MediaUpdate

By Cindy Swirko
 
Alachua County town explores its history of racist violence against blacks as part of the broader truth and reconciliation process outlined by the Equal Justice Initiative.

Newberry residents will take another step in unearthing the truth and reconciling with the murder of six blacks at the hands of a white mob in 1916 when they dig up some soil from under the broad canopy of trees known as Lynch Hammock.

The jars will be taken to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, as part of the Community Remembrance Project. The goal is for Newberry to fully acknowledge and heal from the racial terrorism in its history, most notably the lynching of the Newberry Six.

In a proposal for the April 4 event, Newberry residents and Mayor Jordan Marlowe wrote that they want to expand understanding of the town’s history to include a truthful assessment of the mass lynchings that occurred.

“The circumstances of this lynching have been denied, misunderstood and locked in a literal ‘oath of silence’ for over a hundred years,” they wrote. “The members of our committee have rejected that oath, which was never taken by any African-American members of our community to begin with. We believe that where our history is concerned, there is no such thing as a partial truth.”

The group added, “We must acknowledge the entirety of our history, including this perverse and hateful event, if we are to have any truth in remembrance at all.”

The memorial and the Legacy Museum were created by the Equal Justice Initiative. They show how repercussions of racism are felt in today’s laws and policing practices that resulted in mass incarceration. Other effects include disparities in education, health and home ownership.

A monument for each county in which lynchings occurred hangs at the museum. Counties can bring them home through truth and reconciliation projects that include soil collection, historical markers and other actions. Alachua County is engaged in doing just that.

EJI’s soil collection aims to bring community members closer to the legacy of lynching and help make the history of racial injustice more visible across the American landscape, according to its website.

Jars of collected soil are on exhibit in the Legacy Museum.

Representatives from EJI will be at Lynch Hammock, on County Road 235 at Newberry Lane, for the soil collection, which Marlowe believes will be a solemn event.

“The tree that we will use, we can’t prove that any lynchings happened at the tree but it is at the corner of Lynch Hammock and we absolutely know they happened in the area,” Marlowe said. “As far as we can tell, we are the first city in the state to form a partnership with EJI for soil collection. I want to invite people to sit in Lynch Hammock and reflect on the fact that the last time that people gathered in Lynch Hammock it was for a diametrically opposed reason.”

Historical accounts say the Newberry killings began when an African American man named Boisy Long was accused of stealing some hogs. Dr. L.G. Harris and Constable George Wynne tried to arrest Long, but he allegedly fired at both men, fatally wounding Wynne, and then fled. Harris was shot but survived.

The Newberry Six were killed because authorities believed they helped Long flee.

James Dennis was fatally shot. Bert and Mary Dennis, Stella Young, the Rev. Josh Baskin and Andrew McHenry were jailed and then lynched after a mob got them out of the lockup.

Long was later apprehended and convicted of murder. He was executed Oct. 27, 1916.

Newberry last year erected a state historical marker with information about the lynching at Pleasant Plain United Methodist Church in the Jonesville area.

A busload of county residents, mostly from Newberry, visited the museum and memorial earlier this year.

Newberry is also sponsoring a contest for county students in African American history, American history or 11th grade English classes.

Students can write essays or create works using music, literature and other arts to address the ramifications of the Newberry Six. Winners will present their work at the soil collection ceremony.

The marker, trip, soil collection and contest are all part of Newberry’s truth and reconciliation mission.

Tania Cordes, EJI communications manager, said the organization is working with dozens of communities nationwide.

The process “will allow communities to gain perspective and experience that we believe is crucial to managing the monument retrieval process wisely and effectively,” Cordes said in an email.

Patricia Hilliard-Nunn, senior lecturer in the University of Florida African American Studies Program, who has spent years researching the Newberry Six lynching, said area residents are now gaining a consciousness of the racial terrorism that was not uncommon here.

Descendants of the lynched and the lynchers still live in the area. It is hoped that both can accept what happened and work toward reconciliation.

“The soil collection can put those spirits to sleep,” Hilliard-Nunn said. “It’s a way we can stand with people throughout this nation and say, ‘This happened, it’s wrong, we’re not trying to live in the past but at this point we want to move forward and make sure it never happens again.’”

​By Cindy Swirko

Digging through archives leads to clues of lynchings as part of effort to document and atone for a history of racist violence against blacks.

