GAINESVILLE, Fla. - City of Gainesville officials anticipate severe weather conditions, including temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, during the evening hours of Monday, Jan. 26-Tuesday, Feb. 3. 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.

 Please note, the dates have been extended through Saturday, Jan. 31.

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Newberry’s city officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, officially opening its new City Hall, a two-story downtown facility that consolidates municipal services under one roof./ Photo special to Alachua County Today

NEWBERRY – Newberry officials marked a major milestone in the city’s growth Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opening the city’s new City Hall, a long-anticipated project designed to centralize municipal services and better serve residents.

The ribbon cutting was held Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, formally ushering in the opening of the two-story, 11,000-square-foot facility in downtown Newberry. The event followed a public open house held during the city’s Fall Festival in November, which gave residents an early opportunity to tour the building ahead of its official debut.

Construction on the new City Hall began in September 2024 and has progressed steadily, culminating in a modern municipal facility that brings multiple city departments together under one roof for the first time in decades.

Previously, residents seeking city services often had to visit multiple locations. Community Development and the Building Department operated out of the historic Little Red Schoolhouse, while other departments were housed in Annex 2 or the former City Hall building. City officials have said the new facility was designed to streamline operations, improve accessibility and provide a more efficient experience for residents, developers and business owners.

The building’s first floor is dedicated to high-traffic, customer-facing departments, including Finance, Community Development, Customer Service and the Building Department. The second floor contains 18 offices and three collaborative work areas for city staff. An elevator serves both levels, though most public-facing services are intentionally located on the ground floor for ease of access.

A key feature of the building is the 1,246-square-foot City Commission Chamber, designed to accommodate larger audiences for public meetings. The chamber includes an accordion wall that allows the space to expand for large gatherings or contract for smaller meetings, along with updated technology to support presentations and public engagement. While the building does not include private offices for the mayor or commissioners, meeting rooms are available for private discussions when needed.

City planners emphasized that the building’s architectural design complements the surrounding downtown area while offering modern functionality. Officials have described the project as a long-term investment that supports Newberry’s continued growth and evolving service needs.

The project team included Scorpio Construction of Gainesville and Monarch Design Group, with city staff closely involved throughout the planning and construction process. With the new City Hall now open, the city plans to renovate the former 3,300-square-foot City Hall building. Once completed, the two structures will be connected by a covered loggia, creating a paved outdoor space intended for community events, farmers markets and festivals.

Future improvements are also planned for the adjacent Little Red Schoolhouse Museum, which is expected to undergo upgrades during a later phase of the project.

With the ribbon cut and doors officially open, Newberry residents can now access a centralized City Hall designed to serve the community for generations to come.

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NEWBERRY — Enrollment for the inaugural 2026 school year at Newberry Community School will open Feb. 1, school officials announced this week, marking a major milestone as the new elementary school prepares to welcome its first students.

Families with elementary students currently enrolled at Newberry Elementary School will be guaranteed a seat at Newberry Community School for the upcoming school year. However, parents must formally accept their child’s placement during the enrollment period to secure enrollment.

As preparations continue for the school’s first year, Principal Lacy Roberts said staffing efforts are already underway. Teaching positions are being filled by experienced educators and high-achieving education professionals focused on academic excellence, student growth and strong community values.

In addition to student enrollment, Newberry Community School is seeking volunteers and engaged parents to support its inaugural year. Opportunities are available for those interested in assisting in classrooms, helping with school events and participating in community-building initiatives.

Families interested in enrolling a child can visit the school’s website, ncsedu.org, beginning Feb. 1. Parents and community members who wish to volunteer are encouraged to contact Roberts or visit the Little Red Schoolhouse in Newberry for more information.

The Newberry Community School office is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Questions can be directed to the school office at 352-474-2040.

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FDLE Investigators, Attorney Separated from Employment | State Condemns FDLE For Sworn Complaints Despite No Crimes

ALACHUA – Criminal allegations against three Santa Fe High School administrators have been formally dismissed, abruptly ending a high-profile case that unraveled after more than two years of disruption to school life at Santa Fe High.

On Jan. 9, 2026, the State Attorney for Florida’s Eighth Judicial Circuit filed a No Information in each case — for retired Principal Timothy Wright, former Assistant Principal David “Mac” Rendek, and Athletic Director and Title IX officer Michele Faulk — dismissing all charges before formal prosecution ever began.

