Boukari Law, P.A.

 PLACE YOUR LEGAL NOTICES HERE

18
Sat, Oct
621 New Articles

In The Spotlight

The spirit of the 1950s came alive in downtown Newberry as the Newberry Main Street Organization (NMSO) hosted its Third Annual Fabulous 50’s Festival on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. / Photo special to Alachua County Today

Local

The construction of Newberry’s new City Hall nears completion. Photo by Alachua County Today Staff Photographer

Local

High Springs Commissioner Robert Chad Howell, center, was honored as the 2025 High Springs Hero during the Sept. 22 City Commission meeting. Joining him for the recognition are, from left, Vice Mayor Andrew Miller, Mayor Tristan Grunder, Commissioner Wayne Bloodsworth Jr. and Commissioner Katherine Weitz. / Photo special to Alachua County Today

Local

More News

Photo special to Alachua County Today

Depicted is an artistic rendering of the “Market on Main” as it could appear in the grassy area along Alachua's Main Street. / Rendering by Alachua County Today staff

City and business leaders join Hector Fundora, center right, for a ribbon cutting celebrating the opening of Fundora Jewelry in Rolling Oaks Plaza on Sept. 4 in Alachua. The event marked the city’s first jewelry store and included remarks from local officials, music and refreshments./ Photo Special to Alachua County Today

The Cleather H. Hathcock, Sr. Community Center in Alachua shows its age as city leaders plan for a replacement. / Alachua County Today Staff Photographer

Photo special to Alachua County Today

Photo special to Alachua County Today

Top Stories

Grid List

Local

Local

View Comments

~ The following is a press release provided by the City of Gainesville. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2025) – While tens of thousands of Gator fans arrive in Gainesville to attend the slate of weekend events marking this year’s University of Florida Homecoming, dozens of city employees are working behind the scenes to keep the celebration safe, clean and moving.

“Homecoming unites our city and university in a celebration of pride and tradition,” said Gainesville Mayor Harvey L. Ward. “Every City of Gainesville employee who works this event—whether managing traffic, directing buses, patrolling streets or responding to emergencies—helps show what community partnership looks like in action.”

 

In this case, the action begins late Thursday and early Friday, as City of Gainesville Public Works crews start installing barricades, signage and message boards along 27 streets in advance of Gator Gallop and the UF Homecoming Parade. The parade route covers two of Gainesville’s busiest thoroughfares—University Avenue and 13th Street—making the closures at cross streets a substantial operation. To ensure safety as crowds begin to gather Friday morning, officers from the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) remain on location to direct traffic and provide security.

 

Also in the picture is Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR), which works alongside UF Emergency Management and other partner agencies to monitor events and coordinate any necessary emergency response. For injuries or medical incidents, GFR keeps two of the city’s Mobile Response Units (MRUs) on standby. Each is staffed with an EMT and a paramedic and will be stationed near high-traffic areas during the parade, Gator Growl and Saturday’s matchup against Mississippi State.

 

“Homecoming is one of Gainesville’s great traditions, and it takes teamwork at every level,” said Gainesville Fire Chief Shawn Hillhouse. “Our first responders consider it a privilege to help create an environment where students, alumni and all Gator fans can celebrate safely, and we appreciate our partners across the community who make that possible.”

 

Along with supporting parade safety, Gainesville’s first responders are proud to appear in the lineup, as well. The GPD Honor Guard and Motorcycle Unit will roll at the front of the parade, joined by representatives from fellow Alachua County law enforcement agencies to demonstrate their collaborative commitment to community safety. GFR will appear with two of the department’s heavy vehicles—a tower truck and a hazmat truck—carrying the UF Dazzlers and Cheerleaders.

 

After the festivities are over, Gainesville’s Public Works Department reappears to immediately deploy the city’s sweepers, dump trucks and loaders to clear debris and reopen streets. Two teams of 20 staff members walk each side of the route, removing litter, trash and recycling containers, and the portable signs, barricades and other temporary traffic control devices. This is a large-scale effort and the cost is one indicator of the labor involved. In 2024, Public Works devoted more than $44,000 in staff hours, equipment and materials to supporting the parade, a cost repaid to the city by the parade organizer, Florida Blue Key.

 

As the calendar flips to Saturday, the entire process begins again as GPD, GFR and Public Works close the roads and provide security for Game Day. To assist with traffic and parking, the city’s Regional Transit System (RTS) supplies roundtrip GatorAider shuttle service for fans to travel to and from campus. Park-and-ride stops include the UF Health Professional Park at 3300 SW Williston Road; 3450 Hull Road; and Celebration Pointe. Tickets are required to ride. For more information, visit RTS GatorAider.

 

It’s no surprise the city organization is filled with Gator fans who celebrate alongside our university community. Memories will be made, friends will reunite, and the City of Gainesville is here for it. From the first barricade going up to the last fan stepping off an RTS shuttle after the big game, city departments will pull out all the stops to make sure every Gator fan has a safe, happy and (hopefully) triumphant Homecoming in the City of Gainesville.  

Photo special to Alachua County Today

Local

View Comments

MICANOPY — Local artists are invited to capture the natural beauty of Alachua County’s landscapes during a plein air painting session hosted by the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (EPD) at Barr Hammock Levy Loop on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, from 2 to 6 p.m.

The free outdoor event encourages painters to set up their easels amid one of the county’s most scenic conservation areas. Participants are asked to bring their own art supplies, though a limited number of chairs and community art materials will be available.

Organizers advise attendees to dress for the weather, wear comfortable clothing, and bring sunscreen and at least one liter of drinking water. There are no restroom facilities on-site.

The plein air event is part of a season-long celebration marking the 25th anniversary of Alachua County Forever, the county’s land conservation program. Established in 2000, the program has preserved thousands of acres of environmentally significant lands through partnerships and public investment. To commemorate the milestone, EPD is hosting a series of field trips and community events leading up to an anniversary celebration in December.

Artists and community members can learn more about the Alachua County Forever program and upcoming anniversary events through the county’s website.

Those wishing to participate in the Nov. 2 session should RSVP by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For additional details, contact Environmental Specialist Milo Neelands at 352-451-7818.

#     #     #

email editor@

alachuatoday.com

Local

View Comments

~ The following is a press release provided by Alachua County on Oct. 17, 2025. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

With all the discussion happening across Florida about local government budgets, Alachua County is joining the conversation through this series: Cents & Sensibility: Alachua County’s Budget in Eight Chapters.

Chapter 2: What is the General Fund

 Every year, Alachua County builds a budget that helps keep our community running smoothly. At the heart of this effort is the general fund, the county’s primary operating fund, which pays for essential/core government services that residents rely on every day.

 Read Chapter 2: What is the General Fund in full.

 Read Chapter 1: How You Shape the County Budget.

 

For more information, contact Alachua County Communications Director Mark Sexton at 352-264-6979 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Local

View Comments

~ The following is a press release provided by the Gainesville Fine Arts Association. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

 An Artistic Game of Chance and Collective Creativity

Gainesville, FL – On October 30th, 2025, the Gainesville Fine Arts Association will take their support for artistic creativity to a new level - with an old game - that promises inspiration, intrigue and satisfaction for the community’s collective passion for creativity.

