Local

NEWBERRY ‒ The Newberry City Commission has given final zoning approval for a development of 636 homes and 140,000 square feet of commercial properties. The 220 +/- acre property was rezoned from Agricultural (A) to Planned Development (PD). The Commission, at the Feb. 27 commission meeting, approved the zoning change for the property located south of West Newberry Road/State Road 26 and west of Southwest 202nd Street. Development of the property is planned for four phases which is to occur over a 20-year period.

CPAs & Zoning

The Commission also gave unanimous approval to rezone four properties from Alachua County Agricultural to City of Newberry Agriculture (A). These properties were annexed into Newberry on July 11, 2022.

Properties rezoned included 22.75 +/- acres owned by Joshua P. and Tracie A. Blackford located on the west side of the intersection of Northwest County Road 235 and Northwest 46^th Avenue; 4.35 +/- acres owned by Clifton A. and Shari D. Brown located on the west side of Northwest 32^nd Avenue; 20.68 +/- acres owned by Richard Marion Fowler II located on the southwest corner of West Newberry Road/State Road 26 and Southwest 266^th Street; and 40 +/- acres owned by Martin and Martin (20 acres) and Todd and Lori Martin (20 acres) located on the east side of Northwest 298^th Street.

CR 337 Water Main Extension

A $1,249,227 base bid for the County Road 337 water main extension was awarded to Andrews Paving, Inc. Director of Utilities and Public Works Jamie Jones said the project has already been approved as part of the current budget. Construction on this project is set to begin in late April or early May.

Consent Agenda

Construction plans were approved by resolution for a 45 +/- acre property owned by Jilanne Belcher. The property is located at the northwest corner of Southwest 15^th Avenue and Southwest 170^th Street. The construction plans provide for infrastructure and site work improvements. The proposed infrastructure will remain privately owned and maintained. This petition is related to the special exception for a Small-Scale Rural Subdivision approved by the Board of Adjustment on Oct. 24, 2022 and the preliminary plat entitled Lakota approved by the City Commission on Oct. 24, 2022. A final plat will be forthcoming.

In other business, the Commissioners unanimously authorized submittal of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program for the Agri-Tech Innovation Park. This is a competitive grant. If the City’s grant application is approved the grant would help pay for a qualified consultant to produce the incubator business plan and help pay for economic development consulting services. The total project cost is $75,000 and the grant amount being applied for is $55,000.

The Commission also approved construction plans and a replat for Cedar Estates Addition, which Planning and Economic Development Director Bryan Thomas said is an infill project. The construction area encompasses 2.5 acres and the replat allows for seven detached single-family residences and one lot designated for stormwater retention. The City will provide utility services for this project.

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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ Just after 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20, fire departments from High Springs, LaCrosse and Alachua County Fire Rescue responded to a residential structure fire in the 15000 block of Northwest 193^rd Street between Alachua and High Springs in unincorporated Alachua County.

While en route to the fire, firefighters reported heavy black smoke visible from U.S. Highway 441. The first arriving fire engine found a single-family wood frame structure fully involved with fire. All occupants were out of the structure. The fire was contained to the building of origin which was a total loss. Several vehicles were also destroyed. There were no injuries.

Wind gusts up to 15 mph caused small spot fires to ignite on the ground and trees nearby. These small fires were quickly brought under control.

American Red Cross was contacted to assist the family. The Alachua County Fire Marshall was requested to help determine the cause.

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HIGH SPRINGS – One person was escorted out of the Feb. 23 High Springs Commission meeting as tempers flared. The root of the controversy was the agenda item “Discuss, consider and act on City support for High Springs Chamber of Commerce operations and events.” A number of people attended the meeting, speaking out about the matter. One resident, Janet Evans, said she felt like the Chamber is being targeted. The meeting turned into a near free-for-all when Evans later attempted to speak a second time on the topic.

In an effort to maintain control of the meeting, Mayor Gloria James explained that Evans had already spoken and others were waiting their turn to speak. At that point Evans began shouting at another meeting attendee, Bruce Borders, who had stood up and was heading to the podium.

High Springs Police Chief Antoine Sheppard and another officer escorted Evans out of the room. After about five minutes, Evans slipped back into the room silently and listened for a few minutes and left the meeting shortly thereafter.

