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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ Unofficial election results are in for the City of High Springs Commission race.

Ross Ambrose won Seat One with 1,341 votes representing 38.46 percent against Sharon Decker, who received 1,181 votes representing 33.87 percent and Janet Evans who received 965 votes representing 27.67 percent of the vote. Total votes cast for Seat One were 3,487.

Incumbent Gloria James was victorious in Seat Two garnering 1,343 votes representing 38.25 percent, against Zachary Walter, who received 1,268 votes representing 36.12 percent and Katherine S. Weitz who received 900 votes representing 25.63 percent of votes. A total of 3,511 votes were cast for this seat.

The hotly contested Alachua County Charter Amendment regarding the County taking control of the Growth Management Area was close and may require a recount. Initial results indicate that 128,479 votes were cast for this issue with 64,327 (50.07 percent) voting Yes and 64,152 voters (49.93 percent) voting No.

A notice on the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections web page reads:

“The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office is preparing for a likely recount of the County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area referenda.

“If ordered by the Alachua County Canvassing Board, the recount in Alachua County will begin with a public logic and accuracy test at 11 a.m. Sunday, November 8, with the recount process beginning immediately thereafter. Our office will remain open until the recount is complete.”

According to the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections office Alachua County has 190,451 eligible voters. In this election 143,364 votes were cast, meaning that 75.28 percent of the eligible voters turned out to vote.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ High Springs City Commissioners chose their top candidate for the City Manager’s position following four interviews conducted via Zoom on Oct. 27. Previously, Commissioners narrowed down the roster of 27 candidates to five and scheduled interviews with each to choose the top candidate. However, one candidate withdrew from consideration.

To facilitate faster action on their part, the City held a Special Commission meeting rather than a workshop so Commissioners would be able to vote on their top choice immediately following their interviews.

Although all of the candidates interviewed well and presented outstanding resumes, Ashley Stathatos, who was the last candidate interviewed, impressed them the most.

Comments about her energy and the diversity of work experience she has performed in the past, which fit well with High Springs’ current needs, made her a standout as all of the Commissioners chose her as their top candidate.

“First and foremost, she has been a city manager and has past experience in managing water and sewer projects,” said Commissioner Scott Jamison. “In addition, it was evident that she had researched the city and came prepared to talk on such. Finally,” he said, “I was impressed with her energy and enthusiasm.”

Another asset was Stathatos’ ability to be in High Springs two weeks after being hired. As current City Manager Joel DeCoursey, Jr. is scheduled to leave the position on Nov. 30, it is likely there will be time for overlap, which pleased Commissioners.

Stathatos indicated she has over 20 years of municipal experience including planning, economic development, overseeing capital projects, acted as liaison to the Planning and Zoning Board and Board of Adjustment, worked with the Economic and Community Development Boards and the Parks Advisory Board.

Other Commissioners commented as well as to what made her the overwhelming favorite for the job.

“After the interview process, I had the feeling that Ms. Stathatos had the education and the experience to lead the city effectively,” said Commissioner Nancy Lavin. She also noted that Stathatos had researched the community and had enthusiasm and energy that would be welcome at City Hall.

“She also appears to be someone who gets involved in the community and will be willing to open up further channels of communication for our staff and citizens,” Lavin said. “I am excited about this new leadership choice for our city.”

“Ashley answered questions with examples of the work she has performed in her current and previous positions,” said Commissioner Linda Jones. “She was energetic and positive and she was overwhelmingly the number one choice,” she said. “I’m very excited to get her onboard.”

Stathatos has earned a Masters in Public Administration and her BA in Political Science. In addition, her resume indicates she has continued her education with Texas Certified Public Manager Program Courses at Texas State and training courses with the International Economic Development Council.

The next step in the hiring process is for the city attorney to conduct a background check and begin negotiations on a contract. The published salary for the position is $100,000 annually with additional items that have been provided to previous city managers.

The next City Commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12. It is likely the City will hold a Special Commission meeting on Thursday, Nov. 5, should the city attorney successfully complete the candidate’s background check and contract agreement. Whenever the meeting occurs, Commissioners will consider the negotiated contract with Stathatos, and if approved, formally hire her as the High Springs City Manager.

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NEWBERRY ‒ Every Halloween organizations create haunted houses for thrill seekers to be confronted with ghouls, zombies, witches and various types of mayhem. Haunted houses usually take the form of a maze in a darkened building with multiple scenes and characters to frighten people as they wander through. Some haunted houses are commercial ventures, but many local ones are held by charity organizations to raise money for various causes, and it is a popular pastime and for many families it has become a tradition. But in 2020, traditional Halloween haunted houses have been put on hold due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and need to social distance in enclosed spaces, especially darkened buildings where people may be disorientated.

This year the Newberry American Legion Post 149 switched up the familiar haunted house format to raise money for Veterans Programs and put together an outdoor haunted house for cars to drive through, maintaining a safe distance and following guidelines. According to Legion member Bob Watson, while the post hosted the event and built all the scenes, they had support from other organizations as well. Eight sponsors provided funding for candy, supplies and construction material. Volunteers helped with the construction, which took about 1,000 hours over a month. Volunteers also became some of the actors, including children and teens, including five students from Buchholz High School. The Youth Marine Corps also had 10 members volunteer as well.

