Gainesville FL

Local students earned a remarkable share of awards and top honors against national competition at The Great Debate National Civics & Debate Championship, and Lincoln Middle School eighth-grader Avinoor Jutla was named the Overall Middle School Tournament Champion. The post Lincoln Middle School student named Overall...

Dream on Purpose found a permanent home in Gainesville after three years, using a $200,000 state grant secured with help from former state Sen. Keith Perry. The nonprofit serves young women with education and life skills programs and reached 285 youth in 2025 with UF research partnerships. The new location...

A Gainesville woman was arrested on drug charges after claiming her companion handed her a box of meth while dumpster diving. An officer stopped a red Nissan Sentra with an inoperable tag light near U.S. Hwy. 301 and West Kentucky Avenue around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood...

A Marion County resident won over $67,000 just minutes before the new year from a lottery ticket he purchased at a local gas station. Michel Marvin Kempink claimed the $67,145.53 top prize from the Florida Lottery’s Fantasy 5 evening drawing held on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Villages-News.com first reported...

At the January 20 School Board of Alachua County meeting, Board Members responded to comments from the public about the district's guidance on interactions with ICE agents and countered rumors that there are plans to close schools in Hawthorne. The post School Board Members respond to concerns about ICE guidance and...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Gainesville City Commissioner James Ingle says he is back home and recovering after undergoing brain surgery last week. Ingle is thanking the community and his family for their support. He says he went into surgery to remove a brain tumor. He’ll be away from his duties...

A routine food-safety inspection at Eggs Up Grill in Marion County resulted in a warning after state health officials documented 12 violations on January 16, 2026, requiring a mandatory follow-up visit by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Construction is moving swiftly at the site of the future Marion County Fire Rescue Lowell Fire Station #11, where crews have raised the walls and are preparing for the next phase of foundation work. Located at 11655 NW Gainesville Road in north Ocala, Ocala-based Dinkins Construction began work after officials...

A Silver Springs man wanted on felony warrants was arrested with methamphetamine at a hotel in The Villages. Officers learned 41-year-old James Dean Delago, a man wanted on Marion County felony warrants, was possibly in a room at Holiday Inn Express in The Villages around 7:50 p.m. Sunday, according to an arrest...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - A week after the death of a prominent Gainesville financial advisor, Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies are confirming William Olinger’s death wasn’t the result of foul play. Sheriff’s deputies are continuing to investigate the 54-year-old’s death and have not released a cause of death...