Exquisite Corpse Art-A-Thon is a collaborative art-making game developed by Surrealist artists in the 1920s. Each artist adds to the piece without seeing the whole work - only a small portion of the previous section is visible as a guide. The artwork is passed from one artist to the next, creating unexpected juxtapositions and dreamlike compositions as each adds their own vision. The process celebrates chance and collective creativity. There will be 8 large pieces, with three artists working on each one. 

Beginning October 28th, the artists will set up in front of GFAA Gallery, 1314 S. Main Street, Gainesville, and each artist will have 24 hours to complete their assigned section. Just like a marathon, you can directly support each artist by sponsoring their specific fundraising page. All proceeds raised will go to the artist (30%) and to our nonprofit programming here at GFAA (70%). Donation portal is https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/peer-to-peer/exquisite-corpse-art-a-thon.

Overview:

From Tuesday to Thursday, October 28 to 30th, 2025, twenty-four artists will take over GFAA to participate in Exquisite Corpse Art-A-Thon, an artistic game of chance and collective creativity to inspire the community to sponsor the local artists involved as well as GFAA’s work to promote and encourage local artists. Public viewing of the artists creating is from 11am to 4pm each day.

Details:

Twenty-four artists will be working on eight 3 x 6.5 ft panels. Works will be revealed on Halloween night, October 31st at 7:30pm during Gainesville's Artwalk from 7pm to 10pm and auctioned at a Silent Auction with bidding through Small Business Saturday, November 29th, during GFAA's first 'MADE Art Market.' Exquisite Corpse bidding will close and winners announced at 4 pm. 

IMPORTANT DATES:

  • Watch the artists at work on October 28th– 30thfrom 11am to 4pm at GFAA
  • See the big reveal on Halloween evening, Friday, October 31stat 7:30pm, (Art Walk Artist Reception will also be held from 7pm to10pm) at GFAA
  • Exquisite Corpse exhibit on view with silent auction bidding open from October 31st – November 29th, 2025
  • Silent auction bidding closes: November 29th, at 4pm (during MADE: Art Market, 11am - 5pm) at GFAA


All exhibitions are free and open to the public. If interested, volunteers are needed to assist in the artists’ hospitality. Contact Katy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

This project is funded in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County, the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture and the State of Florida, the City of Gainesville, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department and the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.

EXQUISITE CORPSE ART-A-THON

An Artistic Game of Chance and Collective Creativity

The Artists

 

Work #1:

Lexi Braun

Ursa Johnson

April Burk Clark

 

 Work #2:

Avery Oquinn

 Arianna Leon

Charis Cochran

 

Work #3:

Daniel Horak

Frank Curtis

Frank Barone

Work #4:

Sarit Sela

Heidi M. Stein

Michelle Nagri

Work #5:

Lisa Klug

Sylvia McIntyre-Crook

Stephanie Perez

Work #6:

  1. Shannon Sweeney

Linda McVay

Jasmine Laska

Work #7:

Mandy St. Peter

Cheryl Russell

Andrew Hix

Work #8:

 Ryan Griffin

Brian Moody

Peter Senesac

Local

View Comments

~ The following is a press release provided by the Alzheimer's Association. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

Event is Oct. 23 at the Gainesville Circus Center.

October 15, 2025 — The Children’s Trust of Alachua County and the Gainesville Circus Center invite community members to a fun and interactive celebration of Lights on Afterschool, a nation-wide event that brings awareness to the importance of safe and engaging afterschool programs. The Oct. 23rd event will be hosted at the Gainesville Circus Center and kicks off at 4:00 p.m.

“The Children’s Trust of Alachua County is excited to sponsor Lights on Afterschool to highlight the role afterschool programs play in the community,” said Marsha Kiner, executive director of the Children’s Trust. “Afterschool programs are a vital extension of the school day. They provide children with safe, structured environments where they can continue learning, explore new interests, and build important life skills. When we invest in afterschool, we’re investing in the future of our community.”

Lights On Afterschool is a national celebration dedicated to promoting the accessibility of afterschool programs to all families and children. This event highlights the valuable opportunities and benefits that afterschool programs provide to children, as well as their families and the community at large.

The Children’s Trust of Alachua County funds seven afterschool programs in Alachua County, serving children in grades K-12.

One of those programs, the Gainesville Circus Center, takes afterschool engagement to new heights with their unique and creative programming. Dr. Corey Cheval, director and founder, shares, “Gainesville Circus Center looks forward to showcasing the youth artists in our program. This feat would not be possible without our on-going partnership with the Children's Trust. We invite families to discover all this community has to offer for kids afterschool!” Circus Center students will be both performing and engaging families with hands-on circus activities at the event. Learn to juggle, enjoy free food, bounce, craft, and play at this year’s Lights on Afterschool at the Gainesville Circus Center!

WHAT: Lights On Afterschool

WHEN: Oct. 23, 4:00 -6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Gainesville Circus Center, 1925 Northwest 2nd Street, Gainesville, FL 32609

COST: Free

“Lights on Afterschool is just one opportunity we have to celebrate all that our afterschool providers give to our community,” Kiner said. “By keeping kids safe, supporting working parents, and fostering the next generation of leaders, these programs create a positive impact that reaches every corner of our community. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our afterschool providers, whose commitment and care make these outcomes a reality.”

Photo by Mark Ebey / Special to Alachua County Today

Local

View Comments

~ The following is a press release provided by the Alzheimer's Association. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

GAINESVILLE, Fla., October 14, 2025  –  Nearly 1,000 Gainesville-area residents gathered Saturday at Trinity United Methodist Church for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s, raising funds and awareness for a disease that affects more than 12% of Floridians age 65 and older.

Participants walked through the church grounds carrying colorful flowers that symbolized their personal connection to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Blue flowers represented those living with the disease, yellow honored caregivers, purple remembered loved ones lost, and orange showed support for a future without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.

Gainesville resident Allie Jaffe carried a yellow flower in honor of her mother, who is living with Alzheimer’s. The diagnosis, she said, came as a shock to the family.

“This was devastating to me as my mom has always been the pillar of strength in our family,” Jaffe said. “She is still my mom, but not the mom from years past. I can still make her laugh, and that’s a good day.”

More than 7 million Americans are currently estimated to be living with Alzheimer’s, a progressive brain disease that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Florida has the second-highest number of residents living with the disease, making local support and fundraising efforts vital.

Walk Chair Christina Ebey said she walks in honor of many loved ones impacted by Alzheimer’s, including her grandmother and aunt, and the recent advances in treatment.

“I walk because every step brings us closer to hope, awareness and a cure,” Ebey said.

Continued funding for research has led to new FDA-approved treatments that can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. For the first time, families have hope for more time with their loved ones. However, these treatments are available only in the early stages of the disease, underscoring the importance of early diagnosis.

