Local

WALDO ‒ Alachua County Fire Rescue was dispatched to a commercial vehicle fire on Friday, Dec. 30, at 4 a.m. The blaze was located on U.S. Highway 301 near County Road 225, north of Waldo.

Upon arrival fire rescue crews reported a semi car hauler carrying nine vehicles that was on fire with four of the vehicles on the trailer fully engulfed in flames. Assistance was requested from the Melrose and Windsor Fire Departments who provided water tanker support and manpower.

Although the fire was brought under control quickly, southbound traffic was diverted due to fire operations for approximately nearly two hours.

Crews were able to contain the fire to the trailer and four of the nine vehicles on the trailer.

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ALACHUA - Members of the Alachua Business League's (ABL) board participated in the Alachua Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 10.

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HIGH SPRINGS/LAKE CITY ‒ A Jan.1 multi-car crash on Interstate 75 involved 21 vehicles and three fatalities. The 12:40 a.m. accident occurred at northbound mile marker 414, the U.S. Highway 441 High Springs/Lake City exit, and required road closure for s12 hours while the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) investigated the scene.

For reasons yet to be determined, a series of collisions occurred as the 21 vehicles were traveling north on I-75. According to the FHP, the vehicles involved were a Ford F150 truck, a white transit van, a Lexus RX 300, a Lexus RX 350, a Nissan 3500 van and trailer, a Toyota Rav4, a Toyota Corolla, a Nissan Ultima, a Lincoln Navigator, a Ford F250 truck, a Dodge Ram pickup and trailer, a Nissan Sentra, a Ford Maverick pickup and trailer, a Nissan Ultima, a Ford Mustang, a Kia Soul, a Chevrolet Suburban, a Subaru Outback, a TEMSA Charter Bus with 15 passengers on board, a Toyota Camry and a Nissan Ultima.

There was in excess of 45 persons involved, including two men and a woman, all from Chicago, Ill., who were killed. Other injured drivers and passengers were transported via five separate rescue units to Lake City Medical Center or to Shands UF. “The exact number of persons injured is still be determined as some drove themselves to a medical facility,” said FHP Troop-B Public Affairs Officer Lt. Patrick Riordan.

Once FHP’s Major Crash Investigation Unit finished mapping the scene, collecting evidence and removed all persons, vehicles and debris the Interstate was reopened at 12:40 p.m.

“Once this large-scale investigation is concluded, FHP’s investigators will have more specific facts, data and details of what occurred that caused the chain reaction of collisions,” Riordan said. Heavy fog was reported in the area at the time of the incident.

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In Hawthorne, the FHP reports that on Dec. 29 a vehicle crashed into an ambulance in Putnam County.

Troopers say that around 3:40 p.m., the vehicle stopped at the intersection of State Road 20 and Gordon Chapel Road in Hawthorne.

The driver then failed to yield the right of way to an ambulance heading west on Gordon Chapel Road, causing a collision between the front of the ambulance and the passenger side of the vehicle.

Officials say a non-emergency patient was in the ambulance at the time of the crash but no major injuries were reported.

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ALACHUA COUNTY, FL ‒ Alachua County is hosting a workshop to discuss the details of the County’s new Residential Rental Unit Ordinance and the permitting requirements for landlords. The workshop is on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Jack Durrance Auditorium on the second floor of the County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville). Property owners, rental property managers, and other interested persons are invited to attend.

The public may view the meetings on Cox Channel 12 and the County’s Video on Demand website.

The permit application letters will be mailed out to property owners two to three weeks after the workshop, and the permit fee has been set at $122.00. The inspections will begin on October 1, 2023.

The rental permitting program regulates rentals that are rented for 30 consecutive days or more and covers properties with four units or fewer. The Rental Permitting Ordinance does not cover short-term rentals (Airbnb/VRBO, etc.).

“The County Commission has recognized that some residential rental units in the County are substandard and do not currently meet certain minimum housing codes and energy efficiency standards,” said Alachua County Acting Assistant County Manager Missy Daniels. “In order to address these issues, the County Commission adopted a Residential Rental Permitting Ordinance with minimum housing and energy efficiency standards that must be met in order for a landlord to rent a unit. The goal of the program is to ensure renters are living in safe, decent housing and to help alleviate the substantial cost burden many face from rising energy prices.”

Learn more about the Residential Rental Unit Permit Program.

For more information, contact Alachua County Code Administration at 352-374-5238

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The High Springs Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas parade attracted spectators from all around north Florida on Dec. 10, with more than 300 floats featuring this year’s theme of a Candy Cane Christmas.

“We had around 7,000 people that came to see our Christmas parade this year,” said Chamber President Sharon Decker. “It was a beautiful night and a great turn out. We had some people that came from Cedar Key, Ocala and all around the surrounding area.”

Martial arts demonstrations, Santa Claus riding on the Historical Society’s old fire truck float and Santa visiting with children after the parade were highlights of the event.

Announcers Damon Messina and Ben Boukari, Jr., brought the parade to life as they described the high points of each of the floats as they traveled down High Springs Main Street.

This year’s parade may have been the largest turnout for a Christmas parade ever according to some long-time High Springs citizens.

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ALACHUA CUNTY ‒ Alachua County is seeking applicants to fill three current vacancies on the Land Conservation Board (LCB) for the positions of Natural Resource Professional. They generally meet on the fourth Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. The application deadline is Jan. 20, 2023.

The LCB provides an opportunity for citizen involvement in selecting Alachua County Forever Conservation Lands. The Board reviews and recommends properties for acquisition through the Alachua County Forever Program to the County Commission and provides recommendations on stewardship issues.

Alachua County Environmental Program Manager Andi Christman said, “Members of the Land Conservation Board are helping to shape the future of our County and become part of the legacy of conservation we create for future generations.”

Interested applicants may apply online. Click on “Vacancies” and scroll down to the Land Conservation Board. Indicate in the appropriate section of the online application the category position and relevant qualifications as applicable.

For more information, contact Alachua County Office of Land Conservation and Management Senior Planner Emily Uhlmann at 352-275-2050 or euhlmann@alachuacounty.us

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