Local

• The assisted unit must be owner-occupied, the owner’s primary residence, and located in Alachua County and outside the City of Gainesville.
• Property taxes must be paid current on the unit to be assisted.
• Homeowners must be very low or low income, depending on the funding source.
• Each unit, with the exception of emergency repairs, must meet or exceed the minimum housing code.
• Other requirements may need to be met, depending on the funding source.

NEWBERRY ‒ There was a large turnout for the joint City of Newberry Commission meeting with the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) on July 10 at the Easton-Newberry Sports Complex, a venue that was selected to accommodate the anticipated overflow of citizens. People filled the seats waiting to express their opinions on the proposed meat processing plant.

But prior to discussion of the topic most people were concerned about, Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe opened a lengthy dialog about roads, specifically CR 337.

Marlowe said the City was willing to provide land as part of the Newberry Environmental Park for property the County wanted to use for a rural waste collection center, meat processing facility and a $250,000 fire training tower. In exchange, Marlowe asked the County to move the schedule up on repairs to CR 337 to the date the Environmental Park would be completed in 2026.

County Commissioner Ken Cornell interjected that anticipated funding from the state had fallen through and suggested the meat processing facility be removed from consideration. He said he wanted to hear from Newberry’s residents and commissioners on the topic.

Throughout the meeting there was a tug of war between Cornell, who wanted to discuss the meat processing facility and other environmental projects, and Marlowe, who seemed primarily interested in hearing that the County would move the repairs for CR 337 up to 2026.

At one point Marlowe opened the floor for citizens to comment on their experience with CR 337 and the need for the road to be made safer. Approximately 18 people addressed both Commissions to explain just how dangerous the roadway was and their concerns about safety.

Alachua County Public Works Director Ramon D. Gavarrete addressed plans to improve roads in Alachua County as part of a planned pavement management plan approved by the County Commission. He said that a traffic study had been requested on CR 337 and it should be available in September. He suggested also that a four-way stop and turn lanes would likely remedy the problem with dangerous curves. He estimated the project cost would likely be $9 million.

County Commissioner Mary Alford moved to bump the timeline up on addressing the first segment of CR 337 and instruct City and County staff to work together on creating a funding and timeline solution to present to the commission.

Cornell proposed a substitute motion, which the commission split into two parts. The first part failed, 3-2, so the commission chose not to continue the vote to the second part. Returning to the original timeline, the commission carried Alford’s motion, 3-2.

County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler asked about the possibility of the county purchasing the land from Newberry instead of leasing it. Newberry City Manager Mike New said for logistics purposes of providing utilities, it is best for the land to be leased, but he and Marlowe expressed openness to working out an agreement that was long-term and permanent enough to satisfy the County. New also mentioned that the County indicated they wanted to have the same type of arrangement with the City that they had when they purchased the property for IFAS, which was also leased.

By the time the floor was opened up for comments on the meat processing facility, several of the farmers had left the lengthy meeting, which extended past midnight. Approximately 14 people, many of whom identified themselves as vegans, addressed the remaining commissioners to speak against the meat processing facility. One person mentioned an online petition against the facility and another explained that a survey had been done and citizens didn’t know the facility was even being considered.

The facility was referred to as the “slaughterhouse” and “murder facility.” Comments were made about facility workers experiencing PTSD, becoming aggressive because of their job and tending to be more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Speaking on behalf of approving the meat processing facility was the General Coordinator for the Agricultural Justice Project, Leah Cohen. She said that big agribusiness continues to thrive while small farms and retailers have gone out of business.

A local rancher said that people will continue to eat meat whether the plant is approved or not. He pointed out that currently the cattle have to be shipped to another location to be slaughtered and then shipped back, which ends up costing the consumer quite a bit more because of the shipping costs and prices other meat processing facilities charge.

As the subject of the meat processing facility was not to be decided at this meeting and the meeting had already run past midnight, the meeting was adjourned.

The topic is on the agenda for a BoCC meeting scheduled for the following day in the County Commission chambers.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

HAWTHORNE ‒ Geovani Osner Moreno-Maradiaga, 24, of Honduras, was arrested on Tuesday, July 4, in Hawthorne for driving under the influence and driving without a valid driver’s license.

A Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper reported that she saw a white pickup truck weaving into the shoulder multiple times and that the driver was slow to pull over when she activated her lights and siren. The trooper reported that Moreno-Maradiaga initially said he understood English but later said he did not understand her and then handed her his Honduran passport.

