Because the science is clear that getting the shot will drastically decrease your chances of getting sick or dying, the County Commission urges residents to get vaccinated and, for those eligible, to receive a booster shot. The County’s program offering $25 gift cards for vaccinated people runs from January 12, through February 28, 2022. The gift card is available for those getting initial shots or the booster. The gift card is not retroactive to those already vaccinated.

Learn more about the Vaccination Gift Card Program.

A new edition of Alachua County Talks featuring an interview with Alachua County Commissioner Ken Cornell is now available.

Alachua County Commissioner Ken Cornell has finished his second stint as the Chair of the Alachua County Commission. He was born and raised in Gainesville, educated in the public school system and, while working full time, graduated at the top of his class from the University of Florida’s Fisher School of Accounting. He has owned and operated a number of small businesses in Alachua County.

In speaking of the interview, Alachua County Talks host Mark Sexton said, “In looking back over the last year, Chair Cornell gives residents a good look at the County's accomplishments, goals, and challenges.”

Watch this episode of Alachua County Talks.

Alachua County Forever, the County’s environmental land acquisition program, has closed on the largest single land acquisition in the program’s 22-year history. The 3,936-acre purchase from the Weyerhaeuser Company bridges the gap between the 1,861-acre Lochloosa Slough Preserve and the 385-acre Fox Pen Tract.

Together with properties owned by the St. Johns River Water Management District and Alachua Conservation Trust, these lands form a contiguous protected corridor of more than 10,000 acres. All of these lands are within the state-designated Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Find out more about this latest land acquisition.

Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR) is proud to announce the addition of a 24-hour Rescue Unit. This rescue unit is an Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance equipped with life-saving medical equipment. It is staffed with at least one State of Florida Certified Paramedic and one State of Florida Certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). This unit will join the other 14 24-hour rescue units and five 13-hour Peak Load Rescue Units in responding to over 45,000 incidents per year in Alachua County. The County plans to place a 16th 24-hour Rescue Unit into service later this year.

The unit will be designated as Rescue 36 and will be placed into service on Monday, January 17, 2022, at 8 a.m. Rescue 36 will be located at 4000 SW 20th Avenue in Gainesville.

Read more about the new rescue unit.

Volunteers and participants of all ages are invited to join the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department and the Newberry City Parks Department to celebrate Arbor Day 2022. The event is on Friday, January 21, 2022, at 3 p.m., at the Easton Sports Complex (24880 N.W. 16th Avenue, Newberry). 

Participants will plant 15 new trees. Free trees will be available to anyone interested in planting new trees at home. Demonstrations and information will be provided for proper tree planting and care. Community leaders will help commemorate the celebration, and there will also be a special guest reading from The Lorax.

Find out more about Arbor Day.

The Alachua County Crisis Center seeks volunteers to become Crisis Line Counselors. The next training class begins on Saturday, January 22, 2022. After the initial session, training continues for seven weeks on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. There is no fee for training, and applicants do not need to possess specific degrees or certifications. Training is held online and can be done remotely. After training is complete, the Crisis Center asks for a commitment of 24 four-hour shifts.

“Volunteers learn active listening, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, community disaster response, and more,” said Alachua County Crisis Center Director Alexandra Martinez. “Volunteering is an opportunity to impact the lives of fellow community members and gain life-enhancing communication skills.”

Find out more about volunteering with the Crisis Center​.

For more information, contact Alachua County Crisis Center Training Coordinator Kevin Sosa at 352-264-6781 or ksosa@alachuacounty.us.

Leveraging the extended hours support provided by the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners, the DOH-Alachua is expanding Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) services to Wednesday evenings, beginning January 12, 2022. 

“In addition to services provided during regular business hours five days per week, our staff are pleased to be able to improve access to vital educational and nutritional services to our pregnant, new mothers, and children under the age of five on Wednesday evenings,” stated Paul Myers, Administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County.

Read more about the expanded WIC services access.

The UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office is pleased to announce that the January “Plant of the Month” is broccoli.

January is a good time to grow broccoli in North Central Florida. Check the Plant of the Month website for information on planting, harvesting, recipes, and more on this nutritional vegetable.

The Plant of the Month program is a collaborative effort between Alachua County Board of County Commissioners, UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County, Alachua County Master Gardener Volunteers, Alachua County Public Library, and Working Food.

Read more about the Plant of the Month.