Local

GAINESVILLE ‒ On Thanksgiving morning in 2021, a crash on Interstate 75 claimed the lives of two High Springs residents, a 13-year-old girl and an 83-year-old woman. Demiko Montrell White, Jr., 24, has been sentenced to 18 years in state prison after entering a plea of nolo contendere to two counts of driving under the influence causing death (DUI manslaughter), driving without a valid license as a habitual offender and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.  

Two counts of vehicular homicide and a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon were dropped in the plea agreement.  White was sentenced to four years on one DUI manslaughter charge and 11 years on the second DUI manslaughter charge, followed by three years for the marijuana possession charge.  He was sentenced to 273 days time served on the charge of driving without a valid license.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), at about 10:40 a.m., White was driving a black sedan south in the center lane on I-75 at mile marker 397.  The sedan tried to change lanes into the right lane and struck the left side of a semi truck.  At the time, an SUV was traveling south in the left lane.  Passengers in the SUV were a family from High Springs, including a 55-year-old man, a 50-year-old woman, the 13-year-old and the 83-year-old woman. 

When the sedan struck the semi truck, it swerved toward the left lane and struck the right rear of the SUV, which caused the SUV to swerve onto the shoulder and overturn several times, resulting in the fatalities.

White was released on $15,000 bond four days after the crash.

An FHP investigation found that White was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash.  An arrest warrant was issued on Dec. 15, 2021, and on Jan. 6, 2022, White had contact with members of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, who arrested him on the warrant and added two counts of resisting arrest without violence.

Assistant State Attorney Daniel Ley represented the State of Florida in the case.  Judge William Davis presided over the court hearing and sentenced White.

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MICANOPY ‒ On Wednesday, Jan. 11, members of Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR) and the Micanopy Fire Department responded to a reported vehicle fire at mile marker 378 on Interstate 75. The incident occurred at approximately 1:36 p.m.

Initial reports were that the vehicle was fully involved in fire and had multiple propane tanks as well as firearms and ammunition on board. Concern about the fire spreading into Paynes Prairie necessitated that the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, which arrived first on the scene, shut down I-75 in both directions for the safety of the public until fire units could bring the fire under control and mitigate any danger.

After arriving on scene, ACFR brought the vehicle fire under control as ammunition was heard exploding within the vehicle. The propane tanks had been removed from the vehicle prior to becoming involved in the fire.

The interstate was reopened once the fire was brought under control and no further hazards were present.

A second crash occurred on I-75 in the Micanopy area at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 13. Crews from Alachua County Fire Rescue and Micanopy Fire Department responded to a multi vehicle wreck on I-75 at the 375 mile marker north bound. Initial reports were that two vehicles, a box truck and a sedan, were involved and both flipped, landing off the side of the highway.

Fire rescue crews arrived on scene, stabilized the over-tuned vehicle and began extricating the occupant who was still entrapped. The drivers of both vehicles were transported to the hospital.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.

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NEWBERRY ‒ Kobe Deon Delima, 22, of Newberry, was arrested early Saturday morning, Jan. 7, and charged with property damage over $1,000 after allegedly breaking multiple car windows with a brick. Delima is currently on pretrial release following a previous arrest.

An Alachua County sheriff’s deputy responded to a criminal mischief call at a Newberry residence just after midnight and reportedly found Delima standing next to a car with a brick on the ground next to him.

Witnesses said Delima had shown up uninvited and had been driven home but later returned, saying, “You gonna learn about respect,” before striking the car with a brick. The deputy reported that the two passenger side windows were completely broken out and the paint below the window was scratched in the imprint of a brick. The front windshield also had an imprint of a brick on the shattered glass. The brick’s edges appeared to be freshly chipped.

The cost of the damage is estimated at about $1,100, not including labor.

Delima has no criminal convictions but was arrested in October 2022 for allegedly fleeing a traffic stop and crashing into a fence on private property, then fleeing on foot. Two handguns were reportedly found in the car. He posted $30,000 bail and is still awaiting a resolution of that case.

Florida statutes require individuals on pretrial release to refrain from criminal activity of any kind. Delima was also arrested in 2020 for stealing a weed eater and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement. That agreement was revoked for failure to comply with conditions, and the case was scheduled for a change of plea, but the charge was dropped and the hearing was canceled.

Delima is currently in the Alachua County Jail with bail set at $60,000.

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ALACHUA ‒ Almost every community in America honors the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. King inspired millions of people in his lifetime, and he changed the face of American society by bringing awareness about equal rights. During the 1950s and 1960s he rose to national prominence, and his death on April 4, 1968 at the hands of an assassin shocked and angered the nation. But his legacy and accomplishments live on.

On Dec. 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Ala., Rosa Parks refused a bus driver’s demand that she give up her seat to a white male passenger, after the whites-only section was filled. This act of civil disobedience was done with quiet dignity rather than aggression or violence. King, who was a Baptist minister, used the incident to lead a black bus boycott which first brought him to national prominence. King was one of many people who became involved in the Civil Rights movement, but his speaking ability and organization of non-violent protests, large marches and economic boycotts made him the most visible leader of the movement. He helped organize the 1963 March on Washington where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech to a crowd of over 250,000 people. On Oct. 14, 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to fight racial inequality through nonviolent protests. King was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

Martin Luther King Day was enacted as a federal holiday through legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. Now each year, on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Day is celebrated to mark his birth on Jan. 15, 1929.

