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Alachua Police Department (APD) and the Police Explorers will be at Walgreens and Hitchcocks from 10 am to 2 pm to accept the prescription and over-the-counter drugs, which will then be destroyed.

The Lions Club will be at the Hitchcock’s location to provide free diabetes testing. They will also be handing out a limited supply of glucometers, which will be donated by the Hitchock’s pharmacy.

In addition to helping clear your cabinets of unnessary bottles and pills, these events will help society in a broader sense, said APD Public Information Officer Jesse Sandusky.

“This is important so that these drugs do not get into the wrong hands,” Sandusky wrote in a press release. “It’s also important to dispose of these drugs properly so that children do not get a hold of them.”

Those with questions about this event may contact APD Detective Carrie Lund or Officer Sandusky at 386-462-1396.

Cooling off in the scorching summer heat

Parents and youngsters alike find a welcome respite from soaring temperatures at Alachua’s splash park.  Rhiannon Pollard and her children, Liam and Rowan, are regular visitors to the popular cooling off spot.

On many hot summer days, scores of children can be seen splashing through the various water features at the park.

“There are some times when we see 75 to a 100 people down here at the splash park,” said Ronnie Foust who does maintenance at the Hal Brady Recreation Complex in the city of Alachua.

Foust said the splash park has been bustling with activity all summer long. “From nine in the morning until seven at night, there’ll be people down here playing.”

Cool summer activities on a budget are especially tough to come by these days.  Consider that a single-day pass to Universal Orlando’s water park is $33 plus tax, and admission to either of Disney’s water parks starts at $41 and climbs quickly.

For families looking for fun ways to beat the heat without hanging the plastic in their wallets out to melt, there are plenty of places to check out right here in Alachua County.

The splash park at the Hal Brady Recreation Complex is an easy pick for those looking to get out of the house without overheating, overspending or overdriving.  Just a minute’s drive from downtown Alachua at 14300 NW 146^th Terrace, admission to the splash park comes at a cheap price – free.

High Springs mother Rhiannon Pollard has been a fan of the splash park for about a year.  Tuesday afternoon, Pollard brought her 10-month-old son, Liam, and two-year-old daughter, Rowan, to cool off.

“We like coming here because it’s nearby and it’s something a little different than just getting in a pool, and most of the children here are also really young,” Pollard said.

Some people cooling off in the park traveled from further away.  Williston resident Amber Thornton came along with friend and Micanopy resident Angle Chauncey.  Thornton brought her son, Jaxon, and Chauncey brought her daughter, Lilly, to cool off in the splash park.  The two women said Tuesday was their first time at the park, which they heard about through word-of-mouth.

The park features a water tent, water dumping bucket brigade, water bars and water jets of many kinds including water spouts, bubblers, geysers and fountains.

Surrounding all the action is ample grass and a few picnic tables shaded by trees, beyond the range of any splashing or spraying. A high chain-link fence with a childproof gate encloses the entire area.

The splash park is open seven days a week in the summer from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but hours may vary if someone reserves it.

The splash park was built about three years ago.  City of Alachua Grants Specialist Diane Morgan said the City hopes to expand the size of the spray park to roughly double the pad and features.  Morgan is currently preparing a grant application for the 2012/13 year that, if approved, would fund that expansion.

If there is a craving for a pool to jump into, one can be found at the Westside Recreation Center in Gainesville.

Commonly referred to as Westside Park, the center is located at 1001 NW 34^th Street.  The facility features the 50-meter H. Spurgeon Cherry pool, diving boards and diving towers, a “splash pad” and an “aqua slide.”

Through Sunday, the park opens daily at noon.  Starting Monday, Aug. 22, the park will open at 3 p.m. on the weekdays.

Admission for adults is $3.65, and $2.35 for children ages 3 to 17 and for seniors 55 and up.

Gainesville is also home to two other public pools; the Northeast Pool, at 1100 NE 14^th Street, and Mickle Pool, at 1717 SE 15^th Street.  All three pools in Gainesville are staffed with lifeguards.

First elected to the commission in 2002, Lopez did not seek re-election in 2006.  But she did find herself back on the city commission after being elected again in 2008.  Most recently, Lopez left her mark on the city with the Aug. 2 opening of the Archer Community Center, a project she has championed since 2003.

Lopez was born in Archer but moved away at the age of 17, she said.  In 2000, she moved back to Archer along with her husband.  After organizing several clean-ups and senior and youth events in Archer, she tossed her hat in the ring, seeking election to the commission in 2002.

