Tag Archives: wuft news

Data do not account for families experiencing homelessness in Alachua and surrounding counties

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.” 

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Marion County deputies are searching for two missing children

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.

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Marion County judge helping Ukraine start a Veterans Treatment Court

A Marion County judge is working with experts around the country to aid veterans in Ukraine. For 20 years, Judge Jim McCune has served on the bench in Marion County. His effort to help veterans in the court system has had a positive impact on the local community and is now reaching the global scale. McCune and a team around the country are working to provide a Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) for soldiers in Ukraine. 

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Voter clarity on Gainesville’s Complete Streets program still evolving post-election

Gainesville’s Vision Zero program, a part of the national Complete Streets movement, was introduced to the city commission in 2018, and the city implemented many of its major components in 2021. The Nov. 8 election results indicate that the plan will likely maintain support over the next electoral term. But many people seem not to know what the program entails. 

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