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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ A key element of Alachua County Public Schools’ ongoing fight against the spread of COVID-19 is being deployed in local schools this week.

Beginning Monday and continuing through Friday, 1700 air purifiers are being delivered to classrooms across the district. The AERAMax Pro 4 units are designed specifically for classroom spaces. They circulate the air three to five times each hour and remove 99.97 percent of airborne particulates. That includes COVID and other airborne pathogens and allergens, including dust and pollen, flu and mold spores and even trap odors.

“These units are an important part of our overall effort to keep students, staff and visitors safe and healthy,” said Superintendent Dr. Carlee Simon. “They will have long-lasting benefits even beyond the COVID pandemic.”

The filters don’t require any special installation; rather they are floor standing machines that just need to be plugged in. All schools are expected to receive their filters by the end of this week.

The district is also exploring other air purifying solutions for larger areas in schools, such as cafeterias and media centers.

The district is spending about $2.8 million on the purifiers and an additional two years’ worth of carbon and HEPA filters for the units. The funding is coming from federal dollars provided to schools to help address COVID issues.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ High Springs Police are searching for a man they believe broke into three locked and secured donation boxes at St. Madeleine Catholic Church, 17155 N.W. U.S. Highway 441, High Springs.

The High Springs Police Department (HSPD) responded to a theft/criminal mischief and petit theft report on Sunday, Sept. 12.

According to a HSPD report, at approximately 2 p.m. what is believed to be a 2002 silver/grey four-door Toyota Camry with dark tinted windows pulled into the sanctuary's parking lot. Moments later, a man is observed entering the sanctuary. The suspect is then observed breaking into three locked and secured donation boxes with a small pry bar tool, destroying all three boxes and stealing approximately $100.

The suspect is a male of possible middle eastern/Hispanic/Italian ethnicity, believed to be 45 to 55 years old. He was dressed in a green short-sleeved tee-shirt with horizontal stripes, navy blue pants and dark-colored shoes. He appears to be approximately five-feet, six inches to five-feet eight inches tall and weighs about 200-220 lbs. He has black hair that is starting to grey with slight balding on top, thick black eyebrows, black mustache, average medium build, with an olive-colored skin complexion.

“We are hoping a member of the public can identify this man,” said High Springs Police Chief Antoine Sheppard. “We have received some tips and our investigators are currently running them down to try to identify the suspect,” he said.

Anyone with information or possible identification of the suspect is asked to call the High Springs Police Department via the Combined Communications Center at 352-955-1818.

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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ The Alachua County Area Association of Pharmacists, the Florida Pharmacy Association, and the American Pharmacists Association have designated October 2021 as American Pharmacists Month in recognition of the contribution that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians provide for the health of our society.

The proclamation for this year’s American Pharmacists Month reads as follows.

Whereas … pharmacists are the most accessible health care providers delivering critical services to patients and contributing to the health and well-being of all people; and

Whereas … pharmacists are best positioned to be the health care professionals to help ensure patients are adherent to their medications, provide patient care that ensures optimal medication therapy outcomes; and serve as providers during public health emergencies and every day.

Whereas … as front-line providers throughout the healthcare system and community during the COVID-19 pandemic pharmacists and pharmacy personnel have ensured the public is cared for, even at the risk of exposure.

Whereas … with a community pharmacy located within five miles of nearly all Americans and pharmacy’s other access points to the public, pharmacists and pharmacy personnel are making an impact in controlling the spread of COVID-19 in U.S. communities through testing, treatment, and vaccination efforts.

Whereas … pharmacists are ideally suited to work collaboratively with other health care providers and help patients overcome illness and live healthier lives through chronic disease management and the fully effective use of their medicines. 

Whereas … today, there are over 300,000 licensed pharmacists providing care and serving as patient advocates for ensuring access to the best and safest therapy to the patients they serve.

Whereas … the American Pharmacists Association, the Alachua County Association of Pharmacists, and the Florida Pharmacy Association, have declared October 2021 as American Pharmacists Month.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ City of High Springs residents can expect to pay more in taxes in the coming year. On Sept. 20, the High Springs City Commission set the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget at $23,387,923. The Commission also approved increasing to 5.99 mills, which is 8.875 percent increase from the current rolled-back rate of 5.5017 mills.

