Local

GAINESVILLE - During his 38-year tenure with UF/IFAS Extension, Fuller’s profound impact ranged from pioneering innovative programs to fostering leadership and citizenship among the state’s youth. Throughout his career, Fuller was instrumental in building one of the largest 4-H camping programs in Florida. His innovative initiatives, such as the marine ecology program engaging Levy County third graders on the “4-H boat” and introducing “I Can We Can” challenge programs to Florida 4-H, have enriched countless young lives. 

Fuller’s legacy epitomizes the core values of 4-H through his extensive leadership in agriculture and youth development spanning over four decades. Beyond his career with Extension, his commitment to community service includes chairing the City of Otter Creek Planning and Zoning Council and leading a community garden in Williston, which reflects an unwavering dedication to fostering positive change. He continues to mentor and educate minority landowners across several counties, emphasizing income generation and landowner assistance programs.  

“My initial impressions of Albert were of a remarkable presence. He possesses unparalleled wisdom and has a remarkable ability to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds,” said Florida 4-H Program Leader Stacey Ellison.  

Florida 4-H Hall of Fame induction will be held Aug. 1 at the University of Florida J. Wayne Reitz Union in Gainesville. For more information or to attend, please see the event website, FL4HHOF24.eventbrite.com.

Honorees join the host of exceptional individuals inducted into the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame, which was started in 2002 to honor alumni, volunteers, professionals and community leaders. These members exemplify excellence in citizenship, leadership, career and character.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

GAINESVILLE - Alachua County children and their families are invited to attend the annual Stop the Violence/Back to School Rally on Saturday, July 27, 2024 from 10 a.m. to noon. Doors will open at 9 a.m.

The event will be held in the gym of Santa Fe College’s northwest campus at 3000 NW 83^rd Street. The event is once again being organized by People Against Violence Enterprises (PAVE) and is supported by a wide variety of local sponsors.

This year will mark the 25^th year the Rally has been held.

The rally’s keynote speaker will be Patrick Earl Houston, a rapper known as Project Pat who was previously affiliated with Three 6 Mafia, a ‘gangsta’ rap group. After spending time in prison for robbery and other charges, Project Pat founded Go Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on prison ministry. He has spent years touring the country to speak to people in and out of prison, particularly young people, about overcoming adversity and making good decisions.

The Stop the Violence event will feature entertainment and other speakers, as well as information provided by community organizations about safety, counseling and other topics. Free vaccinations will also be available from the Alachua County Health Department. Representatives from Alachua County Public Schools will also be at the event to provide back to school information on topics including free school meals, free mental health services and parent coaching, calendars, enrollment and more.

The first 5000 school-aged children in attendance will receive a free backpack filled with school supplies, provided by Meridian Behavioral Healthcare. Children must be present to receive the backpacks. There are no limits to how many children may attend.

More information about the rally is available at 352-505-6839 or at www.pavingpeace.org

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

GAINESVILLE - under an agreement between Alachua County Public Schools and the Alachua County Education Association, which represents most district employees, early release Wednesdays will be limited to the third Wednesday of each month for the 2024-25 school year.

In March 2025, the early release Wednesday will be on the fourth Wednesday, March 26, so that it does not conflict with Spring Break.

The change will apply to all elementary schools in the district, plus all students at High Springs Community School, A. Quinn Jones School and Sidney Lanier School, which also follow the early release schedule. It will also affect the newly-reopened Duval Early Learning Academy for prekindergarten students.

Under the previous schedule, students at the affected schools left school 68 minutes early every Wednesday. That time was set aside for teacher planning, meetings and other activities.

The change will add approximately six days of instructional time to the school year. Teachers will have planning time on regular Wednesdays while their students are in other classes.

“We appreciate ACEA’s willingness to work with us on this change,” said Superintendent Shane Andrew. “It will give our students much more direct instructional time, which is critical to raising their academic achievement.”