"This Walk is so important because it brings our community together to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and the impact it has on families every day,” said Ritchie Pickron, development manager for Walk to End Alzheimer's Gainesville. “By participating in this event, we’re not only funding critical research and treatments, but also helping people recognize the warning signs and understand where to turn for help. Awareness is the first step toward earlier diagnosis, better support, and ultimately, a cure.”

The event was nationally presented by Edward Jones. To date, participants have raised more than $113,000 to benefit care, support, research, advocacy and awareness initiatives through the Alzheimer’s Association Central and North Florida Chapter.

Donations are being accepted through Dec. 31 at alz.org/GainesvilleWalk. 

Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®

The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk®; now the Alzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s. 

Alzheimer's Association®

The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900. 

State

State

View Comments

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida prosecutor’s office in Tampa is defending its controversial and unexpected decision to drop a felony criminal case against the man accused of tying his bull terrier dog to a fence in rising waters and abandoning it along Interstate 75 amid an evacuation ahead of a major hurricane.

The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office, led by Suzy Lopez, said it lacked witnesses and sufficient evidence to win a conviction on a felony aggravated animal cruelty charge in a trial. The case involved “Trooper,” the dog renamed after the Florida Highway Patrol officer who rescued him.

“While this case stirs many emotions and even ethical questions, we do not have a good-faith basis to continue this prosecution,” the state attorney’s office said. 

The prosecutor’s office filed paperwork Wednesday to drop its case against Giovanny Aldama Garcia, 24, of Ruskin, Florida. Aldama Garcia had told an investigator he had been trying for months to get rid of the dog, which he had named Jumbo, and left the dog on the side of I-75 as he and his mother evacuated Florida’s west coast ahead of Hurricane Milton, court records said. 

The case made national news. Gov. Ron DeSantis called the dog’s treatment “unacceptable” and said the state would hold the dog’s owner accountable. Lopez, the state prosecutor, chimed in, too, and said she couldn’t fathom tying a pet to a fence in such conditions.

In a new one-page memorandum circulated Friday, Lopez’s office said that during trial preparations it became clear there weren’t witnesses or evidence to prove that Aldama Garcia had tied the dog to the fence in rising waters.

The memo said video from the highway patrol showed the dog’s collar was stuck on the fence, and a witness earlier had seen the dog loose near the interstate. It said Aldama Garcia and his mother said the dog was becoming stressed and aggressive during their drive and the dog jumped from the car when they stopped to deal with the situation.

“The facts as depicted in the video and the statements do not support the theory that the dog was attached to the fence in an intentional manner,” the memo said. It added: “A failure to locate the dog during an emergency evacuation does not equate to a criminal failure to act.” 

A legal expert on animal cruelty laws and co-creator of Florida’s Animal Cruelty Taskforce, Adam Stern, said prosecutors would have needed to prove that Aldama Garcia caused the dog either death or injury – which include physical trauma or neglect.

He said in some cases, aggravated animal cruelty charges can be hard to prove without tangible, physical evidence. No case is ever as straightforward as it seems, he said. 

“There's always going to be a monkey wrench that something comes up, that there's a new piece of evidence or there is a small piece that's missing,” he said. “In some cases, there's evidence to exonerate somebody because they didn't do it and it was somebody else, or it was an accident.”

Stern has been involved as a legal expert in thousands of animal cruelty cases, including ones where animals have been tethered to dog houses with rising flood waters then drowned.

By law, that would be aggravated animal cruelty, he said. The case in Tampa was different, according to the new prosecutor’s memo, which said there was no evidence that Trooper was deliberately tied to a fence.

The highway patrol video of the dog’s rescue went viral. The officer wrote in his arrest warrant that he was responding to a 911 call that a dog had been abandoned and tied to a post. The dog can be seen in water levels up to his chest, trembling and shaking. Investigators later interviewed Aldama Garcia after he showed up at an animal shelter to recover the dog.

“The defendant stated he observed the dog in standing water in heavy rain during a hurricane evacuation and left him behind,” the trooper wrote in the arrest report.

A press release from the prosecutor’s office in October 2024 announcing the criminal case against Aldama Garcia also had described the dog as “tied up.” 

Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, asked Friday under Florida’s public records law for a copy of the trooper’s body cam video and any recorded interview between investigators and Aldama Garcia. The prosecutor’s office said it would cost $686 to review and turn over.

Trooper’s new owner, Frank Spina of Parkland in South Florida, said Lopez called him to personally deliver the news of the dropped case earlier this week. He said she cited a language barrier between Aldama Garcia and investigating officers along with a lack of evidence as reasoning.

He was fuming. 

Spina said that just two months ago, the state attorney’s office considered this their most important case, only to drop it at a whim. 

“You’re going to have a tough time when you've got to talk to Ron [DeSantis] and Casey [DeSantis] and say you're ditching this case,” he said in an interview Thursday night. 

“In my opinion, this was a high-profile case that everybody was watching,” he said. “They were afraid to lose it on TV.”

___

State

View Comments
GAINESVILLE, FL  — The excitement was palpable as University of Florida leadership, corporate partners and state officials gathered for the unveiling of the country’s fastest university-owned supercomputer Tuesday at the institution’s East Campus, officially launching the next generation of the groundbreaking HiPerGator system.

The event marks the latest milestone in the university’s artificial intelligence initiative, which began in 2020 and serves as a national model for harnessing AI to build America’s future workforce and boost the country’s national competitiveness. 

Elias G. Eldayrie, senior vice president and chief information officer, welcomed more than 125 guests to the ceremony, including representatives from UF’s Board of Trustees and cabinet, NVIDIA and U.S. Representative Kat Cammack. 

Student groups showcased how they use AI at the university, providing a living demonstration of the system’s power. Attendees saw AI in action, from the Swamp Launch Rocket Team’s aircrafts to the Gator Motor Sports vehicle to the award-winning UF Steel Bridge and the research of iGEM, the world’s premier synthetic biology competition. 

“As Florida’s flagship university, UF has embraced a bold and audacious vision: to be the nation’s AI university. Our commitment to AI is not just promoting economic growth across the state and giving our students the tools they need to be America’s next generation of leaders,” said UF Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini. “It’s also protecting lives, preserving resources, feeding the world, improving health outcomes, and making Florida stronger, safer and better prepared for tomorrow.”

HiPerGator representatives gave tours of the updated machine, including a replacement of the NVIDIA DGX A100 “Ampere” SuperPOD from 2020 with a DGX B200 “Blackwell” SuperPOD, which measures 30 times faster than the previous HiPerGator generation. 

The $33 million purchase is a highly anticipated step in a long-standing engagement between NVIDIA and UF that has resulted in a comprehensive push to integrate AI education and research across every academic discipline at UF. 

A team of about a dozen experts installed the 63 NVIDIA DGX B200 nodes, with each 8 NVIDIA Blackwell graphics processing units (GPUs), for a total of 504 GPUs.

HiPerGator recently ranked No. 3 in the world for speed (how quickly it responds to an AI question) and No. 4 for efficiency (how many AI questions it can handle at once), according to the standard MLCommons benchmark. 

