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ALACHUA – The field of candidates is set for the City of Alachua’s City Commission election. The City of Alachua’s qualifying period for the scheduled April 9, 2024 election ended at noon on Feb. 27, 2024.

Both incumbents, Shirley Green Brown, Seat 4 and Jennifer Blalock, Seat 5 filed for reelection, but only one candidate drew an opponent.  

Brown is unopposed and will automatically be returned to Seat 4 to serve another three-year term. Blalock will face off against challenger Eric L. Ford for Seat 5.

The election will be held Tuesday, April 9, 2024, to fill Seat 5 on for a three-year term ending in April 2027. Seat 4 will not appear on the ballot as Brown was the only qualifier for Seat 4.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center, the Cleather Hathcock, Sr. Community Center and the Clubhouse at Turkey Creek.

Candidate documents are available for review in the Deputy City Clerk’s office at Alachua City Hall.

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ALACHUA ‒ A joint federal and state investigation into the 4K criminal street gang in the city of Alachua, has resulted in the last of 12 federal defendants being sentenced for drug-trafficking and firearm charges. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Safe Streets Task Force began an investigation of the 4K gang following a number of gang-related shootings in the city of Alachua in 2018.

Alachua Police Department Chief Jesse Sandusky said that in January 2018 Alachua experienced its first homicide in over 10 years. The following day, a retaliation shooting took place putting a mother and her young children in the crossfire. Sandusky said that six months later, homicide number two occurred. Sandusky went on to say that a dozen subsequent shootings can be attributed to the criminal 4K gang. “Those shootings, thankfully, did not result in loss of life,” said Sandusky.

U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida said, “Our law enforcement partners’ concerted investigation and prosecution of violent crime – here acts of murder and retaliatory gun violence by rival gang members – is central to our mission to protect the public. The sentences imposed in this investigation, some spanning multiple decades, illustrate our shared resolve to keep our communities safe and the significant consequences associated with gun violence by gang-affiliated drug traffickers.”

The FBI worked with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Alachua Police Department to investigate the initial shooting and numerous other shootings thereafter. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) aided through investigation of 4K’s drug-trafficking activity.

“The cooperation between these agencies resulted in the successful prosecution of these 12 individuals who terrorized our local communities,” said Alachua Police Chief Jesse J. Sandusky.  “We are thankful for the assistance we received from our partners and hope that this can help bring closure to the victim's families.”

Between Feb. 22, 2020, and May 20, 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office, FBI, and DEA obtained six court-authorized Title III wiretaps on cellphones used by members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy. On May 20, 2020, federal search warrants were executed, and four individuals were federally arrested, with others being indicted in June and August 2020.

Federally Sentenced

The federally sentenced defendants, which included 4K gang members and associates, as well as people selling drugs to the 4K gang, were:

Roddrae Antonio Williams, 32, Alachua, Florida, 480 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.

Elboric Quadarius Robinson, 32, Alachua, Florida, 336 months in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release.

Decoda Kadarrell King, 36, Williston, Florida, 168 months in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release.

Eric Jermaine Williams, 42, Gainesville, Florida, 104 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release

Daniel Heath Willis, 30, Alachua, Florida, 96 months in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release.

Morris Cordell Robinson, Jr., 58, Alachua, Florida, 78 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.

Gregory Lavough Williams, Jr., 44, Yorba Linda, California, 48 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release.

Rakeidra Alexandria Neal, 33, Gainesville, Florida, 14.5 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Rayme Herhandez, 47, Morriston, Florida, 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release.

Tomeka Necole Bryant, 44, Gainesville, Florida, 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release.

Edward Lashawn Garrison, Jr., 27, Fort White, Florida, 10 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

Lorenza Durr, 33, Alachua, Florida, 8 months in prison in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

“The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office recognizes the grave threats posed by drug trafficking and firearm violations,” said Sheriff Emory Gainey. “We understand that multi-agency cooperation is not merely a strategy but an essential approach to addressing these challenges.  Together, we stand united in our mission to protect our neighborhoods and uphold the rule of law.”

“The sentencing of Roddrae Williams brings to a close a years-long joint investigation involving multiple law enforcement and investigative partners.” 

Charges by State Attorney

Charges by the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office were brought against the following:

Hakiem Brockman, 25, West Palm Beach, Florida, pled nolo contendere to second degree murder with discharge of a firearm causing death, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, and four counts of attempted murder in the first degree with discharge of a firearm. Brockman was sentenced to 35 years in prison, 25 of which will be served day-for-day.

McKenzley Edwards, 30, Alachua, Florida, pled nolo contendere to six counts of attempted second degree murder with discharge of a firearm and actual possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, tampering with a witness, victim, or informant, and one count of conspiracy to commit first degree murder (premeditated) and attempted murder. Edwards was sentenced to 25 years in prison, 20 of which will be served day-for-day.

