MediaUpdate

​​More than two dozen firefighters from several other agencies including Alachua County Fire Rescue, Newberry, High Springs Police Department, and Duke Energy helped put out the fire.Watch the story.​

​​The county opened the newly acquired Watermelon Pond Preserve for a guided hike, allowing people to explore land that many had never seen before.

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​The heart of Alachua County is beating a little stronger, as Alachua County Firefighters stepped out of the firehouse and into the kitchen, for an amazing cause.

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​Earlier in November, Alachua County commissioners approved $200,000 in funding to expand food distribution in the county.

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​In 2022, voters went a step further and approved a full penny, 10-year extension of the WSPP surtax referendum, adding a second-half penny for roads and affordable housing. Generating roughly $500 million before the surtax sunsets in 2032, the surtax revenues are split between Alachua County and its municipalities.

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​Bread of the Mighty Food Bank received $100,000 from both the city of Gainesville and Alachua County for its emergency food program, along with a planned contribution by Children’s Trust of Alachua County and community member donations.

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​The Alachua County Health Department has issued a rabies alert for an area near High Springs.

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​An application for a controversial development along the edge of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park has been withdrawn.

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​Alachua County has notified Alachua County Public Schools that banners facing the street violate the County’s sign codes.

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​The Alachua County Public Works Department announces that SW 24th Avenue between SW 91st Street and SW 87th Way reopened today. The road was closed due to the opening of a minor sinkhole. The sidewalk south of SW 24th Avenue will remain closed. Pedestrians should follow the provided sidewalk detour

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​The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County (DOH-Alachua) is issuing a rabies alert in Alachua County in response to a confirmed case of rabies in a stray kitten that was found in an area west of High Springs off of County Road 236 on November 6, 2025. DOH-Alachua is monitoring rabies among wild animals in the area. All residents and visitors should be aware that rabies is currently present in the wild animal population.

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​Ag Literacy Day is one of many 4-H In School programs available to teachers throughout Alachua County. Other programs include Embryology, School Gardens, All About Snakes, Public Speaking, and multiple environmental education activities. These programs are free to all teachers in the county. In 2025, over 4,000 students benefited from 4-H In School programming in Alachua County.

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​Multiple fire agencies responded to a wildland fire in Southwest Alachua County on Wednesday afternoon and extinguished a blaze that involved a barn containing hay.

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​Alachua County firefighters put out a wildland fire in Southwest Alachua County Wednesday afternoon.

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​In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, most Alachua County government offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 27–28, with the exception of emergency services and residential waste/recycling services.

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​Fire crews contained a fast-moving wildland fire in the southwest part of Alachua County this afternoon.

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​Earlier this month, Commissioners approved $200,000 in emergency funding to expand food distribution across the county, with half of the funds targeted for providing fresh fruits and vegetables. The County is utilizing multiple resources to distribute this food to families in need.

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​​​Tara April is one piece of a five-prong development plan that includes more than 1,000 homes and commercial components. The project has received intense scrutiny from Alachua residents and the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners, who set aside $1 million in 2024 for any lawsuits and legal experts needed to oppose the project. ​

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​Alachua County issued a burn ban on Tuesday after indicators placed the county at risk for wildland fire spread. The ban will last for the next seven days.  

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​Alachua County Fire Chief, Harold Theus, says the burn ban is in place due to dry conditions and the cool snap North Central Florida saw last week.

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​County staff and expert birders Adam and Gina Kent will lead participants through the 136-acre preserve, located on County Road 337 (SW 282nd St.) near 11070 SW 118th Place in Newberry. Because the property has no formal trailhead, hikers should look for staff and event signs along the roadside.

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​he Alachua County Crisis Center invites residents to the “Survivors of Suicide Loss Day Vigil” on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, at 10 a.m. at the Judy Broward Survivors of Suicide Loss Memory Garden at Cofrin Nature Park (4810 NW 8th Ave., Gainesville).

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​After reviewing Alachua County’s current wildland fire conditions and in consultation with the Florida Forest Service, a mandatory county-wide burn ban has been issued. The burn ban will remain in effect until November 25, 2025.

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