A cadre of volunteers has spent years deciphering handwritten Alachua County Commission meeting minutes dating from 1845 and transferring them to type.

It was like deciphering code — the writing was in the cursive style of the day, which has differences from modern cursive, which itself is becoming a lost art in the digital age.

But the 37,146 pages of history may help today’s commissioners come to terms with the racial injustices of the county’s past.

Those meeting minutes may provide answers that advance the county goal of atoning for a racist history that lingers today in the high rate of black arrest and imprisonment, educational and health disparities and low home ownership, among other measures of inequity.

That racist history includes the unlawful “extrajudicial” killing of at least 46 residents in the county.

Those lynchings were the most extreme acts in a system of racial violence and oppression that experts say was used across the South by whites to maintain power and privilege.

“We want to draw a pretty bright line around county government and then take responsibility for what we did or did not do,” commission Chairman Robert Hutchinson said. “It’s deep historical research. A lot of it means going back into a lot of records, but fortunately through an amazing volunteer effort, all minutes have been digitized so they can be word searched.”

The county plans to hire an equity officer whose job will include the research. Soon, a website on the subject will be launched. It will eventually have all of the records and documentation that is compiled.

Communities are undertaking such truth and reconciliation projects in conjunction with the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. They were created by the Equal Justice Initiative.

The memorial includes steel monuments for each county in which lynchings occurred. Counties can bring home their monuments, which include the names of known lynching victims, through the projects.

Cities are also participating and Newberry has embraced it more than any other in Alachua County.

The county recently held a memorial service for the lynching victims and more events are planned. But the drive to uncover its complicity and acknowledge its responsibility goes beyond ceremonies.

The county has documented at least 46 lynchings, though more were likely. The research continues.

Included are the Newberry Six, who were killed in 1916 following an accusation of stolen pigs. Others were lynched in Newberry at different times — at least 15 in all.

Gainesville had 11 documented lynchings and another nine happened in Newnansville, the former county seat that was north of Alachua.

Among those killed was an unidentified boy in 1892 in Waldo. His age was not known.

Jim Powell, who oversees ancient archives for the county Clerk of the Court office, said none of the county commission meeting minutes mention lynching. But payments for coroner inquests point to deaths that can be tied to lynchings.

Powell said he found no language of overt racial practices in the minutes he has seen. In fact, until about 1919, official records such as marriage licenses did not denote race. What changed?

“I’m thinking it was the first World War and the world got smaller — things came into the county from outside,” Powell said. “Radio and stuff like that brought other cultures into the county.”

But lynching was happening in Alachua County long before World War I.

The earliest killings found in the research were in 1867. Four men were lynched that year: George Bibbon and Cooley Johnson in Newnansville, Jacob Lee near Wacahoota and Harry Simonton in Micanopy.

George Buddington was the last man for whom an account of his killing could be found. He died in 1926 in Waldo.

Most were men but the Newberry Six included Mary Dennis and Stella Young.

Some of the lynchings were mob rule: “Taken by mob on way to jail” was a frequent entry in the research notes.

The lynching of a man named Eli by burning involved famed Wild West outlaw John Wesley Hardin.

Henry Hinson was hanged in Micanopy’s town square on allegations he murdered a man after a tightrope-walking performance.

Henry White was lynched in a woman’s yard in Campville after he was found under the bed of a white woman. He was hanged but the noose broke, so he was shot.

Most were black but the list includes four whites. One, W.M. Lucy, was a Jewish merchant who was shot in the eye.

The list was compiled by Karen Kirkman, a historian and president of the Historic Haile Homestead.

Kirkman collected accounts of the lynchings from varied sources including the Equal Justice Initiative and newspaper archives including Chronicling America, a website of the Library of Congress.

“You’ll see gaps in all of them. It’s pretty frustrating. Some stuff was a little hit or miss,” Kirkman said. “Some (lynchings) could have been in the local paper, but we just don’t have a copy.”

Yet accounts of lynchings in Alachua County appeared in newspapers elsewhere including North Carolina and South Carolina, including one that ran a day after the lynching.

The county’s next phase — ferreting out the ways the county was complicit in discrimination — may be just as difficult to pin down.

For example, roads and other facilities were built with inmate labor, Hutchinson said. Blacks were much more likely to be unjustly jailed and imprisoned.

