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Officer Payne of the Alachua Police Department hands out backpacks to local students as families choose supplies for the new school year/Photo Special to Alachua County Today

ALACHUA – More than 500 local students are heading back to class with new supplies in hand, thanks to a community-wide back-to-school event held Saturday at Legacy Park.

The Alachua Police Department and the City of Alachua Recreation Department partnered with Just Between Friends of Gainesville to host the event, which provided backpacks filled with school supplies, free Child Identification Kits, and a family-friendly atmosphere designed to support student readiness and safety.

Volunteers and officers worked side by side to distribute 500 backpacks in a variety of colors and patterns. Each backpack was stocked with essential items to help children start the school year prepared.

Families also had the opportunity to complete free Child Identification Kits. These kits included fingerprints, current photographs, and other key information that can be critical in helping law enforcement quickly identify and locate a child in an emergency.

The Alachua Recreation Department provided space and logistical support at Legacy Park, contributing to the welcoming and well-organized environment. Just Between Friends of Gainesville, a well-known community consignment event, played a key role in organizing and supplying many of the items handed out during the event.

Alachua Police officers engaged with children and parents throughout the morning, helping with ID kits and offering safety information. Tables were filled with colorful backpacks, and children excitedly picked their favorites with help from family members and volunteers.

Support from sponsors, including Hitchcock’s Markets and Sysco, helped ensure the event’s success.

The effort is part of the Police Department’s broader commitment to youth engagement and community partnership as the school year begins.

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GAINESVILLE – A new state law is prompting Alachua County Public Schools to significantly tighten its guidelines on student use of cell phones and other personal wireless devices for the 2025–26 school year.

House Bill 1105, passed by the Florida Legislature, restricts student access to personal devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, earbuds, headphones, and tablets during the school day.

Under the revised district guidelines, students at all elementary and middle schools, as well as at High Springs Community School, Oak View Middle School, Hawthorne Middle/High School, and A. Quinn Jones School, must keep all personal devices powered off and out of sight from the time they arrive on campus until they leave.

At high schools — except Hawthorne and A. Quinn Jones, which follow the stricter elementary/middle school rules—and at Sidney Lanier Center, students are prohibited from using devices during instructional time unless explicitly permitted by a teacher for educational use.

Students at the middle and high school levels may use devices during extracurricular activities.

The district emphasized that students have access to district-approved instructional technology throughout the school day. In emergency situations or other safety concerns, families are urged to contact their school's front office directly rather than reaching out to students via personal devices.

To notify families of the changes, the district is distributing information via email, phone, and text message. Updates are also posted on the district’s official Facebook page and website. Additional information and updated policies can be found at alachuaschools.net/cellphones, including links to the revised Codes of Student Conduct for both elementary and secondary students.

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The following is a press release provided by Alachua County. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff.

Main Street Momentum — Alachua’s historic downtown may soon welcome breweries and wine bars if the City Commission follows through on its plan to ease alcohol sales restrictions near churches. A proposed ordinance could help revitalize the area by allowing more diverse business types / Today Staff Photographer

ALACHUA – After months of mounting pressure from local business owners and residents, the Alachua City Commission took a significant step Monday toward relaxing its decades-old alcohol sales restriction near churches — a move that could pave the way for breweries, wine bars, and other small establishments to revitalize Main Street’s commercial core.

Commissioner Dayna Williams welcomed the proposed changes saying, “I think that it would benefit not just Main Street, but the [Community Redevelopment Agency area] and our city as a whole.

At the center of the debate is a city ordinance prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages within 450 feet of any religious institution. While the rule includes exceptions for full-service restaurants and temporary special events, it effectively bans new standalone alcohol vendors from opening in much of downtown due to the close proximity of three churches: Living Word Church of Faith, River of Life, and First Baptist Church of Alachua.

Under the city’s current ordinance, a business may sell alcohol even if it is closer than 450 feet to the nearest religious institution, but only if that business derives at least 51% of its sales from food or non-alcoholic beverages.

The issue resurfaced earlier this year after representatives of the Alachua Chamber of Commerce and other economic stakeholders urged commissioners to consider revising the ordinance to allow for new types of businesses in the downtown district.

Local resident Julie Smith summed up the issues as, “I think it's just a matter of freedom of choice and freedom of businesses to be able to operate, for them to be able to have an income.”

“Because of the close proximity of three churches, [the sale of alcohol] is currently restricted … the Commission requested staff return at a future meeting to present possible options,” said Economic Development Manager David Wisener, who presented a report outlining several policy options. “Other cities in Alachua County — including Gainesville, Hawthorne, and Micanopy — have removed these restrictions entirely or set shorter distances.”

Mayor Walter Welch expressed concern that downtown churches had not been contacted, despite Wisener’s insistence that multiple phone calls were made and emails were sent to encourage pastors to attend the July 28 meeting.

The City’s current 450-foot rule is stricter than most in the county. High Springs and Waldo, for example, maintain a 500-foot buffer, while Newberry sets its distance at just 300 feet. Gainesville and several neighboring municipalities impose no such restriction at all.

Wisener explained that the distance is measured from the center of the licensed business’s main entrance to the center of the church’s entrance, along the most direct pedestrian route. That approach has rendered wide swaths of downtown ineligible for new alcohol licenses unless the business qualifies under narrow exceptions.

