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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ The Department of Health – Alachua is expanding Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) services to Wednesday evenings. Extended hours began on Jan. 12.

“In addition to services provided during regular business hours five days per week, our staff is pleased to be able to improve access to vital educational and nutritional services to our pregnant, new mothers and children under the age of five on Wednesday evenings,” said Alachua County’s Florida Department of Health Administrator Paul Myers.

Existing clients wanting to make an appointment, and new clients seeking eligibility criteria, are asked to contact the Alachua County Health Department WIC Program at 352-225-4343 or toll-free at 800-494-2543. Additional information on eligibility can be found at FloridaWIC.org and SignUpWIC.com.

WIC is a nutrition program for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or who have recently been pregnant, infants and children under five. WIC provides healthy food, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding and referrals to healthcare, immunizations and community services at no cost.

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ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua will be searching for a new top cop as Police Chief Chad Scott announced he would be leaving his post with the City. The news came at the Jan. 24 Alachua City Commission meeting. Scott has accepted a position with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ASO), where he previously worked, serving 16 years until 2007 when he joined the Alachua Police Department (APD) as a reserve police officer. After Scott’s announcement, the audience gave him a standing ovation in honor his service to the city.

In other City business, the Commission announced the schedule for the upcoming April municipal election. Two seats will be decided including Mayor and Commission Seat 2. Mayor Gib Coerper has stated his intent to run again for the Mayor's seat and Commissioner Robert Wilford has announced he will not seek reelection. The election will be held April 12, the second Tuesday in April. In the event no candidate receives a majority of more than 50 percent of the votes cast, a runoff election will be held Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

The election qualifying period is from noon, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 to noon, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. The polling places will be located at the Multipurpose Center at Legacy Park, the Clubhouse at Turkey Creek, and the Cleather H. Hathcock, Sr., Community Center.

The Alachua Lions Club was honored with a special presentation by the City Commission. The not-for-profit service organization has been serving the Alachua community for more than 80 years. The club is celebrating its upcoming anniversary, and to commemorate its achievements a proclamation was read by Mayor Coerper proclaiming Jan. 24, 2022 as Alachua Lions Club Day in the city of Alachua. Alachua Lions Club Vice President Jeremy Thomas accepted a copy of the proclamation.

In other business, the Commission considered an offsite tree mitigation request as part of a site plan for the Alachua Dreyer's building. The site plan application proposes the construction of a 16,000-square-foot building with associated site improvements on a heavily forested 3.95-acre property located on U.S. Highway 441and 133^rd Terrace. The mitigation request proposes to provide eight replacement trees onsite while the offsite mitigation is for 240 trees. Cost of the off-site mitigation is $38,400, which must be paid to the City prior to the issuance of a building permit for new construction associated with the site plan.

During property development, when trees are removed from a property, new trees must be installed to replace healthy regulated trees on a one-for-one basis. A regular tree is defined as 10 inches or more in diameter or two feet in circumference. Heritage and champion trees, which are defined with a diameter of at least 30 inches or seven feet, ten inches in circumference, must be replaced on an inch-for-inch basis. When required tree replacement cannot be accommodated through onsite mitigation, offsite mitigation trees may be planted in City-owned properties and parks, City rights-of-way, preservation or conservation areas owned by the City, and within medians and rights-of-way of state and county roads where an inter local agreement authorizes such planting.

In other business, the City’s Director of Finance and Administrative Services, Robert Bonetti, informed the Commission that the City had been awarded a $2,024 grant through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The FY 2020 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) award will be used to purchase new gun holsters for APD.

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ALACHUA COUTY ‒ The three teachers selected as finalists in this year’s Alachua County Teacher Recognition Program come from different backgrounds, but all share a passion for helping students develop skills and attitudes that will help them beyond the classroom.

Nicole Duncan, Todd Eckstein and Kendra Vincent were chosen from among the district’s 39 teacher of the year honorees to represent elementary, middle and high school teachers in the districtwide program. One of them will go on to represent Alachua County Public Schools in the Florida Teacher of the Year program.

Nicole Duncan is a first-grade teacher at the Rawlings Center for Fine Arts. Originally from Jamaica, Duncan has worked as a teacher and parent educator/counselor teacher with Alachua County Public Schools and as a guidance counselor in Kingston, Jamaica. She’s also volunteered her time with local churches and with the St. Francis House.

Duncan says she wants students to know that with hard work, they can master even those subjects that cause them to struggle. She says seeing children do just that is the best part of teaching.

“Those moments are unpredictable,” she said. “You don’t know when it’s going to happen, but when it does happen, it’s so good to see, and it’s good to be a part of it.”

Todd Eckstein is the director of music at Lincoln Middle School, where he’s been on the faculty since 2007. He’s been teaching music since 1998, and is active in state and local music and music education organizations. He’s also performed and recorded professionally.

