Archer swears in two new commissioners amid unresolved budget troubles

The city of Archer seated two newly elected commissioners, Bill Lewandoski and Jennifer Rossi, at Monday’s meeting. City leaders also received an update from their accounting team, which is still working through a 2024 audit that had flagged nearly three dozen financial problems, including irregularities in accounting practices and payroll.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Alachua County commissioner pushes schools to address 900+ homeless youth

County Commissioner Ken Cornell has written to the Alachua County School Board requesting a coordinated response to youth homelessness, including a review of vacant and underutilized school facilities that could potentially be used to serve homeless students and families. State data shows 920 unaccompanied homeless youth in the county, though Cornell and Children’s Trust of Alachua County leaders believe the true number is higher. The proposal has generated disagreement among elected officials, partly because the language around reviewing vacant school properties has raised concerns that housing students in those buildings could be under consideration.

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Sources: WCJB TV20

UF among eight Florida institutions sharing $4.2M in Alzheimer’s research grants

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced more than $4.2 million in grants to eight Florida institutions for Alzheimer’s disease research, making the announcement at a news conference held at the University of Florida. The funding comes from the Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s grant for fiscal year 2025-26 and will support work ranging from diagnosis and treatment to basic science. UF alone will receive nearly $550,000 across three separate research projects.

Sources: Mainstreet Daily News · WCJB TV20

UF researchers test volcanic rock dust as a soil booster for Florida farms

University of Florida scientists are conducting a four-year, USDA-funded study worth nearly $750,000 to evaluate whether basaltic volcanic rock dust can improve soil health and crop productivity across Florida’s varied farmlands. The research targets the state’s nutrient-poor sandy soils as well as its highly organic soils, with the goal of reducing dependence on conventional fertilizers. Findings could have broader applications for warm, humid farming regions throughout the South and irrigated agricultural land nationwide.

Sources: UF News

UF researchers pair veterinary and biomedical teams to accelerate cancer drug discovery

A UF College of Veterinary Medicine surgical oncologist has partnered with the robotic drug discovery group at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute to study melanoma and osteosarcoma across both canine and human cancer cell lines. The collaboration exploits the biological similarities between dogs and people, with researchers comparing how each species’ cancer cells respond to treatments in hopes of identifying therapies that could benefit both. Osteosarcoma, while rare in humans, occurs more frequently in dogs, making canine patients a valuable model for advancing understanding of the disease.

Sources: UF News

Mental health stigma persists among Hispanic students and immigrants at UF

A report from the Independent Florida Alligator’s Spanish-language section examines how mental health stigma remains a significant challenge for Hispanic students and immigrants in the Gainesville area. University culture can intensify that stigma for immigrants and their descendants, according to the reporting.

Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator

ACSO seeks public help identifying two armed robbery suspects at Circle K

Two masked men entered a Circle K gas station on Southeast Hawthorne Road east of Gainesville early Sunday morning, holding two employees at gunpoint and stealing cash from the register before fleeing on foot. The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office released security camera images of the suspects and is asking anyone with information to contact Detective Michael Adkins.

Sources: Mainstreet Daily News · WCJB TV20

Bomb threat prompts lockdown at Santa Fe High School in Alachua

An anonymous caller reported Tuesday that a bomb had been placed at a specific location on the Santa Fe High School campus, prompting authorities from multiple agencies to respond. Students were moved to a secure location while the school was placed on lockdown, and officers from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deployed a bomb-detection K-9 to search the building. No one was allowed on school property during the investigation.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Lake City detectives arrest 4 men in undercover child sex sting

Lake City law enforcement arrested four men from the north Florida region following an undercover operation targeting online child exploitation. Detectives posed as underage girls on websites used for arranging sexual encounters, and the four suspects — from Fort White, Lake City, and Jacksonville — engaged in sexually explicit communications believing they were speaking with minors. The men face various sex crime charges.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Live Oak man pleads guilty to robbing Gainesville postal workers of master keys

Antrell Hillard, 33, of Live Oak has pleaded guilty to postal robbery and assault following incidents in Gainesville and Ocala in which he stole master keys from mail carriers while they were on their routes. In one instance, he physically broke a key free from a carrier’s belt. Hillard is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Teen arrested for bringing loaded rifle to Gainesville block party

Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 17-year-old at a block party Saturday at an apartment complex on Southwest 20th Avenue after he was found carrying a loaded rifle. The teen also had two outstanding warrants for parole violations related to a prior aggravated assault charge. A second juvenile was also taken into custody at the same event, though deputies did not detail the reason for that arrest.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Levy County man extradited from Oregon after years-long child sex abuse investigation

Tommy Poole, 37, was returned to Levy County after being arrested in Oregon on charges stemming from a years-long child sexual abuse investigation, authorities announced Monday. Officials said Poole abused multiple victims, the youngest of whom was 7 years old, with charges including two counts of capital sexual battery on a child under 12. One victim told investigators that the abuse resulted in a pregnancy.

