March 14, 2022
THE FLORIDA HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE FUND
Secretary Dane Eagle of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced that the Department has launched the state’s next phase of the Homeowner Assistance Fund program, a registration portal for homeowners to begin the first step in determining their eligibility to receive assistance, which went live on February 28, 2022, and can be found at www.FLHomeownerAssistance.org. Florida launched its Homeowner Assistance Fund Pilot Program on November 8, 2021, and is one of only twelve states that proactively launched a pilot program while waiting for the U.S. Treasury’s approval of their needs assessments and plan. To date, DEO has provided more than $1 million in assistance to 137 Florida homeowners through the pilot program to mitigate financial hardships following the pandemic.
First Annual Artists Conference
​The Alachua County Arts Council is pleased to announce the first annual Artists Conference for County artists has been rescheduled to Friday, May 6, 2022. The conference was previously postponed due to the highly contagious Omicron variant. Attendees can join either virtually or in person. This year’s conference is free to all attendees. Those interested in arts funding from the County should participate in this conference.

Those wishing to participate should fill out the registration form on the last page of the Artist Conference Schedule and email it to gpeebles@alachuacounty.us by Friday, April 22.

Those attending the conference will learn how to apply for Alachua County’s Mini-Grant and Destination Enhancement Grants Programs. Participants also learn about the Call to Artists process, social media promotion, and will have networking opportunities.
Clerk of the Circuit Court's Operation Green Light Program
The Alachua County Clerk of the Court J.K. "Jess" Irby, Esq., along with Clerk's offices statewide, is participating in Operation Green Light. Operation Green Light runs from April 4, through April 8, 2022, and gives those with suspended driver's licenses an opportunity to pay overdue court obligations, including traffic tickets, while saving up to 35 percent in additional fees. Customers may also be able to have suspended driver licenses reinstated.

Full payment or the initiating of a payment plan may be done at both Alachua County Courthouses in-person or over the phone during business hours (8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Those wishing to pay over the phone should call 352-374-3636. The courthouses are located in downtown Gainesville at: 

Family and Civil Courthouse (civil traffic cases)
201 East University Avenue

Criminal Justice Center (all criminal cases)
220 South Main Street


For more information, contact the Clerk's Office at 352-374-3636.
Commissioner Ken Cornell Recognized with President’s Award
At the recent annual meeting of the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, Alachua County Commissioner Ken Cornell received the Chamber’s President’s Award for his leadership as Commission Chair during the pandemic. The President’s Award is given at the President’s discretion to recognize an individual who has made an outstanding impact in our community and distinguished themselves as a leader in Greater Gainesville. 

"During the past two years, our businesses have struggled with pandemic rules and regulations changing frequently. I received and facilitated many calls and questions from various businesses and industries. There was one individual who was instrumental in helping us keep up to date and who worked with us to help our businesses succeed," commented Chamber President and CEO Eric Godet. "We held enumerable calls and meetings, and it would have been a much more difficult task without the help of Alachua County Commissioner Ken Cornell. Ken made sure to include Chamber board leadership as well as the leadership of key industries and organizations during every conversation.”

“I was overwhelmed by this honor,” Cornell said. “I accepted this award on behalf of my colleagues on the Commission, staff, and all of people and agencies that helped in our community’s exemplary response to the pandemic. I am so grateful to the Alachua County businesses that played a critical role in keeping our community safe.”
Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony
The Gainesville Community Remembrance Project, in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) of Montgomery, Alabama, held a Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony on Saturday, March 12, at the Martin Luther King Jr Multipurpose Center. 

This event was part of the Gainesville Community Remembrance Project’s work for truth and reconciliation regarding the history of racial terrorism and lynching in Alachua County during the Jim Crow era. This event commemorated the traumatic era by memorializing the lives of Gainesville victims. 
Florida Stormwater, Erosion, and Sedimentation Control Inspector Training and Certification Program
The Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (ACEPD) is offering the Florida Stormwater, Erosion, and Sedimentation Control Inspector Training and Certification Program on March 29 and 30, 2022, at Gainesville Regional Utilities (4747 N. Main Street, Gainesville). The training is free, but participants must register online by March 26.

Participants will learn why it is important to prevent construction site sedimentation from polluting local water bodies and will become familiar with techniques to minimize erosion. This certification program was developed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and will be team-taught by numerous professionals. This class is co-sponsored by Alachua County, the City of Gainesville, and the Florida Department of Transportation. 

Qualifying participants can earn eight Continuing Education Units for their contractor’s license and eight Professional Development Hours for their Florida Professional Engineer’s license. 
Harmful Blue-Green Algal Toxins in Orange Lake
​The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County has issued a Health Alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in Orange Lake in response to a water sample collected by Alachua County Environmental Protection Department on March 1, 2022. Samples were also collected from Lake Wauburg and Newnans Lake, with only trace levels of toxins present in those lakes. The public should exercise caution in and around Orange Lake.

  • Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski, or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom.
  • Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water.
  • Keep pets away from the area. Waters, where there are algae blooms, are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should have a different source of water when algae blooms are present.
  • Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate the toxins.
  • Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts, and cook fish well. 
  • Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.
Tomatoes are the March Plant of the Month
The UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office is pleased to announce that the March “Plant of the Month” is the tomato.

March is a good time to grow tomatoes in North Central Florida. Check the Plant of the Month website for information on planting, harvesting, recipes, and more.

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. 

“Tomatoes come in lots of different shapes and sizes,” said Alachua County Commissioner Mary Alford. “Tomatoes grow best in well-fertilized compost-rich soil that receives at least four to six hours of sun per day. They taste marvelous right off the vine and the flavor is so much better than the store-bought variety.”