The dismissals mark the collapse of a controversial case initiated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), which had accused the trio of violating:

• Fla. Stat. § 39.205(1) – Failure to Report Suspected Child Abuse (Third-Degree Felony)
• Fla. Stat. § 827.03(2)(d) – Child Neglect Without Great Bodily Harm (Third-Degree Felony)

Despite the severity of the accusations, no charges were ever brought against baseball coach Travis Yeckring, the figure at the center of the original FDLE complaints. The State Attorney’s decision not to proceed underscores what is now plainly stated in writing: no criminal conduct occurred.

“FDLE’s investigation of this matter has failed to establish sufficient evidence to believe that the defendant violated Florida Statutes 39.205.”

“FDLE has not charged Mr. Yeckring with child abuse and has confirmed that there is no ongoing investigation of Mr. Yeckring that could lead to such charges.”

The State Attorney’s memorandum raised concerns about how FDLE came to investigate the matter stating, “This type of matter would normally fall within the purview of either the City of Alachua Police Department or the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. While FDLE has jurisdiction, when FDLE investigates conduct of this nature, it is normally because the local agency has requested FDLE’s intervention. Here, there was no such request.”

As first reported by Alachua County Today in July 2025, FDLE’s sworn complaints leaned heavily on secondhand accounts, inconsistent witness interviews, and allegations that evolved over time. Among the most serious accusations was that Yeckring had shown a student a “semi-nude” or “nude” photo of himself. FDLE seized Yeckring’s phone but never produced any image or direct evidence.

The State Attorney’s memo revealed that even FDLE itself conceded there was no crime to investigate:

“As the investigation neared completion, FDLE asked for an informal opinion as to the legal sufficiency of the charges that were ultimately submitted for prosecution. During that conversation, the agents explicitly stated that Mr. Yeckring had not committed any provable criminal act. There was no probable cause to believe that Mr. Yeckring committed an act of child abuse upon any person. The agents made it clear that no criminal case is forthcoming to this office against Mr. Yeckring for any charge.”

Despite that admission, FDLE still pursued felony charges against the school administrators. The State’s memo dismantled that approach:

“FDLE’s theory is that known conduct which is not illegal constitutes reasonable cause to suspect child abuse. The common definition of 'suspect' is rooted in the absence of evidence or proof, not in the combination of known, non-criminal facts.”

“Here, neither statutory law nor case law supports FDLE’s theory, and, therefore, the State of Florida cannot ethically advance it in court.”

The memo further noted that FDLE failed to do the very thing it accused the administrators of failing to do:

“As of the date of this writing, this office’s investigation has confirmed that FDLE has never reported the ‘cumulative suspected child abuse’ to DCF, nor has any parent of any child at issue here, nor has the Office of the State Attorney made any such report.”

“Given FDLE's explicit acknowledgment that no probable cause exists to charge Mr. Yeckring with an underlying act of child abuse, the State Attorney's office concludes that the essential element of ‘known or suspected child abuse’ necessary for the prosecution of the defendant(s)... is legally insufficient.”

The decision not to proceed came after more than six months of internal review, concluding with this sharp observation:

“Even when facts underpin the theory, there must be law or case law that supports the State of Florida charging a crime under that theory of guilt.”

Personnel Fallout Inside FDLE

The fizzling out of the case has not gone without consequence inside the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Alachua County Today has confirmed from sources speaking on condition of anonymity that all three FDLE personnel involved in the Santa Fe High School investigation are no longer employed by the agency.

FDLE investigators Barry Kays and Yolonda Carbia, who authored the sworn complaints and conducted the investigation and interviews, exited the agency following an internal review. That review looked into their conduct, leaking of information, and pressuring witnesses to alter their testimony.

FDLE attorney Taylor McQuaide, who reportedly signed off on search warrants and acted as regional counsel during the investigation, was also either terminated or asked to resign. No public record has been provided to clarify the circumstances of her departure.

FDLE has not issued any public statement acknowledging the separations or linking them to misconduct.

Meanwhile, Alachua County Today has confirmed that FDLE has not released its final findings, nor has it clarified the investigation’s scope. Despite public records requests pending for over a year, the agency’s Office of Open Government has yet to respond or produce any documents.

No apology has been issued to Faulk, Rendek, or Wright — each of whom was publicly named in sworn felony complaints, placed under intense scrutiny, and never afforded the opportunity to respond in court.

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