Kenzel Edwards, 28, Alachua, Florida, pled nolo contendere to three counts of attempted second degree murder with a firearm and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, 10 of which will be served day-for-day.

Jeffery Robinson, Jr., 29, Alachua, Florida, pled nolo contendere to accessory after the fact to the murder and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Roddrae Williams pled guilty to conspiracy to commit first degree murder (premediated) and is pending sentencing.

“Each of these violent felony offenders posed a significant risk to the safety of our community.  Thanks to the professional, expert work of this task force and our prosecutors, this community will be protected from further violence by these offenders,” said Brian Kramer, State Attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit.

“These sentencings demonstrate the FBI's relentless determination to eradicate drug-fueled gang violence that is plaguing communities,” said FBI Jacksonville Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis. “Disrupting organizations like this one is a critical part of the FBI mission, and we will use every legal means available to hold accountable those who threaten our neighborhoods. The rule of law is not optional, and we want to make clear to other gangs operating in our communities: the FBI and our local, state, and federal partners are coming for you, and the violence won't be tolerated.”

These convictions were the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Alachua Police Department, Gainesville Police Department, University of Florida Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ocala Police Department.

The federal cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain, and the state cases were prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Daniel Owen.

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ALACHUA ‒ Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) spokesperson Jackie Johnson on Feb. 23, 2024 issued a statement about a website by ACPS to provide information to the public about the proposed conversion of Newberry public schools to public charter schools.

The City of Newberry and a group called Newberry Education First have requested a vote by classroom teachers and parents on the conversion of Newberry Elementary School, Oak View Middle School and Newberry High School to charter schools beginning with the 2025-26 school year.

The proposed conversion has both proponents and critics with some questioning what such a system would look like to current employees and students. The website created by ACPS attempts to answer some of those questions and can be reached at http://www.sbac.edu/charterconversion.

The ACPS website reads in part, “We don’t yet have all the answers, and a lot of the questions will have to be answered by the City of Newberry and Newberry Education First. Even if the conversion is approved, the new operators and the district will have to agree on a charter outlining roles, responsibilities, operations and more.

“On this site we will be answering some of the most commonly-asked questions about the potential impact of a conversion.  An FAQ for employees and fact sheet for parents has already been posted.

“Please note that some of this information comes from the Newberry Education First website, which is being revised frequently.”

The ACPS website also provides links to information about the voting process. A timeline for conducting the vote is under development and will be posted when available.

A host of information is provided about the status of current school employees if the conversion moves forward.  Topics include employer, job guarantee, collective bargaining, benefits, salaries, health insurance, and retirement.

Among other areas of information are student attendance and zoning, transportation, special needs students, athletics, and school resource officers.

Newberry First has created its own website of frequently asked questions and responses at https://www.yesnewberry.org/faq.  Newberry Education First will be holding town halls in Archer and Newberry for parents, teachers and interested parties ahead of the April timeline of voting about the public charter school system.

A town hall meeting will be held in Archer on Feb. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Archer Community Center, 16671 S.W. 137th Avenue, Archer.  Additional meetings will be held March 6 and March 26 in Newberry at 6 p.m. at the Mentholee Municipal Building, 25420 W. Newberry Road, Newberry.  To RSVP online to the meeting go to https://www.yesnewberry.org/. 

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NEWBERRY ‒ A movement in the city of Newberry may be gaining traction as some residents are pushing to convert the town’s three public schools into public charter schools.

According to a statement released by the school district, they were notified about the effort to convert public schools in Newberry into charter schools on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. Newberry Education First is leading the effort.

The City of Newberry issued a press release on Tuesday, Feb. 20, stating that the City acknowledges the recent proposal by a group of concerned parents to convert the city’s local elementary, middle and high schools into public charter schools. As a small community deeply invested in the education and well-being of the City’s children, “we are committed to providing the best possible educational environment for them”.

Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe has consistently maintained that the Alachua County School Board is busing students in from the Jonesville and surrounding areas rather than building a school to serve those students. In city commission meetings he has stated that Newberry and Archer students are not the cause of overcrowding in Newberry’s schools.

Although the City of Newberry has been criticized by some who believe overcrowding in Newberry’s schools is the result of large housing developments, which have been approved by the City, Marlowe disputes that notion.

He previously said that the school board is aware of the developments and has time to prepare for increased student populations in the distant future.

The City’s press release continues by saying, “In light of this proposal, we are dedicated to engaging in a constructive and collaborative dialogue with all stakeholders. We look forward to working closely with both the group of concerned parents and the School Board of Alachua County to explore this request thoroughly. Our goal is to navigate this process with the ultimate benefit of our children in mind, ensuring that their academic and personal growth remains at the forefront of any decision.”

