Community and youth outreach programs were at the forefront of a public forum addressing the high violent crime rate in Palatka. On Saturday, Palatka City Commissioner Tammie McCaskill held the meeting. Several solutions were proposed aimed at youth programs because most of the violent crime in Palatka comes from the …
Read More »New Florida lead in South Carolina murder case, nearly 30 years later
After 28 years, investigators have a new lead for a person of interest in the 1995 murder of Maria Telles-Gonzalez. Gonzalez’s body was found on May 24, 1995, by an employee from the South Carolina Highway Department in a drainage ditch on Cottonhall Road in Yemassee, South Carolina. She was …
Read More »Day 2 of Gainesville’s gun violence summit closes with much work ahead
Community leaders, gun violence prevention experts and the general public gathered to discuss possible policy options to help counter rising gun violence locally and nationally.
Read More »‘Choose Peace’: Gainesville to host gun violence summit to address deaths and violence in the community
Gainesville will host a two-day summit to address the high gun violence rates sweeping the city. The summit, titled “Choose Peace: Gun Violence Must Cease,” will be held Sunday and Monday and seeks to address the nuances and logistical issues facing gun-violence prevention. The event aims to bring community stakeholders …
Read More »Need-to-know: Be prepared for the upcoming 2023-24 school year
The start of a new school year is just around the corner, and the tax-free week on buying school supplies in Florida ends on Sunday. Here is what parents and students should know to be prepared for each county in north central Florida: Alachua County Alachua County schools are opening …
Read More »Bearing the burden: Marion County Fire Rescue holds weightlifting competition for first responder mental health awareness
Editor’s note: This story includes the mention of suicide and its impact on a community. If you or someone you know is suicidal, you can reach the national suicide hotline at 800-273-8255 or by dialing 988. Among the sound of the weights clanging and the anxious chatter of the competitors, …
Read More »Gainesville Police Advisory Council reviews 9 internal investigation reports
Two investigations resulted in officer suspensions of over a week. One case stemmed from a K9 attack on a Gainesville man. The Gainesville Police Advisory Council is holding its monthly meeting at city hall Wednesday night, and part of the agenda is to review several of the department’s recently …
Read More »Bucket truck bandits: Two suspects drag ATM using stolen truck, then flee from Lake City officers on foot
Lake City police officers were dispatched at 4:52 a.m. on Friday in response to an Ameris Bank alarm sounding, only to find the drive-thru ATM had been ripped from its foundation. Drag marks could be seen on the blacktop leading from the bank. An officer witnessed a white bucket truck …
Read More »Marion County Fire Rescue weightlifting competition to raise funds for first responder mental health awareness
Marion County Fire Rescue is hosting its annual “Bear the Burden” event to raise funds for the Marion County Benevolence Fund and bring awareness to the mental health issues first responders face daily, according to an MCFR press release. The event will be hosted on July 28 and 29 at …
Read More »Cox Communications extends its high-speed internet coverage to Archer
Cox Communications made waves in Archer on Wednesday morning touting its launch of high-speed internet access to the rural community. Its expansion efforts are part of the company’s goal of bringing broadband to underserved rural communities. The expansion includes gigabit internet speeds that the company says will reliably serve the …
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