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ALACHUA – It has been 56 years since the death of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but the civil rights leader still inspires people today to gather and celebrate his dream and pay homage to his legacy.

On a chilly Monday morning, the City of Alachua held its 19^th Annual MLK Celebration at the Cleather Hancock Community Center, with some 200 people attending. Joining in the remembrance celebration were City of Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper, Vice Mayor Dayna Miller and City Commissioners Jennifer Blalock, Shirley Green Brown and Ed Potts. Representing City staff were City Manager Mike DaRoza and Assistant City Manager Rodolfo Valladares.

Referencing King’s famous “I’ve Got a Dream” speech Master of Ceremony Carol Richardson said that King’s message spoke to the social, economic, and political impacts on not just black Americans, but on all generations of all Americans.

Richardson introduced Reverend John Brown who gave a stirring invocation, followed by Alachua City Manager Mike DaRoza who offered the City’s official welcome address.

A powerfully moving rendition of the National Anthem was delivered by a young and talented Brandon Luke.

Richardson remarked that the MLK Celebration event in Alachua was unique in its sponsorship by the City of Alachua, noting that other similar events are typically sponsored by not-for-profit groups or similar type organizations.

The morning program included saxophone performances by University of Florida medical student Frantz Emmanuel, an oral historic background of Dr. King’s journey by Richardson, and performances by Smooth Flava Dance and the Mebane Middle School cheer squad.

The audience responded to the speakers with the appreciative “Amen” and applause. During the dance performance, many were clapping and singing along.

Keynote speaker for the event was Alachua native and College Hall of Fame Inductee Adrian Peterson. Peterson was introduced by his father, Porter Peterson, as Adrian’s mother, Reatha Peterson, looked on from the audience.

Porter Peterson described his son’s journey from the neighborhoods of Alachua to the playing fields of Santa Fe High School, college football stardom and success in the NFL. He also mentioned Adrian’s success in various business endeavors and his current position as Director of Student-Athlete Development at his college alma mater, Georgia Southern University.

Adrian Peterson graduated from Georgia Southern University where he starred on the 1999 and 2000 NCAA I-AA national championship teams and was the 1999 Walter Payton Award winner. After he graduated college, Peterson was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round. He played for eight years, including the 2006 NFC Championship season and Super Bowl XLI.

Adrian Peterson gave an inspirational presentation to an appreciate audience about determination and commitment and always striving not just to do more, but to do it better. Speaking to the crowd, Peterson said that growing up he knew about Dr. King, his peaceful marches and his enduring impact on everyone.

The 1997 Santa Fe High School graduate and all-star football and basketball player fondly recalled memories of growing up in Alachua, and although he no longer lives here, he still calls it home. And he said he always comports himself well, so that when someone hears him say he is from Alachua, Florida, they will be left with a good impression of his hometown.

Addressing his remarks to the youth in the audience, Peterson shared his story of success that would lead him to football stardom and an NFL career with the Chicago Bears.

Peter said that growing up in a small caring community provided the environment that helped him achieve. While playing rec league sports at the Alachua Recreation Center, Peterson knew from an early age that he wanted to be a professional football player, but he also knew it would take hard work, determination and commitment.

Peterson knew he had to be successful not just on the playing field, but in the classroom as well. As an example, he recounted an experience he had while in school when one Monday some friends said they were skipping school the next day. Peterson looked them in the eye and said, “I guess I’ll be seeing you Wednesday.”

Reading like a who’s who of successful professional athletes, Peterson's growing list of accomplishments speak not only to his renown athletic ability but also to his impactful life after professional ball.  Clearly a hometown favorite, at the conclusion of his talk, Peterson received a rousing standing ovation from the crowd.

After a lunch prepared by the A.L. Mebane Alumni Association, scheduled afternoon events included a presentation of the Alachua Youth Advisory Council Essay and Art Contest Winners, a dance performance “Get Up and Dance, Park II” by the Alachua Senior Cha Chas and a musical presentation by 1000 Voices of Florida.

Community sponsors of this year’s MLK event were Bev’s Better Burgers Alachua, Infinite Wellness & Fitness, Lee’s Preschool Center and Visit Gainesville/Alachua County.

Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper said this year’s MLK celebration was a success for everyone. “This event is always a great way for the community to come together and honor Dr. King and his legacy,” said Coerper. “It was especially great this year to see so many young people in attendance and participating.”

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ALACHUA – Alachua County Public Schools ended its “courtesy busing” effective Jan. 16, 2024. This sparked some discussion during the Monday, Jan. 22 joint meeting between the Alachua County School Board and the Alachua City Commission.

“Courtesy busing” are those stops and rides provided to students who live within two miles of their zoned school and are not ESE (Exceptional Student Education) students. The school district announced the changes in fall 2023.

On the heels of those changes, speaking at the joint meeting, School Board Member Tina Certain expressed concern that Alachua did not have adequate school crossing guards.

As the discussion developed however, it became clearer that the School District had not contacted the Alachua Police Department (APD) to discuss how the changes in busing policy might affect the number and location of student pedestrians.

“We certainly haven’t been made aware of any bus route changes that would require us to add any additional school crossing guards,” said Alachua Police Department Chief Jesse Sandusky.

Certain claimed to have received calls from parents regarding the crossing guard issue in Alachua. She also alluded to a Jan. 20, 2023 pedestrian accident that claimed the life of 5-year-old Kaiden Mincey, an Irby Elementary School student.

Chief Sandusky noted that the department does have a school crossing guard placed in the area where the 2023 accident occurred. Sandusky and Alachua City Manager Mike DaRoza both also noted that all four of the City’s school crossing guard positions are filled, and when a crossing guard calls out from work, a police officer steps in to handle school crossings.

Still, Sandusky said the police department could evaluate if there are any other areas in need of a crossing guard. “We can take a look and see how the change in bus routes affected our area, but I was not made aware of anything,” he said.

The apparent lapse in communications became clear when Alachua Vice-Mayor Dayna Miller inquired as to how the Alachua Police Department would know there was a change in need for crossing guards. Alachua County Public School Superintended Shane Andrew responded that the school district’s transportation department would need to contact the police department to inform them of the changes.

Andrew said the police department would typically be working with the school district’s director of transportation.

“[I]f we created [a need for a crossing guard], then they would bring that forward from the school district’s department of transportation,” Andrew said.

Andrew vowed that the school district administration would follow up with the Alachua Police Department to discuss the changes and assist in evaluating needs for crossing guards.

Alachua County school district officials estimate that courtesy routes required 16 buses district wide at an annual cost of about $1.8 million. The district reports that it does not receive reimbursement from the State for these additional costs. The changes in “courtesy busing” are believed to affect about 1,200 students in the district.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The large Florida hospital that shut down surgeries abruptly last week over concerns about sterilized operative room equipment is suspending all non-emergency surgeries for one week longer as it grapples with issues that could lead to serious patient infections, surgeons said.

The surgical schedules at North Florida Hospital in Gainesville have fallen into chaos since its decision last week to suspend all elective procedures, according to surgeons inside the hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity because executives there have ordered all medical staff not to talk to reporters about the issue. Multiple surgeries were called off Friday.

The hospital is performing only a fraction of the number of surgeries it usually would, and some procedures were canceled with only hours’ notice, surgeons said. In recent days, three cardiac surgeries and four orthopedic surgeries were called off on the day of the operations, they said.

North Florida Hospital – previously known as North Florida Regional Medical Center – is one of the largest hospitals in Florida with 510 beds and 15 operating rooms. It treats more than 50,000 patients each year and has more than 1,000 employees.

It is run by HCA Florida Healthcare. The company sent executives from its corporate offices to Gainesville to manage media inquiries and has ordered that no one in the hospital talk to reporters without approval, one surgeon and other hospital employees said.

In a statement, a spokeswoman, Lauren Lettelier, emphasized that the hospital has resumed some surgeries and was working to reschedule patients whose surgeries were postponed. She declined to answer questions about the numbers of surgeries that had been canceled since Jan. 17, numbers of affected patients or what percentage of surgeries were going forward.

The most important thing for people to know is that the hospital is doing its best to continue to care for the community, Lettelier said. 

