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First Sweet Potato Festival Draws a Crowd

The Waldo Area Historical Society welcomed the community to Waldo City Square on Sept. 13, 2025, for the first-ever Sweet Potato Festival and Car Display. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., families enjoyed sweet potato dishes, admired classic cars, and connected with neighbors in a celebration of local heritage. Along with other numerous groups and vendors, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Motor Unit and Community Services Division joined the festivities, spending time with youth and engaging with residents during a day filled with sunshine, conversation, and hometown pride.

JONESVILLE ‒ A Jonesville man was arrested Tuesday after deputies said he confronted a crew of internet contractors outside his home while holding a handgun and shouting at them to leave.

According to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, 43-year-old Drew Thomas Worthmann returned to his residence around 11:50 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2025, and found two workers with IQ Fiber installing fiber-optic cable.

The report stated that Worthmann became hostile during the encounter, arguing with the workers and other crew members on scene. After briefly going inside his home, he allegedly returned outside with a gun in his hand and continued yelling at the men to leave the front of his property. Deputies wrote that the workers retreated in fear of being shot and called law enforcement once they left the immediate area.

Witnesses at the scene confirmed the workers’ account, according to the arrest report.

According to the arrest report, the company was hired by the Town of Tioga Director of Development to install fiber-optic cable in the neighborhood.

However, Director of Development Luis Diaz said the arrest report is incorrect: “IQ Fiber has been installing internet fiber all over Alachua County as a utility company, and they have access to all Utility Easements and Rights-of-Way in Alachua County. They did proactively consult with us prior to coming as to how to minimize the impact of their work in our community.”

Deputies arrested Worthmann on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. After being advised of his rights, Worthmann declined to make a statement without an attorney present. He was booked into the Alachua County Jail without incident.

Worthmann has no prior criminal history. Judge David Kreider initially ordered him held without bail while the State Attorney’s Office sought continued detention until trial. On Sept. 19, his attorney, Caleb Kenyon, filed a motion seeking bond, noting that prosecutors had agreed to conditions of pre-trial release.

Under the agreement, bond was set at $20,000, or $10,000 per charge. Worthmann is prohibited from possessing firearms or weapons and must have no contact with the workers involved or any other IQ Fiber employees. He may remain on his property during future utility work but cannot directly or indirectly interact with company personnel.

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NEWBERRY – Newberry City Commissioners moved swiftly through a lengthy Sept. 22, 2025, meeting, finalizing the city’s tax rate and budget for the coming fiscal year, approving adjustments to utility rates, and advancing a series of land use and rezoning changes.

Final Millage Rate

On second and final hearing, the Commission adopted a millage rate of 5.8800 mills for Fiscal Year 2025-26. The rate applies to each dollar of taxable property value within the city and was approved without debate.

Final FY 2025-26 Budget

By unanimous vote, commissioners adopted Resolution 2025-45, which establishes the city’s budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025, and ending Sept. 30, 2026. The spending plan supports personnel services, operations and maintenance, capital projects and debt service.

The budget process included three public workshops earlier this year, where commissioners provided direction to staff. The final plan totals $75,124,284, including $66,709,940 in revenue and financing sources and $8,414,344 in reserves carried forward. Appropriations include $32,436,050 in expenditures and $42,688,234 reserved for future use. Roughly $34 million of the budget is tied to grants supporting upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Electric Utility Services

Commissioners gave final approval to Ordinance 2025-69, adjusting electric utility rates. Residential customers will see a 4.5 percent increase in the customer charge, averaging $5.31 more per month. Nonresidential rates will rise in a similar manner. Despite the increases, city officials said Newberry’s rates remain competitive with other regional providers.

Water Rates

In a legislative public hearing, commissioners advanced Ordinance 2025-70 on first reading. The ordinance increases both the consumption charge and the base customer charge for water service by 7.5 percent, along with adjustments to higher-tier rates.

