Local

ALACHUA COUNTY — A one-car crash on Interstate 75, half-way between Gainesville and Alachua, resulted in the death of a passenger and the critical injury of the driver. Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officers were called to the vicinity of northbound I-75 and mile marker 395 at 4:34 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

A 2001 Ford F250, driven by 79-year-old Willard Crowder of Greenville, Florida, had been traveling north on I-75. Near the 395 mile marker, Crowder lost control of his truck, which traveled onto the east shoulder and collided with a tree.

Following the crash, the truck erupted into fire. Crowder was able to escape, but his passenger, 82-year-old Lee Bishop of Lee, Florida, was not. Bishop was pronounced dead at the scene.

Crowder was transported to UF-Health Shands in critical condition.

It is unknown whether either the driver or passenger were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. According to the FHP, alcohol was not suspected as a factor in this incident.

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alachuatoday.com

NEWBERRY – Immediately following the City of Newberry Jan. 13 City Commission meeting, Mayor Jordan Marlowe convened a Special Commission meeting.

The first order of business on the agenda was recognition of Commissioner Matt Hersom. In April 2018, Hersom was elected to the City Commission, filling the Group II seat. In October 2019, Hersom announced that he accepted a position with Clemson University and would be leaving his position as City Commissioner effective January 2020, making the previous regular Commission meeting his last.

Mayor Jordan Marlowe said, “…[We] are proud to honor Commissioner Matthew ‘Matt’ Hersom for his dedication to our community and residents. Matt has lived in Newberry for over 15 years and served this community on the Planning and Zoning Board, the Historic Architecture Review Board, and most recently, on the City Commission. We wish him well in his future endeavors and thank him for his service to the citizens of Newberry.”

Based on the Newberry City Charter, a commissioner seat vacancy is to be filled by resolution with a qualified person, nominated by the Mayor and appointed by the City Commission.

On Dec. 9, 2019, the Commission received the Mayoral nomination and adopted Resolution 2019-44 appointing Rocky McKinley as City Commissioner for Group II for the remainder of the current term.

McKinley will hold the position until a newly-elected City Commissioner for Group II is sworn into office following the April 14, 2020 election. 

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alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA – For the past 15 years, the City of Alachua has hosted a celebration of Martin Luther King Day. The City provides food, equipment and entertainment at the Cleather Hathcock Community Center. City employees from the parks and recreation department as well as the city manager’s office provide their time and services for the event. Although the City provides these amenities, it’s a community affair as volunteers from churches and community organizations offer their time to serve the food, prepare deserts and provide entertainment. The celebration is a tribute to honor Reverend King and to carry on his legacy.

The Declaration of Independence said all men were created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. But the reality was that minorities, especially African Americans, were not included in that promise. Before 1865 most of them did not have their liberty or freedom, and many were slaves. But even 100 years later, there was not equality. Jobs, education and opportunities were often limited and segregation continued, even down to what drinking fountains, restrooms, bus seats and restaurants African Americans could use. They had gained liberty but not equality.

Although King was one of many people who became involved in the Civil Rights movement, his speaking ability and organization of nonviolent protests and marches made him the most visible leader of the movement. In1963 he organized the March on Washington where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, talking about a society where all people regardless of color were treated equally. Over 250,000 people attended the march.

King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, for his efforts to fight racial inequality through nonviolent protests, and he was instrumental in the passage of 1964 Civil Rights Act proposed by President Lyndon Johnson. While all his work was critical in gaining some equality for African Americans, there were other people that opposed his efforts and that made him a target as well.

In 1968, King was planning a national occupation of Washington, D.C., to be called the Poor Peoples Campaign when he was assassinated on April 4 in Memphis, Tennessee. His death was followed by riots throughout America’s cities. But his legacy and accomplishments in Civil Rights and equality lived on.

King was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Beginning in 1971, states and cities began establishing local holidays to celebrate his birth on Jan. 15, 1929. Finally in 1986 President Ronald Reagan made the third Monday in January Martin Luther King Day.

Alachua’s tribute continues, rain or shine, and despite the cold weather, this year’s event was well attended. It is a community-wide celebration to honor the achievements of Dr. King and support his work. Part of that goal is through the right to vote. The Alachua Supervisor of Elections office set up a booth for the public to register to vote, and the federal government had a recruiting table for people to sign up as census takers.

Artist Yvonne Ferguson painted a portrait of Dr. King as speakers and religious leaders spoke about the goals of Dr. King. Dancers and musicians provided entertainment, chiefly with a spiritual influence. Caring and Sharing Learning Center, a dance school and ministry also had a booth as well as part of the entertainment.

Pastor Natron Curtis delivered the opening prayer followed by the National Anthem and remarks by Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper and State Representative Clovis Watson, Jr. Minister Eugene Franklin gave the Keynote Speech on Dr. King’s legacy and the importance of community and culture. Interspersed between speakers was music and dance provided by a variety of artists.

The final speaker was Minister Derrick Smith who read a letter Dr. King wrote to his fellow clergymen when he was in the Birmingham jail for his civil rights efforts. King urged them to join the effort to bring equality to all.

