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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Dec. 20, 2023) – It’s a time for wrapping presents and decorating the home – inside and out – with lights, trees, wreaths and more.

 If you’ve brought down the lights from the attic, only to plug them in and find out they no longer work, don’t toss them in your recycle bin. Instead, the City of Gainesville’s Solid Waste division offers these helpful recycling tips:

• Drop off stringed holiday lights for recycling at the main entrance to the City’s Public Works building (405 NW 39th Ave.) through the end of January 2024.
• Holiday lights also may be recycled year-round at any Alachua County Rural Collection Centers.
• Other lights such as bubble lights, compact florescent bulbs (CFLs), florescent tubes, liquid-filled lights and neon lights, should be taken to the Alachua County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers for disposal.

 If you’ve decided to replace your artificial tree with a natural pine or fir this year, artificial trees can be disposed of curbside as part of the residential bulk collection program.

• Artificial trees taller than five feet in length should be broken down into smaller pieces before placing curbside for collection.
• To donate artificial trees in good condition, search the City’s Zero Waste Wizard for a list of local reuse stores.

 Natural trees and wreaths also are accepted for collection curbside with regularly collected yard waste.

• Remember to remove all tinsel, garland, ornaments, hooks, lights, wires and other decorations from natural trees and wreaths before placing them curbside for pickup.
• Remember to remove tree stands and store for next year.

 Once the presents have been unwrapped, make sure to sort the gift wrap.

• Only non-glittery wrapping paper is accepted for recycling and may be placed with other recyclable paper in orange recycle bins. 
• Toss shiny and metallic foil wrap in your garbage cart.

 Enjoy the popcorn, cookies and sweets; metal holiday tins are accepted for recycling.

• Remember to empty the tins and remove the lids before placing them in blue recycle bins. 

For more information, visit the City of Gainesville website or email waste@GainesvilleFL.gov

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GAINESVILLE, FL — Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack announced Kartikeya Rajderkar of Gainesville as a Congressional Award Silver Medal recipient.

 Rajderkar, a local Eagle Scout and Eastside High School student, is one of 3,797 young people to receive the award this year and the only from Florida's Third Congressional District.

The Congressional Award provides opportunities for young people to unleash their potential by achieving personal goals focused on volunteerism, character development, and fitness. Established in 1979 by the United States Congress, the Congressional Award is the United States Congress' award for young Americans, and is non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive. The program is open to all youth in the U.S. between the ages of 14 and 24 regardless of ability, circumstance, or economic status.
 
"Congratulations to Mr. Rajderkar on his impressive accomplishment," said Congresswoman Kat Cammack. "The participants of the Congressional Award make real differences in our communities and Kartikeya truly represents the very best of young students nationwide. His dedication to earn the rank of Eagle Scout while participating in a variety of service projects throughout the community is admirable, and I'm excited to present him with this honor."
 
To earn the silver medal, Rajderkar completed hundreds of hours of service in the community while pursuing art, track & field, and music. As an Eagle Scout, Rajderkar completed his Eagle Scout project with a local food bank, building railings for the stairs to the loading docks. With the help of 20 other volunteers, he completed his project and earned the highest rank attainable.
 
Rajderkar is also passionate about art and music, entering fine arts competitions across North Central Florida. During his high school career, he earned several 'excellent' and 'superior' ratings for violin, earning first place at the State Violin Convention in 2021 for his fiddling solo. As a member of the Eastside High School Varsity Cross Country and Track teams, Rajderkar helped his team to region and district wins the last three years, making it to the state championship for the 5K race.
 
He also earned Lake Forest Volunteer of the Year, participating in a wide variety of volunteering activities with the Alachua County Public Library, Lake Forest Elementary School, India Cultural & Education Center (ICEC) in Gainesville, the Natural History Museum, and the Good News Summer Arts Camp in High Springs.
 
Rajderkar will be honored during a visit with Rep. Cammack in Gainesville later this week.
 
