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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The City of High Springs will hold a special commission meeting this Thursday, Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the process of moving forward with the current vacant commission seat, following the resignation of Commissioner Steve Tapanes, citing mandatory filing of Florida Ethics Commission Form 6 “Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests.”

In 2023, the Florida Legislature passed a new law requiring elected officials to file Form 6 by Dec. 31, 2023. Prior to the new law, mayors and elected city or town council members were required to file Form 1. However, Form 6 requires a more in-depth report of the filer's finances, including disclosure of net worth, information not required by Form 1. Form 6 filers must also disclose assets over $1,000, while the Form 1 threshold is over $10,000. Form 6 also requires filers to disclose clients that make up more than 10 percent of the filer's income.

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ALACHUA ‒ A local group of concerned and community-minded high school students are making a difference this holiday season. The City of Alachua Youth Advisory Council (YAC) members discovered an unmet need among their fellow students at Alachua’s Santa Fe High School.

In cooperation with the Santa Fe High School nurse, the YAC learned there are students coming to school who are in need of basic hygienic supplies. YAC members were deeply concerned about their fellow students and sought to find a way to help them out and at the same time restore their dignity.

YAC members devised a plan to elicit help from the community to collect items most in need. The group organized “Restoring Dignity – One Wellness Packet at a Time,” a collection drive for items such as deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, bar soap, underwear and socks.

A number of businesses established drop off locations for donated supplies, and while many individuals and businesses have supported the students in the efforts, one local business has stepped forward with a large donation of supplies.

Each year the YAC takes a City-sponsored tour of Alachua. This year’s tour of Alachua included the Dollar General Distribution Center. Upon hearing of the students’ Restoring Dignity Project, Dollar General’s Matthew Lillard worked with Dollar General Headquarters and Alachua Deputy City Clerk and YAC advisor LeAnne Williams to procure a donation.

On Thursday, Dec. 15, YAC students gathered at the Dollar General Distribution Center to take possession of thousands of donated items valued at some $3,000 for delivery to Alachua City Hall.

“In living out Dollar General’s mission of Serving Others, we are proud to have donated more than 2,600 personal hygiene items—including socks, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap— to support the Restoring Dignity project and students at Santa Fe High School,” shared Peter Torres, Dollar General’s senior director of DG’s Alachua distribution center. “We are grateful for our partnership with the City as we are committed to giving back to our Alachua neighbors in need especially during the holiday season.”

All collected items will be packaged by the YAC and placed with the Santa Fe High School nurse.

Businesses that have partnered with the YAC by volunteering to be drop off locations for the supplies will continue to receive items through the months of December and January. These locations are:

• Alachua City Hall
• Alachua Family Eye Care
• Decades on Main (High Springs)
• Douglas M. Adel, DDS, P.A. (Alachua)
• China Express (Alachua)
• Great Clips (Alachua)
• HCA Florida Hospital (Gainesville)
• Hitchcock’s Markets Pharmacy Desk (Alachua)
• Infinite Wellness Gym (Alachua)
• New York Pizza Plus (Rolling Oaks Plaza)
• O2B Kids (Alachua)
• Publix (Alachua)
• Santa Fe High School Guidance Office (Alachua)
• Tony & Al’s Deli (Alachua)
• Walgreens (Alachua)

The YAC serves as advocates for issues and initiatives to positively impact the lives of youth, discusses issues and offers suggestions for improvement to benefit youth in the community.

YAC members must be enrolled in a public school, private school or a home education program within the City of Alachua in grades nine through 12 or must be a City of Alachua resident enrolled in a public school, private school or a home education program in grades nine through 12 that is not within the City of Alachua's corporate limits.

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ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua Recreation and Culture Department congratulates Momentum Dance for taking first place in the Annual City of Alachua Christmas Parade. We would also like to congratulate Canvas Church for coming in second and Swamp Bots for claiming the third-place spot.

