Mold Remediation in Gainesville, FL

Alachua County and Gainesville voters have spoken, but before anything changes, the courts will also need to speak on two referendums concerning Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) and the county’s Board of County Commissioner (BOCC) district structure.

On both, voters spoke overwhelmingly.

Alachua County voters also approved the One Mill for School ballot question with 76% of the vote. The One Mill item will be implemented without issue.

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The local public utilities referendum asked if Gainesville voters wanted to eliminate Section 7 from the city’s charter—thereby erasing the GRU Authority and returning management control of the utility to the City Commission.

The referendum passed with 72.6% of the vote—39,305 to 14,863 votes.

Mayor Harvey Ward said he expected the vote to pass but not by such a large margin. He called the victory a mandate by citizens to return the system to the previous structure.

“Our system is supposed to depend, in large measure, on giving the people a voice and listening to that voice,” Ward said. “This is as big a mandate as I’ve seen on anything, and I would hope that that carries weight.”

The GRU Authority filed a lawsuit in September to stop the ballot referendum, calling it illegal and saying the City Commission lacks the power to undo an act of the Florida Legislature—even through a voter referendum.

An Alachua County judge authorized a temporary injunction. This injunction will prevent the city of Gainesville from implementing the referendum until after the lawsuit is settled. The hearing is currently scheduled for December.

Concerning the lawsuit, Ward said the City Commission will need to discuss its next steps at a future meeting. If the GRU Authority lawsuit succeeds, then the voters will have spoken in the affirmative but without any change.

Ward said he’s not sure what might happen if that’s the case.

“For now, what’s important is that the people have spoken very, very loudly, and the people own this thing, and they should have a voice,” Ward said.

On the Alachua County district referendum, the BOCC placed a ballot question that asked if voters want to return to the at-large system. Voters said yes will 71.6% of the vote—90,886 to 36,024.

In 2022, the Florida Legislature placed a referendum on the local ballot asking if Alachua County wanted to switch to single-member districts. That referendum passed with 51.5% of the vote, but the BOCC, who opposed the change, said misinformation had skewed the election.

The BOCC voted to place the issue back on the ballot this year, but the commission races scheduled for 2024 continued under a single-member district system.

With the overwhelming vote on Tuesday, Alachua County is poised to switch back to at-large districts in 2026, but a lawsuit filed by local citizens will hamper that change.

In October, a judge ruled that the ballot language was illegal according to Florida Statutes. Alachua County plans to appeal the decision in order to enforce the result of the election.

Until the judiciary has its say, the referendums will hang in limbo.

On the state level, Florida voters approved two constitutional amendments and rejected four others. These constitutional amendments needed 60% of voters to pass.

Alachua County and Gainesville voters have spoken, but before anything changes, the courts will also need to speak on two referendums concerning Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) and the county’s Board of County Commissioner (BOCC) district structure.

On both, voters spoke overwhelmingly.

Alachua County voters also approved the One Mill for School ballot question with 76% of the vote. The One Mill item will be implemented without issue.

Become A Member

Mainstreet does not have a paywall, but pavement-pounding journalism is not free. Join your neighbors who make this vital work possible.

See Member Benefits

The local public utilities referendum asked if Gainesville voters wanted to eliminate Section 7 from the city’s charter—thereby erasing the GRU Authority and returning management control of the utility to the City Commission.

The referendum passed with 72.6% of the vote—39,305 to 14,863 votes.

Mayor Harvey Ward said he expected the vote to pass but not by such a large margin. He called the victory a mandate by citizens to return the system to the previous structure.

“Our system is supposed to depend, in large measure, on giving the people a voice and listening to that voice,” Ward said. “This is as big a mandate as I’ve seen on anything, and I would hope that that carries weight.”

The GRU Authority filed a lawsuit in September to stop the ballot referendum, calling it illegal and saying the City Commission lacks the power to undo an act of the Florida Legislature—even through a voter referendum.

An Alachua County judge authorized a temporary injunction. This injunction will prevent the city of Gainesville from implementing the referendum until after the lawsuit is settled. The hearing is currently scheduled for December.