“Every part of this university is a playground for AI,” said UF Interim President Donald W. Landry. “This land-grant institution has succeeded in what we want to see across the state… The combination of vision, partnership and dedication leads us to this moment.”

UF’s extraordinary computing infrastructure has played a key role in the university’s reputation, faculty recruitment and retention, and fast-rising research prowess. This upgrade of UF’s supercomputer continues the evolution from HiPerGator 1.0 (2013-2021) to HiPerGator 2.0 (2015) to HiPerGator 3.0 and HiPerGator AI (2021), each version faster and more powerful than the last.

More than 60% of UF’s $1.33 billion annual budget for research goes toward projects that rely on HiPerGator.

With more than 100 new AI faculty and 230 AI and data science courses, HiPerGator’s exceptional computational capabilities support a wide range of teaching and research advances in areas from engineering and medicine to history and astronomy. In the past year, the system supported nearly 7,000 users from across the Southeast. One service enabled by HiPerGator is NaviGator AI, which offers UF faculty, students and staff access to more than 40 large language models to experiment with generative AI. 

“What this group of folks and leadership has done represents a model that is going to transform the nation,” UF alumnus and NVIDIA cofounder Chris Malachowsky, a key partner and donor in UF’s sweeping initiative to lead the country in creating the next AI workforce. 

“This is a testament to the machine to be exploited and taken advantage of,” Malachowsky added. “Take it and run. It’s bold and powerful and impactful.”

#     #     #

email editor@

alachuatoday.com

State

View Comments

~ The following is a press release provided by the University of Florida. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — UF Health Cancer Center researchers have found a surprising culprit behind common health problems like obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease: silent genetic glitches in the blood system that occur naturally as people age.

The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, mean that in the future, simple blood tests could be developed to identify people most at risk early on, helping prevent chronic illnesses and cancer through strategies like diet or lifestyle changes.

“Most people don’t think about the blood as causing obesity and related diseases, but our surprising findings highlight that there’s a causal relationship between mutations in blood stem cells and metabolic diseases,” said lead author Bowen Yan, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in the UF College of Medicine.

As people age, stem cells in the bone marrow that produce blood cells gradually accumulate mutations in their DNA. Most mutations don’t cause any issues, but sometimes blood stem cells with a mutation can start crowding out their peers. Called clonal hematopoiesis, this condition affects about 10% of older people and is associated with an increased risk of blood cancers like leukemia.

Clonal hematopoiesis is linked to a higher risk of obesity and diabetes, studies using large databases of patient records like the UK Biobank and the National Institutes of Health’s All of US Research Program have shown. But the prevailing thinking was that obesity and related conditions promoted blood cell changes, not the other way around. The new study reverses that.

“We found that blood cell mutations don’t just show up because of poor health — they can cause it,” Yan said.

As part of their study, the researchers put a genetic mutation commonly involved in clonal hematopoiesis into the blood system of otherwise healthy mice. Mice with the mutation started to eat more and gained weight more rapidly than those without the mutation. They developed high blood sugar and were more prone to liver problems.

The effects were even stronger when mice were fed a high-fat, high-sugar “Western” diet — nutritionally similar to a Big Mac, French fries and milkshake diet: Their weight exploded.

“Mutations in the blood system are driving these conditions,” said senior author Olga Guryanova, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. “Clonal hematopoiesis is usually a silent condition, but if you know you have it, you’re better aware of the risks it’s associated with. Our hope is that knowing these risk factors would allow us to manage chronic conditions more efficiently, either with drugs or personalized lifestyle and diet interventions.”

The implications could be far-reaching, particularly as obesity has now overtaken smoking as the most significant and preventable risk factor for cancer.

“With the ability to predict the risk of obesity and metabolic disease and better manage it, we could also eventually mitigate the risk of developing cancer,” Guryanova said.

The team is studying how the mutations drive disease. Next, they plan to test how drugs like those commonly used to treat diabetes and new popular weight loss drugs might help reverse or prevent diseases caused by blood cell changes.

Researchers from Queen’s University in Canada contributed. The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society, Edward P. Evans Foundation, Oxnard Family Foundation, Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research and UF Health Cancer Center, where both Yan and Guryanova are members.

#     #     #

email editor@

alachuatoday.com

 

State

View Comments

~ The following is a press release provided by Florida Farm Bureau. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

Gainesville, Fla.—Florida Farm Bureau has announced the top three finalists for its 2026 Florida Farmer of the Year award.  This award recognizes outstanding agriculturists who demonstrate excellence in agriculture, leadership, innovation and stewardship of the land.  

The finalists for the award are Lucy Abell of Desoto County, Dr. Hal Phillips of Levy County and Woody Larson of Okeechobee County. These individuals will be recognized on stage, and the 2026 Florida Farmer of the Year recipient will be announced on October 29 at the Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s 84th State Annual Meeting in Daytona Beach.  

Lucy Abell, Desoto County 


Lucy Abell owns and operates Abell Livestock Company, a commercial cow/calf operation spanning Highlands, DeSoto and Charlotte counties. Raised on her family’s ranch in Texas and New Mexico, Abell moved to Florida in 2017.  She has focused on developing an efficient and integrated breeding program for the ranch’s predominantly True F1 Braford cow herd. In addition to cattle, she has diversified operations to include watermelon, sod harvesting and hunting. She is passionate about land stewardship and prioritizes conservation and sustainable production practices.  Abell earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University in 2013 and is a graduate of the University of Florida’s Wedgworth Leadership Institute, Class XII.

Dr. Hal Phillips, Levy County 

Dr. Harrell “Hal” Phillips is a lifelong cattleman, veterinarian and agricultural leader from Morriston, Fla. A graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Phillips practiced veterinary medicine for 20 years before dedicating himself full-time to Phillips Ranch—a diversified operation of breeding-age cattle and a backgrounding calf program. He also specializes in the production of hay, sod, grass seed, small grains and timber.  

Dr. Phillips has served as president of both the Florida and Marion County Cattlemen’s Associations and as a director of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Farm Credit of Florida. In 2024, he was inducted into the Marion County Agriculture Hall of Fame, honoring his lifelong commitment to stewardship, education, and leadership. Dr. Phillips remains dedicated to leaving the land better than he found it and inspiring the next generation of agricultural leaders. 

Woody Larson, Okeechobee County 

Woody Larson joined the family business, Larson Dairy Inc., in 1973 after graduating from The University of Florida.  Starting as a barn manager, he advanced to general manager and led the operation’s growth to more than 12,000 milking cows. In 2001, Larson and his wife Grace, founded Family Tree Enterprises, a diversified agriculture business specializing in dairy and beef operations along with hay, sod and nursery sales.   

Larson’s leadership extends across numerous agricultural organizations, including serving as officer of Southeast Milk Inc., for more than 20 years, board chairman of Farm Credit of Florida, and president of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. Nationally, he has represented Florida on the National Milk Producers Federation and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. 

About the Florida Farmer of the Year Program
The Florida Farm Bureau Farmer of the Year award is open to any farmer or member of a farming family actively involved in agriculture and is at least 21 years old. The winner will serve a one-year term beginning January 1 and concluding October 2026. 