Bailey Estates Zoning Postponed

In other city business, a rezoning that has been tabled several times was tabled yet again – this time to Nov. 18. A zoning change request from J.H. Londono to rezone approximately 89.69 acres east of Bailey Estates from R-1A to R-3 has been fraught with issues surrounding the developer’s agreement with the city.

Initially, this request was heard and approved by the Planning and Zoning Board on Sept. 22, 2020. It was then presented at the Oct. 8 City Commission meeting at which time it was not adopted as the Commission requested the developer present an amended plan.

The ordinance was read and adopted at the Nov. 24, 2020 meeting, but it was continued at the Dec. 10 meeting and several times thereafter. Continuances have been given to finalize a development agreement with the applicant. “To date, there has not been much progress on the development agreement,” said City Manager Ashley Stathatos.

The stalemate stems from the developer’s proposal that all lots be 6,000 square feet minimum. A City staff analysis of all the lots in Bailey Phase I found that the majority of the lots are in the 8,000 – 9,000 sf range. The City will not agree to a development agreement with all the lots starting at a 6,000 sf minimum. The developer did not want to go up in lot size, therefore, “there was no further progress on the development agreement,” Stathatos said. She added that the development agreement continues to be “incompatible with surrounding land uses.”

The Commission voted to table the item once again to Nov. 18, with plans for the full Commission and the City’s planning consultant to be present.

Traffic Signal Operations

In other City business, Commissioners deferred a decision on an interlocal agreement for maintenance and operations of traffic signal and school beacons to allow time to research other options.

In the past, the City of Gainesville has been contracted to perform these services for the City, but has recently done away with the discount they provided to High Springs for their services. City Clerk Jenny Parham said it would now cost the City approximately $700 over the amount that the Florida Department of Transportation pays the City to maintain those services.

Presentations to Commission

In other business, Newberry Opioid Task Force Chairperson Joy Glanzer and other task force members encouraged High Springs to use $10,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to help pay for a radKIDS program to help teach young kids how to deal with drugs.

The City of Newberry has set aside $15,000 for the program and would like to see each of the communities set aside some funds to help pay for training radKIDS instructors and other related program items. Commissioneers will consider the request when they discuss Rescue Plan funds.

Elder Adam Joy requested the use of one room in the old school building behind City Hall for the Head Start Program. He said he has a grant and the kids, but just needs a location. Commissioners were reluctant to allow the use of the building for a nine-month period of time and denied the request. Joy said he would contact the City of Alachua to see if they might have a location that could be used for the program.

Sharon Yeago, secretary for The Heart of High Springs, introduced the organization to the Commission and explained the group’s purpose. The organization is working on the Gateway Sign Project with a goal of installing new welcome signs at entrances to the city. “The existing entrance signs were installed more than 10 years ago,” Yeago said, “and they are in need of being replaced and upgraded.”

The Heart of High Springs has designed new welcome signs, which will be paid for by private funding. Six locations have been identified for their installation. Yeago said the group is asking the City to partner with them to maintain the signs after installation. The City will be drafting an agreement that would form a partnership between the organization, the City and the property owners at the sign locations.

The next High Springs City Commission meeting is scheduled for Oct. 14.

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NEWBERRY ‒ The work of a local student is changing the lives of families more than 7,000 miles away.

Craig “Tre’” Smith, a sixth-grader at Oak View Middle School, recently raised more than $1,500 in two weeks for Ekisinga Ministries, an organization which strives to bring clean water to every person in Uganda.

Tre’ was inspired after a reading class led by his teacher, Lori Barber, in which she previewed the book “A Long Walk to Water.” The book is based on a true story in which a Sudanese ‘Lost Boy’ returns home and installs deep-water wells in remote villages in dire need of clean water. (Lost Boys are children who were orphaned or displaced by civil war in southern Sudan in the 1980s.)

That evening, Tre’ sat at the dinner table with his family and talked of his hope of helping African countries with their clean water supply.

Tre’s mom, Deanna Smith, saw how passionate Tre’ was about this opportunity and wanted to help.

“Tre' started talking to us about this and very passionately stated that we needed to go buy as many filtered straws as possible and send them to Africa,” Smith said. “My husband, Craig, and I dug a little deeper with him. He was heartbroken to know that children would drink dirty water because they were thirsty, then get sick. He wanted to buy all the filters and send a care package.”

After a night of discussion and research, Tre’ and his family thought it would be more fitting to find an organization on the ground in Africa to send money to so they could obtain more supplies for clean water.

