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Vol. 1 · No. 56 · Friday, June 26, 2026

The Gainesville Ledger

Education

Santa Fe College breaks ground on Hitchcock Family Clubhouse for baseball and softball

Santa Fe College held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Hitchcock Family Clubhouse, a new facility that will provide the first on-site locker rooms for the college’s baseball and softball programs. College leaders, donors, students, and community members attended the event, which marks the culmination of years of planning and fundraising led by the Hitchcock family. The clubhouse is expected to be completed in spring 2027.

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

City

Gainesville Plan Board approves zoning changes for Verve Apartments expansion near UF

The Gainesville Plan Board approved land use and zoning changes Thursday that would allow The Verve Apartments, located near Southwest Second Avenue and Southwest Tenth Street, to expand from 204 to 227 units with 682 bedrooms while staying within the same footprint. The updated project would set aside 34 units as affordable housing, and the board recommended that the city commission reject any option allowing the developer to pay a fee instead of building those affordable units. Some neighbors had raised concerns about the building’s size prior to the vote.

Sources: WCJB TV20

State & National

Venezuela earthquakes prompt questions about Florida’s own fault lines

Four earthquakes struck Venezuela within eight hours, leaving behind visible damage and prompting concern along the Florida coast where tremors were reportedly felt. The cluster of quakes raised questions about whether Florida’s own fault lines share any dangerous characteristics with those responsible for the Venezuelan seismic activity.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun

Arts & Culture

Florida Theatre owner says building is not for sale, renovations ongoing

Owner Bill Bryson clarified that an active online listing showing the historic downtown Gainesville venue available for lease with an option to purchase is outdated and will be removed. Bryson said he posted the listing last year to test market interest but has no intention of selling, and renovation work backed by the Gainesville Community Redevelopment Area is moving forward with the facade expected to be finished within two to three months. Property records show the theater’s assessed market value doubled between 2024 and 2025, reaching $1.2 million.

Sources: WCJB TV20

City

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Education

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Public Safety

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Business

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Sports

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Environment

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Community

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State & National

Florida executes 74-year-old man, making him oldest in state’s modern history

Dusty Ray Spencer, convicted of fatally stabbing his wife Karen in 1992, was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke on Thursday evening, becoming the oldest person put to death in Florida’s modern era. Spencer, 74, was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. after a three-drug injection. Florida has another 74-year-old inmate scheduled for execution next month.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Taxpayer group defends data centers as tax revenue, jobs boon for Florida counties

The Taxpayer Protection Alliance entered the debate over data centers in Florida this week, releasing a fact sheet arguing that such facilities bring meaningful tax revenue and high-paying jobs — particularly to rural counties. The group’s executive director warned that moratoriums or restrictions on data centers amount to rejecting six-figure blue-collar salaries and local tax dollars. The push comes as data centers have faced bipartisan criticism in Florida.

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Sources: WCJB TV20

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