Downtown Gainesville’s $4.5M Streatery pedestrian corridor opens Nov. 6

The City of Gainesville will mark the grand opening of The Streatery — a reconstructed, curbless pedestrian street on Southwest First Avenue — with a free public celebration on Friday, Nov. 6, from 5 to 11 p.m., including a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. The $4.5 million project, funded through the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area and the gas tax fund, features brick pavers, new lighting, seating, landscaping, and electrical outlets designed to host outdoor dining, markets, and festivals. Mayor Harvey Ward, interim City Manager Andrew Persons, and Alachua County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler are among the officials scheduled to speak at the event.

Sources: City of Gainesville

Reading gap between Black and white students spurs debate during ACPS superintendent search

Community members, parents, and teachers gathered Thursday for a panel focused on the racial literacy gap in Alachua County schools, citing a reading proficiency difference between Black and white elementary students of 42 to 47 percentage points — far above the statewide gap of roughly 29 points. The forum, hosted by the Alachua County Community Remembrance Program, came as the school board conducts its search for a new superintendent, with many attendees calling on that future leader to address the disparity. School Board Chairman Thomas Vu participated as a panelist and noted the state offers limited tools to track whether students are reading at grade level before 12th grade.

Sources: WCJB TV20

UF-led study finds Earth microbes can grow under Mars-like conditions

University of Florida researcher Adam Robinson led an experiment in which a salt-loving microorganism called Haloferax volcanii actively grew for 160 days under conditions resembling the Martian subsurface — including extremely low pressure, highly concentrated brine, and perchlorate chemicals. The findings, published November 5 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, suggest that salty liquid-water pockets theorized to exist beneath Mars’ surface could potentially support living organisms today. Researchers cautioned that the simulated environment has not been confirmed on Mars and that the results do not prove life exists there, but the study points future missions toward searching for active biology rather than only ancient traces.

Sources: UF News

Three Alachua County schools locked down after shots fired at nearby apartment complex

Three Alachua County schools went into lockdown Thursday morning after police responded to a reported fight at the Sherwood Oaks Apartments in Alachua, where metal bats were used and shots were fired around 8:30 a.m. Two people were taken to the hospital with injuries believed to be from the bats rather than gunfire. Alachua Police Department led the response with SWAT support from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and one of two suspects was taken into custody.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Gainesville man pleads guilty in federal dog-fighting conspiracy, faces 5 years

Terry Lee, 43, entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act in connection with a scheme to buy and sell dogs for fighting purposes. Lee is among six people indicted by a federal grand jury in September following an investigation that led to the recovery of 42 dogs, many found in poor conditions at a co-defendant’s property. His sentencing is set for January 26.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Three North Central Florida men sentenced in separate child sex crime cases

Two men received life sentences and a third pleaded guilty in unrelated child sex crime cases across North Central Florida. James Hurne was sentenced to two life terms in Dixie County for molestation of children under 12, while Joshua Bryan, 40, was convicted on 29 counts of child pornography possession. Bryan Cardozo-Mendieta pleaded guilty in federal court to attempted enticement of a minor and child pornography possession, facing a minimum of ten years when sentenced in late January.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Nutrien to shut down White Springs phosphate plant, cutting roughly 500 jobs

Nutrien announced Wednesday it will permanently close its White Springs Phosphate facility in the second quarter of 2027 after falling short of its third-quarter profit targets. The plant employs approximately 500 workers in Hamilton County, all of whom will stay on through the June 1, 2027 shutdown date, with some positions potentially continuing afterward for site-related activities. The company said it will redirect focus to its Aurora, North Carolina operation.

Sources: WCJB TV20

Florida ties single-year execution record with 19th death penalty carried out

Florida carried out its 19th execution of the year at Raiford, tying a state record, on a day when two other states — Indiana and Alabama — also administered the death penalty. The trio of executions came the same day California’s governor announced he would commute all 548 death sentences in that state. Outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis has made aggressive use of the death penalty during his tenure.

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Sources: WCJB TV20

Democrats flip 16 FL House seats, shrink GOP majority to smallest in decades

Florida Republicans won every statewide race on Tuesday, but Democrats made significant gains in the state legislature, flipping 16 Florida House seats — the party’s largest single-election pickup in 30 years. The wins reduced the Republican House majority to its smallest margin in decades, even as the GOP retained the governor’s mansion, attorney general’s office, and other statewide posts.

Sources: WCJB TV20