The Florida Farmer of the Year will represent Florida Farm Bureau and champion agriculture at various agricultural-related events during their term. Additionally, the Florida Farmer of the Year will compete for the 2026 Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year in Moultrie, Ga. against farmers from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. 

Florida Farm Bureau, the state’s largest general agricultural organization, represents more than 132,000 member-families. We serve to enhance farm enterprise and improve rural communities.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

 

State

View Comments

~ The following is a press release provided by the University of Florida Athletic Department. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The University of Florida Athletic Department has announced that Deputy Athletics Director Chip Howard will retire, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

Howard's career with Gator Athletics began in the late 1980s and now spans across five decades of dedicated service and leadership. During that time, he has played a pivotal role in advancing the success and growth of Florida's athletic programs. His expertise and vision have left an enduring impact on the department and the entire Gator community.

"It is never the right time, but you know when the time is right," Howard said. "After more than 35 years, I feel this is the right moment to step away and begin a new chapter. This decision comes with great pride and gratitude for all that Florida Athletics has meant to me."

"Chip's leadership, experience, and steady presence have been a constant source of strength for Florida Athletics," said Scott Stricklin, Athletics Director. "He has served this university with dedication and care, always putting the Gators first. Chip's influence will be felt for years to come, and we're all better for having worked alongside him."

"Florida has been such an important part of my life, and I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to serve this athletic department," said Howard. "It's been an honor to work alongside so many talented staff and incredible coaches. I am especially thankful to Jeremy Foley, for giving me my first opportunity over 36 years ago and who served as a great mentor and even better friend. I am also grateful to Scott Stricklin for his guidance and support and for welcoming me back home here in 2019. Their support has been invaluable to me in my career. Most importantly, I want to thank my wife Phoebe and our two sons, Cole and Beckett, for their unwavering love and support throughout this journey. I look forward to this next chapter with great excitement."

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

State

View Comments

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A sweeping new law in Florida that took effect Wednesday makes it illegal to produce sexual images of a person using artificial intelligence or similar technologies without their permission.

The new law also allows people whose photographs were manipulated that way to sue those responsible in civil court.

The law took effect this week only two days after Marion County sheriff’s deputies arrested Lucius William Martin, 39, of Eustis, Florida, and accused him of using AI to produce nude images of the juvenile daughter of someone close to him and her friend. The software Martin used digitally removed the girls’ clothing in pictures he downloaded from social media, according to court records. 

Such tools can be used to “nudify” an otherwise innocent photograph.

Martin was arrested Monday and remains in the county jail in Ocala, facing eight felony counts of child pornography under Florida’s existing statutes and one count of trying to destroy evidence. The girl’s mother captured a screenshot of the images to give to authorities, the sheriff’s office said. A deputy said Martin reset his phone as he was being arrested to delete the evidence.

Martin couldn’t be reached immediately for comment because he was still in jail. He was being appointed a public defender on Thursday for his arraignment scheduled next month, but no lawyer had yet been assigned to represent him.

The versions of the images of the girls nude on Martin’s phone included remnants of their clothing that had been digitally removed and showed deformities on the girls’ arms and legs, which a deputy wrote in court records “is common on AI-generated imagery.” His phone also contained the same, unaltered images of the girls wearing clothes, court records said.

Last year, singer Taylor Swift was the victim of AI-generated, fake images of her nude, also called “deep fakes,” circulating over popular social media sites.

The Florida bill, sponsored by Republican Reps. Mike Redondo of Miami and Jennifer Kincart Jonsson of Bartow and known as the “sexual images” bill, passed the Legislature unanimously earlier this year and was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May. 

Rep. Michelle Salzman, R-Cantonment, said during a House Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this year that her community in Florida’s Panhandle has suffered cases of AI-generated sexual images.

“Seeing this brought forward is a breath of fresh air,” she said. “AI is incredible. We need it. It does a lot of good, but with great power comes great responsibility, and a lot of folks aren’t taking responsibility for their actions.”

Key provisions of the new law include criminalizing use of AI to generate a nude image of an actual person without their consent, or soliciting or possessing such images. The new felony punishment includes a prison term up to 5 years for each image and a fine up to $5,000.

The new law was long overdue, said former Sen. Lauren Book, a leading advocate for sex crime victims. She said AI and popular software tools make it easy to create realistic images. 

“Legislation is a crucial step in ensuring that our justice system can keep pace with technological advancements so that we are not lagging in protecting our children,” said Book, a child sex abuse survivor who founded “Lauren’s Kids,” a non-profit dedicated to stopping child sex abuse. 

Such digitally altered images of children or teens are often used to extort families, said Fallon McNulty, executive director at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Criminals can extract payment or sexual favors in exchange for agreeing not to distribute nude images to victims’ friends, classmates or family members. 

The center’s  CyberTipline, which started tracking reports involving generative AI in 2023, received 4,700 reports involving AI-generated images in its first year. In the first six months of 2025, she said the tipline had received 400,000 such reports.

McNulty said mainstream software companies try to block and report illicit use of their programs, but some developers offer apps with no built-in safety measures.

Meta announced earlier this year it was suing a company in Hong Kong that it said ran ads on its platforms to promote an app that helps users create nonconsensual, sexualized images using AI. It sued the developer of an app called CrushAI, which could be used to create nude images.

Lawmakers are always “trying to play catch up” when it comes to regulating AI, said Elizabeth Rasnick, an assistant professor at the Center for Cybersecurity at the University of West Florida, adding that they are “doing the best they can with what they currently have.”

“ There's no possible way we can foresee how these tools are going to be used in the future,” Rasnick said. “The Legislature is always going to have to try to fill in whatever gaps there were after those gaps are discovered and exploited.”

Digitally altering images has been possible for decades using specialized image-editing tools, but the new AI programs can turn out sexual content in seconds with no special skills required, said Kevin Butler, a  professor of computer science and  director of the Institute for Cybersecurity Research at the University of Florida.

Using the new AI tools can take a photo posted on social media and “undress the whole family,” said Kyle Glen, commander of the Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He praised the new law but noted that juvenile offenders – who may try to bully classmates by creating such images – often aren’t prosecuted criminally the first time they are caught.

“As much laws as we pass and as much software is out there, and technology that we use, bad guys are always a step ahead,” Glen said. “They're innovative and they're going to think of ways to get around law enforcement or exploit children, you know, if that's what they're infatuated with.”

#     #     #

email editor@

alachuatoday.com

Voices and Opinions

Letters to the Editor

View Comments

Sept 15 – Oct. 15 is the nationwide celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. This year’s theme is “Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future,” reminding us that our nation’s strength comes from the diverse people who call it home and the shared commitment to build a better future together.

From the arts and education to business and public service, Hispanic Floridians continue to enrich every aspect of life in our state. Their leadership, creativity, and dedication exemplify the power of community and the enduring belief that opportunity should be within reach for all.