The county wants to learn how it discriminated against blacks in employment and how segregation in health care at the former county-owned Alachua General Hospital affected the treatment of blacks.

Land-use records will be scrutinized to try to learn if blacks were cheated out of their property.

Kirkman said the minutes do include information that will be helpful, citing as an example contracts between the county and companies for the use of inmate labor. But names will be difficult to come by.

Hutchinson said if individuals can be identified and descendants are in the county now, some sort of reparations may be made.

​By Eric Godet/Special to The Sun

One of the reasons I am so proud to live in Alachua County, and to serve as president/CEO of the Greater Gainesville Chamber, is the passion found here — we are a community dedicated to identifying and solving problems. From our world-class institutes of higher education to our national and home-grown nonprofit organizations to our entrepreneurial and research culture, we work together in big and small ways to make our world a better place.

One of the most impactful ways we can make our community and our nation better, however, is also the simplest: completing the 2020 census. April 1 is Census Day, and you can look for your invitation to complete your census in the mail from March 12 to March 20.

On that invitation will be your personal and secure code for your household to complete your census online, using your preferred device. If you’d rather, you can still complete a paper census, which will be mailed to you if you do not complete it online. Completing the census has never been easier, but make no mistake: Your participation is critical.

You see, in the last decade, because of an undercount in our residents here in Alachua County, we lost out on an estimated $390 million in federal funding. Think about what those dollars could have done for some of the issues we work on every day: issues like infrastructure repair, economic development, inequity and poverty and education.

Without a complete count of who lives in our county, the government cannot accurately apportion the funds provided for roads, schools and hospitals. Social programs like Head Start, Medicare, school lunches and Pell Grants for students are all funded using census data.

Businesses decide where to locate new stores, where and when to expand, and even what to stock on their shelves using census data. Our recently opened Cheesecake Factory — one of the most successful of the company’s restaurants — brought 303 new jobs to Alachua County, and the company cited population density and makeup as one of the key variables to locating here.

This census, we also have the opportunity to increase our representation in government. Congressional seats are determined by census data, and Florida is projected to gain seats this year, but only if we are all counted. In the longer term, public health officials use census data to identify and solve problems as well, researching health patterns and developing interventions for at-risk populations.

Census data is also critical for Social Security calculations. Without having accurate data on the number of children in each household, for example, the government can’t project needed future benefits.

At the Greater Gainesville Chamber, we have partnered with Alachua County, our municipalities, the University of Florida, Santa Fe College and our nonprofit and community organizations to help spread the word on the importance of the 2020 census. We have a variety of engagement activities planned in the upcoming month, and we know our business community is eager to do its part.

Watch for upcoming events on social media, and visit countingonyou.us to learn more about the 2020 census. We know we can count on you!

Eric Godet Sr. is president/CEO of the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce.

​By Kim A. Barton/Special to The Sun

It’s that time again, Alachua County voters!

The 2020 election cycle has officially begun, meaning we are quickly approaching the presidential preference primary and city of Gainesville regular election. Election Day is March 17.

Florida is a closed primary state, so during primary contests, voters may only vote for candidates with whom they share a party affiliation. In other words, a Democrat will only see Democratic candidates on their ballot, and a Republican will only see Republican candidates on their ballot. The deadline to change parties or register to vote in this election has passed — it was Feb. 18.

Additionally, all voters who live within the city of Gainesville will also be able to make their choice for Gainesville City Commission At Large Seat 2. Those who live in Districts 2 and 3 will also see their additional district contest.

I encourage you to research the candidates. Presidential primaries are important, but it is imperative to be informed about local elections as well. Be aware of what the offices have control or influence over, and recognize the power you have in selecting those who serve in office.

Voters have three options for participating in these elections: vote-by-mail, early voting and voting on Election Day.

To vote by mail, you should request a vote-by-mail ballot at VoteAlachua.com/MBRS or by calling our office at 352-374-5252. Voting by mail is a convenient and secure way to cast your ballot, and everyone is welcome to use this method. Vote-by-mail ballots for Alachua County have prepaid return postage, and you still get an “I Voted” sticker. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot for this election is 5 p.m. March 7.