It was after that election that she first saw the inside of the old Archer High School gymnasium, which was built in 1937.

“My first thought was, how do I get this place restored and turned into a multi-purpose center,” she explained.

Organizing efforts to fund restoration of the dilapidated building was a major reason she decided not to seek re-election in 2006.

All of that work paid off as Lopez led the charge to raise more than $900,000 through donations and grants.  The opening held earlier this month drew hundreds of area residents, dignitaries and elected officials to celebrate with the Archer community.

Lopez sees that restoration as the pinnacle of her success with the City, but it isn’t the end of her work on the center.

“My commitment remains steadfast and strong and I will continue to work with the City and the Development Committee to make the Archer Community Center a total success,” she said.

Lopez has also long championed the cause of wastewater infrastructure in Archer.

“We should applaud our new commissioners and the city manager for getting on board and seeing the need for the sewer system,” said Lopez.  “We have started the process and it is my hope that we will continue.”

While on the commission, Lopez had been selected by her colleagues to serve as vice-mayor and mayor of the City of Archer.

Lopez said her involvement as an elected official has been an eye-opening experience.

“I have grown in many ways and learned that putting the community first is of vital importance in today’s environment.

“It has been a challenge and an honor working with the citizens of Archer while accomplishing many goals that benefited the people,” said Lopez.

Steve Lefkowitz, Pennie Lefkowitz

Pennie, 59, and Steve Lefkowitz, 65, were arrested Monday night on 47 animal cruelty charges related to the couple’s sanctuary. Alachua County Animal Services Director David Flagler said 46 of the charges were related to cats, and one of the charges was for a rooster also kept on the property.

Initiated by Animal Services, the massive seizure of felines at Haven Acres occurred on June 7 and required the help of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which both took lead roles in the operation.

State Attorney’s Office spokesman Spencer Mann said the Lefkowitzes were released on their own recognizance less than two hours after turning themselves in as had been prearranged.

Charges against them read like an encyclopedia of feline ailments and unsanitary conditions.  Detailed in each of the third degree felony charges is a specific ailing cat, its physical conditions, a profile of its medical status and an analysis of the environment in which it was found on June 7.

Among the health concerns called out in the 14-page charging document were muscle atrophy, fleas, ear mites, missing and abscessed teeth, emaciation, dehydration, feline leukemia virus, alopecia, feline immunodeficiency virus, severe upper respiratory infection, ocular discharge, nasal discharge and several others.

The living conditions of several cats were described as filthy.  Several of the charges stated, “This cat was found in the infirmary, that contained 39 cages with 73 cats contained within them; the room had a strong ammonia smell that made it difficult to breathe; the cages and crates were filthy with mucous and dried blood and diarrhea splattered on the walls; the litter boxes were full and overflowing and there were feces on the cage floors, some feces containing maggots; the water bowls were low and dirty with food, fur and litter in them.”

Of the original 697 cats taken from the sanctuary, Flagler said 626 remain.  More than 70 of the felines died or were euthanized after veterinary staff determined they were beyond treatment, he said.

The Lefkowitzes, whose eight-acre enclave at 21023 NW 168th Lane is surrounded by the City of High Springs, had used their property as a sanctuary for more than 400 cats and other animals since 2002.  The county’s permitting of the sanctuary even resulted in a lawsuit filed several years ago by the City of High Springs.

The Lefkowitzes were granted a special exception for a private animal shelter in August 2007 by the Alachua Board of County Commissioners, to which the City of High Springs quickly filed an appeal, resulting in an ensuing lawsuit with the couple.

Many complaints had been made over the years by neighbors and High Springs city officials.

Neighbors complained of a strong odor emanating from the property.  For several years, city officials warned Alachua County officials that they worried the ‘sanctuary’ could be a public health threat.

City officials also expressed their concerns over the couple’s practice of burying deceased cats on their property.

Over the years, the living conditions of the cats have been reported as questionable by some.  The Lefkowitzes, however, refuted claims that the cats lived in unsanitary conditions, saying litter boxes were changed regularly and their cages were appropriate housing.

In November 2009, High Springs and Alachua County Commissioners agreed on stipulations that would lessen the impact the cat sanctuary has on its neighbors, still allow Haven Acres to operate, and settle the lawsuit High Springs had filed against Alachua County for permitting the sanctuary around a residential neighborhood.