The city conducts annual reviews of water and wastewater rates during the budget process and considers the Florida Public Service Commission’s annual price index as a benchmark. For 2025, that index was set at 2.23 percent. Staff presented proposed increases at earlier workshops, and the Commission directed that the changes be included in the budget. Even with the adjustments, city officials say that Newberry’s water rates are expected to remain competitive compared with surrounding municipalities.

Wastewater Rates

The Commission also approved on second reading an ordinance updating wastewater service charges. Residential customers will pay a $12.01 monthly base charge and $7.83 per 1,000 gallons of usage, capped at 15,000 gallons. Nonresidential users will pay an $18.02 base charge and $9.43 per 1,000 gallons.

Like water service, wastewater rates are evaluated annually during the budget process and tied in part to the Florida Public Service Commission’s price index.

Land Use Amendments and Rezonings

Commissioners approved a series of land use and zoning measures affecting nearly 200 acres.

• Industrial Rezoning: On second reading, commissioners approved a small-scale Future Land Use Map (FLUM) amendment and rezoning for 9.6 acres at 710 N.W. County Road 235, owned by Laura J. Pries. The land shifted from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to Newberry’s Industrial classification following annexation in August.
• Small-Scale FLUM Amendments: Eleven ordinances were approved on second reading, changing the future land use classification of 38 annexed properties from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry Agriculture.
• Rezoning to Agriculture: Commissioners also approved rezonings on second reading for the same 38 properties, shifting them from Alachua County Agricultural to City of Newberry Agricultural zoning.
• AgTech Food Park: In a city-initiated action, commissioners approved Ordinance 2025-68/LDR 25-29 to rezone approximately 165.88 acres, known as the AgTech Food Park, from Agricultural to Agriculture Technology (AT).

Looking Ahead, the Newberry City Commission is scheduled to meet again on Oct. 13, 2025.

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GAINESVILLE – A Waldo woman was arrested late Friday after authorities said she threatened to run over a man with her car and threw a drink on him during a confrontation at a gas station.

According to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded after receiving reports of a disturbance at the Circle K located at 5200 N.E. Waldo Road around 6:20 p.m. on Sept. 19, 2025.

Investigators said 33-year-old Jaquaila Rachelle Lee had parked her vehicle in a way that blocked other drivers from moving through the lot. When a store employee asked her to move, she reportedly became upset and began arguing with the employee.

During the argument, another customer maneuvered around Lee’s vehicle to reach a fuel pump, reportedly remarking on the delay. Lee allegedly drove up beside the man’s car, got out, and confronted him. Before returning to her vehicle, she is accused of picking up a drink and throwing it at him, striking both the man and his vehicle.

The incident did not end there. Witnesses told deputies that as the victim moved through the lot, Lee got back into her vehicle, initially heading toward the northern exit. As the man approached her vehicle holding his phone, apparently recording or taking photos, Lee allegedly turned her car around and drove toward him. She stopped short before striking him, then repositioned her vehicle and repeated the action, again stopping just before contact.

The victim told deputies that Lee also made threats to kill him while reaching inside her vehicle during the confrontation. Several witnesses confirmed that Lee appeared to use her vehicle in a threatening manner and that she made verbal threats.

A friend eventually convinced Lee to leave the gas station. Deputies located her hours later at her home in Waldo, where she was arrested at about 3:34 a.m. Saturday.

Lee was booked into the Alachua County Jail on charges of battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Court records indicate she had been charged in five prior criminal cases between 2010 and 2014, but her only conviction was for driving without a valid license.

Judge Sheree Lancaster set Lee’s bail at $15,000.

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ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua Commission on Sept. 22, 2025, voted unanimously to adopt a 6.2500 mill property tax rate and a total final budget of $67,078,940 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Commissioners also approved a new five-year Capital Improvement Program that organizes major projects through 2030.

City leaders noted that the final property tax rate is 8.86 percent higher than the rolled-back rate of 5.7413 mills. The rolled-back rate is the level that would generate the same property-tax revenue as the prior year without counting new construction. Staff said the adopted rate will support growth management, maintenance of existing infrastructure and the Commission’s strategic priorities while sustaining service levels for residents.

