Gainesville

Gainesville voters overwhelmingly approved a measure Tuesday to return control of the city’s utility to the City of Gainesville, a rejection of Republican efforts to install a GOP-appointed board from Tallahassee.

Construction continues on a new multiuse trail along Northeast 31st Avenue that will connect Northeast 15th Street to Northeast Waldo Road. The project, part of Wild Spaces & Public Places, is anticipated to last through summer 2026.

Questions in Gainesville remain in regard to food assistance in the midst of the government shutdown that began Oct. 1. Two federal judges on Friday said the Trump administration had to use contingency funds to make payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

St. Francis Vet Care, a nonprofit vet clinic, hosted a relay race on Sunday to raise funds for vet care for animals of low-income residents.

Inflation, high interest rates and soaring insurance premiums have weighed on small businesses, especially in Florida, where storm activity has intensified in recent years, prompting some insurers to flee the state. That's created a glut of vacant commercial properties.

For Halloween this year, city officials are asking parents to be even more mindful of their children's safety.

A federal judge heard arguments on Wednesday in the case of a University of Florida law student expelled for antisemitic tweets. His lawyer said he was being wrongly punished for views the school simply didn’t like, while UF responded it has every right to remove anyone threatening violence.

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward and Gainesville Regional Utilities CEO Ed Bielarski held a town hall debate on the GRU Authority on Tuesday. Gainesville residents will vote in a special election on Nov. 4 on whether control of GRU should return to the Gainesville City Commission.

Gainesville residents dropped off their unused or expired prescription drugs at HCA Florida Gainesville Emergency on Saturday as part of efforts to safely dispose of medications.

The Fest, the three-day music festival, continues Sunday. For a full line-up of musicians and the stages where they’ll be performing visit www.thefestfl.com.