Learn more about the Congressional Award here.

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LAKE BUTLER, FL - On Friday, Dec. 12, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to a request for assistance from the Union County Sheriff's Office regarding the shooting of hunting dogs at the Piney Bay Hunt Club in Raiford. Upon further investigation, Lance Thornton, 22, of Lake Butler was arrested and transported to the Union County Jail. He was charged with three counts of aggravated animal cruelty and one count of evidence tampering. 

The FWC takes these violations very seriously and encourages the public to report them by downloading the FWC Wildlife Alert app, texting 847411 (Tip411) with keyword “FWC” and information about the violation, calling the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) or submitting a tip online at MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Last week, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Florida National Guard (FLNG) Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force (MCTFT), Escambia, Walton, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Sheriff’s Offices along with Homeland Security concluded a weeklong initiative focused on detecting and deterring criminal activity on major roadways within four North Florida Counties (Escambia, Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa).

The combined efforts of the strike force yielded the following for this operation:

“The continued success of Operation Safe Highways is indicative of the dedication from multiple agencies working at the direction of Governor DeSantis to keep Florida safe from those who would bring dangerous narcotics, weapons, and criminal activity into the state,” said Executive Director Dave Kerner. “State Troopers and our agency partners will not relent in taking bad people off our roadways and hold them accountable for their dangerous criminal conduct. Florida has a 50-year crime low for a reason, and we will continue to put an end to every attempt at corrupting the safety our communities.”

“These focused operations focus on dangerous criminals traveling Florida roadways with the intent to victimize others,” said FHP Colonel Gary Howze II. “Each arrest and seizure keep an unsuspecting victim from being taken advantage of, harmed or even killed.  Florida law enforcement is dedicated to proactive enforcement to protect our residents and visitors from being victimized and keeping our communities safe.”

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said, “Florida’s law enforcement professionals, and too many families, know first-hand the devastation these repugnant criminals can wreak by trying to poison our communities with these dangerous, lethal drugs. I am so proud of FDLE’s agents and analysts, and our law enforcement partners who work every day to help keep these criminals off of our streets. I am thankful that Florida has a strong Governor, Cabinet and lawmakers that support us in our mission to help keep our state’s citizens and visitors safe.”

This initiative, known as Operation Safe Highways began in 2022 at the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis and was the ninth successful operation this year.

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• Administrative Offices: closed Dec. 25-26, and Jan. 1
• Rural Collection Centers: closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1
• Leveda Brown Environmental Park & Transfer Station: closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1
• Hazardous Waste Collection Center: closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1

Photo special to Alachua County Today / Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway

GAINESVILLE, FL - As the final seconds tick away before halftime of the Pac-12 Conference football championship game, University of Florida College of Pharmacy student Jeremiah Johnson’s heart is racing. From his position in the end zone tunnel at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, he hears the roar of 60,000 rabid college football fans and sees rows of bright stadium lights shining down on the field. He is about to compete in the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway before a national television audience of nine million people — and hopefully ride the accuracy of his right arm to win a $100,000 scholarship.

The Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway

An avid Florida Gators and college football fan, Johnson has watched college students compete in the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway for years and mused about one day participating himself. In its 15th year, the contest features student finalists taking the field at halftime during the ACC, Big 12, SEC, Big 10 and Pac-12 conference championship games, competing to see who can throw the most number of footballs into an oversized Dr. Pepper can in 30 seconds. The winner of each halftime contest receives a $100,000 scholarship, with the runner-up earning a $20,000 scholarship.

The student finalists are selected based on a 60-second video submission, where they explain why they deserve the tuition scholarship, how it would impact their lives and how it would help them achieve their personal and professional goals. Johnson recorded his video in October, highlighting how the scholarship would help ease the burden of student debt and enable him to pursue his dream of becoming a community pharmacist, helping patients in underserved communities.