Concerning the lawsuit, Ward said the City Commission will need to discuss its next steps at a future meeting. If the GRU Authority lawsuit succeeds, then the voters will have spoken in the affirmative but without any change.

Ward said he’s not sure what might happen if that’s the case.

“For now, what’s important is that the people have spoken very, very loudly, and the people own this thing, and they should have a voice,” Ward said.

On the Alachua County district referendum, the BOCC placed a ballot question that asked if voters want to return to the at-large system. Voters said yes will 71.6% of the vote—90,886 to 36,024.

In 2022, the Florida Legislature placed a referendum on the local ballot asking if Alachua County wanted to switch to single-member districts. That referendum passed with 51.5% of the vote, but the BOCC, who opposed the change, said misinformation had skewed the election.

The BOCC voted to place the issue back on the ballot this year, but the commission races scheduled for 2024 continued under a single-member district system.

With the overwhelming vote on Tuesday, Alachua County is poised to switch back to at-large districts in 2026, but a lawsuit filed by local citizens will hamper that change.

In October, a judge ruled that the ballot language was illegal according to Florida Statutes. Alachua County plans to appeal the decision in order to enforce the result of the election.

Until the judiciary has its say, the referendums will hang in limbo.

On the state level, Florida voters approved two constitutional amendments and rejected four others. These constitutional amendments needed 60% of voters to pass.

Florida and Kentucky look for rebound wins when they face off in a Week 8 matchup in Gainesville.

The Gators bounced back from a 1-2 start by winning two straight. However, the team lost against Tennessee in OT after having all the momentum earlier in the game. Quarterback DJ Lagway will look to carry the team after Graham Mertz was ruled out for the season with a torn ACL.

Meanwhile, Kentucky also had a two-game win streak snapped with a loss against Vanderbilt. QB Brock Vandagriff looks to impress and show consistency on the field. That may be possible thanks to a dangerous weapon in receiver Dane Key.

Florida leads the overall series 53–21, with games dating back to 1917. The Gators are currently on a three-game losing streak against Kentucky since 2021, losing the last game, 33-14.

Who will take home bragging rights in the latest chapter of this historic rivalry? The Sporting News has everything you need to know about this game.

Florida vs. Kentucky start time

Florida vs. Kentucky will kick off at 7:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 19. The game will be played at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. It can hold up to 88,548 people.

What channel is Florida vs. Kentucky on today?

Florida vs. Kentucky will air on the SEC Network. Viewers can also stream the series on Fubo, which offers a free trial, so you can try before you buy.

For a limited time, you can get your first month of Fubo for as low as $59.99, a $20 savings. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

Florida vs. Kentucky radio station

Listen to Florida vs. Kentucky live on SiriusXM. The Florida broadcast airs on WRUF, while the Kentucky feed will be on 630 WLAP.

Get three months of SiriusXM for just $1. Listen to live NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.

Florida football schedule 2024

Here's a look at all of Florida’s opponents in 2024, along with links to purchase tickets:

*SEC game

Kentucky football schedule 2024

*SEC game

Gainesville and Alachua County residents were beginning to hunker down Wednesday morning ahead of the arrival of winds and rain from Hurricane Milton.

According to the National Weather Service's Jacksonville office, the area is under a tropical storm warning and can expect winds between 15-25 mph with gusts to 50 mph. The area also is under a flood watch, with the storm expected to drop 1 to 3 inches of rain, possibly more, in some areas of the county.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, Milton was moving north-northeast at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. The storm is expected to approach the west coast of Florida — possibly near Sarasota — by late this evening.

More:Watch satellite, radar images of Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida

12:50 p.m. | Expected impacts on Gainesville and Alachua County

According to a news release from the county, based on its current track, Hurricane Milton will start impacting the area as early as 7 p.m. Wednesday, but most impacts will likely occur late Wednesday into early Thursday morning. The storm is expected to leave the area by 9 a.m. Thursday.

Tropical storm force winds are still expected with rainfall between 2 and 8 inches. Expect more severe weather the further south you are.

Gainesville officials decide against curfew

After sending out an email on Tuesday afternoon regarding the possibility of curfew in Gainesville during the heaviest parts of the storm, city officials on Wednesday decided against the measure.

