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LAKE CITY, FLA.- On Dec. 26, 2022, Florida Highway Patrol Troopers responded to reports of a black Chevy Trailblazer in the ditch on the side of the road in the area of Interstate 10 (I-10) East of Mile Marker 307 in Columbia County. Upon arrival, Troopers observed an unresponsive individual in the driver seat, later identified as Jeffrey Keith McLendon, 51, of Pelham, Georgia.

Following several failed attempts to elicit a response from McLendon by first responders, E.M.S. was requested by Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.  He was transported McLendon to the Lake City Medical Center by ambulance for treatment.

The white powder was identified as Fentanyl, weighing over 29 grams.

McLendon was charged with the following, and Troopers later transported McLendon to the Columbia County Jail, where he was booked.

• Trafficking in Fentanyl 4 grams or more-Felony
• Drug Equipment or Possession-Misdemeanor
• Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol (D.U.I.)-Misdemeanor

Last week, on January 17, 2024, Jeffrey Keith McLendon was convicted on the above charges and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Below are the updated City of Gainesville traffic impacts scheduled for Jan. 19-26, 2024. 

New Notices 

SE First Street: On Wednesday, Jan. 24, Southeast First Street will be closed to through traffic between Southeast First Avenue and Southeast Second Avenue between 7 a.m.-12 p.m.

Southeast First Ave.: Southeast First Avenue (eastbound only) will be closed between South Main Street and Southeast First Street until April 1, 2024.

SE Fifth Ave.: Southeast Fifth Avenue will be closed with detours between Southeast Third Street and Southeast Sixth Terrace until Feb. 23, 2024.

Continuing Notices 

NW 12th Drive: Northwest 12th Drive from Northwest Fifth Avenue to Northwest Third Avenue is currently closed northbound, but is open as a one-way street heading southbound. This will end March 3.

SW 52nd Street: There is a single-lane closure on Southwest 52nd Street between the front entrance of Cabana Beach and Southwest 20th Avenue for drainage pipe installation until Feb. 22. Flaggers will be present to assist in traffic control.

Clark Butler Blvd. area: The new traffic signals at Clark Butler, Southwest 62nd Boulevard, Southwest 43rd Street are not turned on, but the traffic is guided through the intersection with traffic control devices. This should be complete by Feb. 1.

SW 52nd Street: Southwest 52nd Street is closed from Southwest 18th Place to Southwest 16th Place (front entrance of Cabana Beach to rear entrance of Cabana Beach). This closure will be through January 24.

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This information is public record and the booking report is provided by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Department of the Jail.  The charges listed are at the time of arrest and and all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. For more details on a specific inmate use the Sheriff’s Office inmate search (for inmates currently at the jail). More specific information on charges is available by searching court records.  Jail booking logs are removed from the Alachua County Today website after 30 days.

 GAINESVILLE -  Williams Elementary School has been selected as the site of Alachua County Public Schools’ first International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). As outlined on the International Baccalaureate Organization’s website, the PYP “offers a stimulating, challenging learning environment that nurtures the whole child and fosters a lifelong love of learning for all.”

The International Baccalaureate program has a long history of educational excellence worldwide. Eastside High School has had a highly-successful IB program for decades.

The IB PYP, which is designed for students in elementary school, is in place in schools throughout the world, including in Florida. Unlike the high school IB program, the PYP is a ‘whole school’ program, which means all students at a school participate. It is inquiry-based and operates across subject areas and grade levels. More information about the IB PYP is available at www.sbac.edu/WilliamsPYP

The IB PYP will launch at Williams Elementary this fall. All students currently enrolled at the school and those zoned for Williams next year will automatically transition into the IB PYP, including those in the existing magnet program. It will also be offered to elementary students throughout the district as a magnet program.

The district’s magnet application window for the 2024-25 school year runs through February 13. The application and more information are available at www.sbac.edu/magnet.

An Open House about the Williams IB PYP for elementary families in the district who may be interested in applying for the program will be held Thursday, February 1 at 6 p.m. at the school. Additional informational sessions will be scheduled in the future.

The IB PYP is an initiative advocated by Superintendent Shane Andrew throughout his tenure. Originally considered for placement at the currently-vacant Prairie View Elementary School campus, the decision was made to establish it at an existing school with a diverse student population, staff and infrastructure already in place, and room for students zoned for other schools who may be interested in applying.

“I’ve been a principal at an International Baccalaureate school, and I’ve seen the benefits it offers students,” said Andrew, who led Eastside High School for five years. “I’m very excited about the opportunities that the IB PYP will provide for all students at Williams to learn, thrive and grow.”

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L-R: Three finalists for Teacher of the Year honors are Sarah Rendek, a reading teacher at High Springs Community School; Jenifer Knowles, a science teacher at the Professional Academies Magnet @ Loften High School; and Dwynette Smith, music teacher at Metcalfe Elementary School

GAINESVILLE -  Alachua County’s Teacher of the Year will be announced this Thursday, Jan. 25 at a special ceremony hosted by The Education Foundation for Alachua County Public Schools and sponsored by Cox Communications, Florida Credit Union, SWI Photographers and many other business, organizations and individuals.

The three finalists for Teacher of the Year honors are Dwynette Smith, music teacher at Metcalfe Elementary School; Sarah Rendek, a reading teacher at High Springs Community School; and Jenifer Knowles, a science teacher at the Professional Academies Magnet @ Loften High School.

Smith, the elementary finalist, has been teaching music in private settings and public schools since 1998. She’s been teaching at Metcalfe for nearly four years, and also spent six years at Buchholz High School. She says music can be a ‘spark,’ a catalyst for students to succeed in other areas.

