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NEWBERRY ‒ In a bid to strengthen community safety and enhance law enforcement accessibility, a new Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) precinct has opened in the heart of Newberry at 22211 W Newberry Road.

The local precinct aims to provide a centralized hub for law enforcement activities. The new location will facilitate quicker response times and increased vigilance in the area.

Additionally, residents will have the opportunity to engage with ACSO officers in a more informal setting, fostering open dialogue and mutual understanding, helping law enforcement better understand the needs and priorities of the community. Community engagement also plays a pivotal role in the fight against crime, as trust and cooperation are strengthened, residents are empowered to play an active role in crime prevention.

ACSO Sheriff Emery Gainey expressed enthusiasm about the inauguration of the new precinct, emphasizing its role in amplifying the presence of law enforcement within the community.

In a statement issued by ACSO, Gainey said, “ACSO is proud to partner with the City of Newberry - Government, and Ultimate Boat & RV Storage for our fourth precinct in the county. We look forward to building a stronger community that benefits all citizens.”

The precinct officially opened on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. The new precinct comes shortly after the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office opening another precinct in Gainesville’s Butler Plaza in January and one in Hawthorne in December 2023.

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Alachua County ‒ The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County (DOH-Alachua) is monitoring rabies among wild animals in the area. This is in response to a confirmed case of rabies in three raccoons that were captured in the southwest area of the City of Alachua and State Road 45 (US HWY 27) in Alachua County last week. All residents and visitors should be aware that rabies may be currently present in the wild animal population.

People and domestic animals should always avoid physical contact with wild animals (e.g., raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats, coyotes), which carry a higher risk of human exposure and a need for rabies post-exposure treatment. If you are exposed to rabies, receiving appropriate treatment after exposure will protect you from the risk of rabies.

The center of the rabies alert is the intersection of Northwest 94^th Avenue and Northwest 2226^th Street / Northwest 234^th Street in the city of Alachua This rabies alert is for 60 days. It includes the following boundaries in Alachua County:

South of Northwest 122^nd Avenue, Alachua

East of Northwest State Road 45 (HWY 27), Alachua

North of Northwest 78^th Avenue, Alachua

West of Northwest 202^nd Street, Alachua

Take the following precautions to prevent rabies exposure:

• Keep pets under direct supervision and on a leash, and keep livestock secured on your property. If an animal bites your pet or livestock, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and contact Alachua County Animal Services at 352-264-6880.
• Avoid contact with wild or stray animals. Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract them with outdoor pet food, open garbage cans or other food sources. If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild or domestic animal, seek medical attention and report the injury to DOH-Alachua by calling 352-334-7930.
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Instead, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. 
• Call your local animal control agency to remove stray animals from your neighborhood. Contact Alachua County Animal Services at 352-264-6880.
• Immunize your pets and livestock based on your veterinarian’s recommended schedule.
• Prevent wildlife, including bats, from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, schools, and other areas where they might contact people and pets.

For more information on rabies, visit FloridaHealth.gov/Rabies or contact DOH-Alachua at 352-334-7930.

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ALACHUA ‒ In an effort to protect citizens from falling victim to a scam, the Alachua Police Department (APD) is issuing a warning to the Alachua community regarding individuals impersonating officers and falsely claiming that individuals have outstanding warrants for their arrest. These imposters are demanding immediate payment through various means via transfers, gift cards, or bitcoin to settle these fictitious warrants.

The scam typically involves fraudsters posing as law enforcement officers contacting individuals via phone calls or emails. They use tactics aimed at creating a sense of urgency and fear, informing the targets that they have warrants for their arrest due to various reasons, such as unpaid fines or missed court appearances. To avoid imminent arrest, the scammers instruct victims to make immediate payments to resolve the warrants.

Legitimate law enforcement officials will never demand personal information or payment over the phone and will always provide proper identification when conducting in-person visits.

