The BBQ Contest Grand Champion award went to Ferley's BBQ & More (above) / Photoby JODI REBECCA SPURLIN special to Alachua County Today

NEWBERRY – Pleasant winter weather and the smoky aroma of barbecue helped draw an estimated 13,000 visitors to downtown Newberry on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, as the city hosted its third annual Newberry Blues & BBQ Festival.

Organizers said attendance surpassed last year’s estimated crowd of 11,000, with festivalgoers filling North and South Seaboard Drive from midmorning through the afternoon for a day of live music, food, shopping and friendly competition.

The event, hosted by the Newberry Main Street organization, turned the heart of the historic district into a hub of activity from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors strolled through downtown as blues music played steadily in the background and barbecue teams tended smokers throughout the day.

At the center of the festival was a barbecue cookoff featuring both amateur backyard cooks and experienced professionals. Teams competed in two divisions, Backyard and Commercial, and prepared entries across four traditional categories: chicken, pork ribs, pork and beef brisket.

Judging began late in the morning, with chicken entries submitted at 11 a.m., followed by ribs at noon, pork at 1 p.m. and brisket at 2 p.m. By late afternoon, competitors and spectators gathered near the Main Stage for an awards ceremony recognizing top teams in each category, along with overall grand prizes. The BBQ Contest Grand Champion award went to Ferley's BBQ & More.

Competition rules required teams to cook using traditional methods over wood, charcoal or wood pellets. Organizers also enforced food safety standards, including USDA inspection requirements for meats and sanitation rules at each cook site. Downtown streets were lined with 20-by-20-foot team spaces, creating a patchwork of canopies, grills and smokers.

Beyond the barbecue competition, the festival offered attractions for a wide range of visitors. A car show once again lined downtown streets, drawing classic car enthusiasts and collectors. Organizers said about 100 vehicles participated the previous year, and trophies and prizes were awarded again in 2026.

Arts, craft and merchandise vendors also set up throughout the festival area, giving attendees opportunities to shop while enjoying the music and food.

By the end of the day, the combination of blues performances, competitive barbecue, polished chrome and strong community turnout reinforced this festival as a must-go-to event in Newberry.

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~Turkey Creek boundary shifts elementary students to Talbot~   

ALACHUA – Alachua County Public Schools is considering rezoning scenarios that would close Alachua Elementary School and reassign students to other campuses, a proposal that could significantly reshape school enrollment and grade structures for families in Alachua, High Springs and Newberry.

The potential closure appears in two of the district’s elementary boundary drafts, which also propose expanding Alachua’s Irby Elementary School to serve PreK through grade 5 and converting Mebane Middle School into a K-8 campus in the coming years.  Those changes are listed as part of Draft B and Draft C in the district’s “Our Schools – Future Ready” planning presentation.  The rezoning effort is part of a multi-phase initiative aimed at addressing enrollment trends, demographic shifts, aging facilities and long-term sustainability across the district.  “This project was spurred by data, input, and ongoing trends,” the district’s workshop materials state, citing long-term sustainability, facility optimization and fiscal stewardship as key drivers.

Alachua-area schools at the center of proposed restructuring

District planners have released multiple draft boundary scenarios for elementary, middle and high schools, emphasizing that the maps remain preliminary and are intended to guide public discussion.

The district’s guiding principles include maintaining feeder patterns, meeting student needs and shifting entire neighborhoods rather than moving individual students.

Among the stated goals are to “provide for student needs,” “recognize and align feeder patterns,” and “move entire neighborhoods, not individual students.”

Capacity and campus age highlighted in Alachua proposal

District officials pointed to available capacity in the Alachua area as one reason restructuring is under consideration.

According to the presentation, the Alachua area has 768 open seats, with Alachua Elementary operating at 61% capacity, Irby at 70% and Mebane at 49%.

The district also noted that Alachua Elementary’s campus is nearly three decades older than Irby’s.

Turkey Creek neighborhood would shift at elementary level

The rezoning proposals also include changes affecting neighborhoods near Alachua, including Turkey Creek.

In the district’s list of proposed common elementary adjustments, planners specifically note that the Turkey Creek neighborhood would be moved into the Talbot Elementary zone.

Middle school assignments for Turkey Creek may also change depending on the final draft adopted. The district notes that Turkey Creek is included among neighborhoods placed “in different zones” under the middle school scenarios.

High Springs and Newberry zones also included

While Alachua Elementary is a focal point of the draft scenarios, boundary shifts could also affect families in High Springs and Newberry as the district works to balance enrollment and reduce underused space.

District officials describe the right-sizing process as a way to “align school enrollment with building capacity” and “respond to demographic and community changes.”

Draft scenarios also reference Newberry Elementary as part of broader attendance-zone adjustments, including proposed changes involving the Terwilliger zone.

Community meeting set Feb. 17 at Mebane Middle School

District officials stressed that the draft maps are not final.  “No final decisions have been made,” the presentation states, emphasizing that continued community input is “vital to the plan’s future.”

A series of public meetings has been scheduled across the county, including one especially relevant to northern Alachua County families.