The Florida Commission on Human Relations’ (FCHR) mission is to promote equal opportunity and prevent discrimination by investigating allegations of discrimination in housing, public accommodations, employment, and state whistleblower retaliation as well as educating Floridians about their rights and opportunities. Through our diligent work, we continue to build a Florida where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. For more information or to file a complaint, contact the Florida Commission on Human Relations at (850) 488-7082 or visit www.FCHR.MyFlorida.com.

This month, and throughout the year, we honor the past while inspiring the future, by recognizing the collective heritage that connects us, celebrating the diversity that strengthens us, and reaffirming our commitment to fairness for every Floridian.

Cheyanne Costilla, Executive Director

Florida Commission on Human Relations

Columns

View Comments

The history of vitamin K is a story of a single discovery that later expanded to include a family of related compounds, each with distinct roles in the body. The journey from initial observation to a detailed understanding of vitamin K1 and William Garst HSK2 spans several decades and involves multiple scientists.

The Initial Discovery of Vitamin K

The story begins in the late 1920s with Danish biochemist Henrik Dam.

  • 1929: Dam was conducting experiments on chickens, feeding them a diet that was deficient in cholesterol and fat. After a few weeks, he noticed that the chickens developed a mysterious bleeding disorder, where their blood was slow to clot.
  • 1935: Dam concluded that a new, fat-soluble vitamin was missing from the chickens' diet. He named this substance “Koagulations-Vitamin,” which is German and Danish for “coagulation vitamin.” This is where the letter “K” comes from.
  • 1939: American biochemist Edward Doisy and his team at St. Louis University isolated and determined the chemical structure of the primary plant-based form of the vitamin, which they named phylloquinone. This substance would later be officially named Vitamin K1.

For their work on the discovery and chemical nature of vitamin K, Dam and Doisy were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943.

Vitamin K1 (Phylloquinone)

  • Source: From the very beginning, it was clear that the "anti-hemorrhagic" factor came from plant sources, particularly green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale.
  • Function: Early research, and the Nobel Prize, focused on its essential role in blood coagulation. Vitamin K1 acts as a crucial cofactor for an enzyme that "activates" several clotting factors in the liver, including prothrombin (Factor II), Factor VII, Factor IX, and Factor X. Without this activation, these proteins cannot function properly, leading to uncontrolled bleeding.
  • Modern Understanding: Vitamin K1's role in blood clotting remains its most well-known and clinically important function. It is used medically to treat bleeding disorders, and is routinely given to newborns to prevent a condition called Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB).

Vitamin K2 (Menaquinones)

The story of vitamin K2 is more recent and has led to a re-evaluation of the entire vitamin K family.

  • Discovery of a Second Form: Soon after the discovery of vitamin K1, scientists realized that there was another form of vitamin K. This second form, found in animal products and produced by bacteria, was chemically different. It was named menaquinone and collectively referred to as Vitamin K2. Unlike K1, which has a single chemical structure, K2 is a family of related compounds, designated as MK-4, MK-7, MK-9, etc., based on the length of their side chain.
  • Japanese Fermented Foods: A major breakthrough in the understanding of K2 came from research into the traditional Japanese food natto, a dish of fermented soybeans. Scientists discovered that natto was an incredibly rich source of a long-chain menaquinone, specifically MK-7. This led to a boom in research on K2's health benefits.
  • Beyond Blood Clotting: While K1 is primarily used by the liver for blood coagulation, researchers found that K2 has a different fate in the body. It is preferentially used by other tissues, especially bone and arterial tissues.
  • The “Calcium Paradox”: A key aspect of modern K2 research is its role in “calcium trafficking.” Scientists have discovered that K2 activates proteins like osteocalcin in bones, which helps bind calcium and integrate it into the bone matrix. At the same time, K2 activates Matrix Gla Protein (MGP), a protein that prevents calcium from building up in soft tissues like arteries. This led to the theory that K2 may play a significant role in both bone health (preventing osteoporosis) and cardiovascular health (preventing arterial calcification).

Summary of Key Differences and Modern Research

Feature

Vitamin K1 (Phylloquinone)

Vitamin K2 (Menaquinones)

Primary Source

Green leafy vegetables

Fermented foods (natto, cheese), animal products (egg yolks, some meats), and gut bacteria

Primary Function

Blood coagulation (clotting)

Bone health, cardiovascular health (preventing arterial calcification)

Historical Focus

The first form of the vitamin discovered; initial research focused entirely on this form for its anti-hemorrhagic effects.

A later discovery, with its distinct functions only becoming widely known and studied in the last few decades.

Chemical Structure

A single compound (phylloquinone)

A family of compounds (menaquinones), denoted as MK-4, MK-7, etc.

The history of vitamin K is a testament to how scientific understanding evolves. What began as a single discovery of a “coagulation vitamin” has expanded to encompass a complex family of nutrients with far-reaching effects on human health.

Prosper and be in health.

*     *     *

William Garst is a consultant pharmacist who lives in Alachua, Florida. He is semi-retired and works part time at Lake Butler Hospital in Lake Butler, Florida. William received his pharmacy degree at Auburn University and a Doctor of Pharmacy from Colorado University. The Pharmacy Newsletter is a blog where you can find other informative columns. He may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

Columns

View Comments

~ The First Recorded Clinical Trial in 1747 ~

The history of Vitamin C is closely linked to the understanding and eventual conquest of scurvy, a debilitating and often fatal disease that William Garst HSplagued sailors on long voyages for centuries.

Early Observations

As early as the 15th century, it was noted that certain foods, particularly citrus fruits, had a curative effect on scurvy. Vasco da Gama's voyages, for instance, observed this link.

In 1747, James Lind, a British naval surgeon, conducted a controlled experiment demonstrating that citrus fruits effectively prevented scurvy. He compared various treatments among sailors with scurvy and found that only those receiving oranges and lemons recovered. This is perhaps, the first recorded clinical trial.

Despite Lind's groundbreaking work, it took several decades for the British Navy to mandate citrus fruit or juice as a regular provision for sailors, earning them the nickname “limeys.”

The Dawn of Vitamin Research:

In 1912, Casimir Funk introduced the concept of “vitamins” as essential dietary components. The anti-scorbutic factor was soon recognized as a water-soluble substance, initially called “water-soluble C.”

Isolation and Identification:

In 1928, Hungarian scientist Albert Szent-Györgyi isolated a substance from animal adrenal glands, naming it “hexuronic acid.” He suspected it might be the anti-scorbutic factor.

Around the same time, in 1932, American biochemist Charles Glen King also isolated vitamin C in his laboratory and concluded it was the same as Szent-Györgyi's hexuronic acid. There was some dispute over who made the definitive connection first, possibly due to communication delays.

Working independently, Szent-Györgyi and his colleague Joseph Svirbely conducted experiments on guinea pigs (which, like humans, cannot synthesize vitamin C) and proved that hexuronic acid was indeed the anti-scorbutic factor. They renamed it “ascorbic acid,” meaning “anti-scurvy.”

Structural Determination and Synthesis:

In 1933, British chemist Norman Haworth determined the chemical structure of vitamin C. Haworth and Szent-Györgyi jointly proposed the name “ascorbic acid”

Both Szent-Györgyi and Haworth were awarded Nobel Prizes in 1937 for their work on vitamin C. Szent-Györgyi received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries concerning biological combustion, with specific reference to vitamin C, and Haworth received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the constitution of carbohydrates and vitamin C.

