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LEVY COUNTY ‒ Recently, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers in Levy County received the Division of Law Enforcement’s distinguished 2023 Team of the Year Award. Squad members include Officer Corrie Bell, Officer Hailey Carroll, Officer Landon Smith, Officer Specialist James Fox, Officer Specialist Morgan Willis and Lieutenant BJ Johnston.

“Thanks to the hard work of these officers, 13 derelict vessels were removed from the Levy County coastline in 2022,” said Col. Roger Young. “The pride they take in protecting the resources cherished by the local community is evident through their actions and professionalism.”

FWC reports that the officers service ranges from one to 18 years with the FWC, saying that this group of officers exemplifies leadership through service. From focused resource operations, boating under the influence enforcement, derelict vessel removal, outreach event participation, and raising money for local charities in events like the Chiefland Rotary Club Fishing Tournament, their passion and teamwork shine through.

“You know you have a great team when they continuously self-evaluate and strive to improve their work area,” said Capt. Rama Shuster, North Central Region Area Supervisor. “I could not be prouder of the dedication and ownership this team has taken for the residents of Levy County.”

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ALACHUA – A major early morning accident occurred shortly after 6 a.m., on Tuesday, June 20, on Interstate 75 near mile marker 391. An overturned tractor-trailer and hazardous chemical spill between State Road 222/Northwest 39^th Avenue and Alachua stopped traffic in both directions.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), all southbound traffic was routed off of I-75 at the 399 exit (U.S. Highway 441, Alachua) and all northbound traffic was routed off at the 399 exit (State Road 222/Northwest 39^th Ave.).

The Alachua Police Department reported Tuesday afternoon that according to FHP the semi was carrying liquid Styrene at the time of the accident. The accident included two semi-trucks, two pickup trucks, one SUV, and one passenger vehicle. Heavy rainfall and storms occurred overnight, and it is believed that the cause of the accident was due to a vehicle that hydroplaned.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), liquid styrene is a chemical used to make latex, synthetic rubber, and polystyrene resins. Breathing high levels of styrene may cause changes in color vision, tiredness, feeling drunk, slowed reaction time, concentration problems, or balance problems. Hearing loss has been observed in animals exposed to very high concentrations of styrene.

The chemical spill assessment and cleanup operation was reported to take as long as 12 hours to complete. FHP advised motorists to avoid the area until further notice.

Fire rescue teams from High Springs, Gainesville, Alachua County and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and FHP were dispatched to the site. The Hazmat team evaluated the scene according to High Springs Public Information Officer Kevin Mangan.

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ALACHUA ‒ The fun returns this summer at Legacy Park Summer Camp as area youth take advantage of a variety of outdoor and indoor activities structured to entertain and educate. With school out, children often face limited activities and social interaction with other children, and parents are left with few options to watch their children on work days.

For some parents it becomes a choice between working to earn an income or staying with their children when school is out for the summer. To help parents and offer a variety of activities and programs catering to youth, the City of Alachua's Recreation and Culture Department, in partnership with the Children’s Trust of Alachua County (CTAC), is offering eight weeks of summer camp June 12 through Aug. 4.

The program, which is held at Legacy Park, is the combined effort of the City of Alachua, the Alachua Teamworks program and CTAC. Alachua sponsors the camp and provides the facilities and staff with funding assistance from CTAC and Teamworks. The Legacy Park Recreation Complex offers an indoor area with basketball courts, a stage and classrooms for movies and learning activities as well as a concession stand. Outside amenities include an all-inclusive playground, sports fields and an amphitheater.

The camp offers an opportunity for children to make their summer break from school an adventure to be remembered and also to stay active. Camp activities include sports games, music and dance, playground time, artwork, and visits to the splash park, swimming, movies and other weekly field trips. Camp also provides kids opportunities to make new friends and to work off a little of that stored up energy. Over 180 elementary and middle school students signed up for the camp for both half-day and full-day sessions.

