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TALLAHASSEE — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Mildred Russell to the School Board of Alachua County.  Russell, of Gainesville, started Miracle Life Ministries with her husband in 1990. They started churches in Athens, Georgia and Oxford, England and have ministered across the world. She volunteered on Front Porch Florida and was a tutor at Duval Early Learning Academy. Russell attended Western Kentucky University.

Russell fills the seat left vacant when DeSantis removed Diyonne McGraw from the School Board, issuing executive order 21-147 in June declaring the seat vacant.  McGraw was elected to the Alachua County School Board District 2 in August 2020, but lives in District 4. The executive order read in part, "Due to Diyonne McGraw's failure to maintain the residence required of her by law, a vacancy exists on the Alachua County School Board, District 2, which I shall fill in compliance with the law."

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – College students returning to the area will notice changes in traffic patterns made by the City of Gainesville and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The recent changes to West University Avenue and to roadways near the University of Florida are part of the City’s Vision Zero action strategy to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries from traffic accidents.

During the summer, the City converted Northwest 14th Street and Northwest 15th Street from two-way to one-way. The parallel streets function as a “one-way pair,” with traffic flowing in opposite directions. Specifically, traffic on Northwest 14th Street flows southbound between Northwest 5th Avenue and University Avenue, while motorists on Northwest 15th Street drive northbound only between the same cross streets.

“More than 850 pedestrians cross University Avenue at Northwest 15th street during the midday peak hour,” said City Planner Scott Wright. “By limiting the direction of traffic flow, there are fewer places where pedestrians and motorists can cross paths. That’s safer for everyone.” 

On-street parking remains along both streets of the one-way pair. New are flexible yellow posts installed to separate bicyclists from motorists.

“Everyone has the right to move about safely, and system designers and policymakers share this responsibility,” said Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe.

In May, FDOT reduced the speed limit on West University Avenue to 25 mph between the area just east of Northwest 21st Terrace and Northwest 13th Street. The state also has installed temporary speed tables at four locations along West University Avenue where future crosswalks are planned. The speed tables are intended for speeds of 25 mph or slower.

“Temporary speed tables are designed to encourage reduced traffic speeds and enhance pedestrian safety along the roadway,” said Greg Evans, FDOT District 2 secretary. “We believe our continuing efforts in this corridor will lead to safer roadways for all residents and visitors to Gainesville,” he said.

Later this year, FDOT expects to install new traffic lights where West University Avenue intersects with Northwest 16th Street and with Northwest 19th Street. The City also plans to convert nearby Northwest 17th and Northwest 18th streets into a one-way pair.

For more information, contact City of Gainesville Public Information Officer Rossana Passaniti at 352-393-7842 or passanitir1@cityofgainesville.org.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Aug. 9 at 4 p.m., a line of parents and children formed outside the doors of the High Springs Civic Center as the community came together to help students start the school year off right. For financially struggling families outfitting their children for the school year with clothes, backpacks and school supplies can be an added burden on an already stretched budget.

The need became even more dire during the pandemic when many families lost jobs and their source of income with it, forcing them to make tough choices between necessities like rent, food and utilities over school clothes, new backpacks and supplies and even haircuts. Poetic Cuts barbershop owner Arthur Miller decided to do something about it.

Miller's roots are deep in the community and he believes in helping those in need. He opened his barbershop in June 2020 in the same location as Otto Duncan, the first African American licensed barber in the area. Miller’s parents ministered at a church in High Springs until moving to Gainesville to open the Spirit of Excellence church and Miller holds services in High Springs at the old school house /history museum.

As Miller was growing up, there was a yearly program run by the owner of Lee's Preschool. Several churches held similar events to help provide school supplies to students. Miller knew he wanted to do something similar for the community, especially after the hardship of the pandemic, but he also knew that the project would require more people and coordination than he could do alone.

Miller approached High Springs Chamber of Commerce President Sharon Decker about working together. “We want the Chamber to support the community we live in just like they support our local businesses, and we are now placing a larger effort in doing events to help the community, especially those in need,” Decker said. “We were able to get a grant from Wal-Mart to buy supplies and they donated materials that were being replaced with newer items. We also collected donations of clothes to give the kids new outfits.”

Miller enlisted the help of his family and church members to staff the event and even served up hot dogs and burgers. He also recruited the help of three fellow barbers to offer free haircuts for the students. With an eye on the pandemic, Miller was able to procure COVID rapid testing on site. Gainesville’s PCS CEO LaToya Dawson provided a mobile lab offering COVID-19 testing with results in 10 minutes.

The event was advertised throughout the community and over 300 families showed up to get school supplies, clothes, lunch and haircuts. The line moved steadily in, as they limited the number of people to avoid overcrowding. A long line formed for the haircuts, and outside the building, PCS set up a tent to do rapid COVID testing where families could drive up and park and 10 minutes later have the results.

The High Springs chamber is planning another event giveaway on Aug. 21 at the Farmers Pavilion near the chamber offices. Decker says the chamber is working with Wal-Mart for a giveaway of household items and clothing. “This is only for charity to help those in need, not resale, so all items are coded to identify them as donations and can’t be resold or returned to the store for cash,” said Decker. The event starts at 10 a.m. Additional information is available by calling the chamber office at 386-454-3120 or by email at chamber@highsprings.com.