Many of Eckstein’s students were not musicians until they started attending his class. Like Duncan, he wants his students to understand the value of trying, even if it sometimes means failing.

“They’re learning a new skill, something they’ve never done before,” he said. “In order to be successful, they have to be ready to fail, but approach it with a grateful heart, be excited about it and ready to try again and again and again.”

Vincent is an English teacher at Buchholz High School. She’s been teaching there since 2006. Her resume also includes time as a unit leader with the Girl Scouts of America and as an Americorps VISTA volunteer serving high-needs students in West Virginia. She’s also volunteered as a child advocate with the local Guardian ad Litem program and as a tutor for the PACE Center for Girls.

Vincent says she wants to teach students to understand and enjoy books, but also much more.

“I really hope that I can broaden their horizons and that they get a larger sense of the world instead of just their own bubbles,” she said. “I want them to realize they can make a difference in their community and the larger world.”

Duncan, Eckstein, Vincent and their fellow honorees will all be recognized at the 30^th Annual Robert W. Hughes Alachua County Teacher Recognition Program celebration, which will be held Thursday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. and is being hosted by The Education Foundation. The program is named after the former Alachua County Public Schools superintendent who established the program.

All honorees will receive a cash award and gifts donated by local businesses and individuals, including primary sponsors Cox, Florida Credit Union, North Florida Regional Medical Center and SWI Photographers. The overall district Teacher of the Year will be announced at the end of the celebration.

The event will be live streamed at: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eW2H0Jj7YxM&feature=youtu.be

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ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua is losing its police chief while the Alachua County Sheriff's Office (ASO) is gaining a police commander with 32 years of experience. At the Jan. 24 Alachua City Commission meeting, Alachua Police Chief Chad Scott announced his resignation to accept a job with the ASO as the Chief of Operations with the rank of Major.

“Law enforcement was my passion ever since I was a teenager,” Scott said. Growing up in Newberry, Scott described himself as a kid who always talked with local law enforcement and asked a lot of questions, learning about the career by listening to officers’ stories. After high school Scott played on the football team at Bethel College, graduating in 1988 with a Bachelor’s Degree focused in Social Sciences.

Two years later he began his career in law enforcement when he was hired by the ASO. Over the next 16 years he served in a variety of capacities, including Patrol Deputy, School Resource Deputy, Detective, Special Operations, and SWAT. As he advanced through the ranks, he further developed his professional skills through classes and coursework.

Scott’s tenure with ASO would ultimately come to an end, when in 2007, an internal investigation alleged that he had incorrectly filled out timesheets over a year’s time, resulting in overpayments totaling $900. While the investigation was underway, Scott was placed on probation. Although the investigation ultimately failed to find evidence, as well as a second investigation by the State Attorney’s Office, then Sherriff Sadie Darnell kept Scott on probation.

After the dustup with the sheriff, Scott realized that further advancement with the department would be limited, and he resigned. Scott says that at the time he considered changing careers. “However, what I thought was my worst day, turned out to be my best day ever.”

Scott had come to know many people during his time with ASO, and some became friends. One of those individuals was current Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr. Watson had served as the Deputy Chief of Police with the City of Alachua Police Department and later became City Manager. “Although we had been friends for a long time, he was also my mentor, giving me advice and support in my law enforcement career,” said Scott. “When I told him about my thoughts of changing careers, he told me ‘Chad, you are a cop and nothing else will make you happy,’” Scott said.

Scott was hired by the City of Alachua Police Department (APD) in 2008 as a reserve police officer. Over the next 13-plus years he would be hired full time and rise through the ranks. He was first assigned to the Patrol Division until his appointment to the Traffic Safety Unit. In March 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Detective and assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division where he investigated multiple high-profile cases.

In May 2011, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned to the Patrol Division as a supervisor. Scott also supervised the Traffic Safety Unit until his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant in November 2011. As a Lieutenant, Scott was responsible for the oversight of Police Operations and Administration. In August 2014, he assumed the position of Deputy Chief of Police and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Police Department.

In 2015, APD Police Chief Joel DeCoursey, Jr., retired and then Alachua City Manager Traci Cain appointed Scott to replace him. “My work ethic has always spoken for itself,” Scott said. “I just think the City of Alachua recognized it as an asset to the ‘Good Life Community.’”

During his tenure as Police Chief Scott saw the department grow and become more involved with the community. He stressed that officers must always be professional and treat people fair. “You have to be engaged in your community,” he said. “That consists of, at times, of being a big brother or a big sister, a mentor, a counselor, a teacher. Sometimes you have to be a minister or a deacon. And my most favorite is being a coach.”

Scott believes he is leaving APD in good hands and that his move to ASO will benefit Alachua by establishing a stronger bond and communication between the city and the county. “I may be moving on to a new position with the ASO, but my heart stays with Alachua.”

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