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Vol. 1 · No. 16 · Saturday, May 16, 2026

The Gainesville Ledger

Sports

Buchholz baseball walks off Martin County to reach third straight 6A title game

The Buchholz Bobcats advanced to the FHSAA Class 6A championship game for the third consecutive year after a walk-off win over Martin County in nine innings, with a sacrifice fly from Zac Brown scoring the winning run. The two evenly matched teams entered the semifinal with identical records and comparable pitching staffs, and both feature multiple players committed to play college baseball. Buchholz will now compete for back-to-back state titles.

Sources: Mainstreet Daily News · The Gainesville Sun

Community

Morgan Wallen draws massive crowd to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for two-night concert

Thousands of country music fans, some traveling from as far as Canada, packed Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Friday for the first of two Morgan Wallen concerts, which law enforcement described as Gainesville’s biggest event in decades. University Avenue between 17th Street and Gale Lemerand Drive was closed for the event and will reopen at 1 a.m. before shutting again for the second night’s show. Notable appearances included former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow, basketball coach Todd Golden, and football coach Jon Sumrall, while officials urged attendees to stay hydrated in the heat and arrange safe rides.

Sources: WCJB TV20 · The Gainesville Sun

Education

Newberry mayor demands studies before Oak View Middle School expansion can proceed

Newberry Mayor Tim Marden sent a letter to the Alachua County School Board demanding a traffic study and additional documentation before the district can expand Oak View Middle School with portable classrooms, threatening to withhold city approval ahead of the Fall 2026 semester. The school district is pushing back, saying the expansion — which would convert Oak View into a pre-K through 8th-grade school — is needed in part because the former Newberry Elementary School is being converted into a charter school supported by city leaders. Alachua County Public Schools officials say they still plan to open the expanded school this fall.

Read both sides →

Sources: Mainstreet Daily News · WCJB TV20 · The Independent Florida Alligator

City

High Springs weighs cutting fire services amid 12.5% budget shortfall

High Springs city leaders met jointly with Alachua County commissioners to discuss potential reductions to the city’s fire department as part of an effort to trim 12.5% from the municipal budget. Residents spoke at the meeting in defense of keeping the local fire station open, though no decision was reached. The commission is expected to take up the matter again at its May 28 meeting.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Education

UF engineers develop world’s first DNA-guided CRISPR system for RNA editing

A University of Florida engineering team, working with researchers at UT Austin, has created a new form of CRISPR technology that uses DNA rather than RNA as a guide molecule — a first of its kind. Because DNA is naturally more stable and easier to produce than RNA, the approach could make disease diagnostics and treatments safer, more precise, and less expensive. The team first reported the work in a 2024 preprint and released the structure of the system in a separate preprint in March 2026.

Sources: UF News

UF researchers help define ‘ecotech,‘ a new field drawing on ecosystem principles

A team of international researchers that includes scientists from the University of Florida has formally proposed a new discipline called ecotech, which applies principles drawn from natural ecosystems to the design of technologies. Published in Science Advances, the work suggests ecotech could guide innovations ranging from marine-compatible wind farms to more sustainable agricultural systems. The researchers argue that Florida is well-positioned to become a hub for the emerging field.

Sources: UF News

Public Safety

Las Vegas man charged in connection with cat drowning case

A Las Vegas man has been charged in relation to a cat drowning case, according to a report from The Gainesville Sun. The case appears connected to Reba’s Law, Florida legislation addressing animal cruelty. Further details about the circumstances of the incident are not available from the headline alone.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun

Gainesville produce company owner pleads guilty in federal food-program fraud

William Brittenham, president of the now-dissolved Rainbow Produce of Gainesville, has entered a guilty plea to conspiring to commit an offense against the United States. Prosecutors allege he orchestrated a scheme to defraud a government fresh food program by making false claims about where produce was grown and deliberately overcharging the government for snack packs supplied to military and school kitchens. Brittenham is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Gainesville homicide count already surpasses all of last year after two weekend killings

Mayor Harvey Ward addressed public safety concerns after two separate homicides last weekend — a shooting on Northwest 6th Street and a stabbing on Northwest Third Street — pushed the city’s 2026 homicide total to at least five, already exceeding the full-year count for 2025. Ward acknowledged that violent crime remains a daily focus for city leadership, while also noting that gun violence has been declining and that many recent violent incidents occurred inside residences. Both cases remain unsolved.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Business

Sports

Environment

Jacksonville wastewater pipeline to North Florida delayed but not dead

A plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville to North Central Florida has been delayed — potentially indefinitely — after a state senator announced a pause on the Water First North Florida project via social media. However, a separate report indicates the proposal has not been fully abandoned despite the legislator’s announcement. The project would have brought reclaimed water to the region as a water-supply alternative.

Sources: WUFT News

Community

Keystone Heights neighbors upset after Airbnb rented out for advertised sex party

A home on Pointview Road in Keystone Heights was rented through Airbnb last Saturday for a party that was publicly advertised as a sex party, drawing complaints from nearby residents. The property owner said the nature of the event came as a surprise to him, and while an RSVP list showed more than 400 expected attendees, neighbors reported fewer than 100 people showed up. A resident brought concerns about parking and traffic to the Keystone Heights City Council on Monday.

Sources: WCJB TV20

State & National

Body of 19-year-old Florida soldier found in Morocco

The U.S. Army has recovered the remains of Specialist Mariyah Collington-Taveres, a 19-year-old Florida soldier who had been reported missing, according to reporting by the Gainesville Sun. The soldier’s body was discovered in Morocco. No further details about the circumstances were available from the headlines alone.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun

From the Magazine

SHOW PREVIEW

Pop-Punk Stacks the Bill at Signal Friday Night

Lifted Riffs, AITA, The 91’s and SWANYX at Signal. Doors 8 p.m., show 8:30, 21 and up.

By Craft Lemon

All Entertainment →

This date in Gator history

2025

Gators beat Georgia 5-2 in Super Regional Game 3 to clinch WCWS berth

On May 25, 2025, the Florida Gators softball team defeated SEC rival Georgia 5–2 in a winner-take-all Game 3 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, clinching a spot in the 2025 Women’s College World Series. Graduate transfer Rylee Holtorf delivered a go-ahead two-run homer to seal the victory, capping a dramatic three-game series. It marked Florida’s 13th all-time WCWS appearance and their second consecutive trip to Oklahoma City.

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