The University of Florida student accused of threatening to kill TikTok star Josh Richards, who was invited to speak at the university on June 29, awaits formal charges as his arraignment was postponed to December 15 on Tuesday. UF microbiology sophomore Ryan Christopher Marin was suspected and later arrested by officers on allegations of making a death threat on Instagram against Richards. The sworn complaint states Richards was in “fear for his life,” prompting him to cancel the event. Marin now faces charges of aggravated assault and intimidation. He was released from jail Monday after his $5,000 bond was paid.
Read More »Elected official accused by police of carving gay slur in SUV; he denies it
An Alachua County elected official running for reelection next month is accused by police of carving a gay slur into an SUV parked across the street from his family’s former home. Daniel "Danny" Taylor Gordon, 41, of Gainesville is formally accused in Alachua County Circuit Court of misdemeanor property damage and criminal mischief, according to court records filed Tuesday. Police said Gordon was caught on video by a nearby surveillance camera, which he then stole. He denies it.
Read More »Rock revetment project underway to restore Flagler Beach shoreline after Hurricane Ian
Florida Department of Transportation crews began rock and sand revetment Wednesday on the shoreline along State Road A1A as part of its emergency recovery effort after Tropical Storm Ian ravaged the state’s Atlantic coast. Rock revetment absorbs energy from incoming waves and prevents damage from coastal erosion by layering stone and sand on shorelines to create a barrier between the ocean and the shore. FDOT crews will use coquina rock between South 9th Street and South 23rd Street to return the beach’s shoreline to its pre-storm conditions. The crews will work during the day, and the project is estimated to take about two weeks to complete. FDOT asks pedestrians and motorists to use caution and obey traffic signs directing them through the work area.
Read More »Two men arrested on charges related to running a human sex trafficking business in a Gainesville group home
Two men were arrested Tuesday and accused of running a human sex trafficking business in a Gainesville group home. The arrests happened at a Gate gas station on 3001 NW 13th Street at 4 p.m. The suspects' identities were confirmed as 20-year-old Kevarius Nyrtell King and 25-year-old Justin Terrel Hoyt. The victim was living in the Safe Hands Group Home, a housing service partnered with homeless shelters and co-owned by King since a little less than a year ago. The two men forced the victim into multiple sexual acts, sometimes without her consent, with dozens of men in the group home. Police were able to report the crime as the victim had told the staff at the Tower Road Branch Library that she was a victim of human trafficking and to alert the authorities. Through a search warrant of the group home, police were able to confirm the identities of King and Hoyt and later arrest and charge them with human sex trafficking. King and Hoyt are currently booked in the Alachua County Jail, each with release bonds set at $250,000.
Read More »Sheriff’s deputies in Ocala arrest second man in fatal robbery during marijuana buy
Marion County Sheriff's deputies said Wednesday they have arrested another man in what they described as a robbery during a marijuana purchase that ended in gunfire on a hiking trail Sept. 12.
Read More »Man who died in motorcycle crash had complex past but was working to turn his life around, family member says
This story has been updated to include comment from the owner of the motorcycle, update the headline, add Lovett family comments and to replace the photo of Lovett with one from his family. READ: Open Letter to the Community about our Coverage Why we reported this story this way This …
Read More »‘We need to connect with our hands’: A Gainesville potter’s passion becomes a lifestyle
Kate Murray thoroughly stirs the watery powdered rock, known as glaze, with her hand before carefully dipping a small ceramic plate halfway, coating it in the golden rust color liquid. The surprising transformation comes later: the plate becomes a green ash after it is heated in the kiln, a chamber …
Read More »The Westgate Publix is expected to finish construction in 2022
According to the building permit application, the Publix being rebuilt on West University Avenue is estimated to cost $6,257,000.
Read More »Gainesville for All volunteers share resources, survey neighborhoods in East Gainesville
About 30 volunteers went door to door to East Gainesville residents on a rainy Saturday morning, providing resources and asking survey question to help improve the community’s standard of living.
Read More »Alachua County Crisis Center Holds Virtual Mental Health Conversations
About 45 people joined via Zoom on Monday afternoon for the first session of the Alachua County Crisis Center’s annual mental wellness symposium.
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