Local

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ City of High Springs Finance Director Diane Wilson, in a Dec. 5, 2024, memo to the High Springs Mayor and City Commission, lodged complaints about events that allegedly took place during the 2023 Fiscal Year. Wilson has been on administrative suspension from the City of High Springs for the past three months, and the matter has not been publicly discussed by the City Commission.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, sources say that Wilson’s suspension was lifted this past week and that her suspension may have been due in part to factors related to the budget process, alleged mistakes in vendor payments and tardiness in submitting requests for reimbursement to governmental agencies.

In Wilson’s December memo, she claimed that High Springs Fire Chief Bruce Gillingham worked for another employer while being paid to work for the City, misused his City vehicle to travel back and forth to Ocala to work at his second job, used City property and staff for a private fundraiser, and asked to use the City’s Tax Exemption Certificate and City credit card for personal use.

Additionally, Wilson charged that Chief Gillingham and Deputy Chief Andy Burkhalter did not properly mark their company vehicles as required by tax code, and because of that, their W-2s will need to be adjusted to show their personal vehicle allowances as additional taxable personal income.

Wilson also claimed the Florida Building Code was violated when the City Hall elevator was used nine different times during a period when it had not passed inspection.

In her memo, Wilson said she was addressing “concerns about potential ethics, city policy and state law violations.” She said all of the issues were reported to former City Manager Ashley Stathatos “over the past 18 months, with several being discussed on multiple occasions.” Wilson noted that it is her fiduciary responsibility to report these concerns along with applicable documentation and that any additional actions will be at the City Commission’s discretion.

In her previous employment with the City of Gainesville, Wilson’s job was eliminated in a city staff reorganization effort led by interim City Manager Cynthia Curry. Curry took over as interim city manager following former City Manager Lee Feldman’s resignation. Upon her termination, Wilson filed a lawsuit against the City of Gainesville claiming gender discrimination by Feldman when he promoted a male employee into a position she believed she should have had.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

NEWBERRY – The City of Newberry is recognizing Commissioner James “Monty” Farnsworth as he marks 20 years of commitment to the Newberry community. A presentation will be made during the Monday, March 25, Newberry City Commission meeting beginning at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Meeting Room located at 25440 West Newberry Road, Newberry.

As the city celebrates this milestone, Newberry staff and commissioners are extending their “heartfelt gratitude to him for his selfless dedication, unwavering leadership and profound impact on the Newberry community. His 20 years of service stands as a testament to his enduring commitment to making the City of Newberry a better place for all. the exemplary dedication and tireless service.

“Throughout his terms on the City Commission, Farnsworth has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the betterment of Newberry and its residents.

“Local and regional residents and leaders are invited to join in as the City recognizes Commissioner Monty Farnsworth for this significant achievement and to publicly thank him for his outstanding service to the City of Newberry.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS – Thirty-four-year-old John Quinn Presnell, Jr. of High Springs was arrested on March 16, and charged with four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, resisting an officer with violence, resisting a K-9 with violence, striking a K-9 and property damage.

At about 12:16 a.m. on Saturday, High Springs Police Department (HSPD) officers responded to a home in High Springs where the caller said her husband, a police officer, was being threatened by their next door neighbor, John Quinn Presnell, Jr. She also reported that Presnell had slashed two tires of her husband’s patrol car and one tire of his personal vehicle. She said that when he was asked to leave, Presnell threatened to kill her husband and then went back to his property.

As two HSPD officers arrived at the home, Presnell allegedly fired a single shot from a rifle. The officers took cover and ordered Presnell to surrender, but he reportedly kept yelling at them.

In response to the officers’ radio call about shots fired, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) Deputies also responded to the property.

Presnell allegedly fled into the nearby woods. Officers believed he may have been armed with a .22 caliber rifle that was stored in a shed that he was seen entering, along with the muzzleloader rifle he had allegedly fired earlier.

Deputies, HSPD officers, and Alachua Police Department officers set a perimeter and gave multiple commands for Presnell to come out of the woods with empty hands.

