The Gainesville Ledger

Vol. 1 · No. 18 · Monday, May 18, 2026

Sports

No. 6 Florida softball sweeps Gainesville Regional, advances to Super Regional

The sixth-ranked Florida Gators swept the 2026 NCAA Gainesville Regional, outscoring opponents 25-2 across all games and defeating Georgia Tech for the third time this season. Pitcher Keagan Rothrock was a driving force in the postseason run, while shortstop Kenleigh Cahalan and a record-breaking performance from Shumaker highlighted the team’s dominant play. Florida will next face Texas Tech in the Super Regional round.

Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator · The Gainesville Sun

Arts & Culture

Morgan Wallen’s two-night Swamp concert draws crowds and at least 5 arrests

Country star Morgan Wallen performed back-to-back shows at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville as part of his tour, drawing large crowds to the venue. At least five people were arrested across the two nights, including two brothers who were taken into custody on charges of resisting arrest after children accused them of inappropriate touching — though deputies said evidence was insufficient to charge them on those allegations. A third person, Douglas Nipper, was arrested after reportedly causing a disturbance in the stands, knocking over barriers, and cursing at officers.

Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator · WCJB TV20 · The Gainesville Sun

Sports

UF women’s track claims SEC triple crown; men finish third at SEC Outdoors

The Florida women’s track and field team won the SEC Outdoor championship with 107 points, completing a rare triple crown by combining that title with earlier indoor and cross country crowns — their first such sweep since the 1996–97 season. Three individual event titles powered the women’s victory, which was the program’s eighth outdoor team championship in history. The men’s squad also had a strong showing, placing third with 78 points — their best SEC Outdoor finish since 2019 — led by a gold medal in the long jump from Masikane.

Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator · Mainstreet Daily News

Community

Gainesville motorcyclists ride for men’s mental health in global event

More than 60 riders gathered at Gainesville Harley-Davidson on Sunday for the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, a worldwide event promoting awareness of men’s mental health and prostate cancer research, with participation from more than 100,000 riders across 110 countries this year. Local organizers Faren Healey and Camden Briscoe, who returned to lead the ride after Camden lost a leg in a motorcycle accident earlier this year, said the support of their riding community through his recovery deepened their commitment to showing other men they need not face hardship alone.

Sources: WCJB TV20

City

Gainesville commissioners to weigh restricting or banning roam towing

Gainesville city commissioners are set to consider two competing proposals regarding roam towing at a Thursday meeting. One option would limit roam towing and vehicle immobilization to nighttime hours at large residential complexes, while the other would prohibit the practice entirely.

Read both sides →

Sources: WCJB TV20

Education

Florida’s public schools face closures, enrollment drops, and teacher shortages

Florida’s public school system is confronting a deepening crisis marked by school closures, declining enrollment, persistent teacher shortages, and funding pressures, according to reporting from The Gainesville Sun. The situation has heightened anxiety among educators, parents, and administrators across the state.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun

Newberry and Alachua County School District clash over Oak View expansion plans

The city of Newberry and the Alachua County School District are in disagreement over the timeline or approach to expanding Oak View, according to a report from the Gainesville Sun. The dispute suggests tension between local municipal priorities and district-level planning for the school’s future.

Read both sides →

Sources: The Gainesville Sun

Mental health stigma a persistent barrier for Hispanic students, immigrants at UF

Hispanic students and immigrants at the University of Florida continue to face cultural stigma that discourages them from seeking mental health support, according to reporting by the Independent Florida Alligator. The article examines how attitudes rooted in cultural background can prevent this community from accessing available resources.

Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator

Public Safety

In Brief

Gainesville man arrested on assault charge after early-morning incident — WCJB TV20
Serious-injury crash closes Newberry intersection Sunday afternoon — WCJB TV20

Sports

Yost hits three home runs as Florida baseball sweeps LSU in regular-season finale

Junior outfielder Hayden Yost slugged three home runs and drove in five runs to lead Florida to a series sweep over LSU in the Gators’ final regular-season series. The offensive outburst powered UF through what the Alligator described as a high-scoring, wild conclusion to the regular season.

Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator

In Brief

Buchholz finishes as 6A state runner-up for third consecutive year — Mainstreet Daily News
Florida baseball’s SEC Tournament schedule set — The Gainesville Sun

Community

North Central Florida homeless count drops to 613, lowest since at least 2023

The 2026 Point-in-Time count recorded 613 people experiencing homelessness across Alachua, Bradford, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy, Putnam, and Union counties, a significant decline from 887 last year and 1,006 in 2023. Of those counted, 414 were in shelters and 199 were living unsheltered on the street. The federally required survey is conducted each January to track homelessness trends nationwide.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Newberry Watermelon Festival marks 81st year with crowds and agricultural pride

The Newberry Watermelon Festival drew large crowds this year as organizers used the 81st annual edition of the event to spotlight the ongoing role of agriculture in the community. Billed as the longest-running watermelon festival in the United States, the celebration included a parade, pageant, seed-spitting contest, and watermelon eating alongside broader festivities.

Sources: WCJB TV20

In Brief

Shandcair EMS workers mark National EMS Week with escape room training at Santa Fe College — WCJB TV20
Venus and moon to appear close together in Florida night sky — The Gainesville Sun

State & National

Supporters rally at Camp Blanding to fight closure of Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy

Backers of the Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy gathered at Camp Blanding in Starke on Sunday to push state leaders to reverse a decision to shut down the program. The Florida National Guard announced in April that it intends to close the academy during Class 50, ending a 25-year-old program that has served nearly 7,000 at-risk teens through education, discipline, and mentorship. Organizers warned the closure would harm current and future cadets and eliminate dozens of faculty and staff positions.

Read both sides →

Sources: WCJB TV20

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.

source