Tag Archives: Ocala

Chris and Kim Hutchko developed a five-acre facility for dog competitions called the Tracks K-9 Club, which is an affiliate club of the professional organization Ultimate Air Dogs. Since retiring from the Bradenton Police Department last year, Chris Hutchko has devoted his time to competing two of his five dogs in water competitions while helping others train their own. He built the facility for personal training, but it has quickly become a club and now has almost 80 members.

An accurate record of the number of families experiencing homelessness in Alachua County and surrounding areas is nonexistent. According to Patrick Dodds, the director of Continuum of Care in Gainesville, there are currently about 10 homeless families in the coordinated entry system in need of housing assistance. “I think the number’s probably 10 times that,” Dodds said. “Families are often kind of the invisible homeless.” 

Two children were reported missing by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Twelve-year-old Arissa Johnson and 11-year-old Nariah Johnson were last seen Monday at 18722 Southeast 93rd Place, according to the media release. The Department of Children and Families said it believes the children were picked up by their biological mother, Amanda Via. The 38-year-old is court-ordered to have no unsupervised contact with the children, according to police. She has a criminal record and spent time in jail for multiple theft convictions. She was most recently arrested on a battery charge in 2020, which violated her probation, but the charge was later dropped. Arissa is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds, and Nariah is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. Anyone with information regarding their location should call 911.

Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville homeless campers told to move by Dec. 1. “The camp is a microcosm of both this year’s housing crisis and the cracks in the local shelter system. Its uncertain future hints …

Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: SBAC swears in first all-female board. “At a special meeting on Tuesday, Certain, a returning board member, along with three new members, Diyonne McGraw, Sarah Rockwell, and Kay Abbitt, …

Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County joins lawsuit against GNV zoning. “Peggy Carr and Faye L. Williams filed the lawsuit, with support from local nonprofit Gainesville Neighborhood Voices (GNVoices), and a judge will …

Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Law enforcement face community members calling to abolish K9 unit at Gainesville City Commission meeting. “The Gainesville City Commission’s special meeting on Wednesday about the K9 unit largely pitted law …