Local

ALACHUA ‒ Masud D’Andre Headen, 29, was pulled over for speeding on Thursday, Dec. 1, in Alachua and found to have an outstanding warrant for stealing a Land Rover and altering the vehicle identification number (VIN). The arrest report also points to evidence that Headen was involved in multiple financial scams.

A Florida Highway Patrol Trooper pulled Headen over on U.S. Highway 441 in Alachua for traveling 63 mph in a 45-mph zone. The trooper learned that Headen’s driver’s license was suspended and that he has three prior convictions for driving with a suspended license. The trooper also learned that Headen was wanted on a felony warrant and arrested him.

In March 2022, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a child abuse investigation, and a witness, who had been in a relationship with Headen for three years, said there was a stolen Land Rover in her garage and she “want[ed] it gone.”

She reportedly told the officer that Headen takes stolen vehicles and switches out the VIN and has a number of tags registered under different names. She reportedly said she had “a bunch” of different vehicles registered under her name because of this scheme. She also reportedly said that Headen doesn’t get oil changes on his cars because there are different VINs on the vehicle. If someone looks up one of the VINs, it will show stolen parts.

The officer reportedly found two different VINs on the Land Rover; one had no title registered and one did not come back to any vehicle or title but matched a vehicle registration under the name of the witness.

During the investigation, Headen returned to the residence and was found to have the car keys on him. He was arrested in connection with the child abuse investigation, but those charges were later dropped.

Post Miranda, Headen reportedly said the Land Rover belonged to his sister and that she let him borrow it. He denied switching out any of the VINs.

The Land Rover was towed and later searched. An officer learned that neither of the VINs had ever been created; he was unable to find a physical VIN (besides the two fraudulent VINs already found) in the car but was able to turn on the car and retrieve the VIN from the car’s computer. That VIN showed that the car had been reported stolen from a car rental agency in Miami. The car had originally been black but had an “unprofessional” wrap that changed the color to gunmetal gray.

The officer spoke to an investigator at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) who said that the two fraudulent VINs had been applied for and added to the registrations for newly-purchased vehicles by a dealership in Opa-locka, Florida. The dealership has since been closed by DHSMV.

Headen reportedly gave consent to search his phones. The officer reportedly found communications in which Headen said he had bought the Land Rover for $20,000 and had paid $5,000 to get it registered; he also discussed how he had to change the color of the car to match the purchased registration.

The officer also found communications on the phones “involving a myriad of frauds.” He obtained a new search warrant and found information about Headen purchasing personal banking information for other people and selling it to others. There were reportedly communications about selling cloned credit cards, fake checks with real account information and fake money orders.

The officer reportedly found “dozens” of communications in which Headen tells others how to access the stolen bank account information and engage in a scam called “card cracking,” along with “conversations about how easy it is to make money doing these scams.”

Headen is currently charged with driving without a valid license, grand theft of a motor vehicle and possessing a vehicle with altered VINs. The warrant recommends a bond of $50,000.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

GAINESVILLE ‒ The Alachua County Legislative Delegation will be holding its annual public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 1:30 p.m.  The meeting will be held in the Lyceum Concert Hall on the campus of Santa Fe State College at 3000 N.W. 83^rd Street in Gainesville.

The Legislative Delegation includes State Senator Jennifer Bradley (R-Fleming Island), State Senator Keith Perry (R-Gainesville), State Representative Chuck Brannan III (R- Macclenny), State Representative Chuck Clemons (R-Newberry) and State Representative Yvonne Hinson (D-Gainesville). 

The Delegation Hearing is intended to afford local residents and officials an opportunity to request legislation or state funding, as well as to express opinions on any other matter of state concern, in advance of the 2023 Regular Legislative Session, slated to begin in Tallahassee on March 7.  This hearing is open to the public.

For additional information please contact the office of Speaker pro tempore Chuck Clemons, State Representative, District 22, at 352-313-6542. 

