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ALACHUA, Fla. - On Friday morning, Jan. 20, 2023, at approximately 7:05 a.m., the Alachua Police Department’s (APD) Communication Center received a 911 call transfer from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Combined Communication Center stating that a juvenile had been struck by a vehicle in the 15400 block of Hipp Wayy, near Criswell Park, Alachua.

APD officers arrived on scene at approximately 7:09 a.m., within minutes of receiving the call. The five-year-old boy was alive but had sustained visible injuries to the head. Officers began first-aid. Due to the severity of the injuries, the APD requested assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol.

The child was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased by hospital staff.

The Florida Highway Patrol will be conducting the traffic homicide investigation to determine the cause of the vehicle accident; therefore, requested updates will need to be made through their office.

The child's name is not being released by authorities at this time due to the open investigation and the State of Florida's Marsy’s Law, but he is known to be Kaiden, an Irby Elementary School student.

The Alachua Police Department extends its condolences to the family and friends of the young boy that lost his life and thank the Florida Highway Patrol for their assistance in this tragic event. 

A GoFundMe account fundraiser has been created to honor Kaiden’s memory and cover his final expenses. To view the GoFundMe, visit: https://gofund.me/14b55138.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Below are the updated City of Gainesville traffic impacts scheduled for January 20-27, 2023. 

otices

NW Fifth Ave.: Northwest Fifth Avenue will be closed from Northwest 14th Terrace to Northwest 15th Street for curb and gutter repairs, sidewalk improvements and repaving from Monday, Jan. 23-Monday, Feb. 2. 

Continuing Notices 

SW Ninth Terrace: Southwest Ninth Terrace will be closed between Southwest First Avenue and University Avenue due to the construction of a new development. Construction is expected to last through August 2023.

 Note: All lane and road closures are subject to change due to unforeseen conditions, such as inclement weather.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Farm Share, Florida’s leading food nonprofit and the state’s largest food bank, is distributing food to food-insecure Floridians in the Gainesville area. Recipients will receive fresh produce and non-perishable canned goods. Distributions are drive-thru only to minimize contact and to help ensure the safety of all parties. Attendees must arrive in a vehicle with a trunk or cargo bed.

With more than 3.9 million families suffering from food insecurity throughout Florida, Farm Share meets the everyday hunger needs of Floridians by working hand-in-hand with local farmers to recover and redistribute produce that would otherwise be thrown away due to aesthetic imperfections. 

Farm Share also distributes food to the community through its network of soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, churches, and senior centers across Florida free of charge. To find a food pantry near you, please visit www.farmshare.org/food-pantries.

Please find more information about this week’s event in your area below.

Event: Farm Share distribution with Project Youthbuild

Date: Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. until supplies last

Location: 635 NW 6th St., Gainesville, Fla. 32601

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The City of Gainesville’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department and the Wild Spaces & Public Places program invite the public to attend an open house to discuss future improvements at Boulware Springs.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 19, 2023) – United Way of North Central Florida and partner agencies will conduct the 2023 Homeless Point-in-Time Count in Alachua County on Monday, Jan. 23.

The annual count will identify the number of sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness throughout Alachua County with results available later this spring.

“The count gives us the ability to identify trends in homelessness within our community which we then use to set performance measures on our collaborative efforts with local service agencies through the homeless Continuum of Care,” said Patrick Dodds, Director of the Continuum of Care.

The 2022 Point-in-Time Count showed a 5 percent reduction in overall homelessness in Alachua County, but a 27 percent decrease in unsheltered homelessness since 2020.

To minimize exposure and transmission of COVID-19, outreach teams will be comprised solely of staff from United Way, partner agencies and community volunteers with lived experiences of homelessness. Other COVID-19 safety measures include the use of personal protective equipment and digital rather than physical surveys. Volunteers with lived experience will be paid $15 an hour for their time.

United Way of North Central Florida has served as the Lead Agency for the FL-508 homeless Continuum of Care (CoC) since 2018. The CoC catchment area includes the counties of Alachua, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Putnam.

The 2023 Point-in-Time Count in Alachua County will take place from a centralized staging location at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Gainesville. The count will begin at 6 a.m. and continue until approximately 8 p.m. Counts for the remaining counties will be conducted through Jan. 29, 2023.

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