Government and politics

Gainesville took another step towards increasing government transparency through the soft launch of statGNV. The new database aims to provide more data and statistics to the general public.

A demonstration was held Wednesday in Turlington Plaza on University of Florida's campus by Students for a Democratic Society and Students for Justice in Palestine. The purpose was to draw attention to those killed by Israeli Defense Forces as well as police brutality in Ferguson, Missouri.

Gainesville and Alachua County are funding a project that provides meals, showers and mental health screenings for the homeless.

Congressman Ted Yoho claimed his seat in the August primary on Tuesday amid delay in voting results. Alachua County tallied up the votes in its primary elections, naming Lee Pinkoson, Ken Cornell and Gunnar Paulson among the winners.

Seniors vs. Crime is now looking into taxes on gas and water surcharges collected by Gainesville Regional Utilities. The group was previously only investigating a complaint about a tax on electric customer charges collected by GRU.

The City Attorney and attorney representing Gainesville Regional Utilities have concluded the tax on the electric customer charge is justified.

A program of the state attorney general's office is investigating whether GRU, the city and the county may be inappropriately taxing a portion of utility bills each month, upwards of $2.7 million in taxes over the last three years.

Elise Giordano / WUFT News Sheila Bryant, left, and Billie Jean Curtis, right, stand on the grounds of Curtis Recycling in Hampton in November. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Jacksonville office is conducting a criminal investigation on the city of Hampton. The investigation, confirmed Tuesday by State Attorney criminal …

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.