At approximately 2:17 a.m., Presnell reportedly came out of the woods, holding a closed pocket knife and continuing to ignore commands from deputies. An ACSO K-9 was deployed to apprehend Presnell. The K-9 bit Presnell while apprehending him. Presnell allegedly hit the K-9 multiple times with the closed pocket knife before he was taken into custody by deputies.

Presnell was transported to a local hospital to be medically cleared before being booked into the jail.

Presnell completed a pre-trial diversion agreement for possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana in 2013 and was convicted of two counts of possession of drug equipment in 2017. A charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell was dropped in 2017. The previous charges were filed in Columbia County. He was convicted of driving without a valid license in Alachua County in 2016.

Judge Denise Ferrero set bond at $35,000. Four of the charges have a no bond attached.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ In a tight race, Wayne Bloodsworth Jr., has won a seat on the High Springs City Commission. In the March 26, 2024 special election, Bloodsworth faced off against Chad Howell for Seat #2 on the Commission.

Bloodsworth won with 369 votes to Howell’s 305 votes.

The City Commission called a special election when the seat was vacated by Steve Tapanes who declined to fill out a financial disclosure Form 6 required by the State of Florida and resigned less than two months into his term. Elected on Nov 7, 2023, Tapanes cited a new law passed by the Florida Legislature in 2023 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.

Tapanes tendered his resignation as of Dec. 30

Bloodsworth will fill out the remainder of Tapanes’ three-year term.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

Alachua ‒ In a recent development a Santa Fe High School baseball coach has been placed on administrative leave.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) was on the campus of Santa Fe High School in Alachua on Monday, March 18, 2024 questioning staff and some students. The same day, Santa Fe Baseball coach and media specialist Travis Yeckring was placed on leave by the Alachua County School Board pending an investigation.

Days earlier, a local business owner reportedly requested that his company’s sponsorship banners be removed from the Santa Fe High School property in protest of allegations of inappropriate behavior by unnamed individuals.

On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, Santa High School Principal Tim Wright confirmed through a letter that FDLE was conducting an investigation. He wrote that the school and the District are cooperating with the investigation, but that he could not share any additional information.

Yeckring played baseball at Buchholz High School in Gainesville and Santa Fe College, later serving as an assistant coach at Buchholz High School and still later an assistant coach at Santa Fe College.

FDLE has released no information publicly regarding the matter and no charges have been filed.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA, FL - The School Board of Alachua County on March 27, 2024, released the following information about the Newberry public school conversion process. 

Ballots are being delivered this week to parents and teachers who will be voting on the conversion of the schools in Newberry to charter schools.

In keeping with state rules, ballots are being mailed to parents eligible to vote on the conversion of Newberry Elementary, Oak View Middle and Newberry High. In addition to the ballot, parents are receiving instructions for completing and submitting their ballot, either by mail or in person. The instructions for each school are also available in English and Spanish at https://www.sbac.edu/charterconversion.

The voting window runs from Friday, April 5 through Friday, April 12, not including the weekend. The in-person voting hours have been extended on three of those dates. The voting dates/times/locations are as follows:

Newberry Elementary School: Location--Portable 99-053, west wide of campus behind cafeteria

                                                   Dates/Times--April 5, 9 and 11; 7:15 am to 3:30 pm

                                                                         April 8, 10 and 12; 7:15 am to 7 pm

Oak View Middle School: Location--Portable 3, south of front parking lot

                                           Dates/Time--April 5, 9 and 11; 7:30 am to 4 pm

                                                                 April 8, 10 and 12; 7:30 a.m. to 7 pm

Newberry High School: Location--Ticket booth at football field

                                       Dates/Time--April 5, 9 and 11; 7:30 to 4 pm

                                                             April 8, 10 and 12; 7:30 to 7 pm

The schools have also provided parents with a self-addressed stamped envelope if they chose to mail in their ballot. Mailed-in ballots must be postmarked no later than April 12 and received by the school before the close of business on April 16 to be counted.

Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Kim Barton is providing the required ballot boxes and two staff members for each school to supervise the boxes and the voting process for all six voting dates.

Also in keeping with state law, the ballots will be counted by an independent arbitrator jointly selected by the school district and the citizens who requested the conversion vote. The count will take place during a public meeting on April 17 at 8:30 a.m. at the Mentholee Norfleet Municipal Building in Newberry.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com