I recommend voters mail back their ballots at least a week before Election Day so that the ballots can get back to our office in time. This also gives our office time to contact voters who need to correct any issues, and all vote-by-mail ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters who believe their signatures may have changed over time should complete a new voter registration application so our office has your updated signature on file. Make sure to get the signature update in before your vote-by-mail ballot, however.

Early voting is another convenient option for voters who cannot get to the polls on Election Day, or are just eager to cast their vote. For this election, early voting will take place from March 6 to March 14 every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are six early voting locations around Alachua County to make this process easy for voters.

Voters may participate in early voting at any of the following locations: Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office, Tower Road Branch Library, Millhopper Branch Library, Legacy Park Multipurpose Center, Orange Heights Baptist Church and the J. Wayne Reitz Union. Voters can only use these locations for early voting. On Election Day, you must vote at your assigned polling location.

Again, Election Day is March 17. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can find where your voting precinct is by going to VoteAlachua.com or by calling 352-374-5252.

I am looking forward to serving you this election season. If you have any questions or want more information on elections, don’t hesitate to reach out. My email is kbarton@alachuacounty.us and the number here is 352-374-5252.

Kim A. Barton is Alachua County supervisor of elections.

By Dorothy Benson and Dorothy Thomas/Special to The Sun

When Gov. Ron DeSantis made the gubernatorial appointments to the Children’s Trust board on Feb. 14, he gave our county a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift.

His five appointments (Dr. Patricia Snyder, Dr. Nancy Hardt, Dr. Maggie Labarta, Dr. Karen Cole-Smith and Lee Pinkoson) join the other five board members appointed through Florida statute, and together, this inaugural Children’s Trust board represents a diverse and deeply talented pool of individuals who are eminently qualified to follow through on promises made to voters during the campaign.

The new gubernatorial appointees join five statutory appointments, which include the superintendent of schools (Karen Clarke), a local school board member (Tina Certain), the district administrator from the Department of Children and Families (Cheryl Twombly), a member of the County Commission (Ken Cornell), and the judge assigned to juvenile cases in Alachua County (Susanne Wilson Bullard).

These 10 board members represent our local public school system, our child welfare system, our local government, our judicial system, the University of Florida, Santa Fe College and our rural areas. Their collective areas of expertise include early childhood development, children with special needs, obstetric medicine, mental health and substance abuse disorders, out-of-school enrichment and supports, community outreach, the education system, child abuse prevention, social work, the business community and our future workforce needs, and the juvenile justice system.

Each of them, bringing their areas of expertise and experience, will work together to maximize their collective impact for our county’s children and families that will last generations.

The governor made his selections from a slate of 15 candidates submitted to him by our local Alachua County commissioners. The full board includes individuals who will collaborate to reach across all systems of care to reduce duplication, fill gaps and change the way we serve our local children and their families to achieve maximum collective impact.

The board has established guiding principles that will transform the way services are delivered to children in this community which include priorities such as “innovation” and “collaboration” in coordinating our current systems of care into comprehensive systems of care, along with a commitment to be transparent and accountable to Alachua County’s taxpayers while prioritizing a long-term continual return on investment.

The Children’s Trust board has also recently chosen an executive director who will implement this vision. Colin Murphy comes to the Trust from the Children’s Home Society of Florida, where he led the agency’s statewide business development effort and oversaw the implementation of seven community partnership schools throughout North Florida.

Prior to that, Murphy served as the senior director of operations/COO of the Jacksonville Children’s Commission, a $38 million dependent children’s services council in Duval County. Murphy oversaw the organization’s day-to-day operations, including all procurement, grant-writing, contract management, program evaluation and information systems.

The Trust’s work today can bring a better prepared workforce in our future years and a more thriving local economy by supporting healthier babies who are then ready for kindergarten, who read on grade level by the end of third grade, and receive what they need in their middle and high school years so they can graduate and enter higher education or go directly into the workforce.

We know that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond our wildest dreams. We are now one giant step closer. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.

Dorothy Benson and Dorothy Thomas were organizers of the Children’s Trust campaign.

The Alachua County Commission should create a committee, or encourage a private group, to rehabilitate the Camp McConnell property to the point that a finished product could be turned over to an appropriate entity, such as the School Board.

While there has been a survey of the building conditions and what it might take to make them usable, a company that plans nature camps should be brought in. They could give ideas on whether the buildings are the right size and type for the 21st century, and perhaps suggest other buildings. The schools of architecture and building construction at the University of Florida and Santa Fe College could lend their expertise.