Rumors had been circulating throughout the community that the City wanted to take over Chamber events, a notion that City Manager Ashley Stathatos refuted, saying that the City would like to be an equal partner with the Chamber to help make the events larger and help support the business community. “We would like to be included in planning and visioning with the Chamber as equal partners,” said Stathatos.

Stathatos presented a list of the functions City staff had already performed for the Chamber’s Christmas Parade. She pointed out that there is no budget for assisting the Chamber with their events so she has had to cut out other budgeted items in an effort to keep departments within their budgets when they work overtime to support a Chamber event.

Chamber President Sharon Decker addressed the Commission to say she welcomes a partnership with the City. “I have never said I didn’t want to work with the City,” Decker said.

A cross section of residents and business owners, as well as a former city commission, weighed in on the matter. Former High Springs City Commissioner Linda Jones, an apparent self-appointed liaison between the City and Chamber, said that Decker was not receiving any communication from the City. Stathatos countered by saying Decker has her cell phone number and has called her over the weekend and at night. She said the only time she had not responded was when her children were visiting from out of state.

Business owner Jessica Caldes, who works in partnership with the City on the Summer Arts Camp, said her program has done well in partnership with the City.

Business owner Jeffery Connolly said the day of the Christmas parade was his biggest day ever. Chamber member Andrew Miller talked about the growth in the number of floats and Pioneer Days vendors.

Backers of Decker included Lanier Smith, who read a letter, which had been provided to the Commission, in support of Decker. Sharon Decker’s husband, Don Decker, asked for the City to give the Chamber support. But not everyone at the meeting voiced support one way or another, with Alice Brown saying she was more confused after listening to the discussion.

Commissioner Katherine Weitz suggested that the City consider adding a charge for review of Special Event Permits, which is what the Chamber and others would have to submit prior to obtaining permission for their event.

Following discussion, Stathatos said she would submit Special Event Permits to the Commission so that they could tell how much the City would be contributing and they could determine whether to exceed the City budget. There was no further conversation about the matter, and the Commission moved on to another agenda topic.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Transitioning from law enforcement to God’s work was a natural progression for Adam Joy. Working as a High Springs police officer and school resource officer was his career, but Joy’s heart was always with the church, and he diligently pursued his dream of becoming a pastor. He became a Licensed Minister in 2007 and an Ordained Elder in 2012. In April 2017, he resigned from the police force and founded the Deeper Purpose Community Church. Furthering his spiritual instruction, in December 2018 he graduated from the Church of God by Faith Theological Institute of Jacksonville.

Joy’s goal was to create an all-inclusive church open to everyone. “Our Mission is to be a church seeking the unchurched, in a casual, friendly and non-judgmental atmosphere,” said Joy. “More than that, we want to be a community church for the entire community, not just our members.”

The church started with a congregation of families that sought to provide charitable services to the community. The congregation provided meals and conducted food and clothing drives for those in need. The church also started an annual community Easter egg hunt and an annual carnival, as well as events supporting first responders.

As the church grew, so too did its goals. Based on Joy's time as a school resource officer, the church developed youth services to help troubled teens and give them a safe environment for activities. They offered youth church services as well as creating a school for children from pre-k to high school and after-school care for children of working parents.

By 2020 the congregation had outgrown their rented facilities and they began to look for land of their own to build the Deeper Purpose Community Complex, which would house the church and a number of new programs. The complex would accommodate the Deeper Purpose Christian Academy as well as a community and outreach center, a commercial kitchen, a youth center and student ministries.

It was a big dream, and in April 2022, the church launched Part 1 of a Building Purpose Campaign asking 100 individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to donate $1,000 in 100 days. They received enough money to purchase nearly 14 acres fronting U.S. Highway 441 between High Springs and Alachua and to clear two-thirds of the property, leaving the remainder in trees for a natural recreation area.

Now the church is focusing on another fund-raising campaign, this time for a new school. “We originally planned to do it all at once,” said Joy. “We have decided that our priority and one of the greatest needs right now in our community is a new school.” Joy says the school will be Phase 1 of a continuing plan and he hopes it will be completed by 2025. In the meantime, Joy hopes to put modular portable classrooms on the property by August for the start of the new school year.

A permanent 10,000 square-foot building will house all ages of students. Joy says they also plan on a 5,000 to 7,000 square-foot pole barn for children’s activities, after schoolers, summer camp, and community events.

Part 2 of the church’s building project, is a $300,000 capital campaign, of which $90,000 Joy says has already been pledged.