“It's all about working together to help the community we live in,” Decker said.

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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ At the Aug. 17, 2021 Special Meeting, the Alachua County Commission decided to hold an Emergency Commission Meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, at 5 p.m. at the Alachua County Administration Building, 12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the current spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations and the possibility of reinstituting community masking requirements that follow the current CDC guidelines.

The Commission will take public comment in person or by calling 1-800-876-7516. Masks are required regardless of vaccination status. The public may view the meeting on Cox Channel 12, Facebook, and the County’s Video on Demand website.

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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ The Alachua City Commission honored two Turkey Creek residents for saving a life at the Turkey Creek Golf Course. The Aug. 9 Commission kicked off with the recognition of Nancy L. Baumann and Georgina Kassebaum, avid golfers and volunteers at the golf club’s pro shop.

The two women were preparing to leave the pro shop to play golf when they began talking to a man who said that while he loved to play golf, his health made it hard to walk the course tracking the ball after each swing. The women offered to let him come with them and help him out. Suddenly, on the fourth hole, the man collapsed in full cardiac arrest.

Baumann had learned CPR as a Girl Scout but never expected to use it. But that day on the golf course, that knowledge was a lifesaver. As Baumann applied CPR to keep the victim's heart pumping, Kassbaum called 911 and helped direct medics and an ambulance from the Hague Fire Station to their location.

Lt. Ron Lewis of the fire station spoke about their efforts. “In many cases, help arrives too late to help major cardiac victims. Without the heart pumping blood and oxygen to the brain, a victim begins to suffer oxygen depredation to the brain within four minutes and by eight minutes they will be brain dead,” said Lewis. “Without these women's efforts to apply CPR and direct us to the location, this man would not have survived.”

Lewis added that efforts of bystanders offer rescue crews an increased chance of saving victims in critical time. “We wish to acknowledge those bystanders that help us save lives, so I contacted Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper.”

Coerper presented both women with a certificate for their heroic efforts as they were joined at the podium by the crews of Alachua Fire Station 21 and Hague Fire Station 25, as well as the entire commission.

In other city business, Lisa Kanarek, J.D., Outreach and Education Coordinator for Elder Options, was on hand to offer updates on the organization’s activities. Elder Options is the state-designated area agency on aging, and the Aging & Disability Resource Center. Kanarek presented the commission with an outline of services offered by the organization, especially regarding COVID-19 and vaccination efforts.

She spoke of the detrimental effect that misinformation about the vaccine has on the community and the huge surge of cases among unvaccinated people. “While our main focus is on the elderly and most vulnerable population, COVID infections, especially the Delta variant among the general population, affects everyone around them,” said Kanarek. “We want to help the entire community so our services are not just focused on the elderly, but helping anyone who wants it, to get vaccines.”

Elder Options offers information on where to get tested or receive the vaccine and is working with Hitchcock’s Grocery stores to provide vaccines in rural areas. The organization offers rides to vaccine locations for those without transportation and can even arrange for shots to be given at a person’s residence if they are housebound.

“The goal is to get as many people safely vaccinated as possible regardless of age for the safety of all those around them,” Kanarek said. Elder Options can be reached at 1-800-262-224.

The City Commission has approved increasing water and wastewater rates in the upcoming 2021-22 fiscal year. The City’s public services director, Rodolfo Valladares, said that the City establishes water, wastewater and reclaimed water rates to generate revenue sufficient to meet its operating expenses.

The water, wastewater, and reclaimed water rates were last modified in 2020 for the Fiscal Year 2021 budget process. Rates are evaluated annually during the budget process. Valladares said that the City is proposing a three percent increase to water rates, and two percent increase to the wastewater and reclaimed water rate. The Commission approved the increases Monday night on first reading and the matter will be heard about on second final reading at the Aug. 23 meeting.

The Commission also approved two financial measures for the City of Alachua Police Department (APD). The Commission approved an agreement between the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) and City of Alachua to continue School Resource Officer Program (SROP) with the City of Alachua for the four schools within the City’s jurisdiction.

The agreement includes Santa Fe High School, Mebane Middle School, Alachua Elementary School and Irby Elementary School and five School Resource Officers. Each elementary school and the middle school will have one officer, with Santa Fe High School having two officers. The share of funding for Alachua schools remains level from the previous fiscal year at $300,000, with payments made in 10 monthly installments.

The other law enforcement issue was acceptance of $11,070 in federal funding assistance through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. The JAG Program provides agencies with the flexibility to prioritize and support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own local needs and conditions. JAG funds may be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support and information systems for criminal justice. APD will use the money for upgrading equipment with the department.

The Commission also approved renewing the insurance package with the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust (FMIT) at the base premium of $486,093, the FMIT Group Health Insurance plan at the base premium of $1,323,511, the Dental, Vision, and Life group plans at a combined base premium of $76,968, the storage tank liability, law enforcement death and disability policies, which now includes an “at work” coverage for all City employees at total extra cost of only $190 per year.

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