The camp should be seen as a year-round facility, not just a summer camp. A way of fundraising could be a naming program.

The county made a wise decision to purchase the property. Now let’s get it up and running with community support and not a lot of taxpayer money.

Bruce A. Blackwell, Gainesville

By Sarah Nelson

A growing number of agencies have come on board with accepting community IDs, a new initiative by local advocates that ensures someone’s residency in the city or county.

And while more community leaders buy into the idea, the group behind the push, the Human Rights Coalition, is also reminding the public about the do’s and don’ts for the cards’ use.

Community IDs, experts say, serve as an extra layer of legitimacy that someone lives in the city or county. They include a person’s photo, name, date of birth, address, expiration date and a unique ID code.

“It’s a way for people within the community to identify themselves,” said Liz Ibarrola, from the Human Rights Coalition of Alachua County.

So far, the city of Gainesville, Alachua County Public Schools, Gainesville Police Department, the Sheriff’s Office, the Alachua County Commission and UF Health Shands Hospital have agreed to accept the cards.

While advocates say the new cards are typically used by marginalized groups, such as immigrants, transgender people and the recently incarcerated, documented members of the public are especially encouraged to get an ID to normalize their use.

David Fraccaro, executive director of the North Carolina organization that started the ID program, said FaithAction began issuing the IDs seven years ago. Since then, other Florida cities have started to use them, such as West Palm Beach. A program is also underway in Miami-Dade.

But because the IDs aren’t issued by the government, they’re not a substitute for times when a state ID is required, such as driving or voting. Rather, the cards were created so a person can receive local services, such as checking out library books, being identified as a parent at school or to open a bank account.

“This should never be anyone’s only form of identification,” Ibarrola said. “The IDs are accepted as proof of identification, except when a state ID is required.”


The IDs cost $10, and are only available when the Human Rights Coalition hosts ID drives. Three forms of identification are required to get one, including a separate photo ID (such as a current or expired state ID or passport), proof of address (bill or bank statement) and proof of age (a passport, birth certificate, insurance policy or school transcript).

Reina Saco, an attorney who has represented immigrants, said the organizations thoroughly vet ID card applicants, but the only information filed by the Human Rights Coalition is a person’s name and age. This mitigates the chances that U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement could obtain a list of those who have registered for an ID.

ICE would need a warrant and criminal reason to request someone’s file, she said, and because the IDs aren’t issued by the government, they wouldn’t be subject to public record laws.

The HRC will be hosting frequent ID drives, Ibarrola said, with the next one coming in March.

Follow updates on the coalition’s website at https://hrcalachua.com/

The Human Rights Coalition of Alachua County is hosting a community ID drive...

Click to watch this story.

​By The Gainesville Sun editorial board

A federal anti-lynching law should have been passed long ago but was blocked by Southern lawmakers, sometimes under the guise of defending “states’ rights.”

Now the measure is close to becoming law, despite opposition from a handful of lawmakers — including Gainesville’s congressional representative, who has shamefully revived the states’ rights argument.

Jeer: U.S. Rep. Yoho, R-Gainesville, for being one of just four House members to vote against legislation that would make lynching a federal hate crime.

The Emmett Till Antilynching Act, named after a black teenager who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955, passed the House by a 410-4 vote. Congress has repeatedly failed to pass similar legislation since the late 1800s.

Yoho told CNN that he voted against the bill because it’s an “overreach of the federal government” and tramples on states’ rights.

Even as he prepares to retire from Congress, Yoho has embarrassed his district with his vote and explanation for it — especially as Alachua County goes through a “truth and reconciliation” process that includes commemorating and recognizing local victims of lynching.

I have never been so embarrassed and ashamed to be a resident of Gainesville, Alachua County and this 3rd congressional district as Wednesday when I saw that Ted Yoho voted against the federal anti-lynching bill. His vote (one of only four against the measure) has made our district a national laughing stock

In a month where black history is celebrated and Alachua County memorialized those individuals lynched in this county (I was there for that amazingly moving ceremony, and Yoho should have been as well), it is a disgrace that he could not vote with the overwhelming bipartisan House majority to support federal protection for lynching victims.