In a statement issued by APD on April 2, 2024, Chief Jesse Sandusky said, “Please be aware that the Alachua Police Department will not contact you by phone to inform you of a warrant for your arrest, nor will we ask for payment over the phone or through unconventional methods like gift cards or bitcoin.”

Authorities emphasize that these communications are entirely fraudulent, and individuals should not comply with any demands for payment. Legitimate law enforcement agencies do not request payment over the phone or through unconventional methods like gift cards or cryptocurrency.

APD advises that if you receive such a call, do not provide any personal or financial information. Hang up immediately and report the incident to APD at 386-462-1396.

Authorities are calling on residents to help spread awareness of these scams, especially to vulnerable populations who may be more susceptible to manipulations by these impostors.

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Photo special to Alachua County Today by Magnolia Lane Studios

ALACHUA ‒ In the heart of Alachua, the City of Alachua’s Recreation & Culture Department continues to be a source of community engagement. Last week and weekend the Alachua community provided a packed punch of activities and events at local parks and facilities. An estimated crowd of over 7,000 people enjoyed fun and excitement at open space locations including the Hal Brady Gym and Legacy’s Multipurpose Center with.

This past Saturday the City of Alachua’s Recreation & Culture Department hosted the annual Easter Egg Hunt for children ages 3 - 10 years of age. For some, the event has become a cherished family tradition as parents, who once hunted eggs on the expansive grounds, now bring their own children to experience the same excitement and create memories.

Well over 1,000 eggs spread throughout the Hal Brady Complex were found by some 100 excited and determined children, baskets in hand. Many families walked away with baskets provided by the local Dollar General Distribution Center. Even the Easter Bunny made an appearance throughout the entire event. Adding to the memories, Magnolia Lane Photography donated time to take family photos and action shots of the event.

Prior to Saturday’s event, Santa Fe Babe Ruth Softball and Baseball hosted games throughout the week with Union County, Ocala Wrigley, Branford, Chiefland and Newberry.

The Santa Fe Soccer Alliance hosted practices and academy games with their record setting numbers of almost 400 participants this Spring Season—12 games played (all local) at Legacy Multipurpose Fields.

The City of High Springs Youth Volleyball and 399 Sports/Recreation hosted weekday games and practices at Legacy’s Multipurpose Center and the Hal Brady Recreation Gym.

Spring season marches on from early April to late May, and each week and weekend throughout spring season, from basketball to volleyball, sports enthusiasts of all ages are taking advantage of the indoor facilities, fostering friendships, skills and healthy competition among local youth.

For decades the City of Alachua’s Recreation & Culture Department’s mission has been to provide a safe and enjoyable atmosphere with volunteer support from local residents. Recreation department staff say none of the activities and events can be manageable without the support of the Alachua City Commission, merchants and a strong volunteer base.

Looking ahead, coming up in the following weeks – A.C.T.F.O.R and Santa Fe Youth Soccer Alliance Host Games at the Hal Brady Recreation Complex and Legacy’s Multipurpose Fields on April 12 and 13.

And 399 Sports/Recreation & Prep Zone will host their local High School All-Star Basketball Tournament at Legacy’s Multipurpose Center on April 12 & 13 as well. More information is forthcoming.

On a final note, Recreation & Culture Department staff members are ramping up efforts on their Facebook page. Detailed information like events, programs, availability/access to fields and facilities, schedules and more are consistently provided weekly and daily. And staff members are encouraging people to visit Facebook – City of Alachua Recreation & Culture Department and “like” the page.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The Newberry City Commission on Feb. 26, 2024, approved a number of land-related ordinances. The Commission unanimously approved a large-scale change to the future Land Use Map on 161 +/- acres owned by Whitehurst Cattle Company from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry Agriculture. The property is located east of County Road 337/Southwest 282^nd Street.

This matter was earlier approved by the Newberry City Commission on first reading, and the amendment was forwarded to the Florida Department of Commerce for review. The state offered no comments or changes to the proposed action which allows the City to consider it on second reading.