Finance and Administrative Services Director Rob Bonetti explained that the final budget is $6,038,847 higher than the tentative plan. The increase reflects routine reconciliations of fund balances, carry-forward of ongoing projects and reappropriation of funds for services that will continue into the new fiscal year. The General Fund totals $21,145,886 after adjustments to general government, public safety and transportation.

Beyond the General Fund, the Special Revenue Funds total $6,456,544. Capital Projects Funds total $1,494,326 and reflect the Community Development Block Grant for Economic Development that was recently appropriated. Enterprise Funds for the electric, water and wastewater utilities total $32,503,309. Internal Service Funds total $4,685,011, and the Debt Service Fund stands at $793,864.

A change sheet highlighted several visible projects and contractual items. These include educational panels for Mill Creek Wetland Park, contractual services for the Snake Pond Basin, and landscaping work in the Town Center area. The city is also carrying forward a purchase order connected to the City of Alachua versus Alachua County and Supervisor of Elections Kim Barton litigation.

During discussion, staff answered questions about Theater Park improvements and a separate legal engagement related to the bankruptcy of Resilience, formerly known as Nanotherapeutics. Bonetti said the company’s bankruptcy case is in Delaware and that the city hired specialized counsel to protect Alachua’s interests and to maximize recovery of money owed to the city. He added that the affected facility is expected to be sold in mid-October and that the city will secure a deposit from the new owner to safeguard future utility payments.

The five-year Capital Improvement Program totals $36.39 million across departments. Public Works plans include $850,000 this year for resurfacing city streets and $750,000 in the 2026-2027 fiscal year for neighborhood resurfacing assisted by Community Development Block Grant funding.

Neighborhood sidewalk construction is programmed at $40,000 across the five-year plan. Technology investments total $930,000 across the plan, including $155,000 this year for network upgrades. Staff said the technology schedule aligns with a full overhaul of the city website and the rollout of meeting livestreaming after the new site launches.

Parks and downtown work continue as well, including Theater Park upgrades and wayfinding signage through the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency.

Public comment urged the Commission to watch spending closely, questioned several legal and consulting outlays, and pressed for more emphasis on neighborhood sidewalks and street resurfacing relative to growth-related projects. Staff responded that cycles for Community Development Block Grants limit how quickly neighborhood projects can move, and that the city keeps a recurring infrastructure allocation that can be used for roads, sidewalks and grant matches.

After hearing from residents, the Commission unanimously adopted three items by roll-call vote: the final millage rate, the final budget and the five-year Capital Improvement Program.

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GAINESVILLE – A Hawthorne man with multiple felony convictions was arrested Tuesday morning after Gainesville Police recovered a stolen tractor worth more than $30,000.

Christopher Green, 44, was taken into custody at 11:25 a.m. on July 29, 2025, after the victim spotted his stolen Kubota tractor being hauled through Gainesville on a trailer pulled by a yellow truck, according to a police report.

The victim told police he had left the tractor at his business on the 900 block of Northwest 13^th Street on July 22 and discovered it missing the following evening. A week later, he reported seeing the tractor in transit and contacted law enforcement. Officers stopped the vehicle near the intersection of Northwest 10^th Street and Northwest 4^th Place.

The truck’s driver, who works for Green’s landscaping and tree-trimming company, told officers that Green had instructed him to return a rented stump grinder and pick up the tractor in Newberry. He denied knowledge of the theft and said he realized he was being followed by the victim while transporting the tractor.

According to police, serial numbers had been partially removed from the Kubota, but one intact number confirmed the victim as the registered owner. Before that confirmation, Green reportedly told officers he had purchased the tractor through Facebook Marketplace about a month earlier but was unable to provide any records of the transaction. When informed the tractor was confirmed stolen, Green requested an attorney.

Officers also reported that the truck used to transport the tractor was unregistered.

Green is charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle valued at more than $20,000. Records show he has eight prior felony convictions, including two for violent offenses, and has served three state prison sentences. He was most recently released in January 2024 and is currently on federal probation for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $25,000.

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