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ALACHUA COUNTY – Several southbound lanes of Interstate 75 were blocked on Thursday, Oct. 28, as a two-vehicle crash was reported in Alachua County. 

According to a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), a 54-year-old Newberry woman driving a sport utility vehicle sustained minor injuries when her vehicle was involved in a crash with a pickup truck.  The truck driver was a 47-year-old man from Indianapolis, Indiana, who was pulling a trailer. 

The driver of the pickup truck was heading south on I-75 at approximately 3:20 a.m.  He was located south of the on ramp for State Road 222/39^th Avenue when the right front tire on the truck blew out causing the driver to lose control. 

According to the FHP, the trailer overturned onto its side colliding into a light pole on the west side of the interstate.  The truck and trailer came to a final rest blocking the middle and right southbound traffic lanes.  The driver of the SUV was unable to see the overturned trailer.  Her vehicle collided into the underside of the trailer. 

The middle and right southbound lanes of traffic were blocked due to the crash.

Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. The driver of the pickup truck reported no injuries. 

In Marion County, a 25-year-old Micanopy man was traveling west on County Road 316 when he lost control of his sedan.  The vehicle veered right onto the right grass shoulder when the front of his vehicle collided with a large Oak tree.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports that after the collision the vehicle in which he was driving caught fire and burned.  The driver was pronounced dead on the scene. 

According to the FHP, the driver was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ To celebrate the Halloween spirit, the Opera House at the Great Outdoors Restaurant became a dark and sinister place, terrorizing all who entered. A dark maze filled with body parts, ghosts, demons and serial killers. But it was all in fun, as the Great Outdoors hosted a haunted house for the holiday.

When Melissa Doring became event manager at the Great Outdoors in July and took a tour of the Opera House space, she saw the potential for it to host special events, especially around various holidays

“One of my first thoughts were that this space could make an ideal haunted house for Halloween. The idea stayed in the back of my mind for several months as I acclimated to my new job, and I finally pitched it to my boss who agreed to let me put it together,” Doring said.

Working with a limited budget, materials and help, she posted on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to help or contribute. “I got a response from Chris Scott, who wound up turning the concept into a reality in a really short time period,” said Doring. “This wouldn't have happened without his involvement.”

Scott has been putting on Halloween shows for over eight years. He was involved with the Madness and Mayhem Halloween specials for several years as well as other organizations. It is his passion rather than profession. “I do it because I love it, said Scott. “To me it’s creating a giant art installation for people to enjoy.”

Scott says that Halloween makes the perfect time for mixing in the heightened emotions of surprise and fear with the entertainment. Over the years he has collected a large number of props, including building a maze that can be adjusted to each different location.

Scott contacted Doring and restaurant owner Baram Kim to discuss combining forces to create a professional quality haunted house in the Opera House. Both welcomed his support. The biggest problem was time as Scott had only learned of Doring's Facebook post a week before Halloween, but the two worked together to make it a reality.

It took two full box trucks to bring all the materials and props Scott had to the Great Outdoors and take it all upstairs. It took Scott and his wife, Bobbi, three days to put it together.

Staffing was another issue since the Great Outdoors staff was busy with the restaurant on a Saturday night. Doring manned the entry point along with her father, Barry Searles, who was dressed as a vampire. Her mother was also one of the characters in the Haunted House. Chris, his wife and daughter were also members of the cast as were three friends and one Great Outdoors employee. There was a $10 entry fee to cover cost and give volunteers some remuneration for their work.

The Halloween theme was also carried over to the Pink Flamingo Diner, which is owned by the same company. The general manager for the two restaurants, Lynn Long, arranged for a red tractor to run hayrides between the two locations. The tractor brought people over to the miniature golf course at the Pink Flamingo to play on the decorated “haunted” golf course and back to their cars. Many of the participants were children in Halloween costumes.

“We put this together in a very short time and thanks to Chris's materials and expertise and the efforts of everyone involved it was a success. We saw 165 “victims” come in to be scared ….and they all came out happy as well,” Doring said.

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HAWTHORNE – A Hawthorne student has been charged with making a false bomb threat. On Thursday, Oct. 21, Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a bomb threat that was directed at Hawthorne High School. The call came in just before regular dismissal time and deputies stood by and assisted with the dismissal.

Detectives arrested Jayden Ingle, 14, of Hawthorne and charged her with making a false bomb threat and using a two-way communications device to commit a felony.

Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr. said in a press release that he would like to reiterate his commitment to keeping schools safe and providing all investigative efforts to stop these threats. “This kind of disruption has no place within our schools.”

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The High Springs City Commission met Oct. 21 to hammer out details of the Santa Fe Canoe Outpost purchase, which has been pushed from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5.

City Attorney Scott Walker suggested the due date for the Request for Proposal (RFP) for an entity to run the facility be set for Nov. 18.  Walker said he had a meeting with City Manager Ashley Stathatos, Commissioner Ross Ambrose and others about the proposed RFP and a few changes will be made to the document, although there wasn’t time to incorporate into the original RFP. 

Walker suggested evaluation intervals of every six months once the winning bidder takes over running the facility.  “At 18 months, they will need to purchase new vehicles for the facility,” he said.  The Commission was later informed that the current vehicles are not up to the standards the City would require.  Walker also reviewed insurance requirements and said that current owner Jim Woods would stay on for 30 days after closing and be a resource through the transition.

