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Waste Pro Director of Government Affairs, Dayna Miller, and Rebecca Ipatenco from the Malcom Randall VA Center in Gainesville, FL.

GAINESVILLE, FL – Dec. 7, 2023 – Waste Pro continues its program of giving back to veterans with a recent donation of four laptops to the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida. Waste Pro’s North Florida Director of Government Affairs, Dayna Miller, was honored to deliver four new Microsoft Surface Pro laptops to Paula Cummings and Rebecca Ipatenco, two Voluntary Service Specialists at the Center for Development and Civic Engagement, part of the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System.

“This partnership with Waste Pro has been fantastic. They asked what our needs were and answered the call to help when asked,” shared Robert Coon, Voluntary Service Officer and head of the department handling corporate partnerships and events. Mr. Coon went on to share that since their facilities’ libraries have been closed, access to information has been limited. “We plan to use the computers with veterans and their caregivers to access information, share critical documents, and stay in touch with experts throughout the veteran’s medical community during treatments.”

The VA North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System is the country's largest VA health care system, with two medical centers, a 45-bed domiciliary, three large multi-specialty outpatient clinics, and nine community-based outpatient clinics spanning 40,000 square miles. In 2021, the facility network served 176,915 veterans and completed 1.9 million outpatient visits.

For more than 15 years, Waste Pro's Laptops for Veterans program has assisted veterans across the company's regional footprint. Waste Pro President/CEO Sean Jennings is thrilled that the program continues to give back, “Waste Pro is founded on a mission to care for our communities, and it is our privilege to extend a hand with these donations to those who served in the military. Many here at Waste Pro are veterans, so it’s a worthwhile partnership we hope to continue for many more years.” Funding for the laptops comes from Waste Pro employees who regularly contribute to the Laptops for Veterans program.

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NEWBERRY – Some Newberry residents are unhappy about a solar development that will be located near their homes. At the Nov. 27 Newberry City Commission meeting, a presentation by Florida Renewable Partners (FRP), a solar development company operating in Florida, garnered a number of citizen comments. RFP’s representative, Scott Scoville, met with citizens prior to the meeting and addressed the Commission in a presentation designed to respond to citizen concerns.

FRP recently acquired land in Newberry with intent to develop a solar farm. The property is located in southwest Newberry, west of County Road 337 and south of Southwest 30^th Avenue. In August, residents in the vicinity of the proposed solar farm transmitted a letter to the City expressing concerns about the development and identifying suggested conditions for solar farm developments, including the proposed FRP project.

FRP plans construction of a Newberry sited solar farm in 2027 after necessary upgrades to the transmission system have been completed by Duke Energy. FRP anticipated submitting an application for site and development plan consideration in 2026.

Concerns voiced about solar farms included that transmission lines may impact pacemakers, pollution from runoff of solar panels, excessive concrete under the panels and other structures would make the land non-permeable and fences that would negatively impact wildlife as well as the proposed size of the vegetative buffer.

Scoville responded to those claims by saying he had not seen any studies showing negative impacts to pacemakers. He also said the only studies he had seen about panels polluting soil had to do with grinding up the panels for recycling and distributing on soil, which they had no intention of doing. He said they would consider planting a vegetative buffer with smaller plantings now so that they would grow into larger plantings by the time the site was operational.

Concrete under the panels was not an issue, Scoville said, because there was a minimal amount of concrete used on the site. He said the panels were on steel poles planted into the ground and the poles would be removed along with the panels when dismantling the site.

Scoville said the planned fencing would be six feet high near the right-of-way, but was “red top” fencing at four-feet high everywhere else, which would allow deer and other animals to jump the fence line. He showed photos of a panther and birds that had re-inhabited a solar array site after construction was completed.

In March 2019, the City Commission approved land development regulations for solar farms in Newberry’s agricultural zoning districts. Changes to the existing solar panel ordinance will be reviewed during the first quarter of 2024. While Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlow said this was an opportunity to consider “tweaking” the existing solar farm ordinance, he cautioned that any changes would not be required of FRP as they were approved under the existing ordinance.

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L-R: Alachua Chamber President Mitch Glaeser, architect Paul Stresing, Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper, Tower Hill CEO Kirk La, Scherer Construction President Erik Otte, and CHW President Robert Walpole turn the dirt marking the official start of construction of Tower Hill’s new headquarters building.

ALACHUA ‒ One of Florida’s largest residential property insurers will soon be calling Alachua home. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Tuesday, Nov. 28 for Tower Hill Insurance’s new headquarters in Alachua.

The state-of-the art 65,000 sq-ft two-story building will feature more than 25,000 sq-ft of energy efficient glass and was designed by local architectural firm Paul Stresing Associates. When completed, the facility will house 300 of the company’s 500-plus employees. Tower Hill currently has offices in Gainesville, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and Lexington, Ky, and operates in 17 states in the U.S. Anticipated construction completion is planned for spring 2025.