“We are not putting a deadline on it at this time,” said Joy. “We are committed and dedicated to the families and children in our community here, and this will happen, but only with the support of the community.”

He said that anyone interested can contact him at 386-454-5300 or 352-474-9040, or by email at deeperpurposecc@yahoo.com.

Joy added that no donation is too small, saying “God doesn’t look at the amount, just the heart.”

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ALACHUA ‒ A car repossession led to violence and an Alachua resident has been charged with attempted homicide.

Winzoir Von Durr, 73, was arrested on Wednesday, Feb. 15, after allegedly shooting at a man who was repossessing his daughter’s car.

At about 9:45 a.m., an Alachua County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a call reporting that shots had been fired in the 14700 block of Northwest 270^th Avenue. The victim’s employer said that an unknown man had shot at her employee while he was attempting to repossess a car.

The victim told the deputy that he had spoken to Durr at the door of his residence and Durr had asked what it would take to avoid the repossession and that Durr then went back inside to get “paperwork.” While the victim was backing up to leave, he heard a “pop.” He said he saw Durr near the front door of the residence, pointing a gun at him and then heard five more shots. The victim said he then sped away, in fear for his life.

Durr reportedly admitted knowing that his daughter was behind in payments on her car and he admitted taking his gun from his office when he realized the recovery agent was leaving with his daughter’s car. Durr reportedly admitted firing a “warning shot,” then said he shot three more rounds at the tires to prevent the victim from leaving.

The deputy reported finding a black Smith & Wesson Model 59 9 mm pistol in Durr’s office and four 9 mm shell casings near fresh tire tracks in the front yard, consistent with a vehicle leaving the area at a high rate of speed.

Durr has no criminal record. Bail has been set at $15,000.

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By JENNIFER CABRERA/Alachua Chronicle

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Davis has filed a discrimination and retaliation complaint against Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr. in the Eighth Judicial Circuit.

Davis previously filed charges of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) in February 2022 and received a Notice of Determination from FCHR in October and a Notice of Suit Rights from the EEOC in January 2023.

Davis was employed by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ASO) from 1999-2001, was rehired in 2004 after going to college, and currently serves as a Sergeant in the Patrol Division. Watson became Sheriff on January 5, 2021.

In the complaint, Davis describes the promotion process at ASO: eligible employees may take a promotional exam and must achieve a minimum score to be placed on the eligibility list, the top candidates are given an opportunity to interview with either the Sheriff or Undersheriff, and the Sheriff or his designee makes the final decision based on relevant experience, background, performance history, discipline history, and other job-related factors. Davis claims that since Watson took office, he and other Caucasian employees have “continuously been passed over for promotion and transfer because of their race” and that he has been third on the promotion list for lieutenant for the past 17 months. Davis states that he filed an internal complaint about racially-based discrimination in promotions at ASO but says he received no response, leading to the filing of the charges with EEOC and FCHR.

Davis provides several examples of minority candidates being “promoted, reassigned, or otherwise selected over a Caucasian candidate, with the deciding factor being race.” One example is a black male who was ranked fifth on the Sergeant’s promotional list and was selected over four non-minority candidates and given a position that is highly unusual for newly-promoted Sergeants, who are usually assigned to patrol. Another black male was named as “acting” lieutenant in spite of not being one of the top five candidates and not being eligible for promotion to lieutenant at the time. Another black male was promoted to lieutenant over eligible non-minority candidates although he was not in the top five of the lieutenant promotional list. A black female was hired in spite of a “known criminal history and numerous racially motivated social media posts.”

Davis states in the complaint that Watson requires photos to be submitted with the paperwork for promotions, transfers, and special assignments and that the photo “serves no other purpose than to confirm the race of the employee.”

Davis submitted a complaint to Human Resources in August 2022 when a black male who was eighth on the promotion list was promoted to lieutenant over him. In January 2023, two white males were promoted to lieutenant, and Davis claims that this was an act of retaliation and “an effort to conceal discriminatory intent” because both had lower test scores and less supervisory experience than Davis.

The complaint asks the court to provide relief by “mandating [Watson’s] obedience to the laws,” providing financial damages, enjoining Watson from future violations of the law, and awarding attorney’s fees and costs.

Davis is represented by Tiffany R. Cruz of Cruz Law Firm in Tallahassee.

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