Local

ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ The person allegedly responsible for a three-vehicle crash on Thanksgiving morning that resulted in the deaths of two High Springs residents and serious injury to a third person has been charged in the Interstate 75 crash that occurred just south of the Alachua exit at mile marker 397.

Demiko Montrell White, Jr. 24, has been charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter – negligent, two counts of DUI vehicular manslaughter – negligent driving with a suspended driver’s license – habitual offender and marijuana possession, on top of the existing charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the crash occurred at about 10:40 a.m. at which time a 23-year-old (at the time) St. Petersburg man with a 21-year-old male passenger, also of St. Petersburg, was driving a black sedan south in the center lane on I-75. The driver of the sedan attempted to change lanes into the right lane and struck the left side of a semi truck driven by a 38-year-old Clermont man.

At the same time, an SUV, driven by a 55-year-old man was traveling south in the left lane with a 50-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and an 83-year-old woman as passengers. The driver and passengers were all from High Springs.

When the sedan struck the semi truck, it swerved toward the left lane and struck the right rear of the SUV, which caused the SUV to swerve onto the shoulder and overturn several times, resulting in the fatalities. The driver of the SUV sustained minor injuries, but the 50-year-old woman sustained serious injuries.

Despite having an outstanding warrant out of Orange County, White was released on $15,000 bond four days after the crash. Following FHP’s investigation, an arrest warrant was issued on Dec. 15, 2021. On Jan. 6, 2022, White had contact with members of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, who arrested him on the warrant and added two counts of resisting arrest without violence.

According to the arrest report from Pinellas County, White refused to get on the ground when ordered by detectives. The report states that White refused to follow clear commands from deputies wearing clearly marked clothing and turned away, walking toward an elevator. Several deputies took him to the ground, where he continued to resist by tensing and bracing, refusing to comply with orders to give deputies his hands. Following a brief struggle, White was taken into custody.

Because the arrest violated his pretrial custody agreement, his bond on the previous Alachua County charge was revoked and bond was then set at $1,021,000 on the new charges. White was transferred to the Orange County Jail on Jan. 25, where he remains. He is scheduled to be in court in Alachua County on April 4.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

HAWTHORNE ‒ Hawthorne area children have an improved area for outdoor recreation. A new playground and ADA-accessible sidewalk has been completed at Grove Park, 6300 S.E. 152^nd Street in Hawthorne. These improvements provide expanded play amenities and shade over the playground and improve accessibility for the community.

These improvements were completed with Wild Spaces Public Places funding at $121,000, according to the Alachua County Parks and Open Space Department.

Alachua County Parks and Open Spaces Manager Jason Maurer said, “We are very thankful for the Wild Spaces Public Places program, which makes improvements like these possible.”

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

NEWBERRY – The Newberry Board of Adjustment (BOA) approved application SE 22-03, related to a Rural Event Center during the Feb. 28 meeting. Shabnam Rumpf-Monadizadeh, acting on behalf of her company Ecovibe, LLC, received permission to take her conceptual plan to the final design stage.

The property is located approximately .25 mile west of the intersection of Newberry Road and 170^th Street. Rumpf-Monadizadeh reviewed possible uses at the proposed Rural Event Center including a Yoga/meditation center, indoor and outdoor classrooms, nature trails, gardens, green houses, plant nursery, petting zoo, open space/play areas, food truck area, café and beer garden.

She said hours of operation would likely be 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. However, the application was approved with permission to create three larger special events per year following notification to the City approximately two weeks prior to those events.

To alleviate concerns about parking, the owner explained that there was a one-acre drive loop on the south end of the property that could be used for overflow parking. Currently, the property will require a well and septic system to address water and waste discharge. However, as with all City developments, when water and sewer lines are located within 800 feet of the property, the property owner will have one year to hook up to the City systems.

Planning and Economic Development Director Bryan Thomas explained that FDOT would not require modifications for traffic flow as the number of expected trips did not come up to the minimum amount required for such action. He also pointed out that when the actual site plan was developed, the plan would again be heard by the BOA for final approval. Also, as part of the approval process, the application would be reviewed one year after the Special Event Center was fully operational. If there are no problems or complaints at that time, the BOA could change the next review period to five years, as is routinely done with other Special Exception events.

Should the property owner choose to sell, the Special Exception would not automatically be granted to the buyer unless they were going to continue with the same type of business. At that time, the BOA would decide whether to grant the new owner the same Special Exception status.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA ‒ Alachua Police Chief Jesse Sandusky was officially sworn in to his new position in a standing room only Commission Chamber at the Alachua City Commission meeting on Feb. 28. Members of the Alachua Police Department were present to show their support of the new chief. Also in attendance were current and former chiefs of the Alachua Sheriff’s Office (ASO), City of Alachua Police Department (APD) and the High Springs Police Department (HSPD).

Sandusky was promoted to the Chief of Police position on Tuesday, Feb. 1 after then Chief Chad Scott accepted a position with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

Sandusky began his career with the Alachua Police Department (APD) in 2003. He worked his way up through the ranks as a patrol officer, then to special teams traffic unit, then detective, sergeant, and lieutenant where he was the public information officer for the department.