Commissioners previously directed staff to solicit feedback from the affected churches. According to Wisener, pastors from religious institutions were contacted multiple times over the past two months via email and phone. While staff did not confirm whether any formal objections had been raised, it was noted that none of the churches appeared before the commission to speak Monday.

Commissioners voted unanimously to direct City Manager Rodolfo Valladares to bring back to the commission a proposed ordinance, which would remove any prohibition of alcohol sales within the Community Redevelopment Agency area. The commission also voted to direct the city manager to explore adding a new business category for breweries and wineries, which might also be exempt from the alcohol ordinance.

The new ordinance is expected to come before the commission later this year for public input and a formal vote. In the meantime, current restrictions remain in place.

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The following is a press release submitted by Palms Medical Group. It is presented as received and has not been edited by this publication.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Palms Medical Group Celebrates National Health Center Week 2025

High Springs, Fla — Palms Medical Group is proud to celebrate National Health Center Week 2025, taking place August 3–9. This week highlights the essential role Community Health Centers (CHCs) play in improving public health and providing Americans with access to critical healthcare services. CHCs represent the nation’s largest primary care network, serving nearly 34 million patients nationwide.

This year’s NHCW celebration, launched by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), focuses on the theme: “America’s Health Centers Celebrating 60 Years of Improving our Nation’s Health.” CHCs across the country join the celebration through a host of scheduled events that include resource fairs, back-to-school drives, health screenings, and visits to CHCs by local, state, and national leaders.

With a mission to make high-quality, affordable care available to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status, CHCs save lives and healthcare costs on the front lines of our nation’s most pressing public health challenges. CHCs serve 10% of the U.S. population, and they are powered by a workforce of more than 326,000 dedicated professionals who reach beyond the walls of the exam room with effective services that not only prevent illness but also address the factors that may cause it.

“We are more than a doctor’s office,” said Anita Rembert, CEO of Palms Medical Group. “We are a lifeline for families in rural communities; a support system for those struggling with mental health or chronic conditions; and a safe, welcoming space for anyone who needs care. It takes every single one of our team members to make this possible.”

More than 1,700 CHCs nationwide are the health care home to:

• One in 5 uninsured people
• One in 3 people living in poverty
• One in 5 rural residents
• 9.4 million children
• Over 419,000 veterans

To learn more about the mission and accomplishments of CHCs, visit www.nachc.org. Learn more about NHCW and view a list of events at www.healthcenterweek.org.

About Palms Medical Group
Palms Medical Group exists to enhance the health and wellbeing of our communities. As a not-for-profit health care provider, Palms has been serving North Florida for more than 50 years with quality, affordable primary care and preventative services. With 12 locations across North Florida, same-day scheduling, flexible hours, and bilingual staff, Palms Medical Group gives patients the care they need, when and where they need it.

For more information, visit www.palmsmg.org or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.

ALACHUA – A proposal to investigate the early 2025 resignations of three senior staff members in Alachua’s Planning and Community Development Department failed to advance Monday night, July 28, 2025, after a split vote by the City Commission.

With Vice Mayor Shirley Green Brown absent, Commissioner Jacob Fletcher’s motion to hire an outside law firm to conduct the investigation ended in a 2-2 vote. Commissioners Dayna Williams and Jennifer Ringersen opposed the measure, while Mayor Walter Welch supported it along with Fletcher. The tie vote left the motion without the majority required to pass.

The push for an investigation began earlier this year, following the closely-timed departures of Planning Director Kathy Winburn and two city planners. While initial concerns came from a few individuals citing transparency, the effort soon became closely associated with former City Planner Justin Tabor, who resigned in early 2025 and submitted a critical open letter to the Commission in February.

In his letter, Tabor alleged unethical behavior within the City administration, claimed improper outside influence on development decisions, and pointed directly to then City Manager Mike DaRoza.

However, Tabor’s credibility has come under increasing scrutiny since his resignation. Within weeks of leaving his City position, he reemerged as a paid consultant — representing a private client before the Planning and Zoning Board on a project that had already been under City review during his tenure. Tabor had some involvement with the project while still employed by the City, and it is now being advanced by a private firm that employs him.

The very individual who once raised concerns about insider influence is now facing criticism for engaging in similar conduct — using influence and knowledge gained from his public role to benefit a private developer.

Further fueling skepticism is the disclosure that Tabor applied for a promotion to Assistant City Manager prior to his resignation but was not selected. The timing of his departure and subsequent consulting role has led some to question whether his accusations were driven by personal disappointment rather than public interest.

Despite these developments, a small group of individuals continued to press for an investigation, framing the resignations as a red flag that warranted outside review. But with the department now fully staffed under new leadership, and the central claims increasingly viewed through the lens of Tabor’s post-employment conduct, momentum behind the proposal has waned.

Local businessperson Mandy Bucci expressed skepticism about whether an investigation would resolve the concerns of those still demanding one.

“Whoever wants this investigation may not get what they want to hear,” Bucci said. “And how are we to know that that's going to be enough for them and that they're not going to stop and want more, and to what end to? When are we going to put it to bed?”

Monday night’s deadlock comes after months of debate and indecision among commissioners over whether to pursue a formal inquiry. For now, with no action taken, the City appears ready to move on.

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