Any explanation that the congressman can give for this lack of concern for those individuals who have been victimized by this expression of targeted violence rings hollow. We can do better.

Steven Noll, Gainesville

​The Alachua County Commission will conduct a Special Meeting on Tuesday, March 3. The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Jack Durrance Auditorium (Room 209) on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, downtown Gainesville).The meeting agenda includes:..

Click to read more.

The UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office is pleased to announce the following Commercial Horticulture programs for March 2020. These programs are being offered by Dr. Tatiana Sanchez, Commercial Horticulture Agent, at the UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office (2800 N.E. 39th Avenue, Gainesville)...

Click to read more.

Press release from Alachua County

The Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, Florida State Parks, and The Friends of O’Leno will host the annual O’Leno Ole’ Chili Cook-Off and Springs Celebration on Saturday, April 4, at O’Leno State Park (410 S.E. Oleno Park Road, High Springs). Event organizers are now recruiting chili competitors. Trophies and cash prizes will be awarded for a meat category, vegetarian category, and the People’s choice award...

Click to read more.

By Sarah Nelson

The search has begun for ways Alachua County can use the 211-acre Camp McConnell property since the commission voted to keep it last month.

Two public sessions at the former YMCA campground brought together several representatives of local agencies, nonprofits and organizations to pitch possible events and camps to hold on the property.

The general consensus is for the county to partner with multiple nonprofits to use the land and create a space for family-friendly activities.

Leslie Straub, from Florida Wildlife Care, said she envisions a science and outdoor education camp for middle and high school students, something she says is lacking from the community.

“This definitely can’t be another Camp Crystal and we don’t want it to be,” she said. “Because we’re going to be expanding that vision in the county and meeting those needs that are not being met right now.”

Representatives from the 4-H youth program expressed interest in using the pool, dorm facility and dining hall for either a day or overnight camp.

John Steinmeyer, from the Boy Scouts of America North Florida Council, said the chapter is interested in holding weekend or day activities for their members in Alachua and Gilchrist counties.

“We already have a very high-quality camping facility in Melrose,” he said. “The interest we have is the ability to have a very local place where potential scout recruits can come and do day activities or weekend-type things.”

Alachua County officials estimate that $3 million in renovations is needed to restore the land, which the county spent $1.2 million to buy in 2017.

Last month, the board voted to keep it.

Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler, who pushed to keep the land since she was elected in 2018, said she was delighted to see community members show up in strong numbers to the meetings Wednesday, despite rainy weather.

“I wanted to be sure that we had every opportunity to keep this for the use of our local community,” she said. “This is the best use of our money.”

County officials are expecting to present the results of the brainstorming sessions to the commission in April.

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR) officially opened its newest station this morning in the Phoenix Commercial Park on US 441 in the City of Alachua. Although the station has been operating since January 31, this was a chance to celebrate the partnerships that made it possible..

Click to read more.

By Sarah Nelson
 
Alachua County has joined the city of Gainesville in banning plastic straws.

The County Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to ban the sale or distribution of plastic straws and stirrers at restaurants in unincorporated areas of the county. The new law will go into effect immediately.

The ban is intended to curb single-use straws from polluting the ocean.

Hospitals, dentists, nursing homes and people with disabilities are exempt from complying with the ban. Some residents have raised concerns to commissioners that an outright prohibition on plastic straws is a challenge for people with disabilities.

Violators could face a $250 fine, though Commissioner Mike Byerly questioned how the county could enforce a policy. Officials from the county attorney’s office said that enforcers are not allowed to ask for proof of disability.

The law applies to bars, coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations.

In other action Tuesday, the commission agreed to postpone signing a letter of intent to proceed with donating the former fairgrounds property to the U.S. Army Reserve after local organizations complained that the process was rushed.

Members of the African American Accountability Alliance (4As) told the commission Tuesday that they felt blindsided that the commission was prepared to donate the property off Northeast 39th Avenue, and asked that commissioners consider other options that might bring more of an economic boost to east Gainesville.

“It’s about future discussions about development in east Gainesville,” said Rodney Long, president emeritus of the 4As. “We still have more questions than we have answers.”

County Manager Michele Lieberman said a letter of intent is not a commitment to sell the land, but a signal to the Army of the county’s intent to donate the property to the 81st Readiness Division.

Commissioner Ken Cornell said he regrets that anyone feels as if they were left out of the process, and asked that the panel delay signing the letter until April.

