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GAINESVILLE – A new state law is prompting Alachua County Public Schools to significantly tighten its guidelines on student use of cell phones and other personal wireless devices for the 2025–26 school year.

House Bill 1105, passed by the Florida Legislature, restricts student access to personal devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, earbuds, headphones, and tablets during the school day.

Under the revised district guidelines, students at all elementary and middle schools, as well as at High Springs Community School, Oak View Middle School, Hawthorne Middle/High School, and A. Quinn Jones School, must keep all personal devices powered off and out of sight from the time they arrive on campus until they leave.

At high schools — except Hawthorne and A. Quinn Jones, which follow the stricter elementary/middle school rules—and at Sidney Lanier Center, students are prohibited from using devices during instructional time unless explicitly permitted by a teacher for educational use.

Students at the middle and high school levels may use devices during extracurricular activities.

The district emphasized that students have access to district-approved instructional technology throughout the school day. In emergency situations or other safety concerns, families are urged to contact their school's front office directly rather than reaching out to students via personal devices.

To notify families of the changes, the district is distributing information via email, phone, and text message. Updates are also posted on the district’s official Facebook page and website. Additional information and updated policies can be found at alachuaschools.net/cellphones, including links to the revised Codes of Student Conduct for both elementary and secondary students.

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NEWBERRY – During a packed agenda at its July 28, 2025, regular meeting, the Newberry City Commission took multiple actions shaping the city’s fiscal outlook, youth leadership opportunities, and long-term growth. Commissioners unanimously set the preliminary millage rate for the upcoming fiscal year, approved the creation of a Mayor’s Youth Council, and advanced 15 separate voluntary annexation ordinances representing more than 200 acres.

The meeting was followed by a brief break and then a separate Board of Adjustment session.

Millage Rate Set at Rollback Level

Via Resolution 2025-32, the commission approved a preliminary millage rate of 6.0623 mills — the rolled-back rate for the coming year. The rollback rate is the amount needed to generate the same tax revenue as the previous year from existing properties, excluding revenue from new construction. While it does not reduce tax bills, it prevents increases tied solely to rising property values.

City officials emphasized that this decision reflects a fiscally conservative approach aimed at holding steady on revenue collections while new development continues to grow the city’s tax base. Two required budget hearings are scheduled for Sept. 8 and Sept. 22 at 7 p.m., during which the commission will finalize the tax rate and budget for fiscal year 2025-26.

Youth Council Approved on First Reading

Commissioners also approved the first reading of an ordinance establishing the Mayor’s Youth Council, a new initiative designed to give local students a platform to engage in civic life. The ordinance outlines the creation of the council, procedures for appointing members and officers, how vacancies will be filled, and expectations for meeting frequency and public recordkeeping.

The council will serve as an advisory body, giving youth a voice in city matters while promoting leadership skills, civic responsibility, and public service education. A second reading of the ordinance will be required before the council is officially launched.

Annexations Cover More Than 200 Acres

In a series of quasi-judicial public hearings, the commission unanimously approved 15 voluntary annexation ordinances, covering approximately 203 acres across 16 parcels currently located in unincorporated Alachua County. These parcels will become part of the City of Newberry if approved again on second reading, scheduled for Aug. 11.

The annexed properties range from under an acre to more than 100 acres and are expected to help eliminate enclaves — county land surrounded by city boundaries — which complicate service delivery and planning. CRA Coordinator Chelsea Bakaitis presented each ordinance individually.

“Second Reading of these ordinances will be held on Aug. 11,” Bakaitis said.

Parcels include acreage owned by individuals and limited liability corporations, with uses likely to remain residential or agricultural in the near term.

Community and Infrastructure Updates

Newberry High School Principal Jill Atchley thanked the City for completing sidewalk improvements along 258^th Street. She also noted upcoming school events, including new student orientation on Aug. 7 at 9 a.m. and the annual Blue and Gold volleyball game on Aug. 8 at 5 p.m., followed by a pep rally hosted by the Quarterback Club at 6:30 p.m. Atchley also previewed upgrades planned for the school’s softball field.

Newberry Main Street Organization President Chris Mack announced that Splash Days will be held Aug. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. Though he did not specify the location, the event is typically held near the CSX railroad tracks in downtown Newberry.

City Manager Jordan Marlowe provided project updates, reporting that improvements to Champions Park are nearly complete. The upgrades include new netting poles to extend past first base, fixed bathrooms, misting fans near concession areas, and installed fans in dugouts to improve player comfort during summer tournaments.