For more information on the proposal, visit YesNewberry.org.

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NEWBERRY – The City of Newberry is assuring residents that a 500,000-gallon treated water sinkhole leak has not led to contamination of area wells and that a boil water notice has not been necessary/

“The Florida Health Department has taken the lead in sampling the six wells in the area of the leak,” said Newberry City Manager Mike New. Although all test results have not been finalized, the Health Department has sampled all the wells they can.

“Only one of the wells they tested showed total coliform, which is not an indicator of sewage,” said New. “Fecal coliform, which would indicate sewage, was not found.” The well with the total coliform is likely due to the age of the well and the way in which it was constructed originally. Changes in well construction and regulation have improved over the years.

The City has indicated a willingness to provide bottled water to any well owner that tests positive for fecal coliform, but so far the Health Department has not found that to be necessary.

The effluent released into the aquifer had already been treated by the City and was to be sprayed onto a spray field. The water’s final filtering would have been its percolation through 75 – 100 feet of sand prior to reaching the aquifer.

The City currently puts out an average of 300,000 gallons of water per day on its 100-acre spray field. This aquifer leak is the equivalent of less than two days of sprayed pre-treated water. “It was not raw sewage,” said New. “Although the City is required to address the leak, it isn’t significant in the scheme of things based on the amount of water in the aquifer,” he said.

“We had a construction crew on site the day it had happened. Two days later we were putting in the sand and backfilling back to normal. Repairs took three – four days to complete from the time we found it,” said New.

The firm that fixed the leak is Coleman Construction. The company has no relation to City Commissioner Rick Coleman said the city manager. “They have been in Newberry for 20 years and the City has used them on several projects.”

Although some people have criticized the City for not going out to bid for the repairs, New said, “We have emergency procurement procedures in place and we followed those procedures.”

Initially, some residents were concerned about the leak. However, New said once the scope of the problem was explained, people seem to understand the situation and are less fearful.

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ALACHUA ‒ Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) issued a statement on Feb. 16, 2024 regarding a charge of alleged pornographic materials in schools. ACPS spokeswoman Jackie Johnson on Feb. 16, 2024 issued a media release with a link to the Feb. 9 ACPS statement, writing “…statement from the district regarding the misleading information that was posted earlier today on social media about a book challenge hearing held Jan. 24. You can find the statement at: https://fl02219191.schoolwires.net/Page/31553.”

The posted statement entitled, “A statement from Alachua County Public Schools and Superintendent Shane Andrew about pornographic materials in schools” in its entirety is below.

“February 16, 2024

“Superintendent Shane Andrew issued the following statement on Feb. 16, 2024, about pornographic materials in schools.

“To be clear up front—this Superintendent, the district, and the staff believe no student should have access to pornographic materials in their schools. That belief is shared by the ACPS employee who has been the subject of recent social media postings about a book challenge. This is to set the record straight.

“On Jan. 23, a formal hearing was held before a hearing officer regarding a challenge brought by an ACPS parent to the book ‘Melissa,’ previously published as ‘George,’ by Alex Gino. The hearing was videotaped.

“Earlier today, a very small segment of that video was posted on social media, including X (Twitter) and Facebook.

“That video was taken out of context and was misleading.

“The parent asked the ACPS witness several questions, including whether he felt it was appropriate for an 8-year-old to read “about pornography and dirty magazines” (emphasis added). However, the witness did not intend to convey that this book was, in fact, about pornography and dirty magazines. He certainly does not agree that it is appropriate for an elementary school student or any student to read pornographic materials. It is rather his belief that this particular book is not pornographic, does not violate state statutes and can therefore be read by elementary school students in grades 3-5.

“The parent never actually asked the ACPS witness if he believed this book is pornographic. The witness did clarify later in the hearing that he did not believe this book is pornographic.

“There are two sections of the book in which the words ‘dirty magazines’ or the word ‘porn’ are mentioned. “They are as follows:

“The phrase ‘dirty magazine’ was used by a teenage boy taunting his little brother. The little brother was, in fact, not looking at a dirty magazine.

“The word ‘porn’ appeared later in the book, when the same older brother stated he knew his little brother was not reading porn.

‘This is the full extent of the use of those two terms in the book. The book contains no pornographic scenes, pictures or descriptions.

“The hearing officer recommended that the book remain in the elementary school library. In her order, the hearing officer pointed out that the parent had not objected to the book based on it being pornographic.

“The School Board of Alachua County voted on Feb. 6 to confirm the hearing officer’s decision.

“The district will continue to follow state and district laws and procedures in responding to parent concerns regarding books in our schools.”

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