Austin Landis

Books and Burgers, a literacy program run by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Youth and Community Resource Unit is a local activity. Officers go to different elementary schools and parks to grill burgers and hot dogs, hand out books and spend time with kids and parents.

Small police departments like Williston's 12-man team keep the community and police department in sync, but lower pay and lack of promotion makes it hard to recruit.

Micanopy pastor Chris Stokes is working to turn a vacant portable-classroom building in the small Alachua County city into a community center. He hopes to have it up and running by August.

The Senate Education Committee has approved a bill that would require Florida public elementary schools to offer 20 minutes of recess each day. Currently, only 11 out of 67 state school districts have unstructured free play time.

A hearing was held Wednesday to decide whether three Dignity Village residents who were previously kicked out would be allowed back in the Gainesville homeless community, with the three-person panel deciding all of them would.

Following a few officers leaving the Williston Police Department, the city has boosted the starting officer salary to $32,000 from $30,000.

Volunteers set out across Gainesville to places like Grace Marketplace, St. Francis House and downtown Gainesville to survey the homeless Thursday.

Longhorn Steakhouse had its grand opening, as did Culver's, a chain known for their ButterBurgers and custards. Olive Garden opened, too, but this was following a relocation.

Phalanx Defense Systems is set to move its headquarters and some manufacturing from its location at Gainesville's airport to the Army building.

Suppliers and consumers are concerned about the impact Amendment 1 might have toward solar power.