Marlowe also confirmed that the new City Hall remains on schedule and on budget, with completion expected in September. He additionally addressed a road repair delay near the Easton neighborhood, where underground utility work postponed the restoration of a small roundabout. Marlowe noted that weather has slowed progress but that repairs are expected soon.

Board of Adjustment Grants Variance

Following the commission meeting, the Board of Adjustment convened to hear a single request: a variance for minimum lot size in the Agricultural zoning district. Resolution 2025-22, which permits the subdivision of a 9.49-acre property into two ~4.7-acre lots, was approved unanimously. While Agricultural zoning typically requires a five-acre minimum, the lots meet gross density standards when factoring in adjacent public rights-of-way.

City planning staff concluded the request met all criteria in the city’s land development code and was consistent with the comprehensive plan.

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Main Street Momentum — Alachua’s historic downtown may soon welcome breweries and wine bars if the City Commission follows through on its plan to ease alcohol sales restrictions near churches. A proposed ordinance could help revitalize the area by allowing more diverse business types / Today Staff Photographer

ALACHUA – After months of mounting pressure from local business owners and residents, the Alachua City Commission took a significant step Monday toward relaxing its decades-old alcohol sales restriction near churches — a move that could pave the way for breweries, wine bars, and other small establishments to revitalize Main Street’s commercial core.

Commissioner Dayna Williams welcomed the proposed changes saying, “I think that it would benefit not just Main Street, but the [Community Redevelopment Agency area] and our city as a whole.

At the center of the debate is a city ordinance prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages within 450 feet of any religious institution. While the rule includes exceptions for full-service restaurants and temporary special events, it effectively bans new standalone alcohol vendors from opening in much of downtown due to the close proximity of three churches: Living Word Church of Faith, River of Life, and First Baptist Church of Alachua.

Under the city’s current ordinance, a business may sell alcohol even if it is closer than 450 feet to the nearest religious institution, but only if that business derives at least 51% of its sales from food or non-alcoholic beverages.

The issue resurfaced earlier this year after representatives of the Alachua Chamber of Commerce and other economic stakeholders urged commissioners to consider revising the ordinance to allow for new types of businesses in the downtown district.

Local resident Julie Smith summed up the issues as, “I think it's just a matter of freedom of choice and freedom of businesses to be able to operate, for them to be able to have an income.”

“Because of the close proximity of three churches, [the sale of alcohol] is currently restricted … the Commission requested staff return at a future meeting to present possible options,” said Economic Development Manager David Wisener, who presented a report outlining several policy options. “Other cities in Alachua County — including Gainesville, Hawthorne, and Micanopy — have removed these restrictions entirely or set shorter distances.”

Mayor Walter Welch expressed concern that downtown churches had not been contacted, despite Wisener’s insistence that multiple phone calls were made and emails were sent to encourage pastors to attend the July 28 meeting.

The City’s current 450-foot rule is stricter than most in the county. High Springs and Waldo, for example, maintain a 500-foot buffer, while Newberry sets its distance at just 300 feet. Gainesville and several neighboring municipalities impose no such restriction at all.

Wisener explained that the distance is measured from the center of the licensed business’s main entrance to the center of the church’s entrance, along the most direct pedestrian route. That approach has rendered wide swaths of downtown ineligible for new alcohol licenses unless the business qualifies under narrow exceptions.

Commissioners previously directed staff to solicit feedback from the affected churches. According to Wisener, pastors from religious institutions were contacted multiple times over the past two months via email and phone. While staff did not confirm whether any formal objections had been raised, it was noted that none of the churches appeared before the commission to speak Monday.

Commissioners voted unanimously to direct City Manager Rodolfo Valladares to bring back to the commission a proposed ordinance, which would remove any prohibition of alcohol sales within the Community Redevelopment Agency area. The commission also voted to direct the city manager to explore adding a new business category for breweries and wineries, which might also be exempt from the alcohol ordinance.

The new ordinance is expected to come before the commission later this year for public input and a formal vote. In the meantime, current restrictions remain in place.

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Alachua Police Department officers pose with a safely restrained alligator after assisting a licensed trapper with its removal from a storm drain on July 22, 2025. The unusual call came just before officers apprehended a burglary suspect nearby / Photo Special to Alachua County Today

Staff Report

ALACHUA – Officers with the Alachua Police Department (APD) responded to two dramatically different calls for service on the evening of July 22, 2025 — assisting with the removal of an alligator from a storm drain and later arresting a burglary suspect hiding near a pond behind a local car dealership.

The evening began when APD was called to assist a licensed trapper with the safe capture of an alligator discovered in a storm drain.

While still on scene of the alligator call, at approximately 8:51 p.m., officers were dispatched to a reported vehicle burglary in progress at the Highway 700 Car Dealership, located along Northwest U.S. Highway 441.