In other Recreation and Culture news, Legacy Park Multipurpose Center Gym hosted the first 399 youth Sports basketball practices of the winter 2023 season. We are looking forward to what the season has to bring and watching our youth grow and learn skills and sportsmanship under the guidance of our wonderful volunteers. Joining a sport is a great way to make friends, meet mentors and become a part of your community.

We also hosted the Alachua Raiders Youth Football and Cheer Banquet. The organization literally pulled out the red carpet for the players and parents. A great time was had by all and trophies and rings were given out.

Looking forward to January, the City of Alachua will hold its Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration on Monday Jan. 15 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Cleather H. Hathcock Community Center. There will be a special performance by 1000 Voices of Florida. Alachua’s Adrian Peterson, College Football Hall of Fame Inductee, will be speaking. There will be performances, speakers from the community and free lunch provided. All are welcome. Please plan on attending.

Sprout Squad is looking for kids ages 10-14 who want to learn to grow veggies! If your child is interested, email Vanessa@craftygemini.com.

Remember, Legacy Park Multipurpose Center also hosts free Zumba classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, there is free Bingo at the Hathcock Community Center Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. There will not be Bingo on Dec. 20 or Dec. 27 due to the holidays.

Finally, visit the City of Alachua’s Recreation and Culture Departments Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all exciting upcoming events!

Happy holidays from the City of Alachua Recreation Department.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - City of Gainesville officials anticipate severe weather conditions, including temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit during evening hours Thursday, Dec. 28-Sunday, Dec. 31. The anticipated temperatures will lead to the activation of the city's Cold Night Shelter (CNS) Program, and it is expected to remain in effect until overnight low temperatures rise above 45 F. The CNS program normally runs from Nov. 1 through March 31.

 St. Francis House and GRACE Marketplace at the Empowerment Center will provide Cold Night Shelter services to people in need of shelter as long as overnight temperatures remain below 45 F. The CNS program providers serve additional persons in need of shelter so that families and individuals desiring shelter will have a warm place to stay. St. Francis House provides temporary shelter that is appropriate for families, women and children. GRACE Marketplace primarily serves individual adults.

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NEWBERRY ‒ Thanks to a Ring Doorbell and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), a suspected porch pirate was taken into custody on Dec. 12. A Newberry man’s Ring Doorbell Camera aided ACSO detectives in recovering an item stolen from the victim’s covered front porch at 1:51 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 12. Due to the camera capturing the culprit in action, what he was wearing and the vehicle in which he left the scene, deputies later were able to locate a vehicle matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle at Newberry Car Wash, 77 N.W. 250^th Street.

Gainesville resident Terrell Shane Rhine, 40, was arrested and charged with two counts of grand theft over $750 and two counts of armed burglary after allegedly stealing packages from front porches in Newberry. At the time of his arrest, ACSO detectives reported that the defendant was wearing the same camouflage pants he wore in the camera footage and also had the same facial hair. Packages from both thefts were in the truck. On the passenger seat was the black hooded style sweat shirt he was wearing in the videos.

ACSO deputies responded to two Newberry porch theft incidents. The first victim said a package had been placed on a covered front porch and that his doorbell camera had captured a man taking the box and then leaving in a small gray pickup truck. The man was wearing a black hooded jacket and camouflage pants.

The second victim reported that a package placed on a covered front porch was taken by a man wearing the same clothing reported by the first victim. This second incident was also captured on a doorbell camera and the suspect also left in a small gray pickup truck.

Post Miranda, Rhine reportedly declined to answer questions about the thefts and said he was in Newberry to pick up his son. In a later interview, he reportedly said he had two knives when he took the items during multiple burglaries.

Rhine has two non violent misdemeanor convictions and completed a pre-trial intervention agreement on a felony fleeing charge in 2011.

Bail was set at $20,000 by Judge Aymer “Buck” Curtin on first appearance.

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