Government and politics

Clay County officials have hired a First Amendment lawyer to rewrite what they call an unconstitutional ordinance concerning adult entertainment businesses. The proposed ordinance would apply only to the county's unincorporated areas, which make up over half the county.

Von Fraser, who has served as Alachua County's Tax Collector for 33 years, died early Thursday morning at the age of 76.

The bill passed in the house with a vote of 80-36 Friday afternoon.

Helping foster children gain access to driver's licenses and motor vehicle insurance is the focus of two bills currently in the Florida House and Senate.

Helen Warren wins Gainesville City Commission At-large Seat 2 in run-off election against Annie Orlando on Tuesday night.

The Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, Gainesville Sun and WUFT sponsored a debate between the two candidates in the April 8 run-off election for the at-large candidate for Gainesville city council.

The Alachua County Clerk of Court Ancient Records Project was awarded a preservation award. The project, which started about 15 years ago, has preserved nearly 200 years of history so far.

House Bill 115 passed Thursday with a vote of 83-33. The bill proposes the creation of secret meetings, which would be exempt from public records laws, when universities foundations discuss research proposals and money.

They were convinced by city Councilman Dan Williams' presentation on how the city government will change following a damning state auditor's report.

Clay County residents are concerned about the lack of transparency in plans for a multi-million dollar sports complex.