In his video, Johnson spoke about finding inspiration from past pharmacists. He specifically referenced Charles Alderton, a pharmacist and creator of Dr. Pepper. Alderton formulated the carbonated soda in a Waco, Texas drug store back in 1885.

Johnson believes that linking Dr. Pepper to pharmacy made his video stand out among all the entries. A man of strong faith, he prayed often about the contest in the hope that his selection would allow him to glorify his savior, Jesus Christ. A week after submitting the video, he received a phone call from Dr. Pepper.

“For a minute, I did not believe the phone call was real,” Johnson said. “A marketing representative from Dr. Pepper explained how they were impressed by my video and extended an invitation to the Pac-12 championship game in Las Vegas.

Johnson had about five weeks to train for the contest. His stepdad and grandfather built a wooden structure in the backyard of his Plant City home that mirrored the dimensions of the large Dr. Pepper can. As a fourth-year pharmacy student, he would spend his days at a community pharmacy rotation site in Tampa and his evenings throwing the football in the backyard.

“I watched videos of previous contestants and tried to figure out the best method to grab the footballs and throw them,” Johnson said. “There are so many techniques to consider, but I felt most comfortable throwing the football overhand in a traditional motion.”

Touchdown in Las Vegas

Johnson and his girlfriend arrived in Las Vegas on Nov. 29, two days before the Pac-12 Conference championship game. Dr. Pepper covered all their travel expenses and, in his words, provided a VIP experience throughout the stay.

There were three student scholarship winners invited to Las Vegas, but only two got to compete for the $100,000 grand prize at halftime. A preliminary round of throws was held at Allegiant Stadium the day before the game, with Johnson competing against college students from Stony Brook University in New York and Santa Barbara City College in California.

Johnson found his rhythm early in the preliminary round, tossing 14 footballs through the round hole in 30 seconds. He earned the highest score and punched his ticket to the competition’s final round. The victory also guaranteed that Johnson would leave Las Vegas with at least $20,000 in scholarship money.

“I refrained from telling many people about the trip to Las Vegas and my participation in the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway, in case I finished last in the preliminary round and did not appear on national TV,” Johnson said. “Once my spot in the final was secured, I let a few of my classmates and friends know what was happening.”

30 seconds for a $100,000 scholarship

As the football teams from the University of Oregon and University of Washington walked off the field for halftime, Johnson and his competitor were ushered out of the end zone tunnel. Two oversized Dr. Pepper cans were positioned on the goal line with tubs of regulation-size footballs five yards away. Each competitor took their position near the tubs and received last-minute instructions from the official. Whoever threw the most footballs through the two-foot diameter hole in 30 seconds would take home the $100,000 scholarship.

The nerves Johnson experienced in the tunnel followed him to the football field. Despite long, deep breaths, he was unable to relax. It was hard to ignore the spotlight and the gravity of the moment.

“The whole situation of knowing that you could win $100,000 and so many people are watching and counting on you was a lot of pressure,” Johnson said.

An official wearing white and black stripes led the final countdown, and on his whistle, the competition began. Johnson, sporting a red Dr. Pepper football jersey with the number 23 on the back, made his first throw. But he struggled with his grip on the subsequent throws and missed three in a row.

“My technique, the overhand throw, requires you to have a good grip on the football,” Johnson said. “When I did not have a good grip, I started panicking and my technique changed.”

Johnson had no idea how many throws his competitor made, but with each miss, his dream of winning the $100,000 scholarship became more difficult. He would only connect on 7 of 16 tosses and ultimately lose by a score of 13-7.

The sting of disappointment does not last long, as Dr. Pepper presented Johnson with a $20,000 scholarship check for finishing runner-up.

“This scholarship will go a long way toward paying down my student debt,” Johnson said. “By alleviating some of the financial pressure that accompanies my student loans, I can better focus on being a community pharmacist and serving others.”

Johnson will graduate from UF with his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in May — appreciative of the scholarship and the opportunity of a lifetime to compete in the Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway during his final year of college.

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