Gainesville Man Arrested for Felony Kidnapping, Stalking, Strangulation and Intimidation
Gainesville Police Department officers arrested Neil Joseph Kazmerski, 33, Tuesday and charged him with felony kidnapping, aggravated stalking, domestic battery by strangulation and intimidation. According to the arrest report, the victim told police about multiple incidents over the past month where Kazmerski abused...
Catholic school leaders in Gainesville respond to Minneapolis tragedy
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Catholic school leaders in Gainesville say their thoughts and prayers are with the Minnesota community shaken after a deadly school shooting this week. Police say a gunman opened fire at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, killing multiple people and injuring others. Investigators report that...
Marion man accused of dumping ‘demolished’ camper on neighbor’s property
A 44-year-old man from Belleview has been arrested on a felony littering charge after he was accused of illegally dumping a “completely demolished” camper on his neighbor’s property. On June 23, 2025, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office corporal responded to the incident location on SE 129th Street...
Three Claire’s stores in North Central Florida to stay open despite larger wave of...
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Three stores in North Central Florida will stay open despite a larger company wave of closures. A court filing this week lists 290 Claire’s stores that will close across the country. They include Claire’s at the Paddock Mall in Ocala, Oaks Mall in Gainesville, and...
‘You can’t unsee what you see’: Gainesville Fire Rescue captain recalls Katrina deployment
As Herb Ennis moved through the wreckage, he found an older man searching for his wife. The couple had climbed into their attic, holding hands, as floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina rose around them. Then the water surged through. “He hadn’t seen her since,” Ennis said. “But he had one of her shoes. He showed it to...
Alachua Police Department’s Thor laid to rest
The Alachua Police Department (APD) carried heavy hearts this week as crews said goodbye to K-9 Thor, who reached his “End of Watch” when he passed away on Sunday. The 13-year-old patrol dog served eight years with APD and was surrounded by family during his passing, which was announced by APD in a Facebook post.
Gainesville Preserve rezoning request hearing tentatively set for October
A new hearing date of Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, has been tentatively scheduled. The post Gainesville Preserve rezoning request hearing tentatively set for October appeared first on Alachua Chronicle .
GFR responds to apartment fire caused by falling asleep while smoking
Early this morning, Gainesville Fire Rescue crews responded to an apartment fire and determined that the fire started after a resident fell asleep smoking; investigators also found that the smoke detectors had been disabled by the occupants. The post GFR responds to apartment fire caused by falling asleep while...
Man Sentenced to One Year Probation for Misdemeanor Domestic Battery
Judge Meshon Rawls accepted a plea deal from Raquon Dejuan Bizzell, 26, last week, convicting him of misdemeanor domestic battery and sentencing him to one year of probation. According to the arrest report, Bizzell and the victim got into an argument, and she asked him to move out. Bizzell responded by throwing a...
New parking garage to open next week at Gainesville Regional Airport
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - The Gainesville Regional Airport revealed its new parking garage and intermodal transportation center at a ribbon cut ceremony Wednesday morning. The new four-floor, 418-space parking garage will officially open to the public next week, but staff and members of the community celebrated the...
