In a major free speech case, a federal appeals court panel will hear oral arguments Thursday on whether Florida can implement parts of a controversial new law that would prohibit social media companies from banning political candidates’ accounts.
Read More »Prosecutors charge prominent real estate brokers with racketeering, stealing trade secrets
State prosecutors on Tuesday formally charged two prominent real estate brokers with felony criminal charges of racketeering, fraud and stealing trade secrets as part of a long-running investigation into a business dispute with their former employer. The men, Daniel James Drotos, 34, and Michael Steven Ryals, 65, were the same …
Read More »UF in political firestorm over decision to block professors’ testimony in voting rights lawsuit
Trying to extinguish a political controversy that has enveloped the University of Florida, the school promised that it will review its conflict-of-interest policy after it blocked requests by three prominent professors to provide paid testimony in a voting rights lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis and other top state officials. On …
Read More »Real estate agents in school board land deal are accused of ‘working both sides,’ increasing cost to Alachua County taxpayers
Fresh Take Florida’s two-month investigation into the deal also revealed that it largely circumvented oversight from a committee specifically tasked with monitoring the use of funds stemming from a half-cent education sales tax, which county officials pitched to voters as a way to fund improvements at existing schools and pay for new properties and construction.
Read More »Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Orders Investigation Into Facebook Over Elections, Advancing His Political Criticism Of ‘Big Tech’ Companies
DeSantis this week instructed Laurel Lee, Florida's Republican secretary of state, to investigate whether Facebook exempted some of its users from the platform's own rules, allowing them to post content that would otherwise be blocked or labeled as false.
Read More »Employees At Gainesville Real Estate Firm Raided By SWAT Team Could Face Felony Charges
Gainesville police detectives accused Colliers International employees Lauren Edwards, 24, Daniel Drotos, 34, and Rory Causseaux, 59, of stealing dozens of trade secrets and proprietary documents and $2 million worth of deals from Bosshardt Realty Services, their former employer.
Read More »Gainesville Police Corporal Pleads No Contest In DUI Case
A Gainesville police corporal pleaded no contest in Alachua County Circuit Court to a charge of driving under the influence. Cpl. Scott Bertzyk, 46, rear-ended a car on Newberry Road in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, according to a Gainesville Police Department arrest report, causing at least $8,000 …
Read More »To Control Gainesville’s Downtown Homeless During The Pandemic, Police Turned To A Private Security Contractor
Since then, a camp has grown at old Fire Station 1, a city property slated for redevelopment. Tents of all sizes, makeshift bikes and art projects, and a table with food, drinks, clothes and hygiene products all sit on the driveway of old Fire Station 1 in downtown Gainesville. The …
Read More »Photos: Low-Lying Streets In Gainesville Experience Flooding
Rain from Tropical Storm Elsa caused flooding throughout some of Gainesville’s low-lying areas Wednesday. Alachua County spokesperson Mark Sexton stated in a Wednesday press release that residents reported flooding, downed power lines and downed trees throughout the Gainesville area. Northwest Gainesville was particularly inundated with rainfall from Tropical Storm Elsa, …
Read More »Gainesville’s $32 Million In American Rescue Plan Funding: The Proposals, Explained
The following is a summary of the five priciest proposals from each category.
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