Sources: WCJB TV20

UF distance coach Will Palmer has overseen 15 of 16 program records since 2023

Florida Gators distance running has undergone a major turnaround under coach Will Palmer, with his athletes setting 15 of the program’s 16 distance records since he joined in 2023. The Alligator profiles Palmer’s role in rebuilding the distance program at UF track and field.

Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator

Florida lacrosse ends 2026 season 15-4 with perfect Big 12 record but early exit

The Florida Gators women’s lacrosse team finished the 2026 season with a 15-4 overall record and a perfect 5-0 mark in Big 12 play, according to a season-review piece from the Independent Florida Alligator. Despite a strong regular season, the Gators departed the postseason earlier than expected.

Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator

Suwannee River Water Management District escalates to Phase Three water restrictions

The Suwannee River Water Management District board voted Tuesday to advance to a Phase Three Water Shortage Order, its most stringent tier of water-use limits. The new restrictions tighten rules on activities such as landscape irrigation across the district’s north-central Florida coverage area.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Newberry residents say Quikrete cement plant blasts damage homes, disrupt daily life

Residents living near a Quikrete cement plant in Newberry report that frequent blasts from the facility cause ongoing noise and dust that damage their homes and interrupt everyday routines. The reporting captures neighbors describing the disturbances as constant and severe, raising questions about the plant’s impact on the surrounding community.

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Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator

Demand for menopausal hormone therapy straining medication supplies

A surge in patients seeking relief from menopausal symptoms has contributed to shortages of hormone therapy medications, according to reporting by The Gainesville Sun. The increased demand is outpacing available supply, leaving some patients and providers struggling to access treatments.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun

Google to connect Palm Coast to Europe via undersea cable amid local pushback

Google plans to establish a subsea cable landing station in Palm Coast, a small Northeast Florida city, as part of a multibillion-dollar expansion of its cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure. The project, expected to go live early next year, would link the area to Europe, though not all residents and stakeholders are in support of the development.

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Sources: WUFT News

Florida lawmakers convene special session to bridge $1.4B budget gap

Florida’s Legislature began a special session Tuesday in Tallahassee aimed at reconciling competing state budget proposals passed by the Senate and House, which are separated by $1.4 billion. Both chambers reintroduced the same spending plans approved in February, and lawmakers have roughly three weeks to reach an agreement. Republicans expressed hope for a leaner budget than last year’s, while Democratic leaders cautioned that addressing residents’ affordability concerns should take priority over building up reserves.

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Sources: WCJB TV20

Judge orders Tiger Woods’ prescription drug records released to prosecutors in Florida DUI case

A Martin County circuit court judge approved the release of Tiger Woods’ prescription medication records to prosecutors, stemming from his arrest in March on suspicion of driving under the influence. Judge Darren Steele signed off on an agreement between Woods’ defense attorney Doug Duncan and prosecutors after a brief hearing. Duncan had previously challenged the subpoena on privacy grounds but conceded during the hearing that the right is not absolute.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Wildfires Scorching Nearly 29,000 Acres Across Florida Despite Recent Rain

Wildfires are burning close to 29,000 acres across Florida, with active fire activity reported in the Miami-Dade and Broward County area near the Everglades. The blazes are affecting road conditions and air quality in impacted regions, even as portions of the state have received recent rainfall.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun

Brightline faces mounting financial pressure and uncertain future

Brightline, the private passenger rail service operating in Florida, is under significant financial strain and its long-term viability is in question, according to a Gainesville Sun report. The headline suggests the company is racing against time to stabilize its finances before operations are derailed.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun

House Ethics Committee expands probe into Rep. Cory Mills with subpoenas, witnesses

The House Ethics Committee has broadened its investigation into Florida U.S. Representative Cory Mills, authorizing 20 subpoenas, gathering thousands of documents, and reaching out to dozens of witnesses. Mills faces allegations spanning campaign finance violations, misuse of congressional resources, and sexual misconduct. The inquiry follows a Columbia County court’s issuance of a dating violence injunction against Mills last year, prohibiting him from contacting a former girlfriend.

Sources: WCJB TV20