“I love giving them that joy, that place where they can be successful,” she said. “Even when you have a child that’s struggling, to have that one victory, where they can play the notes you want, play their own melody or create something that they know is theirs, there’s nothing that can compare.”

Rendek, the middle school finalist, has been a teacher for more than 13 years, more than eight of them at High Springs, where she teaches reading. She says she loves teaching middle school students, who are starting to consider who they are and where they want to go in life.

“I want to be a light in their lives, their positive role model and their cheerleader,” she said. “In class I give them the freedom to express themselves, which allows them to grow as human beings, but also under the guidance of appropriate expectations.”

Knowles, the high school finalists, has been teaching science for 19 years in a variety of locations, including Michigan and even in New Zealand. Here in Alachua County she taught at Oak View Middle in Newberry in addition to the three years she’s been at Professional Academies Magnet @ Loften High School. She wants her students to understand that science and learning in general is ongoing.

“I’m excited to share science with my students,” said Knowles. “It’s important for them to see how what they’re learning translates to life outside the classroom. Sometimes the content lends itself well to this goal and other times the less are in life, technology, collaboration or other soft skills.”

The three finalists and 36 other nominees from Alachua County Public Schools will be honored at the upcoming Robert W. Hughes Teacher of the Year ceremony, which is named after the former Superintendent of Schools who established the program. The winner will go on to represent the district in the state recognition program.

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The IdentoGo TSA Pre✓® Mobile Enrollment Truck returns to the Gainesville Regional Airport Tue., Feb. 20 - Fri. Mar. 1, 2024

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Feb. 19, 2023 — The popular IdentoGO by IDEMIA TSA Pre✓® Mobile Enrollment Truck event is returning to Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) in February. The event will run from Tuesday, Feb. 20 – Friday, Mar. 1, 2024 (closed Saturday and Sunday, and does not operate Monday, Feb. 19 as it is President’s Day). The Mobile Enrollment Center will be located on the airport property at 3880 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville, Fla., 32609. Enrollees should look for the truck in the parking lot between the airport’s second cell phone lot and the GNV Airport Fire Station, across from the temporary overflow parking lot at GNV (please see small royal blue box denoting truck location in airport parking map below.)

IdentoGO, the company that manages the event, offers 12 appointments per hour. Applicants should note that appointments are limited and are available on a first come, first serve basis, so register as soon as possible. Please note this event is for TSA Pre✓® only, not Global Entry. TWIC enrollment will also be offered.

GNV TSA Pre✓® Mobile Enrollment Truck Returns to GNV in February 2-2-2

GNV has hosted seven previous enrollment events, allowing thousands of people to easily enroll in the popular expedited screening program without having to drive to Jacksonville, Orlando or Tampa. To accommodate increased passenger traffic, GNV added a second screening lane in May 2018 and added TSA Pre✓® in October 2018. TSA Pre✓® is now available for all flights at GNV.

TSA Pre✓® is an expedited screening program that enables identified low-risk air travelers to enjoy a smart and efficient screening experience. For TSA Pre✓® travelers, there is no need to remove shoes, 3-1-1 liquids, laptops, light outerwear or belts. Today, TSA Pre✓® has more than 450 lanes at 200+ U.S. airports and in Nassau, The Bahamas.

The TSA Pre✓® application program allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to directly apply for TSA Pre✓®. Once approved, travelers will receive a “Known Traveler Number”(KTN), which can be added to a travelers airline profile and reservations and will have the opportunity to utilize TSA Pre✓® lanes at select security checkpoints when flying on over 80 carriers that currently participate in TSA Pre✓®.

To participate in GNV’s enrollment event, follow these steps to pre-enroll:

1. Visit tsaenrollmentbyidemia.tsa.dhs.gov to access the application page
2. Click “NEW ENROLLMENT”
3. Fill out steps and choose “Next” at the bottom of each screen
4. Type in your location in the Zipcode/City/Airport Code box – then click Search
5. Choose location “Gainesville, FL - Truck Pop-Up: GNV 2/20-3/1” and click Next
6. Select your desired appointment time (Please be sure to make note of your appointment time, no reminders will be sent out.)

The hours for the IdentoGo TSA Pre✓® Mobile RV Event at GNV will be:

Tuesday, February 20 – Thursday, February 29: Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - noon, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. (closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch).

Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Friday, March 1, 2024: 9 a.m. - noon, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Convenient parking will be available in the parking lot between the second cell phone lot and the airport fire station, across from the temporary overflow lot.

IMPORTANT! To complete the application process, you will need to bring documentation proving identity and citizenship status! If you have a valid U.S. passport, that is all you need for ID! You will finish the process onsite by providing your fingerprints for a background check.

The application fee is $78, which covers five years of participation, if approved, and can be paid by credit card, money order, company check, or certified/cashier's check. Cash and personal checks are not accepted.

Enroll now in TSA PreCheck and become part of an expedited security screening program that helps take the stress out of travel.

GNV TSA Pre✓® Mobile Enrollment Truck Returns to GNV in February 3-3-3

About Gainesville Regional Airport

Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) serves North Central Florida and the Heart of Florida through all facets of aviation: commercial airlines, general aviation, military operations, medical missions and air cargo. Located in Gainesville, Florida, just minutes away from the University of Florida, GNV provides a close, convenient and competitively priced “gateway” to the Heart of Florida. The airport normally operates 16 daily departures on American Airlines, Delta and Silver Airways with nonstop service to the international hubs of Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, providing access to hundreds of destinations around the world in one stop. GNV is served by a full-service fixed base operator, University Air Center (UAC). With more than 400 part- and full-time employees and tenants at the airport, GNV has an annual economic impact on North Central Florida of $556 million. In 2023, 547,457 commercial passengers flew in and out of GNV. For more information, please visit flygainesville.com

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