Members of the public wishing to be placed on the printed agenda can do so by emailing their request, along with any backup information, to HD022@myfloridahouse.gov.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County (DOH-Alachua) is announcing the availability of free Naloxone (Narcan) Nasal Spray kits. This lifesaving medication could reduce thousands of substance abuse deaths across the state. Naloxone is available to people who use drugs, people with a history of drug use, others at risk of experiencing an overdose, friends, family members, and others who may witness an overdose. Kits consist of two Naloxone nasal sprays that are administered even without a health care professional present.

“Overdose deaths are tragic and preventable,” said Paul Myers, Administrator of the Alachua County Health Department. “These lifesaving medication kits have been effective in reducing the number of opioid overdose deaths in Alachua County, and with increased availability, provide additional hope of surviving an overdose." 

Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, restoring breathing and consciousness within minutes of being administered to a person who has overdosed. Naloxone can be administered by a bystander (non-healthcare professional) before emergency medical assistance becomes available, but it is not intended to substitute for professional medical care. Individuals should call 911 immediately when an opioid overdose is suspected before administering Naloxone.

Persons requesting a kit from DOH-Alachua must meet the following eligibility:

• Must be 18 years old or older
• Individuals at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose
• Caregivers who may witness an opioid overdose or others likely to experience or witness an opioid overdose.

Naloxone kits can be obtained at the East Gainesville DOH-Alachua office located at 224 S.E. 24^th Street, Gainesville.

Naloxone kits are free, and no appointment is necessary. People using Naloxone receive educational material, referrals, and connections for substance abuse intervention.

Increasing access to Naloxone is a critical component in battling the opioid epidemic, especially in rural areas or counties with limited access to health care. Providing Naloxone through county health departments will increase support to individuals across the state dealing with substance use disorder and help prevent overdose deaths in Florida.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ Alachua County Animal Resources and Best Friends Animal Society are hosting “Home for the Holidays” on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 9 - 10, from 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., at the Alachua County Animal Resources shelter, 3400 N.E. 53^rd Avenue, Gainesville. During this national animal adoption event adoption fees are waived. All animals are spayed or neutered and are up-to-date on vaccinations.

This event brings together welfare organizations across the country to help save more lives by connecting adoptable animals with their future families. Anyone considering adding a new pet to their family can make a difference by choosing to adopt.

“The overcrowding crisis is a nationwide concern and we will need the community’s help for a long time,” said Shelter Supervisor Faren Healey. “We need people to step forward and adopt or become fosters with us. The more adoptions and fosters we have, the more lives we can save. If you’ve ever thought about adopting a pet, now is the time.”

“When you foster or adopt, you are not just saving that animal but freeing up space in our facility, so we can focus on saving more lives. Every animal deserves to be in a home for the holidays, so we are hopeful our community will join us for another amazing event with Best Friends Animal Society,” said EVO coordinator Sarah Gilley.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA CUNTY ‒ Crews from Alachua County Fire Rescue responded to a reported vehicle crash with extrication early on Dec. 6, at Northwest 78^th Avenue and County Road 235. Upon arrival, first responders found a two-car accident with occupants trapped inside.

The Florida Highway Patrol reported that a 28-year-old male from Trenton was driving a white 2006 Ford pickup truck traveling east on Northwest 78th Avenue. As he approached the intersection, he failed to stop at the stop sign.

A 2001 Toyota SUV driven by a 66-year-old Gainesville woman was traveling north on County Road 235 approaching Northwest 78th Avenue. When the driver of the truck ran the stop sign, his right side was struck by the Toyota’s front end.

After the initial crash, the truck traveled off the roadway where it overturned on the east shoulder of County Road 235.

The driver of the Toyota was listed in serious condition. The driver of the truck was removed with minor extraction and no injuries.

First responders triaged the patient and began treatment. A trauma alert was issued and the driver of the Toyota was transported to UF Shands for further treatment.

Also in Alachua, a 39-year-old Alachua man was killed on Saturday, Dec. 3, in a single-vehicle crash on North County Road 225 at approximately 6:26 p.m. The man, who was the only occupant of the car, was pronounced deceased at the scene. No further information is available at this time.