The soon-to-be headquarters for the 50-year-old firm will be accessed from U.S. Highway 441 at Northwest 167^th Boulevard traffic signal south of where the Alachua Publix is located. CHW serves as the project civil engineer and Scherer Construction is the project contractor.

Tower Hill Insurance was founded in 1972 by William T. Shively as a mobile home insurer based in Miami. His son, Bill Shively, now carries on the family business. Bill Shively has long had a vision of building Tower Hill’s headquarters in Alachua on the property he has owned for some 30 years.

When founded, Tower Hill offered only mobile home insurance. Today its portfolio has grown to include residential and commercial property insurers offering homeowners, rental property, condominium, and flood insurance, among others.

On hand for the groundbreaking was Tower Hill Insurance Group CEO Kirk La who spoke of the company’s vision for the property and its corporate responsibility as a member of the Alachua business community. La said that in the face of insurance woes that have plagued Florida, Tower Hill is unyielding in its commitment to the state in which it was founded.

Also present at the groundbreaking ceremony was Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper who included in his remarks that many people know the property as the former home to an ostrich farm. Joining Coerper representing the City of Alachua were Alachua Vice Mayor Dayna Miller and Commissioners Jennifer Blalock, Shirley Green Brown and Ed Potts. Also on hand was a large contingent of the Tower Hill executive team and employees.

Alachua Chamber of Commerce President Mitch Glaeser also addressed the crowd of well over 150 people about the impact of Tower Hill on the Alachua community. Glaeser likened the groundbreaking as a moment in time that in the future will be remembered as a watershed moment marking a turning point in the economic evolution of the city.

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ALACHUA ‒ While the day after Thanksgiving is typically reserved for recovering from overindulging in too much turkey and pumpkin pie or joining in the holiday season shopping fray, there is a group of dedicated individuals who are on a mission. And odds are they wear green and gold and proclaim themselves “Hornets.”

Just as surely as Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November each year, by the following day, A.L. Mebane High School alumni are busy putting the finishing touches on their homecoming celebration, which traditionally commences on Friday and continues into the weekend.

This year was no different as the A. L. Mebane High School Homecoming Reunion put into motion a full schedule of weekend festivities that brings former students and the community together as each graduating class boasts its preeminence over the others.

Sponsored by the A.L. Mebane High School Alumni Association, the event serves to keep the school's history alive. In 1996, the Alumni Association held their first Homecoming event. For the Alumni Association, keeping their history alive is a matter of community pride with an eye to the future.

This year on Saturday, Nov. 25, crowds began to gather on the sidewalks along Main Street in anticipation of the upcoming parade. Alumni classes designed a float or decorated a car, along with some community organizations and churches that also participated. Led by a police escort, the parade kicked off with sirens wailing and lights flashing.

Sidewalks were lined with spectators as cars and trucks carrying homecoming queens and dignitaries were interspersed with floats sponsored by the various alumni classes, many tossing candy for the excited children attending the parade.

The A.L. Mebane High School Alumni Association holds various fundraisers and community projects throughout the year in Alachua and surrounding communities. Money raised during the weekend’s festivities contributes to the scholarship fund of the alumni association.

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ALACHUA – The City of Alachua Youth Advisory Council (YAC) has become aware of a need among their fellow students. In cooperation with Santa Fe High School, the YAC has learned there are students coming to school in need of basic hygienic supplies. The YAC is deeply concerned about these students and is asking for your help in restoring their dignity. The YAC is collecting the following items:

• Deodorant
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Bar soap
• Underwear (all sizes, men and women, new)
• Socks (all sizes, men and women, new)

Once collected, all items will be packaged by the YAC and distributed at Santa Fe High School. Businesses have partnered with the YAC to host drop-off points. Supplies can be dropped off at the following locations through the months of December and January.

• Alachua City Hall
• Alachua Family Eye Care
• Douglas M. Adel, DDS, P.A. (Alachua)
• Decades on Main (High Springs)
• China Express (Alachua)
• Great Clips (Alachua)
• HCA Florida Hospital (Gainesville)
• Hitchcock’s Markets Pharmacy Desk (Alachua)
• Infinite Wellness Gym (Alachua)
• New York Pizza Plus (Rolling Oaks Plaza)
• O2B Kids (Alachua)
• Publix (Alachua)
• Santa Fe High School Guidance Office (Alachua)
• Tony & Al’s Deli (Alachua)
• Walgreens (Alachua)

The YAC serves as advocates for issues and initiatives to positively impact the lives of youth, discusses issues and offers suggestions for improvement to benefit youth in the community.

YAC members must be enrolled in a public school, private school or a home education program within the City of Alachua in grades nine through 12 or must be a City of Alachua resident enrolled in a public school, private school or a home education program in grades nine through 12 that is not within the City of Alachua's corporate limits.

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