To make the summer program possible and affordable to as many families as possible, CTAC provided a grant for summer enrichment programming in various areas of the county and Alachua was awarded $66,665. Those funds are used to provide scholarships to cover most student enrollment fees, field trips and equipment, as well as paying senior counselor staff. Teamworks provided funding for junior counselor staff, which is made up of high school students.

Senior staff are hired as counselors and administrators for the summer and are comprised largely of employees of the Alachua County school system. Alachua Recreation and Culture Department Director Damon Messina said, “Besides giving us an experienced staff that deals with children on a regular basis, it also provides summer employment for eight or nine people for the period they are not employed by the school system.”

Summer camp director Liz Dioguardia is an employee at Mebane Middle School and has worked for the school system for 22 years. “We have a junior staff of high school students who work directly with the kids, organizing their activities and supervising,” said Dioguardia. “The idea is to have counselors closer to the kids’ age groups while also giving the junior counselors their first job.” Dioguardia added that the experience also gives the young counselors responsibilities they can carry on to future jobs. “I mentor them, and if they do well, we give them more responsibility,” Dioguardia said.

Both Dioguardia and Messina give credit to DeDe McClain for the success of the summer camp program. Messina said that McClain was an Alachua County school system employee for 26 years and is now a full-time Alachua Recreation Department employee who has been running the summer camp program for the past five years.

“DeDe is what really makes this program run smoothly, and she spends months preparing for the camp,” said Messina. “She also runs the seniors’ program, often going from one to the other each day.”

Although the program costs $400 for the entire full-time camp, CTAC sponsored over 100 full and partial scholarships based on household income and need, increasing the opportunity for youth to participate in the program. The full-day program runs from 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are part of the package in compliance with the Alachua County School Board's summer nutrition guidelines.

Messina said the camp is another example of the Alachua’s focus on providing resources, opportunities and activities that directly benefit residents.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ At 8:57 p.m. on June 17, the High Springs Fire Department (HSFD) was dispatched to 16264 N.W. 202^nd Drive in the High Springs’ Weston Oaks neighborhood for a reported fire alarm activation. At 8:58 p.m. officers from the High Springs Police Department (HSPD), which had been dispatched to the same address just moments earlier for a burglar alarm, arrived on the scene.

HSPD officers reported that smoke and fire were showing from the roof. The call was then upgraded to a residential structure fire and High Springs Heavy Rescue 29 and Alachua County Fire Rescue units were dispatched to the home.

At 9:06 p.m. High Springs firefighters arrived on the scene of the single-story 2,200-square foot home, advising of a heavy fire load from the roof. Firefighters quickly deployed a hose line to quell the blaze, putting water on the fire within five minutes of arrival.

Due to the size of the structure and weather conditions, an additional engine company and Alachua County Fire Rescue’s Heavy Rescue 23 were requested on the orders of incident commander Chief Bruce Gillingham. The call provided for additional manpower and a light tower.

No injuries were reported due to the blaze. “The cause of the fire is believed to be a lightning strike,” said High Springs Public Information Officer Kevin Mangan.

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GAINESVILLE ‒ Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr., on June 20, notified employees he will not seek re-election. In April, Watson filed to run for re-election in 2024, but in a separate letter dated June 20, 2023, to Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Kim Barton, Watson provided notification of his withdrawal from the race for Sheriff of Alachua County. Watson has not stated why he will not run for re-election or his future plans.

Watson sent the following letter to employees of the sheriff’s office on Tuesday:

To our dedicated team,

Over the last few months, I have had the great opportunity to reflect on the last two and one-half years of my time as your Sheriff. We have had some incredible highs and some unfortunate lows, but through it all, we have always found comfort in taking great care of one another.

Throughout my many years in leadership, I have learned that while you may find yourself as the head of an organization or entity, sometimes you must make the tough decision to step aside and prepare the organization for new leadership that will continue to advance our agency toward the future. It is an honor to be your Sheriff as I continue to watch the incredible work that each one of you do to ensure that our citizens are well-protected.