Animal Services was tipped off about the sanctuary in late May when a person wanting to drop off a cat at the sanctuary became concerned upon seeing the conditions of the animals there, Flagler said.

The tip prompted an investigation by Flagler’s office, which reportedly found medically neglected cats.

“We suspected the cat sanctuary had far more cats than we could take care of ourselves,” he said in a previous interview.

Officials conducting the operation first believed the number of cats to total about 500.  By the second day of the seizure, the final tally was 697 felines.  That’s more than triple the 200 cat limit Haven Acres was permitted by Alachua County to keep.

Ashley Mauceri, deputy manager of Animal Cruelty Investigations for The HSUS said in a previous interview, “Whether the sanctuary started with good intentions, it is now clear that it is unable to properly care for this number of animals, and we want to make sure they get the care and attention they need.”

Released last week, the report is the culmination of an investigation into actions of High Springs Police Sergeant Charles Harper who responded to a distress call at High Springs Community School earlier this year.

Harper discharged his weapon after an armed 63-year-old Robert Nodine fired several shots from a handgun, police say.  Nodine was ultimately taken down by gunfire from law enforcement officers.

The reported concluded that the actions of Harper “constituted a lawful use of deadly force in legitimate self-defense of others.”

An internal investigation by the High Springs Police Department (HSPD) also cleared Harper of any wrongdoing in the incident.

In a letter to Harper, HSPD Chief James Troiano wrote, “Your actions on that day demonstrated to me heroism and valour beyond the normal call of duty as you risked your life to stop the actions of a man determined to cause harm to himself and others.  Let the record reflect, not only did this man arm himself with a loaded revolver, he fired four rounds at you, two of which struck the tree you were using for cover.”

He also wrote to Harper, “You are truly a hero and a shining example for all serving in our law enforcement profession.”

Responding to the school on May 18 when a 9-1-1 call was made around 12:51 p.m. were both Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) deputies and HSPD officers.

Police say Nodine became irate while at the school, and while being escorted off the campus the grandfather was reportedly able to arm himself.

Nodine challenged a deputy and a police officer, according to reports.  The incident escalated and police opened fire on Nodine who was the only person injured in the exchange of fire.

The shooting occurred in a breezeway into the elementary school office.  Meanwhile, the school was in lockdown for much of that afternoon as deputies restricted access to and from school grounds.

Most of the school’s children had already been released because of an abbreviated Wednesday schedule.  But some 170 students remained on campus for after-school activities when the shooting occurred.

Harper was placed on administrative leave, but returned to work in the week following the incident.

Nodine was initially taken to an area hospital for treatment, but was later booked into the Alachua County Jail.

He remains in jail on a $700,000 bond and is facing five felonies including attempted homicide, possession and firing of a weapon on school property and trespassing.

He entered a plea of not guilty on Aug. 9 and is awaiting trial.

Troiano said Harper and Deputy Brian Phillips are to be formally honored at an upcoming High Springs City Commission meeting.

Armed robber targets Oxycodone pills

The robber was caught on video as he approached the CVS store’s pharmacy counter, brandishing a gun and demanding Oxycodone pills.

The CVS Pharmacy in Alachua was the scene of a robbery involving over 200 Oxycodone pills.  At about 9 p.m. last Wednesday, a man entered the store, approached the pharmacy, displayed a black semi-automatic pistol and demanded the pills.  The robber was reported to have said, “Don’t make me use it,” referring to the gun.

The pharmacist handed the pills to the robber, who then fled on foot.  The robber was described as a white male, approximately 25 – 30 years of age wearing a dark blue or black long sleeve Under Armour type shirt, black athletic shorts and a red Florida State baseball cap. He also is believed to have a tattoo around his left ankle and wore white or grey sneakers.

The Alachua Police Department (APD) set up a perimeter around the area, and with assistance from an APD K-9 and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office air support, conducted a search.  The robber was not located and was believed to have fled in a waiting vehicle.

Oxycodone is a schedule II narcotic analgesic also marketed as Tylox, Percodan and OxyContin. Although pill theft is a nationwide problem, APD spokesman Officer Jesse Sandusky said the robbery was the first of its kind in Alachua.

Local authorities are continuing the investigation and believe there may be a connection to a similar incident in Lake City, which occurred about three weeks ago.  Sandusky noted that about three hours before the robbery in Alachua, there was an attempted robbery at a CVS in Lake City.  That robbery was unsuccessful, but the robber fit the same description as the robber in the Alachua incident.