A full schedule of start and dismissal times for the upcoming school year, including early release Wednesdays, is available at https://www.sbac.edu/schoolhours.

Families have been notified through email and phone of the change. They have also received texts if they’ve opted in to the district’s texting notification system.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA ‒ The skies around Alachua were once again bursting with flashes of dazzling lights and displays of patriotism as the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration returned Thursday evening. From spectacular fireworks to food, live music and fun for the entire family, Alachua had it covered. It was a star-spangled extravaganza as live music, food trucks, and kids’ activities set the stage for the dazzling fireworks show that wrapped up the day’s events.

For over 20 years the City of Alachua has hosted an annual July 4^th celebration billed as the “Largest Small Town Fireworks Display in America.” The event is so popular that it attracts thousands of spectators each year from surrounding cities, and oftentimes doubles the size of the town’s nearly 12,000 population.

In a welcome message to the patriotic revelers, Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper stated, “Thank you for celebrating the Fourth of July with Alachua, and we hope the event becomes an annual tradition for your family.”

The annual extravaganza is made possible by support of community businesses and organizations as well as volunteers from the City of Alachua. This year’s Diamond Sponsors were Alachua County Today Newspaper and Dollar General. Gold Sponsors were Alachua Chamber of Commerce, Alachua Lion’s Club, Douglas Adel, DDS, P.A., Rush and Frisco Law and Sunstop Stores. Platinum Sponsors were Hitchcock’s Markets and Waste Pro. Silver Sponsors were the Alachua Business League and Campus USA Credit Union. City volunteers included City Manager Mike DaRoza, Damon Messina, Stephanie McDonald, Jack Hansen, Wes Barrett, Kyler Burk, Lynn Hayes, Steven Holton, Tony Love, Tara Malone, Sgt. Carl Newsome, Pam Philman, Police Chief Jesse Sandusky, Donna Smith, Ofc. Thomas Stanfield, Linnelle Stewart, Rodolfo Valladares and David Wisener.

The fun filled event took place at the Legacy Park Amphitheater. Gates opened at 5 p.m. with events starting at 6 p.m. The evening’s entertainment featured “Whiskey Jones,” a local band that performs an assortment of well-known classic rock, blues and country rock songs. The band has been entertaining audiences in North Florida since 2018. Caitlyn Phillips delivered a patriotic tribute song to America and the National Anthem

As the musical entertainment died down, the skies exploded in a display of multi-colored fireworks and the show began.

For the next half hour, a continuous display of fireworks lit the night sky over Legacy Park as thousands celebrated the Fourth of July.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds boaters and divers to practice safe boating and diving habits by maintaining 360-degree awareness and adhering to all divers-down flag regulations.   

Divers-down flags and buoys are crucial warning devices used by divers and dive vessels to signal the presence of divers in the water. These devices must feature a divers-down symbol — a red rectangle or square with a white diagonal stripe — and must be prominently displayed whenever divers are wholly or partially submerged and using a face mask, snorkel or underwater breathing apparatus.

"When navigating near a divers-down flag, boaters must operate at idle speed within 300 feet in open water or within 100 feet on rivers, inlets or navigational channels," said Maj. Bill Holcomb, FWC Boating and Waterways Section Leader. “And divers need to stay within 300 feet of their properly displayed flags on open water and 100 feet on rivers, inlets or navigational channels.”

The divers-down symbol must measure at least 12 x 12 inches when displayed from the water, and at least 20 x 24 inches when displayed from a vessel, positioned at the highest point to maximize visibility. Flags must be constructed to remain fully unfurled, even in calm conditions, while buoys must display the symbol on each of their flat sides.

“In the summertime there is a lot going on out there and these regulations are important for divers to remember whether they are diving for scallops in north Florida, lobster in south Florida or recreationally throughout the state,” said Col. Brian Smith, Director of the FWC Division of Law Enforcement. “Vessel operators should be aware of what is going on around them at all times and be on the lookout for divers-down flags nearby. It’s also good to remember to take the dive flag down and wear a life jacket while underway. This is not just responsible boating and ensuring the safety of divers and the boating public - it’s also the law.”