After much prayer and thought, I want to announce to each one of you that I will not be seeking re-election as Sheriff of Alachua County. This decision was not made lightly and I want each one of you to know that I will continue to serve you all with honor and professionalism throughout the rest of my time as your Sheriff.

I am confident that this agency will continue to grow and develop into a law enforcement agency that others around our great state will look toward as an example.

I want to thank each one of you for the courageous and dedicated service that you provide to our agency and our citizens. Alachua County is certainly a better place thanks to men and women like each one of you.

Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr.

Watson defeated former Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell in the 2020 Democratic primary election. Prior to his successful bid for sheriff, Watson served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2012 – 2020, representing District 20, which covered parts of Alachua and Marion counties. Watson also formerly served as the City of Alachua city manager, police officer, sergeant and deputy chief of police.

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BY JENNIFER CABRERA/Alachua Chronicle

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Alachua County Commission on June 13 instructed staff to draft an interlocal agreement with the City of High Springs that would permit an extension of the City’s sewer and water utilities to the area around the I-75 interchange at mile marker 404.

A representative from the City of High Springs said that the project was initiated by the owners of a hotel that has been trying to get a permit to build at the interchange since 2019 but has been unable to meet wastewater requirements. The Welcome Center in the same area has been under a Consent Decree since 2018 because of issues with its package plant, and access to a sewer system will also allow that business to do some remodeling. Connecting that area to the City’s water system will also enable fire hydrants to serve the businesses in that area and provide water for fires on the interstate.

“Available for connection”

The staff recommendation had eight parts, but commissioners were mainly interested in #5 and #6, specifically the “available for connection” wording. Commissioner Ken Cornell said he thought the intention should be that property owners who don’t meet the condition in #4 (“Existing or proposed development around the interchange of I-75 and CR 236 on property with a ‘Tourist/Entertainment’ land use designation”) would not have to connect to the system, but they could “if they paid for it.”

The original ordinance passed by the High Springs City Commission on March 9 required “all persons or corporations living or doing business within the district” to connect to the City’s water and sewer system, a provision that generated a great deal of concern among residents. The ordinance paved the way for the City to apply for a grant for the water/sewer system, but the City won’t find out whether they won the grant until later this year.

The current proposed ordinance (amended from the ordinance passed on March 9) does not require residential property owners to connect to the City’s water/wastewater system, but they have the option to connect; multi-family and commercial uses would be required to connect to the system.

County Manager Michele Lieberman explained that if a sewer line is “available,” state statutes require property owners to connect to it within 365 days. She continued, “If we make it unavailable, then you don’t have to connect, but if somebody connects, it’s hard to argue that it’s an ‘unavailable’ line.”

Motion to draft interlocal agreement

Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler made a motion to move forward with the staff recommendation to prepare an interlocal agreement with the City of High Springs and Commissioner Chuck Chestnut seconded the motion; both the High Springs City Commission and Alachua County Commission will take this issue up again when the interlocal agreement is ready for approval.

During discussion on the motion, Cornell said he wanted to have further discussions about the map and how the proposal will affect properties along CR 236. He proposed having a joint meeting with the High Springs City Commission to talk about the reasons for proceeding with the project.

“Is the intention to address the Consent Order, which I think everyone can get their hands around, and limit any other impacts? Or is the idea to actually create an area where we could have future annexations or future growth?…

“Maybe it’s just a matter of kind of slowing this down so we can have some discussions with the public, both in the city and outside the city,” said Cornell.

Although an exact map wasn’t available at the meeting, Cornell amended the motion to use a different map that includes the Tourism and Entertainment District and a 50-foot right-of-way along CR 236.

Cornell said that if they moved forward with the amended map, they could build some consensus around applying for the grant for the purpose of providing water and sewer service to the businesses at the interchange, which is better for the environment than package plants.

“So if this can continue that dialogue and get us to a place where we have a draft interlocal that we can look at in a joint meeting… I think that would be a good thing.”

The motion passed unanimously.

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