Further Discoveries and Applications:

Szent-Györgyi continued his research, famously identifying paprika as an exceptionally rich and easily accessible source of vitamin C, allowing for its production in larger quantities.

Since its discovery, vitamin C has been extensively studied for its various roles in human health, including its function as an antioxidant, its involvement in collagen synthesis, immune function, and iron absorption.

Today, vitamin C is recognized as an essential nutrient, and its deficiency is known to cause scurvy, characterized by symptoms like weakness, bleeding gums, and poor wound healing.

Research continues to explore the potential benefits of vitamin C in preventing and treating various diseases.

The history of vitamin C is a compelling story of scientific investigation driven by the need to combat a devastating disease. From empirical observations to isolation, structural determination, and synthesis, the journey to understanding and utilizing this essential nutrient has significantly impacted human health

*     *     *

William Garst is a consultant pharmacist who lives in Alachua, Florida. He is semi-retired and works part time at Lake Butler Hospital in Lake Butler, Florida. William received his pharmacy degree at Auburn University and a Doctor of Pharmacy from Colorado University. The Pharmacy Newsletter is a blog where you can find other informative columns. He may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

Letters to the Editor

View Comments

As a concerned citizen of Florida, I am writing to express my deep alarm over the recent decision to eliminate all vaccine mandates in our state. Vaccines have long been one of the most effective and life-saving public health tools we have. Rolling back these protections threatens to reverse decades of progress against diseases like measles, mumps, and polio — illnesses that vaccines had nearly eliminated.

This decision will not affect all Floridians equally. Black and Brown communities, already facing disproportionate rates of chronic illness, limited access to care, and systemic health inequities, will bear the heaviest burden. Without the safeguard of mandates, these communities are at greater risk of disease outbreaks and preventable deaths.

I am also concerned about the issue of trust. Our nation’s history of medical neglect and mistreatment of Black and Brown populations has left a deep scar of mistrust in the healthcare system. Abrupt policy changes such as this risk eroding fragile progress in building confidence and could reinforce skepticism toward public health guidance.

Beyond the health risks, there are serious financial and economic consequences. Preventable outbreaks lead to increased healthcare costs, hospitalizations, and strain on already overburdened medical systems. Families who cannot afford time off work or unexpected medical bills will be disproportionately harmed. Local businesses and schools may also face disruptions if vaccine-preventable diseases reemerge, causing lost productivity and economic instability. In short, what may appear to be a rollback of regulation could instead create higher costs for families, communities, and the state as a whole.

While individuals should have the right to make informed decisions — including the ability to opt out under certain circumstances — public health policy must balance personal choice with the protection of children, immunocompromised individuals, and entire communities. Without mandates or robust equity-driven alternatives, our most vulnerable neighbors will be left unprotected.

Faith and cultural values are also central to many families’ health decisions. Public health efforts should engage and respect these perspectives. But removing mandates outright, without strong outreach, education, and access initiatives, will send us backward — leaving communities exposed to diseases that science has already taught us how to prevent.

I urge you to reconsider this decision. If mandates are to be removed, Florida must implement strong, equity-focused measures to ensure that every Floridian — regardless of race, income, or faith — is protected. Public health policy must be guided not only by science and fairness but also by a recognition of the enormous economic and financial strain that preventable outbreaks place on families and our state.

Roberta C. Lopez

Archer, Florida

Columns

View Comments

The history of the B vitamins is a fascinating journey that spans several decades and involves the work of numerous scientists. Initially William Garst HSthought to be a single nutrient, it was later discovered to be a complex group of essential water-soluble vitamins with distinct functions. Here's a brief overview of their discovery:

The Beriberi Connection

The story begins in the late 19th Century with the investigation of beriberi, a debilitating disease prevalent in regions where polished white rice was a dietary staple.

  • 1889: Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman, working in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), observed that chickens fed polished white rice developed beriberi-like symptoms, which were reversed when they were fed unpolished brown rice. This suggested a nutritional deficiency.
  • 1906: English biochemist Frederick Gowland Hopkins proposed the existence of "accessory food factors" beyond fats, proteins, and carbohydrates that were essential for growth and health.

The “Vitamine” Concept

  • 1911: Polish biochemist Casimir Funk, working in London, isolated a substance from rice polishings that could cure beriberi in pigeons. He proposed that this and other similar substances were vital amines, coining the term “vitamine.” Although not all vitamins are amines, the name stuck (later dropping the “e”).

Distinguishing Multiple Factors

  • 1913: American biochemist Elmer McCollum distinguished between “fat-soluble factor A” and “water-soluble factor B,” recognizing that there was more than one essential nutrient in the water-soluble category.

Isolation and Identification of Individual B Vitamins:

The subsequent decades saw the isolation and characterization of the individual B vitamins:

  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): Isolated in crystalline form in 1926 by Dutch chemists Barend Jansen and Willem Donath. It was the first B vitamin to be identified and was found to be the anti-beriberi factor.
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): First observed as a yellow-green fluorescent pigment in milk in 1872, it was characterized and named riboflavin in the early 1930s.
  • Vitamin B3 (Niacin): Its deficiency was linked to pellagra in 1915 by Joseph Goldberger. The chemical structure was determined in 1937 by Conrad Elvehjem.
  • Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): Discovered in 1933 by Roger J. Williams while researching essential nutrients for yeast.
  • Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Identified in 1934 by Paul Gyorgy.
  • Vitamin B7 (Biotin): Research spanned the early 1900s, with contributions from Margaret Averil Boas (1927) and Paul Gyorgy (who named it Vitamin H in 1939), among others.
  • Vitamin B9 (Folate/Folic Acid): Identified in 1933 by Lucy Wills for its role in preventing a type of anemia during pregnancy.
  • Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): Its deficiency was linked to pernicious anemia. It was isolated in 1947 by Karl Folkers and his team.

The “B Complex”

As each water-soluble vitamin with a distinct function was discovered, they were grouped together as the “vitamin B complex.” This term reflects their shared water solubility and their common occurrence in many of the same foods, as well as their often-interconnected roles in metabolic processes.

Nobel Prizes

The importance of B vitamin research is highlighted by the Nobel Prizes awarded to scientists involved in their discovery and understanding:

  • 1929: Christiaan Eijkman and Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on the discovery of vitamins. Eijkman's work focused on the link between diet and beriberi (leading to the identification of Vitamin B1), while Hopkins was recognized for his broader contributions to the understanding of essential nutrients.
  • 1934: George Whipple, George Minot, and William Murphy received the Nobel Prize for their work on the treatment of pernicious anemia using liver extracts, which eventually led to the isolation of Vitamin B12.
  • 1964: Dorothy Hodgkin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work on determining the structures of important biochemical substances, including Vitamin B12.