In Archer on Dec. 2, a crash occurred at the intersection of State Road 26 and County Road 241 that resulted in a fatality. An 82-year-old Archer man was traveling west in a Chevrolet SUV on State Road 26 and attempted to make a left turn south onto County Road 241.

At the same time a 51-year-old man from Riverview, Florida, was driving his white Ford pickup truck through the same intersection. The pickup truck crashed into the Chevrolet SUV in the intersection.

According to a Florida Highway Patrol, a 77-year-old Archer woman, who was a passenger in the Chevy SUV, was fatally injured in the crash and succumbed to her injuries from the impact of the truck. She was pronounced dead by paramedics at the crash scene.

The two drivers reported only minor injuries. All drivers and passengers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.

In Waldo in the early morning hours of Dec. 2, crews from Alachua County Fire Rescue, Melrose Fire Department, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to a single vehicle accident on Northeast U.S. Highway 301 just south of Waldo.

The vehicle left the roadway and flipped multiple times, incurring significant damage before coming to rest against a large oak tree. The driver was transported to a local trauma center in serious, but stable condition. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA ‒ It was a weekend for celebrations as the A.L. Mebane High School Alumni Association held its annual homecoming reunion starting on Friday and continuing into Sunday. Each year on the weekend after Thanksgiving former students and family members from A.L. Mebane High School hold a multi-day homecoming celebration and parade for a school that no longer exists.

Sponsored by the A.L. Mebane High School Alumni Association, the event has become a community tradition to keep the school's history alive and to remember the struggle for equal education and the achievements of African American students over the past 150 years.

While the Civil War may have ended slavery, it did little to resolve the divisions between the races in the South or bring equality. Prior to 1924, there were no organized institutions of learning for the black community. In that year, the Alachua County Training School (ACT) was opened by the state to provide education for African American children.

For the next 32 years, ACT was the main educational institution for the African American community in Alachua. In 1956 the school was replaced by the Mebane School, named after Albert Leonidas Mebane who had been principle at the ACT school. The school covered all grades including high school. Due to segregation policies, the school remained an all-black school with its first class graduating in 1960.

In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed by Congress outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It also prohibited racial segregation in schools, but it would be 1970 before Alachua County schools were integrated by Federal law. Public schools in the county were reorganized and Mebane became an integrated middle school. Mebane high school students were transferred to Santa Fe High School. There would be no more graduating seniors after the class of 1970.

But the unity and spirit of those 14 graduating classes remained strong and the Alumni Association was created. In 1996 the Association held their first Homecoming event. For the Alumni Association, keeping their history alive is a matter of community pride and an eye to the future. Each year since 1996, the community gathers to remember the old Mebane High School. Activities begin on the Friday after Thanksgiving as the Alumni and families from the 14 classes attend activities leading up to the longstanding parade through downtown Alachua.

On Saturday, Nov. 26, the crowd began to gather on the sidewalks along Main Street as overcast skies and mild temperatures made a pleasant day for a parade. Each alumni class designed a float or decorated a car, along with some community organizations and churches that also participated. Led by a police escort, the parade kicked off with sirens wailing and lights flashing.

Sidewalks were lined with spectators as cars and trucks carrying homecoming queens and dignitaries were interspersed with floats sponsored by the various alumni classes, many tossing candy for the excited children attending the parade. A variety of other vehicles, including a large group of motorcycle riders, added to the cacophony of celebratory sounds.

Entertainment was interspersed between the vehicles with the 352 Marching Band performing along the way. The Heart and Soul Line Dancers entertained with style and energy along the parade route.

While the parade started with the deafening howl of police sirens, it ended softly with a nod to the past as a group of horse mounted cowboys and farmers closed out this year’s procession.

Each year the Alumni classes get smaller as the students of 50 years ago get older. But what started as a small group of former students wanting to keep a connection with their classmates, has become a community event spanning multiple generations celebrating their history, culture and achievements.

#     #    #

email rcarson@

alachuatoday.com