MediaUpdate

​Firefighters from Alachua County, LaCrosse, City of Alachua, and High Springs put the fire out before it spread to nearby buildings.

Watch the story​.​

​The ban is now set to run through April 17, but can be renewed again.

Read more​.​

​The Alachua County Commission will conduct its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. The meeting is in the Jack Durrance Auditorium on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 SE 1st St., Gainesville). The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. There is no evening portion of the meeting.

Read more​.​

​After reviewing Alachua County’s current wildland fire conditions and in consultation with state officials, the mandatory countywide burn ban has been extended and will remain in effect through April 17, 2026.

Read more​. ​

​About 775 tons of trash arrive at Alachua County’s Leveda Brown Environmental Park & Transfer Station every day. Like other waste facilities across the country, it’s seen more electronics pass through its doors in recent years than ever before.

Read more​. ​

​The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) remains in limbo after effectively stopping its Parker Road (NW 122nd Street) expansion project that ran into large trees.  

Read more​. ​

​Alachua County Manager Michele Lieberman has received the first David J. Krings County Administrator of the Year Award from the National Association of County Administrators.

Watch the story​.​

​At a special meeting on April 7, the Alachua County Commission voted to remove a multi-use path to save the South Pointe live oaks, expressed support for granting up to $500,000 to PEAK Literacy, and voted to review County processes to make sure heritage trees are protected in future County projects.

Read more​. ​

​The Alachua County Environmental Protection Department and UF/IFAS Extension are pleased to announce a rain barrel and compost bin sale in partnership with Rain Water Solutions, offering residents an affordable and practical way to conserve water and reduce waste. The deadline to place online orders is April 29, 2026, at 11 p.m.

Read more​.​

​The Alachua County Commission received a mixed snapshot of the county jail system during a special meeting on April 7, with officials touting gains in detention officer hiring and inmate programs alongside surging mental health needs behind bars.

With Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott present, ACSO Capt. Ray Swallows presented the quarterly update to the commissioners.

Swallows said that when Scott and his administration took office in January 2025, the jail had 68 vacant certified detention officer positions.

After nearly a year and a half under Scott’s administration, 63 applicants have been hired, trained and retained.

Currently, 35 detention officer and deputy vacancies remain. Swallows added that if 17 employees currently on academy or military leave are included, the number of vacancies drops to 18.​

In addition, 15 detention officer recruits are scheduled to graduate from the Corrections Academy on May 5. Eleven applicants are currently in the background process for detention officer recruit positions, with five in certification for detention officer recruit or deputy.​

Even as the jail continues to rebuild its staffing levels, mental health needs inside the facility remain significant.​

With Wellpath serving as the jail’s medical contractor, Swallows said 498 mental health evaluations were completed between December 2025 and February 2026.

During that same period, the jail’s average daily population was 908, with an average monthly mental health caseload of 644 and 247 new psychiatric patient visits.

​Commissioner Mary Alford asked whether 644 represented individual inmates or cases. Swallows confirmed the figure reflected individuals.

"That's a huge, huge number," Alford said.

A staff member said the jail currently has four mental health professionals, including a mental health director, two mental health counselors and a psychiatrist.

​As of April 7, Swallows said the jail population stands at 880.

Regarding in-house programs, Swallows highlighted the C.H.A.N.G.E. program, which serves inmates with at least 45 days remaining on their sentences and provides individual counseling, academic support, employment assistance, housing resources and nutritional assistance.

Since September 2025, 238 inmates have been screened for services, with 183 accepting participation. Of those, 44 were referred for job placement services, 40 received housing assistance, and 30 received help securing employment.

​Swallows added that several inmates have had their driver’s licenses reinstated, and that the jail is implementing CaseBook, a tracking software program that provides detailed statistical data on jail programs and outcomes.

After the presentation, Commissioner Anna Prizzia thanked ACSO and said she was encouraged to hear that hiring pipelines are back to providing “real numbers,” particularly in corrections.

On mental health, Prizzia said the jail is becoming the “de-facto mental health hospital,” noting that individuals experiencing mental health crises often end up in jail because they are not receiving appropriate services.

"How do we ensure that people are in the right place, getting the right support because if they're just in the jail and they're dealing with mental health issues, it's going to be a cycle," Prizzia said.

With a resource fair and employment expo upcoming, Prizzia asked County Manager Michele Lieberman and human resources staff to explore whether the county could participate as an employer.

​While thanking the agency, Alford said she would like future reports to include eligibility criteria for jail programs so commissioners can better understand program limitations.

Calling the initiative an impressive framework for serving the community, Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler thanked ACSO and asked about the average juvenile inmate population at the county jail compared to the juvenile detention center.

​Swallows said 12 juveniles facing adult charges are currently housed in a separate area of the county jail. While he did not have the number at the juvenile detention center, a staff member said 16 juveniles are housed there, including one out-of-county inmate at the state center.