Mexican convicted of drug trafficking and firearm offense by federal jury

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Steve Charles, 30, was arrested yesterday and charged with battery and drug charges after an investigation into an unwanted kiss led to the discovery of drugs in his apartment. Gainesville Police Department executed a search warrant yesterday on Charles’ apartment while investigating a report that Charles...

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – On February 1, 2023, High Springs Police Department located two abducted Missouri children and their abductor after a routine vehicle tag check indicated the vehicle owner was a fugitive. Officers located the trio shopping in Winn Dixie, after disguising their identities. The non-custodial mother, Kristi...

In Thursday’s Gainesville City Commission Meeting, the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) reported its final crime statistics for 2022. When we published our Jail booking log summary (part 1 and part 2), GPD crime statistics were only available through the third quarter of 2022. Before citizens were allowed to see this data, city commissioners had already declared a “traffic violence crisis,” and they declared a pre-planned “gun violence crisis” immediately after GPD Chief Lonnie Scott’s presentation. The numbers are getting worse, but they do not justify the declaration of dual crises.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Anna Dorthea Nikles, 18, was arrested yesterday afternoon, along with a 16-year-old and a 14-year-old, and all three were charged with carrying concealed weapons. Nikles was also charged with possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. At about 1:00 p.m. yesterday, Gainesville Police Department officers...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Yesterday Alachua County Animal Resources & Care served a warrant at the home of Patricia Garibaldi and seized 10 live cats and two dead cats; they estimate that as many as five cats may still be in the residence. Judge Phillip Pena signed the warrant after...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alachua County ranks in the top 25 counties in Florida for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. To help reverse this trend, the Gainesville Police Department is participating in the Florida Department of Transportation High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Program aimed at educating motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians on Florida’s traffic laws to improve safety on city roads.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gainesville Police Department is asking the public for help in identifying a person who was in the area of last night’s double homicide. Anyone with information can contact GPD Detective Bernal at 352-393-7729 or bernalvl@cityofgainesville.org. You can remain anonymous by reporting tips to the Alachua County Crime Stoppers at www.stopcrime.tv.

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – On January 31, 2023, Alachua County and Alachua Conservation Trust partnered to protect 128 acres of conservation land along the Upper Santa Fe River. Through the $441,385 purchase of the Santa Fe River-Bell property, two-thirds of a mile of frontage on the Santa Fe river was acquired (with ACT purchasing 21 acres in Bradford County on the north side of the river and Alachua County purchasing 107 acres in Alachua County on the south side of the river).

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Museum of Natural History has finished the design and development stage of its newest permanent exhibit, “Water Shapes Florida.” Construction is set to begin later this month, with an anticipated opening date in spring 2024. The iconic “Northwest Florida: Waterways & Wildlife”...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Meeting notices for the City of Gainesville, including agendas and details on how to watch or attend, can be found here. Note: Mayor Ward announced at the end of the February 2 City Commission meeting that this week’s General Policy Committee meeting was canceled because of the JLAC meeting on Thursday, but the JLAC meeting has been postponed and the General Policy Committee meeting will take place as scheduled.

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. — The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office will begin its annual visits to the county’s seven public high schools with a visit to Hawthorne Middle/High School on Friday, February 3. Students across the county will learn about the voting process and have an opportunity to pre-register or register to vote.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Below are the updated City of Gainesville traffic impacts scheduled for February 3-10, 2023. SW Fifth Ave.: Southwest Fifth Avenue will be closed between Southwest 13th Street and Southwest 12th Street to through traffic starting Monday, Feb. 6, and continuing through Friday, Feb. 10. Continuing Notices.

The School Board Alachua County, Florida, shall hold a public meeting to which all persons are invited. DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, February 7, at 6 p.m. LOCATION: District Office Boardroom, 620 East University Ave, Gainesville, FL. PURPOSE: General Business Meeting. Meeting Opening. Call to Order-Pledge of Allegiance. ACEA Union Updates...

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – The Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (MTPO) for the Gainesville Urbanized Area will conduct a meeting at the Alachua County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville) in the John R. “Jack” Durrance Auditorium on Monday, February 6, 2023. The meeting begins at 3 p.m.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Last year, the Cade Museum invited visitors to “Wander the Milky Way.” Beginning in early February, guests can travel back in time to investigate how electricity shapes our lives with a brand-new museum theme called, “Latimer, Edison, Tesla: The Age of Electricity.”. From...