At the request of Sandusky, his mother pinned the Chief's badge on him and Judge Susanne Wilson-Bullard officiated his swearing-in and administered the oath of office. Former APD Chief Chad Scott held the Bible Sandusky swore on.

In other business, the City Commission recognized the Santa Fe High School Lady Raider Volleyball program, which won the State Championship in Class 4A on Nov. 17. They finished the season 29-3, and at the end of the season were ranked second in the nation and first in Florida. This is not only the first Volleyball State Championship for Santa Fe High School, also the first-ever State Championship in any women’s sport at Santa Fe High School. Head Coach Eric Marshall, Assistant Coach Nicole Stout, Assistant Coach Kayla Hess, and most members of the team were in attendance for the presentation and to take a photograph with the Commission.

The Commission appointed four new members to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. The Board serves in an advisory role to the City Commission concerning recreation services and potential long-range capital improvements. They also evaluate existing programs, recommend changes and enhancements and promote and review citizen participation in utilizing city services and facilities. Carol Richardson was re-appointed to a three-year term and Travis White was appointed to a three-year term. Malcolm Dixon and Jovante Hayes were appointed to the one-year terms.

In other business, the City of Alachua will be waiting a while longer for its latest purchase of transformers. City staff solicited pricing and availability on 12 types of transformers from four different vendors for a total of 39 transformers at a cost of $617,234. Due to continuing supply chain issues, delivery of these transformers is anticipated to be between 12 and 39 weeks.

#     #     #

Email rcarson@

alachuatoday.com

NEWBERRY ‒ Crews from the Newberry Fire Department (E28), Alachua County Fire Rescue and the High Springs Fire Department were called to the scene of a fire in the 900 block of Northwest 252^nd Drive in Newberry late Wednesday night, March 2. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from the garage.

Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire, which was contained to the garage.

“Most of the damage to the garage was smoke damage,” said Newberry Fire Chief Ben Buckner. No firefighter injuries were reported and the residents were able to exit the house safely.

Alachua County Fire Rescue is investigating the cause of the fire.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Each year on the first Sunday in March, the High Springs Lions Club opens its doors and makes dreams come true for local teenage girls by offering free prom gowns, shoes and corsages. The motto of the event is “If it Fits, It’s Yours.”

The dresses and accessories are donations from past proms, formal affairs or weddings and are collected throughout the year. The event is successful due to support and sponsorship from the local community, and the event serves an increasing number of girls each year.

Items and funds are donated by people throughout the community through the club’s “Donate a Dress - Support a Dream” team project. Local businesses provide additional services to make it a complete magical experience for the teenagers. Referred to as Fairy Godmothers and Godfathers, they offer such free services as boutonnieres and corsages from flower shops, tailors for alterations, limos and party buses, hair salons for nails, hair and makeup, photographers, DJ /bands, tux rentals and caterers.

The Lions Club also creates a book for the girls for use at special events throughout their lives. “We are trying to create a guide book so they can use it not just for prom but also for their next prom (senior) or wedding as well as a memory book of their event,” said Lions Club member Barb Kowats.

Cinderella’s Closet was founded in 2006 in Lakeside Park, Kentucky, after Erin Peterson overheard a teenager ask a consignment shop clerk if a gown on display could be put on hold while she figured out how to pay for it. The teenager asked her foster mother for the money, but a prom dress was an extra in life, and its price was out of their reach. Seeing her disappointment, Peterson stepped in bought the dress for her. As tears flooded her eyes, said she would look “just like Cinderella.”

In partnership with Immanuel United Methodist Church, Cinderella’s Closet was born. Through donations of new and gently used formal dresses and accessories, the organization was able to “Turn Dresses into Dreams” for juniors and seniors referred to the organization by their schools, community organizations or social care agencies. The program ensures that costs associated with attending prom are not a financial burden on a family by offering the gown shopping experience at no extra cost. But the benefit is more than just a dress, Cinderella's Closet provides an unforgettable experience for these girls to remember for the rest of their lives.

In High Springs, Kelly Dees, who owned All Creation Salon, heard about the idea and began working with the High Springs Lions Club to sponsor a local event in 2010. Dees ran the program and recruited sponsors while the Lions Club provided the location, additional sponsors and staff to hold the event. Lion member Karen Drake said, “Kelly's passion for Cinderella's Closet to make a difference was unparalleled, and without this program many young people wouldn't have been able to attend their prom or other formal events.”

While most donations and services have already been collected, the HSLC is still accepting donations until the event on March 6. The club also accepts cash donations they can use to buy accessories or more dresses from thrift stores.

“We currently have about 400 dresses that we will be putting out at the club for the girls to pick from on Sunday,” said Karen Drake.

Anyone who would like to donate a dress or money can contact Drake for more information by messaging her on Cinderella's Closet at the High Springs Lions Club Facebook page or by calling 386-454-4521 and leaving a message.

“The greatest reward for doing this is the happiness on the faces of the girls as they pick a dress and have a chance to enjoy their prom and the memories it will leave them,” said Drake. “Without this charity event many of these girls could not afford to go to their prom. To be able to help them make this dream come true is worth all the work the club puts into the event.”

The Cinderella’s Closet event will take place March 6, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the High Springs Lions Club at 26900 West U.S. Highway 27 in High Springs and is open to everyone.

#     #     #

Email rcarson@

alachuatoday.com