Modern Understanding

Today, we have a detailed understanding of the chemical structures, functions, dietary sources, and deficiency symptoms of each of the B vitamins. They are known to play crucial roles as coenzymes in numerous metabolic pathways, affecting energy production, nerve function, red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis, and many other vital processes.

It's worth noting that several other substances were once considered part of the B complex and assigned B numbers (like B4, B8, B10, B11), but these were later found to be either synthesized by the body or not essential and were thus removed from the official list of B vitamins

*     *     *

William Garst is a consultant pharmacist who lives in Alachua, Florida. He is semi-retired and works part time at Lake Butler Hospital in Lake Butler, Florida. William received his pharmacy degree at Auburn University and a Doctor of Pharmacy from Colorado University. The Pharmacy Newsletter is a blog where you can find other informative columns. He may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

Columns

View Comments

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays many crucial roles in the body. Here are some of its key benefits:

William Garst HS
Vision

  • Essential for night vision: Vitamin A is a component of rhodopsin, a protein in the eyes that allows us to see in low-light conditions. Deficiency can lead to night blindness. Supports overall eye health: It helps maintain the cornea (the outer layer of the eye) and conjunctiva (the membrane covering the surface of the eye).
  • May reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts: Some studies suggest that adequate vitamin A intake, often through carotenoids like beta-carotene, may lower the risk of these age-related eye conditions.
  • Treats dry eyes and inflammation: Vitamin A can help moisten the eyes and reduce inflammation.

Immune Function

  • Supports immune cell development: Vitamin A is crucial for the development and function of various immune cells, including neutrophils and macrophages, which fight off infections.
  • Maintains the mucosal barrier: It helps maintain the health of the mucous membranes in the nose, sinuses, mouth, and gut, which act as a barrier against pathogens.
  • May reduce the severity of certain infections: In deficient children, vitamin A supplementation can reduce the severity of measles and diarrhea.

Skin Health

  • Promotes cell growth and turnover: Vitamin A is involved in the growth and repair of skin cells.
  • May help treat acne: Topical retinoids (a form of vitamin A) are commonly used to treat acne by promoting skin cell turnover and reducing oil production
  • .Reduces signs of aging: Topical retinoids can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation by stimulating collagen production and promoting skin cell turnover.
  • Supports wound healing: Vitamin A plays a role in collagen production and reduces inflammation, which are important for wound healing.
  • May help treat other skin conditions: Prescription retinoids are used to treat conditions like psoriasis and warts.

Growth and Development

  • Essential for cell growth and differentiation: Vitamin A is needed for the proper development and specialization of cells throughout the body.
  • Important for fetal development: It plays a critical role in the growth and development of the fetus during pregnancy.
  • Supports bone health: Vitamin A contributes to bone growth and maintenance.
  1. Reproduction:
  • Essential for both male and female reproductive health: It is involved in sperm and egg development.
  • Important for placental health: Vitamin A is crucial for the health and function of the placenta during pregnancy.

Antioxidant Activity

  • Carotenoids act as antioxidants: Beta-carotene and other carotenoids, which can be converted to vitamin A in the body, are potent antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Important Considerations:

  • Deficiency: Vitamin A deficiency can lead to various health problems, including night blindness, increased risk of infections, and skin issues.
  • Toxicity: Excessive intake of vitamin A can be harmful, leading to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and even liver damage. Pregnant women should be particularly careful not to exceed the recommended upper limit due to the risk of birth defects.
  • Food Sources: It's generally best to obtain vitamin A through a balanced diet rich in sources like liver, fish, dairy products, eggs, and orange and yellow fruits and vegetables (which contain beta-carotene).

It's always best to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the appropriate amount of vitamin A for your individual needs

*     *     *

William Garst is a consultant pharmacist who lives in Alachua, Florida. He is semi-retired and works part time at Lake Butler Hospital in Lake Butler, Florida. William received his pharmacy degree at Auburn University and a Doctor of Pharmacy from Colorado University. The Pharmacy Newsletter is a blog where you can find other informative columns. He may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

FloridaPublicNoticesSite

FlaPublicNotices

Search Florida Public Notices

 

 

National News

Most Read

Photo by DARLENE BOND special to Alachua County Today

Latest
Tools
Typography
Tallahassee, FL – Florida retail businesses joined Senator Joe Gruters (R, Sarasota) and Representative Chuck Clemons (R, Newberry) today to demand the Legislature act on SB 126 and HB 159 this session. 

“Right now, out-of-state and foreign businesses have a leg up on Florida retailers,” said Sen. Gruters. “Florida businesses will lose out unless we modernize Florida’s outdated tax system.”

Currently, out-of-state and foreign companies are able to capitalize on Florida’s outdated tax laws, which have not been modernized for the online sales era. They are not required to collect and remit sales taxes on purchases made in Florida, leaving the burden on the back of the consumer. 

SB 126 and HB 159 fix this problem, restoring the free market and leveling the playing field for Florida businesses to compete. 

“We know that Florida businesses provide jobs for Florida families and support Florida communities,” said Rep. Clemons. “But right now, Florida retailers are competing with two hands tied behind their back. This legislation will level the playing field for them to compete in a global marketplace.”

Florida retail businesses were in Tallahassee today as part of an advocacy day hosted by the Florida Retail Federation. Shannon Collins, Vice President of Badcock Home Furniture & More, spoke about the impact to Florida retailers. 

“Badcock is proud to have more than 100 stores in communities all across our home state, along with a robust online shopping experience,” Collins said. “We stand with the Florida Retail Federation to bring a level playing field for our Florida-based business, so that we are able to compete in our state and across the nation without being penalized by an outdated tax system.”


“Currently, foreign companies are taking advantage of our outdated system, putting Florida businesses at a severe disadvantage,” said Scott Shalley, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation. “I’m hopeful the Florida Legislature will choose to back Florida businesses this session. Until they do, foreign companies will continue to win this fight.”

The Florida Retail Federation was joined by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Florida TaxWatch, who are advocating for the proposed legislation. 

“Currently, our system in Florida puts the burden on the back of consumers. Many consumers purchase goods from out-of-state businesses not realizing that they are burdened with the cumbersome task of independently remitting the taxes they owe to the state on their own. And this system does not work,” said Dominic Calabro, TaxWatch President & CEO. “Every state in the nation but two – Florida being one of them – have fixed this problem. Now, we need to catch up. This legislation can put the burden where it belongs—on the seller.”

“Closing the internet sales tax loophole will help ensure Florida’s brick and mortar retailers remain competitive, and will do so without creating a new tax,” said David Hart, Executive Vice President, Florida Chamber of Commerce.

“Florida, as one of only two states that has not updated its tax laws for online retail, is not promoting the economic climate for our businesses on Main Street to be successful and competitive,” said Brewster Bevis, Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs for Associated Industries of Florida. “We must move this legislation forward to help our businesses right here at home instead of leaving them at a disadvantage to foreign companies.”

“A sale is a sale regardless if it takes place on Main Street or on the Internet,” said Jennifer Platt, Vice President for Federal Operations for ICSC. “Retail sales support millions of jobs across our state, and a fair tax structure will help provide for our communities’ needs.”
View Comments