The board unanimously agreed to the delay and to ask whether properties adjacent to the Gainesville Airport Authority could hold the retail, restaurants and hotels that the 4As and Plan East Gainesville leaders desire.

And a possible solution to the state’s woes over CareerSource of North Central Florida’s administration model was approved by the commission Tuesday.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity documented numerous errors with the workforce board last month, saying the board did not properly oversee the outside company it used to handle state and federal funds.

The county agreed to look into setting up the organization as a nonprofit that would continue to serve Alachua and Bradford counties. Grant money to support the nonprofit would be reviewed by at least some of the elected commissioners from both counties.

Tommy Crosby, an Alachua County assistant county manager, said the model would ease state officials’ concerns about the board’s relationship with the outside company, called an administrative entity.

​Cindy and Joe Montalto, 65, feel like they have started to win their battle with the internet...

Click to read more.

U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, a representative for North Central Florida’s 3rd congressional district, was one of few opponents to a historic bill passed Wednesday that would make lynching a federal crime...

Click to read more. ​

By Sarah Nelson

East Gainesville advocates and local organizations are asking the Alachua County Commission to hit the brakes on a decision to donate the old fairgrounds to the U.S. Army Reserve.

The commission was set to sign a letter of intent to proceed with donating the Northeast 39th Avenue property to the Army at its Tuesday meeting, before the African American Accountability Alliance (4As) raised an alarm that the decision was rushed.

“We’ve been engaging the county about this property for so long, and it’s like somebody skipped us in line,” said Rodney Long, president emeritus of the 4As. “The county could be giving away one of its largest assets in the community, and no one would even know.”

Mark Sexton, county spokesman, said signing a letter of intent is not a final commitment to sell to the Army, and officials have held multiple meetings — including with the 4As — to discuss possible uses of the fairgrounds.

He estimated the commission could sign a final sales contract in July.

Donating the fairgrounds to the South Carolina-based U.S. Army 81st Readiness Division was placed on the commission’s consent agenda, a list of items that are typically passed in one sweeping vote, and reserved for projects that will likely be approved with little fanfare.

In an email Long sent Monday to commissioners, he asked them to delay the decision.

Commissioner Ken Cornell said he intends to pull the fairgrounds from the consent agenda at the beginning of the meeting for the board to discuss the issue at length on Tuesday.

“I’ve heard nothing but great things about how the Army will transform east Gainesville and Waldo Road,” he said. “But we haven’t done a good job of communicating to the community on why this is such a good thing.”

The Army has been eyeing the old fairgrounds since the beginning of 2019, and hopes to use it as an equipment concentration site. County officials estimate the move could create 75 jobs and bring $126 million to the local economy.

Long said the 4As has been hoping to use the fairgrounds for retail, hospitality, industrial or other commercial uses. The project was intended, he said, to revitalize the east side of the community since the county opted to place a sports arena at Celebration Pointe versus east Gainesville.

The County Commission will discuss the issue at its Tuesday meeting, which begins at 11:30 a.m. at 12 SE First St.

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

The Alachua County Commission has passed a plastic straw and stirrer ban for the unincorporated areas of the county. The law prohibits all beverage providers (whether the beverage is provided free of charge or sold) from offering any single-use plastic straw or stirrer. Like the City of Gainesville ordinance, there are exceptions, including an exception for “any disabled person that relies on same to consume beverages.”...

Click to read more.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) -- Paper straws are a trigger word for many Gainesville residents...

Click to watch this story.

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

The Alachua County Commission today passed a resolution “affirming participation and acceptance of FaithAction ID cards.”...

Click to read more.

Press release from Alachua County

The UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office is pleased to announce the following Family and Consumer Sciences programs for March 2020. These programs are being offered by Martha B. Maddox, Family & Consumer Sciences Extension Agent IV, at the UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office (2800 N.E. 39th Avenue, Gainesville)...

Click to read more.

Press release from Alachua County

The Alachua County Youth Fair and Livestock Show is March 6 through March 10 at the Alachua County Fairgrounds (3100 N.E. 39th Ave, Gainesville). Alachua County 4-H and FFA youth, ranging in age from 8 to 18, can participate in the Alachua County Youth Fair and Livestock Show. The event is free and open to the public...

Click to read more.