Upon arrival, officers quickly located a man matching the suspect description hiding behind the business near a pond. With the assistance of APD Canine Officer Joker, the suspect was detained without incident.

An investigation revealed that the suspect had unlawfully entered a vehicle on the lot and attempted to start it. Additional surveillance video from a nearby business also captured the same individual tampering with equipment on that property.

The suspect, identified as DJeff Chery, age 42, was arrested and charged with burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, unarmed, and loitering or prowling. He was issued trespass warnings for both properties and transported to the Alachua County Jail. His bond was set at $25,000.

The Alachua Police Department emphasized the unpredictable nature of law enforcement work and praised its officers’ flexibility and professionalism.

“Whether it’s removing an unexpected reptile or tracking down a suspect, our officers are always ready,” the department stated.

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ALACHUA – A proposal to investigate the early 2025 resignations of three senior staff members in Alachua’s Planning and Community Development Department failed to advance Monday night, July 28, 2025, after a split vote by the City Commission.

With Vice Mayor Shirley Green Brown absent, Commissioner Jacob Fletcher’s motion to hire an outside law firm to conduct the investigation ended in a 2-2 vote. Commissioners Dayna Williams and Jennifer Ringersen opposed the measure, while Mayor Walter Welch supported it along with Fletcher. The tie vote left the motion without the majority required to pass.

The push for an investigation began earlier this year, following the closely-timed departures of Planning Director Kathy Winburn and two city planners. While initial concerns came from a few individuals citing transparency, the effort soon became closely associated with former City Planner Justin Tabor, who resigned in early 2025 and submitted a critical open letter to the Commission in February.

In his letter, Tabor alleged unethical behavior within the City administration, claimed improper outside influence on development decisions, and pointed directly to then City Manager Mike DaRoza.

However, Tabor’s credibility has come under increasing scrutiny since his resignation. Within weeks of leaving his City position, he reemerged as a paid consultant — representing a private client before the Planning and Zoning Board on a project that had already been under City review during his tenure. Tabor had some involvement with the project while still employed by the City, and it is now being advanced by a private firm that employs him.

The very individual who once raised concerns about insider influence is now facing criticism for engaging in similar conduct — using influence and knowledge gained from his public role to benefit a private developer.

Further fueling skepticism is the disclosure that Tabor applied for a promotion to Assistant City Manager prior to his resignation but was not selected. The timing of his departure and subsequent consulting role has led some to question whether his accusations were driven by personal disappointment rather than public interest.

Despite these developments, a small group of individuals continued to press for an investigation, framing the resignations as a red flag that warranted outside review. But with the department now fully staffed under new leadership, and the central claims increasingly viewed through the lens of Tabor’s post-employment conduct, momentum behind the proposal has waned.

Local businessperson Mandy Bucci expressed skepticism about whether an investigation would resolve the concerns of those still demanding one.

“Whoever wants this investigation may not get what they want to hear,” Bucci said. “And how are we to know that that's going to be enough for them and that they're not going to stop and want more, and to what end to? When are we going to put it to bed?”

Monday night’s deadlock comes after months of debate and indecision among commissioners over whether to pursue a formal inquiry. For now, with no action taken, the City appears ready to move on.

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ALACHUA – Alachua’s Swick House came alive Sunday evening as Color Me Culture hosted its latest community gathering, the “Color Me Cookout,” offering grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, a live DJ and emcee, a spades tournament, and a lively round of hip-hop and R&B bingo.

The event drew a diverse crowd of local adults and seniors eager to enjoy an evening of food, games, and shared connection. It is part of Color Me Culture’s quarterly initiative to bring residents together through creative programming designed to enrich the city’s social fabric.

Each quarter, the organization will provide an event for local adults that can hold space through arts, games, and laughter.

Founded on the belief that strong communities are built through engagement and shared experiences, Color Me Culture focuses on fostering connection through accessible, inclusive events. The organization places particular emphasis on creating welcoming spaces for older adults who may otherwise feel socially isolated.

The evening's events blended friendly competition and cultural appreciation, with spades games drawing spirited groups and bingo rounds set to hip-hop and R&B hits sparking nostalgic energy. Guests also enjoyed relaxed conversation and time to socialize over food and music.

All funds raised at Color Me Culture events are reinvested into the Alachua community to support future programming and outreach.

The next gathering is scheduled for the fall. For more information, please connect with Tabitha at colormeculture386@gmail.com.

In the meantime, residents can also mark their calendars for the annual Alachua Police Department Back 2 School Giveaway, taking place this Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Legacy Multipurpose Center during the Just Between Friends event.

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