Smith then reached out to the mother of one of Tre’s former classmates who is heavily involved with Uganda and Ugandans in need. From there, Smith was put in touch with Ekisinga Ministries, which provided details of how donations would be spent.

At $1,000, medi-drops are given to villagers who have to travel to obtain any water. In these, a silver ion bar is placed in buckets of water and in eight hours, the water becomes clean for drinking.

At $1,500, a water kiosk can be set up in the middle of a city or neighborhood. One side of the kiosk would have unfiltered water for laundry and bathing while the other side contains clean drinking water. A kiosk can fill a five-gallon jug in about a minute and helps around 300-350 people with sustainability for several years.

Following conversations with Ekisinga Ministries, Tre’ set a goal of raising $2,500 in hopes of helping 100 families.

One night after that conversation at the dinner table, Smith posted a flyer on social media looking for donations to Tre’s cause. Less than 72 hours later, the Smith family had already raised $1,000 and sent the funds to Ekisinga Ministries.

That money funded 40 medi-drops and canisters, which benefitted about 200 people in Uganda.

The other $1,500 donation will go toward a water kiosk for a neighborhood in Uganda.

As of Monday, less than two weeks from the start of Tre’s fundraiser, the Smiths have raised $1,615 of the $2,500 goal.

Barber, Tre’s reading teacher, was overwhelmed when she heard about the fundraiser.

“I was overwhelmed with love and happiness,” Barber said. “I am so proud of Tre’.”

As Tre’s fundraiser continues, Smith has been accepting donations via cash or Venmo.

Anyone who would like to donate directly to Tre’s cause can do so through Venmo to his mother’s account (@DeannaSmith4616). She has sent all cash and Venmo donations to Ekisinga Ministries.

People can also donate directly to Ekisinga Ministries and note “Tre’ Smith” in the comment section below the donation amount at Ekisinga’s donation page.

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NEWBERRY ‒ The City of Newberry is set to expand its footprint again. During the Sept. 13 City Commission meeting, Commissioners approved a series of ordinances that would annex more than 600 acres into the city limits of Newberry.

If approved again on second reading, scheduled for Sept. 27, 13 new parcels will be brought into the City.

Newberry Planner Wendy Kinser-Maxwell explained that the seven separate voluntary annexation requests were in different locations, each of which is “contiguous to the municipal boundaries of the city”. “The proposed annexations serve to strengthen continuity and improve overall compactness of the municipal boundary in the subject areas,” she said.

Each one of the petitions was heard in separate quasi-judicial public hearings.

The first, Ordinance 2021-38, was a petition by Morgan Lee Smith, Agent for RPM Auto, LLC, owner of approximately three acres of land located on the southwest corner of West Newberry Road and Southwest 225^th Street.

Ordinance 2021-39 was a petition by Robert F. Carter, Jr. and Barbara Carter, owners, to voluntarily annex approximately 5.06 acres. This property is located on the east side of Southwest 282^nd Street, approximately 1/2 mile south of Southwest 95^th Road.

Ordinance 2021-40 was a petition by Mark Halink, agent for Halink USA, Inc., owner, to annex two adjacent parcels together consisting of approximately 12.26 acres. These properties are located on the east side of Southwest 266^th Street, approximately .13 mile north of Southwest 15^th Avenue.

Ordinance 2021-41 was a petition by J. Keith Lerner, agent for Farm Gelt, owner, to annex approximately 254 acres and is located on the west side of U.S. 41 and the north side of Northwest 78^th Avenue.

Ordinance 2021-42 was a petition by Alvin D. and Suzanne M. Holder, owners, to annex two adjacent parcels totaling approximately 40 acres. These properties are located on the east side of Northwest 298^th Street (county line) and along Northwest 32^nd Avenue.

Ordinance 2021-43 was a petition by Brad Richardson, agent for the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the state of Florida, owners. This was the largest number of acres consisting of five adjacent parcels totaling approximately 256.25 acres. These parcels are located on the north side of West Newberry Road, approximately 1/2 mile east of Northwest 202^nd Street.

The last voluntary annexation request was included in Ordinance 2021-44. This is a petition by G. Leonard Emmel, agent for Emmel Family Partners Ltd., owners, to annex approximately 40.76 acres located approximately 3/4 mile north of West Newberry Road and approximately 3/4 mile west of Northwest 170^th Street.

Kinser-Maxwell said that letters notifying the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners and the Alachua County Growth Management Director had been sent on Aug. 19 with no response from either party.

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