Ward said during a press conference at GPD Headquarters, that during Hurricane Helene, about three-fourths of the city's traffic lights went dark, and that at least 13 crashes occurred at those intersections.

"We don't want that to happen again. Our goal here to encourage folks to stay off the roads. Stay off the roads during the storm, particularly when it's dark," Ward said. "I am encouraging you int he strongest language possible, regardless of what we think might happen, stay home tonight."

Gainesville general population shelter full

From Alachua County:

"The shelter at the MLK Center is full. The General Population/Pet-Friendly shelter at the Easton-Newberry Sports Complex, 24880 NW 16th Ave., Newberry, has plenty of capacity."

Special Needs Shelter:

Special needs shelters will provide one cot per patient, though we cannot guarantee cots for caregivers. Residents should bring their own bedding, prescription medications, dietary foods, spare clothing, personal care items, and identification. For transportation assistance to the special needs shelter, please call 352-955-2575.

Free Uber Rides to Shelters:

Alachua County has partnered with Uber to provide free rides to and from shelters, ensuring no resident is left behind due to transportation challenges. To access this service:

The last week of September marked one year of homelessness for 36-year-old Lana Wise. She often struggles to find a private place to use the bathroom, sometimes going for more than 24 hours without relief.

Wise said she’s among 40 other homeless individuals that live off Southeast Fourth Place and around St. Francis House in downtown Gainesville.

Now, she said she struggles to come to terms with a new bill that went into effect Oct. 1 banning encampment on public streets and property like the ones Wise spends her days and nights at.

“If you don’t want us to sit on your sidewalk, and now all of a sudden it’s yours versus mine, where is it legal to?” she said through tears.

House Bill 1365, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 20, isn’t meant to eliminate homelessness, but instead ensure citizens feel safe and communities remain thriving, bill sponsor Rep. Sam Garrison (R-11) said.

“When you have situations when encampments pop up, business owners see decreased foot traffic,” he said. “It hollows out those communities for businesses, which has cascading collateral consequences. And as a result of that, you see parks being taken over and families don’t feel safe.”

Garrison said it took hours of debate and months of deliberation with city mayors to come up with the bill, which will allow Florida counties to enforce the provisions how they see fit.

Under the provisions, Florida counties can designate certain public places for encampment in a specific time period, to be approved by the Department of Children and Families.

After Jan. 1, if citizens or business owners witness unauthorized public encampment or sleeping, they can submit an affidavit to the city.

The city will then have five days to take reasonable action to remove those publicly sleeping or encamping, Garrison said. If they fail to do so, citizens or business owners can sue their local government.

The bill does not outline penalties for those sleeping and encamping on public property.

If counties do not have sufficient shelter space for those suffering from homelessness, the bill will push officials to make sure there are designated, safe and sanitary areas for public sleeping and encampment, he said.

To prepare for the influx of homeless individuals in shelters, the Florida government increased the current year’s budget by nearly 300% for emergency shelter space, Garrison said.

“I don’t know that this bill honestly changes anything about how the city of Gainesville responds to this issue [homelessness],” said Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward.

Instead, Ward said problems from the new bill will lie within communities that do little to nothing to support its homeless population.

Gainesville does much more than little to nothing, he said.

The city focuses on sending resources and outreach teams to those in encampments, whether that be from the city or GRACE Marketplace, to support its “homeless sisters and brothers,” Ward said.

Along with resources, the Gainesville City Commission approved a budget including $2 million for GRACE Marketplace Sept. 30.

While Alachua County Commissioner Mary Alford said she’s concerned about the lack of affordable housing for homeless people, she said she’s more worried about the bill’s lack of solutions for the reasons why some people end up homeless.

“My biggest concern, quite frankly, is the fact that this bill doesn’t provide the resources that we need to deal with mental illness, which is often the root cause of many folks that are on the streets and unwilling to go to shelters,” she said.

Legislators can’t create bills like this one without a solution on the other end of the legislature, she said.

“You can’t just say, ‘You can’t be homeless,’” Alford said.

Alford said she thinks the new legislation will instead push the homeless away from safety and into more isolated camps.

For Isaac Butler, who takes residence across from St. Francis House off of South Main Street, this structure of homelessness on public streets and property isn’t a bad thing, because it helps each individual get back on their feet, he said.