The hospital shut down surgeries last week amid concerns over the activities of the Sterile Processing Department, the unit in charge of cleaning and sanitizing instruments used for medical procedures. In statements last week, the hospital said the move was proactive and described it only as an unspecified “operational matter” and an “equipment-related issue that impacted presurgical processes.”

Instruments were found in operating rooms with blood and tissue residue from earlier surgeries, according to the surgeons and other medical staff. In one case, three different trays of equipment for a single cardiac operation were found to be compromised, and the hospital canceled the procedure with the patient still on the surgical bed.

It wasn’t clear whether or how many patients might have been infected by improper sterilization procedures discovered by the hospital. The unit responsible is supposed to clean surgical equipment by hand, wash it and sterilize it at high temperatures before storing equipment on trays that remain sealed until surgeons need them.

A patient scheduled for orthopedic surgery Jan. 19 said his operation was abruptly canceled and has been rescheduled twice for mid-February with no explanation. He also spoke on condition of anonymity due to concerns about upsetting hospital employees who would be operating on him in the future.

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GAINESVILLE - The Alachua County Commission and the City of Gainesville Commission will conduct a joint meeting on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. The meeting begins at 3 p.m. The meeting is in the Jack Durrance Auditorium on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 SE 1st St., Gainesville).

Far Right: Alachua County Teacher of the Year Dwynette Smith

“Music matters, and you matter!”

GAINESVILLE, FL - That’s the way music teacher Dwynette Smith ends each of her classes at Metcalfe Elementary School. It’s also the basis of her philosophy as a music teacher.

“I love teaching music, and I want to instill that love of music in my students,” said Smith. “I try to make sure they know they can come to music class and be respected, treasured, and praised, all while learning new skills and being exposed to a varied and rich musical landscape.”

Smith, who has been teaching music for more than twenty years, was just named Alachua County’s 2024 Teacher of the Year and will go on to represent the district in the Florida Teacher of the Year program.

Smith’s selection was announced at the annual Robert W. Hughes Teacher of the Year ceremony, held January 25. Thirty-nine teacher honorees selected from each of the district’s schools were recognized, including Smith, middle school finalist Sarah Rendek from High Springs Community School and high school finalist Jenifer Knowles from the Professional Academies Magnet @ Loften High School.

During her remarks at the ceremony, Smith shared that while she was in elementary school, her family went through tough times. School, she said, was her refuge. It was her teachers who gave her the encouragement she needed to excel, and her music teacher who inspired her to teach music.

“As I grew, I knew that I wanted to learn as much about music as I could,” she said. “But that all started in a classroom with a teacher who loved what she taught and showed it. That feeling of being cared for and encouraged is what I try to impart to my students in music class.”

Each of the teacher honorees received an award of $500 thanks to donations from local businesses, organizations and individuals. The annual Teacher of the Year event is hosted and organized by The Education Foundation for Alachua County Public Schools. This year’s primary sponsors were Cox Communications, Florida Credit Union and SWI Photographers.

“We are proud to support teachers through the work of the Foundation,” said The Education Foundation’s Executive Director Jayne Moraski. “I’m amazed at the innovative ideas our teachers have to engage their students and the way they genuinely care about and know each one of their students.”

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LAKE CITY, FLA.- On Dec. 26, 2022, Florida Highway Patrol Troopers responded to reports of a black Chevy Trailblazer in the ditch on the side of the road in the area of Interstate 10 (I-10) East of Mile Marker 307 in Columbia County. Upon arrival, Troopers observed an unresponsive individual in the driver seat, later identified as Jeffrey Keith McLendon, 51, of Pelham, Georgia.

Following several failed attempts to elicit a response from McLendon by first responders, E.M.S. was requested by Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.  He was transported McLendon to the Lake City Medical Center by ambulance for treatment.

The white powder was identified as Fentanyl, weighing over 29 grams.

McLendon was charged with the following, and Troopers later transported McLendon to the Columbia County Jail, where he was booked.

• Trafficking in Fentanyl 4 grams or more-Felony
• Drug Equipment or Possession-Misdemeanor
• Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol (D.U.I.)-Misdemeanor

Last week, on January 17, 2024, Jeffrey Keith McLendon was convicted on the above charges and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

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