Each vehicle took 10-15 minutes along Horror Road to slowly circle around the Legion's building, stopping at multiple fright-inducing scenes. Greeting each vehicle was a cemetery complete with skeletons, a demon and a long dead pirate. Then the frightening journey confronted Beetle Juice as the actor ambushed each car. Across the road was a guillotine with its victim holding her bloody head in her lap, as a mother and daughter zombie team came at the car from the other side. More child zombies approached as the car slowly proceeded, only to be stopped by a traffic cone and a witch in the middle of the road. As the witch cackled at the car to get the occupants’ attention, a giant red-eyed spider dropped on their car from above. Then it was on to a blood-soaked prom queen, finally to be stopped by victims of a car accident who were texting while driving as two of them lay on a tarp with multiple wounds.

Over the weekend 190 cars drove down Horror Road. Watson estimates that included 400 kids. “Some people came both nights and we had one family visiting from Japan that came through,” Watson said. “Altogether we raised $1,600 for Military Vets Programs that the American Legion supports in the area”.

Watson added, “We got a lot of compliments on the show, and we were glad to provide some Halloween entertainment for the kids and keep the tradition alive.”

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ALACHUA COUNTY - Based on the projected path, heavy rains and sustained winds from Hurricane Eta, and in consultation with local emergency management officials, the decision has been made to close Alachua County Public Schools on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Employees should NOT report to work on Thursday.

No decision has yet been made regarding school on Friday, Nov. 13. The district will be closely monitoring the storm and communicating with Emergency Management. ACPS families and staff will be notified when a decision about holding school on Friday is made.

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NEWBERRY – For the fifth consecutive year the City of Newberry has won the 2020 “Building Strong Communities” award. The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) issued the award in recognition of the City offering its citizens extra services and programs beyond those normally provided.

Newberry was announced as an award recipient on Nov. 2 at the FMEA Energy Connections Virtual Conference, which ran through Nov. 6.

This year, 22 winners were selected for community programs that included environmental improvement, community education, public safety, charitable donations and sponsorships and other special services, such as lighting ball fields and playgrounds, parade and festival participation and building car and phone charging stations.

“We commend the City of Newberry for everything they have done to positively impact the lives of their families, friends and neighbors, especially in a year that has been everything but normal. We thank all the recipients for doing what they do best by putting the community they serve first,” said FMEA Executive Director Amy Zubaly Zubaly.

In the past year, Newberry supported a variety of community organizations and activities that impacted almost all of its residents.

Notable projects during the past year included support for the Newberry Watermelon Festival –the longest running festival in Florida, hanging holiday lights at Christmas and hosting the Tree Lighting event, support for numerous local volunteer organizations, providing support for charitable events through the community by sponsoring Relay for Life, United Way contributions, conducting an employee-donated food drive at Thanksgiving and a children’s gift/toy drive at Christmas.

Additional projects included sponsorship of the Energy Whiz Expo at Oak View Middle School, providing customers a free do-it-yourself online energy auditing tool, free yearly energy and water audits and energy efficiency kits to help customers save money as well as providing other energy-saving educational items.

Efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic were also recognized. Public power utilities across the state suspended disconnects for unpaid bills, waived late and reconnect fees and offered payment assistance plans to help customers financially impacted by the pandemic. The City of Newberry offered meal delivery and homework printing services, hosted food distribution events, leveraged financial resources to lower utility bills, waived online fees, and established a donation fund to provide assistance to those needing help.

“Public power utilities have always been community-focused and invested in programs that give back to their communities” said Zubaly. “This year, with the pandemic impacting nearly every facet of our daily lives, public power utilities have found many ways to assist their communities during this difficult time. From easing financial hardships for customers to providing distance learning resources to students and teachers to providing food for those in need, public power utilities have stepped forward to help community members navigate the challenges COVID-19 has brought.”

According to FMEA, Florida’s 33 public power utilities, combined, are the third-largest electric provider in the state, serving 14 percent of Florida’s customers. Florida’s public power utilities serve more than three million customers and are a statewide employment leader with more than 5,400 employees.

“The City of Newberry’s utility serves 2,600 customers and employs numerous area residents,” said Director of Finance and Administration Dallas Lee. “For over 100 years, the City of Newberry has made it possible for residents of Newberry to own and control its energy future while receiving affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible power,” he said.

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ALACHUA COUNTY - After leading Alachua County Public Schools since the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, Superintendent Karen Clarke has announced that she plans to step down from her position effective June 30 of 2021. In a letter to the Board members, Clarke expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to serve the district’s students, families and staff, particularly during such challenges as Hurricane Irma and the COVID pandemic. She also highlighted a number of accomplishments during her tenure. Those include: the district raising its state grade to an ‘A’ for the first time in four years; an overall graduation rate increase from 83% to 88% and an increase from 68% to 79.9% for African American students, both of which were all-time highs; passage of the Half Cent for Schools initiative, which is already funding massive facilities improvement projects; the recent renewal by voters of the One Mill, which currently helps pay the salaries of more than 300 local teachers, is the primary source of technology funding and guarantees a nurse in every school; an increase in the district’s average teacher salary from 55th in the state to 21st; new career-tech programs at Eastside High and Hawthorne Middle/High School; a record number of students earning national career certification, and; a number of equity initiatives, including the AVID and AP Capstone programs, universal gifted screening and a magnet lottery. Clarke said the decision to step down was not an easy one, but she believes the new school board, which will be in place on November 17, should have the opportunity to select a new Superintendent. She also wanted to give the School Board time to plan for a Superintendent search. This is especially critical during a time in which the district is addressing major issues such as COVID-19 and rezoning for the new Elementary School I. “I am honored to have spent nearly 29 years as an educator with Alachua County Public Schools and am very proud to have led this wonderful district for the past 3 ½ years,” wrote Clarke in her letter to board members. “I am sure that with the support of the Board, the staff and the entire community, this district will continue to achieve great things.”

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