The zoning change aligns the existing and proposed uses with City of Newberry zoning districts and changes the zoning to Agriculture, which allows one dwelling unit on five acres of land.

Zoning Change - Marlowe

Also unanimously approved by the Commission were two actions related to three parcels of land annexed into the City owned by Herbert A. Marlowe, Jr. The first was a Future Land Use Map classification amendment to the Comprehensive Plan from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry, Agriculture on 29 +/- acres of land.

The second action aligns the existing and proposed uses with the appropriate City of Newberry zoning districts and changes the zoning to Agriculture, which allows one dwelling unit on five acres of land.

Zoning Change to CI

The Commission approved on first reading a small-scale Future Land Use Plan Map amendment changing 3.67 acres from Agriculture to Commercial. The property, owned by Intellectual Partners LLC, is located on the south side of West Newberry Road/State Road 26 and partially bordering the west side of Southwest 218^th Street.

Intellectual Partners LLC recently purchased the property and also owns All Florida Enterprises, a fence installation supply company, which is leasing its current location about a half mile to the west of the property on SR 26. Plans are to move the business to the new site.

In a second related action on the same property at 21831 West Newberry Road, the Commission approved rezoning from Agricultural (A) to Commercial, Intensive (CI). CHW’s Gerry Dedenbach, representing Intellectual Partners LLC, addressed concerns regarding spot zoning and other aspects of CI zoning. He said that other businesses planning to locate in this industrial park area would be required obtain a special use permit from the City of Newberry. This matter will come before the Commission again for second reading.

Abandoning Alleyways

Commissioners unanimously approved first reading of an amendment to the downtown plat addition, providing for closing, abandoning, releasing and vacating of public alleyways as part of the plat entitled Original Newberry Chapman and White’s Addition. This amendment affects a series of downtown plats found in Ordinance 25-14.

The next Newberry City Commission meeting is scheduled for March 11.

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ALACHUA ‒ The crack of the bat, the cheers from the crowd, and the smell of freshly cut grass filled the air as the Babe Ruth 38th Opening Day Jamboree kicked off on Saturday. Good weather and a full schedule of baseball drew crowds to the much-anticipated opening day of the season at Alachua's Hal Brady Recreation Complex World Series Field.

Babe Ruth Baseball is one of the largest and most respected youth baseball organizations in the world. Catering to players ages 4 - 18, the program offers a range of divisions suited to players of all skill levels, from T-Ball for beginners to the elite Cal Ripken Major/70 division for experienced players.

The jamboree, which brought together young athletes from various schools and communities, was designed to foster sportsmanship, teamwork, and healthy competition. All teams participated from Tball to Seniors (13-15). Afterwards, games were played throughout the remainder of the day.

Ben Boukari served as the jamboree emcee, offering enthusiastic commentary highlighting the determination and skill of the young athletes. Dignitaries present for the opening ceremony were City of Alachua Commissioners Shirley Green Brown and Ed Potts. Also attending were Alachua Police Department Sgt. Hunt, Recreation & Culture Assistant Director Stephanie McDonald and Crew Leader Jack Hansen as well as Parks & R.E.C Director Jennifer Applebee. High Springs Police Chief Antoine Sheppard attended representing the City of High Springs.

“The Babe Ruth opening day celebration is an exciting and fun experience,” said Commissioner Brown. “It’s always a pleasure to see the children.”

Al Beckelheimer Jr., received the “Hal Brady Award” for his service to the community. Beckelheimer served as president of the league during the 2014 World Series when the local boys team came in third place. Also, before becoming president, Beckelheimer volunteered as a league advisor, player agent and vice president.

“Thank you to all the volunteers how put in countless hours for the event,” said City of Alachua Recreation & Culture Department Director Damon Messina. “Santa Fe Babe Ruth’s Will Moore and his board did a great job.”

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