“Some people have never slept outside a day in their life… They’re like ‘Oh no, what do I do?’” Butler said. “Well, you eat here at 7, you get your stuff there… this is how you come back from that [homelessness].”

In order to not displace others like himself, Butler urges for more thought on this bill.

“We should have more reflections on the legislation,” he said.

Mahadi Khan, a 41-year-old worker at Food Max Foodie Store, a convenience store homeless individuals often camp in front of, said he’s in favor of the new legislation because it will stop those encamping from disturbing individuals.

“Gainesville is a beautiful place for living, for study,” Khan said. “But when I see homeless people without shelter, I feel a little bit of shame because they are disturbing people.”

Despite his support of the bill, Khan urges the city to take action in favor of these individuals in front of his place of work.

While homeless individuals and business owners struggle over the new changes, the bill won’t be enforceable until Jan. 1, when citizens can submit affidavits to their local government if they see unauthorized public encampment.

“I want to say to the Gainesville community — please do something for all of them, they need shelter,” Khan said.

Contact Kairi Lowery at klowery@alligator.org. Follow her on X @kairiloweryy.

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Tens of thousands of Gainesville and Alachua County residents on Friday morning were without power following high winds from Hurricane Helene.

Helene made landfall just after 11 p.m. Thursday near Perry — about 100 miles from Gainesville — packing winds up to 140 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Downed trees blocked major roadways, including eastbound Newberry Road west of Interstate 75. Damaged and tangled power lines could be seen throughout much of the county.

Hurricane Helene live updates:1 million without power in Florida, sewers disabled in St. Pete

Power outages update

Power outages as of 7 p.m. Friday.

City of Gainesville parks and trails

Possum Creek Park, Tom Petty Park and Depot Park are all open and clear of safety hazards, according to a Facebook post from the city's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs department.

The playground at Albert Ray Massey Park (Westside) is closed due to fallen tree limbs. All nature parks are closed until further notice.

Number of power outages slowly falling in Alachua County

Power outages as of 4:45 p.m. Friday

Alachua County waste collection

The Leveda Brown Environmental Park and the five Rural Collection Centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Residents who typically receive waste collection services at their homes on Thursdays will have their waste collected this Saturday. Regular collection schedules and operating hours will resume next week.

Shelters in Alachua County being combined into one

Alachua County's two general-population pet-friendly shelters and its special-needs shelter are being combined into one location effective immediately.

All those in need of shelter should go to the Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center at 1028 NE 14th St., Gainesville.

Road closures in Alachua County

Alachua County power outages

Power outages as of noon Friday.

Alachua County residents asked to stay off roadways

Alachua County Public Works Director Ramon Gavarrete on Friday morning told The Sun that "people should stay home."

"We're still opening up roadways. We have quite a few roadways that are blocked because of power lines still. Quite frankly, it's really not safe for folks to be out and about. We are hoping to have all the roads — depending on the power line companies — all the roads at least open — not cleared — hopefully before dark," Gavarrete said. "The army of power line trucks should be arriving soon."

Many traffic signals in the county remain out. Drivers are reminded to treat intersections with non-functioning traffic signals as a four-stop.

GRU issues statement on power outages

The following statement was provided to the The Sun by GRU Communications Director David Warm:

"We are still assessing the full extent of the damage, but the storm was powerful enough to take out two transmission lines, which is an unusual event. We’re working on restoring power to those lines in addition to several wires down and multiple other outages. In addition to GRU’s line crews, we have mutual aid assistance from Kissimmee Utility Authority, Lake Worth Beach Utilities, Leesburg Utility Services and Lubbock Power & Light. We also have additional trees crews assisting. On the water/wastewater side, numerous lift stations are without power, so we ask customers to limit water use as much as possible. As always, we will continue working until all services are restored."

High Springs road closure

U.S. 27 at Northwest 234th Street in High Springs is closed due to downed power lines. Avoid the area.

Large tree falls in Newberry cemetery

Shelters in Alachua County

Here is a breakdown of those who checked into a shelter in Alachua County on Thursday:

Power outages in Alachua County

Power outages as of 10 a.m. Friday.