While each community may conduct its memorial celebration differently, all honor King’s use of nonviolent protest and his work toward unifying all Americans regardless of color, religion or gender. In High Springs, for the last 11 years there has been a memorial march down U.S. Highway 27 from City Hall to Catherine Taylor Park. This year, participants of all races gathered at the City government building at 11 a.m. The High Springs Police Department (HSPD) provided police car escorts to stop traffic and provide safety for the marchers. City officials and staff also joined the march with Mayor Gloria James leading the procession in a HSPD ATV while Police Chief Antione Sheppard led the walkers. Starting with a prayer, the march began at 11:30, walking down the sidewalk to Catherine Taylor Park.

For the past 17 years the City of Alachua has hosted a celebration of Martin Luther King Day with an event at the Cleather Hathcock Sr. Community Center. The City provides a catered lunch, equipment, law enforcement and some of the entertainment for the event. City employees from the parks and recreation department and the city manager's office volunteer their time and services for the event. Volunteers from churches and community organizations also offer their time to serve the food, prepare desserts and provide entertainment and information.

Pastor Natron Curtis, who is the chaplain with the Alachua County Sherriff’s Office (ASO ), was the Master of Ceremonies The opening prayer was offered by former City of Alachua Police Chief and current ASO Colonel Chad Scott. City Manager Mike DaRoza gave a short speech to welcome the crowd followed by the National Anthem sung by Amaris Walton. Additional entertainment included dancing by the Black Girls Club and music by The Neighborhood Kids and the Old Town COGIC Choir. Pastor Curtis delivered an impassioned speech about King and the importance of God in everyone's life. Afterword, lunch and deserts were served by the Mebane Alumni Association to the approximately 100 people who attended the event.

Events held throughout the country not only honor King and his legacy, but they also memorialize the changes in society that King helped bring about and serve as a reminder that there is still more work to do to bring equality to all Americans.

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HIGH SPRINGS – The High Springs City Commission on Jan. 12 voiced its opposition to the structure of the Opioid Awareness Campaign Committee, but voted unanimously to approve an agreement with the Children’s Trust of Alachua County, the entity that manages and dispenses funds. Commissioners expressed concern about how the program was structured and noted that the group added another level of bureaucracy in the fight against the opioid epidemic.

The agreement was presented to finalize an arrangement that several Alachua County communities, including High Springs, voted to participate in along with the Children’s Trust of Alachua County to create an awareness campaign to educate the public on opioid addiction and treatment.

Each participating city is being asked to contribute $10,000 for a seat on the committee with the $10,000 contributed by each community to be spent on awareness efforts in their community.

However, concerns were raised about the lack of local control of the funds as the Awareness Campaign Committee will decide how and when to dole out the money. Instead of joining forces financially to pool the $40,000 in contributions to address the overall problem, each community gets their $10,000 donation back, with the Awareness Campaign Committee making disbursement decisions.

Although some Commissioners didn’t approve of the structure of the project, they voted unanimously to approve the interlocal agreement because they said they had already approved the expenditure in June 2022 and did not want to withdraw from their earlier commitment after voting to move forward.

Parks & Recreation Board

The High Springs Parks and Recreation Advisory Board currently has two vacant alternate positions available. One expires in 2023 and the second one expires in 2024. Commissioners considered and unanimously approved the appointment of applicant Mary B. Sears to serve as an alternate on the Board until the 2024 expiration date.

Sears has been a resident of High Springs for 14 years and is a Workers Compensation Claims Adjuster and current treasurer for the FGWC High Springs Woman’s Club.

Other City Business

In other City business, small road repair and replacement paving projects are set to begin in High Springs the week of Jan. 23. Citizens are asked to be patient when trying to get around town as these projects are under construction.

Roads to be repaired are Northwest 237^th Street, Northwest 240^th Street, Northwest 233^rd Street, Northwest 222^nd Street, Northwest 244^th Street, Northwest 210^th Lane and Northwest Railroad Avenue. The work is to be undertaken by Florida Fill & Grading at a cost of $195,882.

The room erupted in applause when Assistant City Manager Bruce Gillingham announced that High Springs Police Chief Antoine Sheppard has been selected to be the new District #17 Director for the Florida Police Chiefs Association.

The Mayor’s Youth Council is accepting applications from students from the 7^th – 12^th grades. Applicants must be residents of High Springs. Applications can be obtained through the City Clerk’s Office.

The next City Commission meeting is scheduled for Jan. 26 and is expected to take place at City Hall.

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• The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which manages University Avenue, has signaled a willingness to allow the City of Gainesville to transform the roadway into a Complete Street. This approach requires streets to be planned, designed, operated and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation.

• As a result, Gainesville has applied for Complete Street funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program. Award announcements are expected this spring. If selected, Gainesville will use the funds to begin resurfacing and restriping the roadway in preparation for a full Complete Streets redesign.

• The City is working with an engineering firm on a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study to envision the Complete Street transformation for University Avenue. Public meetings are planned for this fall and early next spring, with the study to be released by March 2024.

• This week, City transportation officials are leading corridor walks along West 13th Street and University Avenue in Gainesville. The walks, which begin today and run through Thursday, are open to the public. The conversation will focus on plans to redesign parts of the City’s main thoroughfares to increase pedestrian and cyclist safety. Neighbors are asked to register in advance.