A translation assistant was initially used to communicate with Moreno-Maradiaga, but a Spanish-speaking trooper was requested to respond to the scene because of the “poor translation quality over the phone.” When asked why he did not have a driver’s license, Moreno-Maradiaga reportedly said his mother has one, but he only has a passport. He reportedly told the translator over the phone that he wanted the troopers to give him a ticket and let him go home.

The trooper reported that she smelled a faint odor of alcohol from Moreno-Maradiaga’s breath, and a search of the car reportedly produced two cold beers that were open and four more that were unopened and cold to the touch. A warm open beer was reportedly found in the rear passenger door compartment and two empty beer bottles were found in a cooler in the bed of the truck.

Moreno-Maradiaga reportedly said he would only perform field sobriety exercises “if you let me go home” and then refused to perform the exercises, saying he could not do them because he was “messed up.”

Post Miranda, Moreno-Maradiaga reportedly told the Spanish-speaking trooper that “he made the error himself and that he is going to be forced back into his country.” He reportedly said he’d had six beers and that he’d been drinking while driving because it was hot and he was driving from Jacksonville to Tampa to see his brother. Moreno-Maradiaga’s breath tests reportedly gave results of 0.206 and 0.213; the legal limit is 0.08.

Bail was set at $4,000 by Judge Susan Miller-Jones. Moreno-Maradiaga is no longer in the Alachua County Jail.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Like many other cities in Florida, High Springs, Alachua and Newberry are growing rapidly in population. While some growth can have negative impacts as far as infrastructure needs and government services, some of the upsides includes more businesses and a diversity of stores and restaurants as new people move to the area.

A new addition to the High Springs culinary scene is thanks to a recent transplant, former pizza chef and truck driver from Philadelphia, who goes by his first name of Bruce. He says that although he always enjoyed cooking, time he spent working as a truck driver and travelling the country gave him abundant opportunities to sample various regional foods, many of which he added to his collection of recipes.

Over time, driving the highways and byways of America and sampling different cuisines served to feed his dream of finding the right location for a restaurant, one that would offer a diverse menu of dishes while maintaining the culinary traditions that diners in the northeast are known for.

According to Blue Star Grill head waitress Jessie Harshberger, after considering several locations, Jim settled in High Springs. “He wanted to create a unique restaurant that reflected the diners he grew up with that are open every day with a diverse menu,” said Harshberger. “He took what recipes he came across in his travels as a trucker and then added some southern cuisine once he relocated here.”

Harshberger said when they opened the Blue Star Grill over a month ago, it was just her, Bruce, and one other server. Since then, they have added more staff for quicker service and to handle what Harshberger describes as “the wonderful response we have had in this short time.”

“He named it the Blue Star Grill, and we saw good crowds from the day we opened, especially with all day breakfast,” said Hashberger. “Other local restaurants that are open for breakfast, shut down their breakfast menus around 10:30 to gear up for lunch, which limits late risers or church goers. Our busiest day is Sunday after church lets out.”

In addition to an extensive all day breakfast menu, the Blue Star Grill also serves lunch and dinner items with a six-page menu, and for stay-at-home folks, they offer take-out orders.

The Blue Star Grill is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant is located at 23352 W. U.S. Highway 27, High Springs. Take out orders can be placed at 386-454 1055.

#     #     #

Email rcarson@

alachuatoday.com

HAWTHORNE ‒ James Edward Harkins III, 36, of Hawthorne, was arrested on Sunday, June 11, and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly threatening two store employees with a gun on June 6.

Harkins allegedly asked the two employees, who work for an auto services business in the 2900 block of Northeast 21^st Way, to do something that was a safety concern for the employees and against their employer’s policies.

The employees refused to provide the service, which reportedly caused Harkins to become upset. He reportedly got into his car and drove out of the gates of the business but then walked back through the gates, where the employees told him to stop.

Harkins allegedly reached into his pocket and took out a gun, then racked the slide back and pointed it at the two employees. At that point; both employees retreated and called 911. The employees made a note of Harkins’ tag number as he drove away.

A witness exiting the store as Harkins tried to come back in through the gate corroborated the employees’ story.

Harkins has a juvenile criminal history and three non violent misdemeanor convictions.

Judge Walter Green set bail at $70,000 at first appearance. According to Alachua County Jail records, Harkins has since been released.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com