Commissioners Scott Jamison and Ambrose voiced concerns that Woods would not be on hand for the transition with the new management team. Attorney Clay Martin said he believed that the owner is committed to a smooth transition and that although he no longer wanted to manage the Canoe Outpost, he would make himself available as much as possible to see the successful transition.

Walker further reviewed the schedule of assets, requirements based on the Alachua Conservation Trust to make sure the facility was ADA compliant and suggested that the bidders specify the days and times of operation and specify the amount that would go back to the City.  The lowest amount discussed was seven percent of the proceeds, but could be higher, depending on what is ultimately negotiated in the final agreement.  He further suggested the new management team should be on board by January 2022. 

Martin produced a preliminary conservation easement for commission review during the meeting.  Martin said that the Conservation Trust wanted to make sure the walkways, restrooms, boardwalks, buildings, etc. were ADA compliant, but that they wanted to see the land surrounding the facility left alone as a public passive education and recreation area. 

Stathatos reported that Anderson Outdoor Adventures, a group that currently manages four locations on two rivers in north Florida, may be interested in providing their services in the interim between the time the City closes on the Canoe Outpost property and obtains an organization to run the facility. Stathatos said that Anderson has a fleet of vehicles up to the standards they would need and the people to drive them.  The existing Canoe Outpost “fleet is not where it needs to be,” she said.  She promised that there would be a “piggy-back agreement” for the commissioners to review with Anderson at the next commission meeting. 

The purchase price of the Canoe Outpost land and assets is $600,000 with an additional $150,000 needed for improvements.  Stathatos said funding sources include $175,000 through an Alachua County Forever grant and $575,000 from Wild Spaces Public Places funds.

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ALACHUA ‒ It’s that time of year when scarecrows invade Alachua’s downtown and the annual celebration begins. For the past 16 years the Alachua Chamber of Commerce has hosted Scarecrow Row on Main Street as businesses and organizations sponsor light poles decorated in celebration of Halloween and the fall season.

Corporate sponsors either partner with a Main Street business or purchase their own pole to decorate with a decked out scarecrow. The money raised goes toward programs and events hosted by the Chamber of Commerce to help promote business on Main Street and provide services and facilities to the community, including events like the Trick or Treat on Main Street and the annual Christmas Parade.

The Alachua Chamber of Commerce sponsors these events to “raise public awareness of local downtown businesses, bring more tourist and consumers to the area, and create a sense of community and partnership within the local business community as well as providing free events for the community to enjoy.

Scarecrow Row has grown over the years and has become a well-known annual event that runs the entire month of October making sure the Halloween spirit is alive and well. Scarecrows run the gamut in creativity, only limited by the individuals crafting each installation. Early in October it was not uncommon to see groups of people gathered together working on their spooky creations. And throughout the month pole sponsors checked on their scarecrows to make sure they remained in good shape leading up to the annual judging. This year's theme was “Mad Scientist” and each scarecrow incorporated that theme. Some scarecrows were funny, some spooky, some simple, some extensive, but all creative and meant to amuse and entertain.

Each participating business designed and constructed their own display that was judged by a three-judge panel. Prizes, as well as plaques were presented for 1^st, 2^nd and 3rd place. Winners were announced at the annual Trick or Treat on Main Street held Saturday night. Boukari Realty took first place along with a $300 prize. Mebane Middle School came in second along with a $200 prize. Third place went to Dr. Douglas Adel along with a $100 prize.

The event has grown in popularity and the Chamber is considering expanding it so there are scarecrows beyond Main Street and possibly opening up entries to the public to increase participation.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The City of High Springs has cancelled its Nov. 2 election. The City Commission was informed in July that the City election would not be required. With two open seats, only Seat Five, currently held by Commissioner Scott Jamison, was vacant and only one candidate submitted the required paperwork to the City Clerk to run for election. Commissioner Byran Williams’ seat was unchallenged.

Katherine Weitz will fill Jamison’s vacant seat for a three-year term, which will begin after she is sworn in on Nov. 18.

Weitz and her husband, Andrew, have lived in High Springs for 25 of the 26 years of their marriage and have three children. The oldest is Jacob, age 20, who is currently enrolled in the electrician apprentice program at Santa Fe College. Sarah, age 18, is a recent graduate and valedictorian of her class at Newberry High School. She is heading to the University of South Florida, her parents’ alma mater, to study architecture. Their third child is Anna, age 13, an eighth grader at Oak View Middle School’s Center for Advanced Academics and Technology (CAAT) magnet program.

Weitz has been working in the laboratory or engineering fields for 30 years. She has been heavily involved in groundwater monitoring projects around solid waste facilities, compliance monitoring testing for wastewater treatment plants, as well as public water supply wells. Her last engineering-related position was working as a subcontractor to the Florida Department of Transportation District II in Lake City doing contract management for general engineering contracts.

“A little more than a year ago I downshifted to a completely different arena, and I manage the office of a local electrician,” said Weitz.

When asked why she decided to run for elected office, Weitz said, “The main reason that catapulted me to run for City Commissioner for High Springs was the wastewater treatment plant, concerns over unchecked growth and infrastructure and utilities in general.”

Weitz is also concerned about the future. “The city is very close to capacity for wastewater already and construction on a second plant not only hasn't begun, but funds have not been secured yet to build the plant. I believe strongly in living within your means and planning for the future. The situation the city currently finds itself in is definitely a challenging one when it comes to wastewater capacity expansion.”

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