Every year, the FWC responds to incidents where a diver was struck, injured or killed by a vessel. Working together, vessel operators and divers can each play a part in preventing tragedy on the water this summer.

For more information, visit MyFWC.com/boating, click on “Boating Regulations,” and select “Divers-down Warning Devices.”

Boating violations may be reported anonymously to the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) or text 847411 (Tip411) with keyword "FWC" and information about the location and violation.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

NEWBERRY ‒ The Newberry City Commission on July 8, 2024, annexed 44.61 acres into the City of Newberry. The Commission held three separate legislative public hearings to consider on first reading the voluntary annexation of a total of 44.61 acres. All three ordinances were heard separately and all three received unanimous approval on first reading. Second reading of these three ordinances will take place at the July 22, 2024, regular City Commission meeting.

The first hearing was for Ordinance 2024-16, a petition by Jamie and Steve Nelson providing for the voluntary annexation of a parcel of land contiguous to the boundaries of the City of Newberry. The area to be annexed is consists of 4.76 acres and is located at 1318 S.W. 226^th Street, Newberry.

The second hearing concerned Ordinance 2024-17, a petition by Daniel Shore, providing for the voluntary annexation of a parcel of land contiguous to the boundaries of the City of Newberry. The area to be annexed consists of 9.85 acres and is located at 17406 S.W. 46^th Avenue, Archer.

The third application was for Ordinance 2024-19, a petition by Paul and Pamela Smith, providing for the voluntary annexation of a parcel of land contiguous to the boundaries of the City of Newberry. The area to be annexed consists of 30 acres and is located at 3201 N.W. 202^nd Street, Newberry.

Solar Project

The City of Newberry has opted out of a proposed solar project. In 2019, Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) issued a Request for Proposals seeking energy from large scale (74.5 MW) solar array projects. The City reports that solar energy was competitive with other energy sources and recognized that solar energy was environmentally friendly. The proposals received by FMPA were competitive, and the City elected to acquire one MW (mega-watt) of solar energy capacity through FMPA. Newberry’s one MW allocation was divided across two projects.

During the July 8 meeting, FMPA representative Susan Schuman addressed the Commission to explain that one of the two locations called “Whistling Duck” has suffered rate increases due to supply chain constraints since COVID-19 and must raise their earlier proposed rates from the rates quoted in 2019.

Schuman said some of the cities that were originally going to participate have dropped out due to the rate increase. After explaining the logistics and approximate increase to citizens’ rates, the Commissioners voted to opt out of their previous request to join in the Whistling Duck solar project.

FMPA plans to move forward with the project, but with the remaining municipalities that still want to participate.

Newberry Youth Council

In other City business, Newberry High School student Annah McGehee addressed Commissioners asking for the creation of a Newberry Youth Council similar to the ones in several other cities she listed, including High Springs. She explained that a Municipal Youth Council is an advisory body to the Commission composed of local youth that advocates for issues that matter to them.

Although Commissioners seemed in favor of the program, Mayor Jordan Marlowe suggested the City take this year to develop the program. This was a presentation by McGehee and did not require a vote. However, Commissioners unanimously chose to formally vote to work on the details of a Youth Council this year.

Recreation Month

The City has proclaimed the month of July Recreation Month in Newberry. Park and recreation agencies nationwide are recognizing the month with various summer programs, events, contests, commemorations and celebrations. These activities are designed to engage communities, encourage participation in outdoor activities and promote the numerous benefits of parks and recreation.

City Manager Comments

City Manager Mike New announced that the City would hold a Budget Workshop on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, to discuss the General Fund, Recreation and the Fire Department. He said he hoped to wrap up budget workshops by the end of August.

Also announced was the closing of Southwest 4^th Avenue to begin construction of a turn lane for Bev’s Better Burgers, now open and located at 24974 S.W. 4^th Avenue.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com