A community engagement meeting will be held Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 5:30 p.m. at Mebane Middle School, where residents can review the draft scenarios and provide feedback.

Feedback opportunities also include an online survey, an interactive map and in-person discussion sessions.

Santa Fe High remains regional high school anchor

At the high school level, Santa Fe High School continues to serve as a primary high school for much of northern Alachua County. High school scenarios focus on boundary shifts to level enrollment, including proposed changes elsewhere such as Eastside High’s boundary moving west.

For families across the Alachua area, the draft rezoning process could determine whether Alachua Elementary remains open and how students move through northern Alachua County schools in the years ahead.

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Representatives of Okito America accept the Small Business of the Year award at the 2026 Alachua Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala, which drew approximately 750 attendees to Legacy Park./Photo special to Alachua County Today

ALACHUA – Laughter, live music and a packed house set the tone as the Alachua Chamber of Commerce celebrated both its annual awards night and a milestone anniversary during the 2026 Annual Gala at Legacy Park last Wednesday evening.

Approximately 750 guests filled the venue for one of the region’s largest business gatherings of the year, marking the Chamber’s 50^th anniversary with an evening that blended recognition, entertainment and reflection on the community’s growth. Business owners, civic leaders and community partners gathered under the Chamber’s long-standing theme of Alachua as the “Good Life Community.”

The formal program was paired with a plated surf-and-turf dinner featuring shrimp and steak, as attendees networked and celebrated local accomplishments. The milestone anniversary was reflected throughout the evening, from the scale of attendance to the entertainment lineup designed to honor five decades of Chamber service.

Michelle (Shelly) Vickers of Scherer Construction stepped into her role as Chamber president and addressed the crowd as she began her leadership tenure. Her remarks looked ahead to continued collaboration, engagement and growth within the Alachua-area business community.

A central focus of the gala remained the recognition of individuals and organizations whose work has shaped the local economy and civic life. Okito America was named Small Business of the Year, while Dollar General received Large Business of the Year honors. Neil Burk was recognized as Volunteer of the Year, and Detective T. Williams of the Alachua Police Department was honored as Officer of the Year.

Entertainment played a major role in the evening’s celebratory tone. Nationally touring comedian Jeff Allen headlined the gala, delivering a performance that drew sustained laughter from the large crowd. The dance floor remained active as Richie and the High Street Rockers, traveling from Philadelphia, brought 1950s-era rock and roll to the stage, a musical nod to the Chamber’s five decades of history.

The gala was presented with Scherer Construction serving as title sponsor, underscoring strong private-sector support for the Chamber’s mission and programming. That support extended to the event’s fundraising component, where excitement peaked during the 50/50 drawing, which awarded $4,000 to a single attendee.

Former Chamber president Mitch Glaeser served as emcee for the evening and captured the mood of the celebration, saying, “The community was very enthused by the event.”

With record-level attendance, high-profile entertainment and recognition spanning business, volunteerism and public safety, the 2026 Annual Gala highlighted the Chamber’s role as a central connector for the region’s business community while celebrating 50 years of shared progress.

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Golf carts line the staging area at Turkey Creek Golf and Country Club as players check in ahead of the Miracle at Turkey Creek golf tournament Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Alachua. The event marked the fifth annual tournament held since the course reopened following a nearly 10-year closure./Photo special to Alachua County Today

ALACHUA – Golfers from across the region gathered Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Turkey Creek Golf and Country Club for the Miracle at Turkey Creek golf tournament, marking the event’s fifth annual playing since the course reopened after a decade-long closure.

A total of 144 golfers participated in the tournament, which featured a full field, shared meals and time on the course as players filled the fairways throughout the day.

The men’s first-place team included Joe Thigpen, Ken Vejraska, Ken Radcliffe and Ben Love, while the women’s first-place honors went to Kathy Quelland, Tina Banner, Vicki Glass and Robin Cunningham.

The tournament is held annually at Turkey Creek Golf and Country Club, 11400 Turkey Creek Boulevard, just off U.S. Highway 441 in Alachua. The course originally opened in 1978 and served as a central feature of the Turkey Creek community for decades. Following multiple ownership changes and financial challenges, the course closed in 2011, remaining unused and overgrown for nearly 10 years.

In 2015, the Turkey Creek Master Owners Association purchased the property. In the years that followed, residents and volunteers worked to restore the course, addressing long-standing infrastructure issues and gradually returning it to playable condition. The reopening of the course marked the end of a prolonged period of inactivity and signaled a revival of golf at the site, a feat that many likened to a miracle given the many challenges that the nearly an all-volunteer team of residents and volunteers faced in restoring the golf course.

Saturday’s tournament coincided with the milestone of five years since the course’s reopening, a point organizers and participants recognized throughout the day. Golf carts lined the staging area early in the morning as teams checked in, and players returned to the clubhouse following their rounds for awards and fellowship.

Organizers credited the continued success of the Miracle at Turkey Creek tournament to steady participation and community involvement, noting that the event has grown alongside the course’s return to regular play.

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