap,” Green said.

​The students participating in the program were Jewel Alexander, Ar'mani Benton, Camryn Campbell, Noah Frazier, Tierra Hinson-Mackey, Jamee Davis Mewborn, Ian Miller, Mackenzie Miller, Da'mari Walker and Christian Josiah Wims.

​North Central Florida families relying on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits may still struggle to put food on the table despite the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history expected to come to an end this week.

For the first time in the program’s 60-year history, SNAP benefits have lapsed since the Food Stamp Act of 1964. In response, Bread of the Mighty Food Bank launched an emergency program on Oct. 31 — just one day before payments were delayed — to support affected households. 

There are about 45,000 North Central Florida SNAP recipients, including 32,000 in Alachua County alone.

​Overseeing its operations, Bread of the Mighty Executive Director Patrick Dodds said the food bank utilizes a "hub and spoke model" in which the food bank uses its central facility in downtown Gainesville as the distribution center and then relies on 150 agency partners to provide the food to community members. Some partners include Grace Marketplace, Gainesville Community Ministry, Peaceful Paths to smaller churches like Mount Pleasant. 

​The agencies work to distribute food across Alachua, Union, Gilchrist and Levy counties,

Dodds said the nonprofit exists as an emergency response organization with “boots on the ground” after a natural disaster. He described the current situation as comparable to “a hurricane hitting the entire country,” adding that the surge in demand will force the food bank to purchase additional food. 

​"The deficiency and SNAP spending account for millions of dollars a month,” he said. 

Eligible SNAP recipients receive a monthly benefit if their income is less than 130% of the federal poverty line. For the current fiscal year, a maximum monthly benefit is $298 for an individual household and $546 for a two-person household. 

​About 70% of the food that comes through the distribution center is donated by grocery and retail stores like Publix, Walmart, Target and Winn-Dixie, while the remaining 30% is purchased by the food bank.

Dodds warned that reduced SNAP purchasing power will likely shrink grocery store inventories, further limiting donations. 

​Local municipalities and community organizations have donated a combined $325,000 to help Bread of the Mighty’s emergency program. Alachua County has donated $100,000 to the program, the Children’s Trust of Alachua County has donated $125,000, and $100,000 came from the city of Gainesville.

Even after the donations, Dodd said it is still not enough. 

​Dodds said in order to deal with North Central Florida's food insecurity, the food bank needs to distribute 18 million pounds of food annually. In 2024, the food bank was only able to deliver 6.2 million pounds across four counties, meeting only 34% of its goal.

Although the U.S. House is set to vote Nov. 12 on a funding package, Dodds cautioned that restoring benefits will take time due to administrative processes. Florida’s SNAP program benefits, managed by the Department of Children and Families and distributed by a third-party vendor, are not deposited instantly. 

​“I don't have a crystal ball, I can't tell you when, but it's likely to be another couple of weeks," Dodds said. "The reality is, for so many families who are recipients of SNAP, they're already barely scraping by. They're living paycheck to paycheck at best" 

​To support Bread of the Mighty, visit Donate — Bread of The Mighty Food Bank. 

​As part of the County’s $250 million 10-year plan, Alachua County Public Works will begin the resurfacing of Northeast/Northwest 156th Avenue on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025.

Read more​. ​

​Due to a minor sinkhole opening, the Alachua County Public Works Department announced an emergency road closure on SW 24th Avenue between SW 91st Street and SW 87th Way.

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​A "minor" sinkhole opened up Nov. 12 along Southwest 24th Avenue, just east of the roundabout at Southwest 91st Street in Gainesville.

​The roughly 2-foot-wide hole is about 3 feet from the eastbound traffic lane of Southwest 24th Avenue. It appears to be about 25 feet deep and about 5- to 6-feet wide in spots below the surface.

"It's what we call a chimney, and they are normal for that area," said Ramon Gavarrete, director of Alachua County Public Works.​

​Public Works announced via social media at about noon that Southwest 24th Avenue between Southwest 91st Street and SW 87th Way had been closed in both directions due to a "minor sinkhole."

Detour signs have been setup throughout the area. Driver should expect delays and use caution.

​As of 2:45 p.m., no work had been done to fix the hole. The sinkhole is marked with 10 oranges cones and a stake. Sidewalks remained open in both directions.

​"We're doing safety repairs today and tomorrow, so hopefully we'll be able to open it (the road) right now or tomorrow, but the permanent repairs are going to be made later," Gavarrete said.

​Gainesville and Alachua County leaders unveiled three new flagpoles at Veterans Memorial Park in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.

Watch the story​.​

​Hundreds of people braved the cold on Nov. 11 to honor current and former U.S. service members as part of the Alachua County Veterans Day Celebration.

The celebration, held at Veterans Memorial Park, 7400 SW 41st Place, Gainesville, was organized by the Veterans Memorial Committee. Attendees enjoyed breakfast, performances by the Fort Clark Middle School band and Gainesville High School’s drill team, and a skydiving demonstration before the formal program kicked off at 11 a.m.

Several organizations and support groups set up booths across the park to engage community members — who sipped hot coffee while bundled in heavy coats, beanies and knit scarves as they waited for the main event to begin.​

​Employees for the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Development and Civic Engagement Office (CDCE), which manages the department’s volunteer and donation program, hoped to recruit volunteers to serve at hospitals within the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System.

Tanita English served 12 years in the Navy. She worked at the U.S. Department of Defense, now called the Department of War, before becoming the program manager for CDCE and is passionate about her work.

​“I love it,” she said. “I get to see a different side of taking care of veterans that’s not directly linked to patient care —we provide those extras.” English’s office provides patients with necessities like food and clothing. They even throw parties for long-term patients.

Everything the VA’s CDCE provides for veterans comes from donations.

​The Gainesville Amateur Radio Society teaches community members of all ages how to use ham radios and Morse code. It’s a space where hobbyists can share technical skills and advice. They also provide communication services for the county during emergencies, including hurricanes. The organization usually sets up a booth at the Veterans Day Celebration.

​“We want to give back to the community, give tribute to veterans and educate people on about how to we can help strengthen our community,” society member Karyn Shander said.

The Veterans Memorial Committee, established in 1988, broke ground on the county's veterans memorial in 1992. It was completed and unveiled on Veterans Day 1993 and expanded with the addition of the Freedom Community Center.

​In 2016, the memorial was updated to include an exhibit honoring fallen soldiers who fought in foreign and domestic wars from the American Revolution to modern conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This year, the memorial received a new 50-foot American flag and two 35-foot flag poles, one for the Florida state flag and another for the Prisoners of War flag.

​Jay Robinson is the chair of the Veterans Memorial Committee and served in the military for 30 years, first in the Marine Corps and then in the Army National Guard. He’s glad that the event is not only a space for veterans but their families.

​“It’s a civic event for families to come and enjoy,” he said. It’s a celebration. It gets the community involved in Veterans Day which is a great thing.”