Monday, July 6, 2026 · The Gainesville Ledger

Vol. 1 · No. 66 · Monday, July 6, 2026

Arts & Culture

Arts Council of Alachua County opens FY27 grant applications for artists and nonprofits

The Arts Council of Alachua County is accepting applications for fiscal year 2027 art grants through July 31. Individual artists can receive up to $3,000, while non-profit organizations and cities across the county — excluding Gainesville — are eligible for awards up to $5,000. Grant funds may be used for supplies, advertising, and other project-related costs, with the County Commission expected to approve recommendations in September.

Sources: Mainstreet Daily News · WCJB TV20

Environment

Heat advisories and thunderstorms persist as hurricane season stays quiet

Florida is under heat advisories while additional thunderstorms are expected across the region. Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center reports that the Atlantic hurricane season remains relatively calm, though forecasters continue to monitor tropical waves.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun

Public Safety

Murder trial begins Monday for man accused in Ginnie Springs Memorial Day killing

Jury selection is set to start Monday in the trial of Fisher Watts, charged with killing Koty Stewart at Ginnie Springs on Memorial Day weekend 2024. A judge has already rejected Watts’s stand-your-ground defense, and his brother has been convicted as an accomplice. Also this week, High Springs commissioners may address the suspended police chief Antoine Sheppard at Tuesday’s meeting.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Public Safety

Gainesville woman arrested after trying to run over man, ramming deputy’s patrol car

Alachua County deputies arrested 25-year-old Michelle Bartholomew early Saturday after witnesses reported she attempted to strike a man with her vehicle at Tower Oaks Glen Apartments. When deputies arrived, she accelerated toward a marked sheriff’s vehicle and collided with it, then fled the scene with two young children in the car. Authorities later located her vehicle and noted the children had no car seats.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Education

In Brief

UF students receive 15 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships — UF News
UF Books & Cooks program expands statewide, adds diabetes prevention component — UF News
UF partnership brings robotic fish kits to Florida classrooms — UF News
UF researchers develop AI-powered robotic surgical camera modeled on the human eye — UF News

Business

In Brief

Cypress & Grove Brewing Co. launches daytime coffee shop Morning Brew — The Independent Florida Alligator

Sports

In Brief

Gainesville Sun names 2026 Small School Baseball All-Area team, St. Francis Catholic’s Carson Long takes POY — The Gainesville Sun
Gainesville Sun counts down No. 25 on its list of top 30 players from UF’s 1996 title team — The Gainesville Sun
Billy Donovan headed to San Antonio as top NBA assistant — Mainstreet Daily News
Lake City Columbia WR Kyren Caldwell commits to Maryland over Alabama — The Gainesville Sun

Arts & Culture

In Brief

Gainesville indie-folk artist Anna Poacelli launches solo career with debut single ‘Farmhouse’ — The Independent Florida Alligator

Environment

911 calls reveal panic following fatal Florida alligator attack

Emergency calls captured the frantic moments after a fatal alligator attack in Florida in which a woman had her arm bitten off. The incident, recorded in 911 audio, highlights the deadly dangers posed by alligators in the state.

Sources: The Gainesville Sun

In Brief

Drought Conditions Reveal Two Previously Undocumented Springs Along the Suwannee River — Mainstreet Daily News

Community

In Brief

Gainesville rooster named Dawg becomes a neighborhood fixture near Butler Plaza — The Independent Florida Alligator
Gainesville families flock to Depot Park splash pad to escape dangerous heat — WCJB TV20
First Baptist Church of Gainesville holds cookout to honor veterans — WCJB TV20
Which Florida grocery stores are open or closed on July 4th — The Gainesville Sun

State & National

In Brief

Florida sees wave of congressional retirements among older House members — The Gainesville Sun
Trump family members attend America’s 250th anniversary celebration at Great American Fair — The Gainesville Sun
House Republican leader calls on Congress to end birthright citizenship — The Gainesville Sun
Obamacare enrollment declining amid rising premiums and fraud crackdown — The Gainesville Sun
Florida consumer sentiment falls for fourth straight month in June — UF News