Alachua County’s elected leaders have approved two new plans on how they will use $188 million in taxpayer money. In November 2022, voters in Alachua County helped pass an infrastructure surtax that will be in place for the next 10 years. It’s a 1% sales tax, equating to one cent …
Read More »Florida Springs Council announces big legal win
The Florida Springs Council announced a legal victory last week. In a Facebook post, the council said the Florida First District Court of Appeal had reversed a lower court’s decision in a legal battle that has been ongoing since 2019. In 2016, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Springs and …
Read More »This cemetery’s flowers are planted, not placed
Perhaps one would not expect musicians playing, artists creating and kids running through the grass meadows at a loved one’s burial. However, for Eleanor Blair, this was the reality of the first burial she attended at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery (PCCC). PCCC aims to restore land in Florida through green …
Read More »Residents asked to review Santa Fe Watershed Flood Risk maps
The Suwannee River Water Management District has completed a flood-risk review of the Santa Fe River Watershed. Residents in parts of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Suwannee, and Union counties may be impacted by the updated flood maps. Engineer Mary Diaz says it’s time for residents to review the initial maps. …
Read More »Community members speak up about new “forever chemicals” study
A new study by the Environmental Working Group compared its findings to data from the FDA that measured PFAS levels in seafood from grocery stores and found that the supermarket samples had a drastically lower concentration of PFAS compounds than freshwater fish.
Read More »East Gainesville neighbors fight the expansion of a landfill in their backyard – again
The owner, Paul Florence, said he needed the expansion to accommodate expected debris in the coming years as Gainesville rapidly developed.
Read More »Wild Spaces and Public Places funding increases accessibility at Sweetwater Wetlands Park
In pursuit of winter cranes, bird enthusiast Tom Jackson drove from Tallahassee to Gainesville. His destination: Sweetwater Wetlands Park, renowned for its unique array of birds. When the 72-year-old walked into the park he was treated to a surprise. Right away, he noticed a sign about tram tours. “It looked …
Read More »New exhibit — ‘Spiders Alive!’ — opens at Florida Museum of Natural History
His little arms held out his brown stuffed spider, named Lucas, in comparison to the picture of the wolf spider on the museum wall. Fitted in his favorite “Spiderman” shirt, Jamie Mallard, 4, strutted across the new exhibit at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. …
Read More »Gainesville man seeks compensation for home destroyed by flooding
Mark Dake has notified the city of Gainesville and Alachua County in December that he is seeking compensation for the destruction of his home, which was flooded during Hurricane Elsa. Dake said he hopes the city or county will take over the property, destroy the home and refrain from building a new home on the land.
Read More »Alachua County Forever eyes new property in Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods
“I love headwaters and sand,” Kristen Young said. To most, this is an odd remark about environmental features. But to Young, the newly elected secretary of the Alachua County Land Conservation Board (LCB), it was good reason for Alachua County to purchase the Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods property, “Sherouse and Flowers.” …
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