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alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS – On Jan. 23, the High Springs City Commission weighed the pros and cons of the letter produced by the city attorney regarding the Seven Springs’ renewal permit request to increase the allowable amount of water withdrawn from their wells. The discussion lasted more than an hour and resulted in the Commission directing the attorney to go back to the drawing board.

Commission concern stemmed from the observation that the letter only represented the citizens against the permit renewal and made no mention of those area citizens who spoke on behalf of issuing the permit during the previous Commission meeting.

As part of the lengthy discussion, Commissioner Nancy Levin remarked about the thoroughness of the minutes from the previous meeting. In an effort to represent both sides of the comments heard during that meeting, commissioners agreed to keep the next letter short, but to refer members of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) and their Governing Board to those minutes rather than try to incorporate the detailed comments into a letter.

Rather than advocating for or against the application, the letter will be written in such a way as to remind SRWMD members of the importance of the health of area springs and rivers to surrounding communities. Commissioners directed the attorney to suggest that the water management district should be mindful of the relationship between the health of the springs and the economic health of the surrounding communities while also considering the overall use of that water.

Commissioner Scott Jamison strongly suggested that the letter reflect the belief that the permit, if issued, should be for the amount of water that has been extracted in the past, rather than the amount of water Seven Springs wishes to extract. Other Commissioners seemed to agree.

The proposed permit renewal, if approved, would allow for an increase in water withdrawal from 270,000 gallons per day, which is what has been taken in the past, to 1.152 million gallons per day

Additional concerns expressed by citizens and commissioners involved increased truck traffic if increased production was to be approved as well as the damage that could result to the roadways.

In addition to those area citizens who previously expressed concern that they may lose their jobs should the permit not be granted, another issue was brought up by Jamison.

He expressed concern that the nearly 100 acres now being managed by Nestle in a natural state would be sold should the plant close. “It’s a matter of economics,” he said. “If the land is sold, it would probably be to a developer who will build on that property and could end up sending more contaminants into the water.”

Following those comments, the city attorney agreed to rewrite the letter to Virginia Johns, Chair of the SRWMD Governing Board, and bring it back to the next meeting for Commission approval.

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alachuatoday.com

NEWBERRY – This year marks Newberry’s 125th year, or quasquicentennial year, of incorporation as a city. To celebrate the milestone, the City of Newberry has adopted the motto “125 years at Home,” announced Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe during the Jan. 13 City Commission meeting.

“Throughout the year we will commemorate the quasquicentennial by highlighting it in our local events such as the State of the City Address [which is the kick off to the quasquicentennial year], WestFest, the Watermelon Festival and the Fall Festival,” said Marlowe as a preliminary to reading the related proclamation.

“Whereas, in our 125 years, Newberry’s citizens have worked with dedication and resolve to build a community of farming and family values while adapting to the many changes that come with a growing city; and Whereas, Newberry has embraced new residents who are as diverse as the world is wide but are committed to making this community, our community, successful in every way; and Now, therefore I, Jordan Marlowe, Mayor of the City of Newberry, Florida, do hereby proclaim in commemoration of the 125th anniversary, 2020 as our Quasquicentennial Year!”

He said that the organizational group working to develop appropriate celebration activities is comprised of diverse Newberry interest groups and residents. Included are representatives from the Newberry Lions Club, Main Street Organization, Dudley Farms, the Watermelon Festival Committee, the Newberry Garden Club, Concerned Citizens of Newberry, the Newberry-Jonesville Chamber of Commerce, the City Commission and various City staff.

At the completion of Marlowe’s announcement, he presented Commissioner Matt Hersom with a copy of the full proclamation in recognition of Hersom’s chairmanship of the Quasquicentennial Committee.

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alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. (January 24, 2020) — Two Washington D.C.-based nonprofits, the Center for Voter Information and the Voter Participation Center, are sending potentially misleading mailings to Alachua County voters. 

Intended for residents who are not registered to vote, the groups’ mailings have previously confused voters, with notices sent based on incorrect or out-of-date information. 

Neither the Center for Voter Information nor the Voter Participation Center is affiliated with the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections. The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections does not provide the address information used to conduct the mailing.

Contact information and the link to unsubscribe from the Center for Voter Information and the Voter Participation Center is below:

Center for Voter Information

info@centerforvoterinformation.org

Unsubscribe: https://www.centerforvoterinformation.org/unsubscribe/

Voter Participation Center

202-659-9570

info@voterparticipation.org

Unsubscribe: https://www.voterparticipation.org/got-mail/

The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections is the official source for information related to voter registration and elections in Alachua County.

Voters are encouraged to make sure their voter records are updated. This can be done at https://www.votealachua.com/My-Registration-Status or by calling 352-374-5252.

There are numerous ways for prospective voters to register to vote:

• Online: Florida residents can register to vote online. The online voter registration portal — found at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov — is a safe and secure option for voter registration.
• In person: The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections’ office, located in Gainesville at 515 N. Main St., Suite 300, is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Registrations can also be completed and turned in at any Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles office or Alachua County Library District branch. 
• By mail: Forms are available online at VoteAlachua.com.

Voters who need to update their signatures need to fill out new voter registration applications.

For more information, contact the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections at 352-374-5252.

Fax: 352-374-5264

VoteAlachua.com