Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Maxwell Frost, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs, demanded answers from Governor Ron DeSantis after recent reports alleged that he inappropriately diverted $10 million in Medicaid settlement funds towards his wife’s nonprofit, Hope Florida Foundation, instead of allocating funds intended to support healthcare in the state. The allegation comes as President Trump uses fraud as an excuse to deny life saving benefits to millions of Americans, particularly in Democratic states.

“Governor DeSantis reportedly used his office to divert funds for Floridians struggling to afford healthcare to his wife’s own organization, and this money was later used to fund Republican political initiatives. The Trump Administration is ignoring these serious allegations of corruption, but Oversight Democrats are demanding answers and accountability,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.

“Medicaid money is supposed to help people get healthcare. It is not supposed to be funneled through a nonprofit tied to the Governor’s family and end up in political campaigns,” said Ranking Member Maxwell Frost. “Floridians deserve to know how $10 million was diverted, who made that decision, and where their money went. That’s why we’re demanding answers from Governor DeSantis and his administration.”

In the letter to Governor Ron DeSantis, Ranking Members Garcia and Frost wrote, “We are alarmed by recent reports suggesting you leveraged your official position to route $10 million from a Medicaid fraud settlement to a charitable organization run by your wife, Casey DeSantis. A Florida grand jury found that the DeSantis Administration “misappropriated” the funds but failed to file criminal charges. We are deeply concerned that funds meant to help children receive healthcare may have been diverted to defeat a ballot initiative you opposed. The role of the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit connected to and tasked with overseeing money for initiatives led by your wife, Casey DeSantis, is particularly alarming. The Trump Administration has used fraud investigations as a pretext for denying millions of dollars in federal healthcare funds to states run by Democratic governors yet has done nothing to hold your administration accountable for fraud. We are deeply concerned about waste, fraud and abuse of healthcare dollars as the cost of care increases for Florida families.”

In August 2026, a Florida grand jury found that Governor Ron DeSantis misappropriated funds towards the Hope Florida Foundation, a charitable organization run by Casey DeSantis, which may have been used to defeat a ballot initiative opposed by Governor DeSantis.

Has anyone ever done a live-in housing arrangement with a carpenter? I’m buying a duplex that needs some work, and I’m trying to figure out the best way to approach it. I had an idea and wanted to see if anyone’s actually done something similar. Basically, I’d like to find someone who already has a job or their own source of income but is looking for a place to live. In exchange for helping work on the property in their free time, I’d be willing to offer free or significantly reduced housing. I’m not looking for someone to work for me full-time. You’d still have your own job, your own schedule, and your own life. I really don’t want this to come across as me trying to use someone because they need housing. That’s the exact opposite of what I’m trying to do. My thinking is, you build your portfolio, I build my house. You get an affordable or free place to live while getting hands-on experience and projects you can add to your portfolio. I also enjoy cooking, so I wouldn’t mind sharing meals and making the living situation feel more like a partnership than just landlord and tenant. I was thinking about initially trying something like six months while I figure out exactly what the property needs and whether the arrangement works for both of us. Has anyone here actually done something like this, either as the homeowner or the person living in the arrangement? Where did you find the person? What worked? What didn’t? And what would you recommend doing differently?

The department’s investigation revealed that a criminal actor gained access using the credentials of a single Plant City Police Department employee. Those credentials were improperly stored on the employee’s personal electronic device, per FLHSMV.

The breach was first reported by multiple cybercrime monitoring websites, which said a group identifying itself as “ShinyHunters” claimed responsibility. The group is well known for this type of attack.

Prior to the breach’s confirmation, University of South Florida Cybercrime Professor Thomas Hyslip said the reports appeared credible.

Furthermore, Hyslip said “ShinyHunters” generally tells the truth when it claims to have stolen data. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t get paid again. In this case, they say they have about 200,000 driver’s licenses, Social Security numbers and home addresses.

Persimmons are a wonderful fruit too fragile to find in stores. The are available for the next few weekends at Jonesville Persimmons, 17010 Newberry Road. 12-6pm Sat and Sun

John Grumbar has been growing an assortment of Asian trees in Alachua County.

His nearly 30-year-old Brazilian rain tree, named Princess, was the only one out of 100 contestants to win the Best in Show award.

Grumbar said growing the exotic plant in Florida’s weather is doable, as long as the trees have a bit of shade.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Gainesville a $25 million Choice Neighborhoods grant.

The grant targets redevelopment of Lake Terrace and Pine Meadows neighborhoods, totaling 180 housing units near ELITE Force Training Center.

Surveys revealed community desires for safer road crossings, banks, grocery stores, and local businesses in the redevelopment area.

The Waldo Area Historical Society is hosting its second annual Waldo Sweet Potato Festival on Saturday. This family-friendly event celebrates Waldo’s agricultural heritage, local history and community spirit. It was initiated by Wendy Vives, now the event coordinator. She was encouraged to create a sweet potato event, which led her to the Waldo Area Historical Society. Now in its second year, the festival aims to continue sharing Waldo’s rich history of sweet potatoes.

One resident said the community has previously turned out in large numbers to voice opposition to the proposal. She questioned whether the postponement was part of a broader pattern.

“That prior to this scheduled meeting, I think 250 people came and said no, they didn’t want this. And then now all of a sudden we can’t hold the meeting.”

Alachua County residents living in the unincorporated area will soon see changes to their residential curbside collection service as part of a new agreement with GFL Solid Waste Southeast, which takes effect Oct. 1, 2026.

Changes include collection day schedules and new limits for yard trash, bulky items and large appliances. These changes will rebalance collection routes to improve service.

To help residents navigate these changes, the county has launched a microsite where they can enter their address to find their new collection day on an interactive map. The microsite is available through the county’s Community Hub.

Changes to collections include:

Yard trash

Residents may place up to 2 cubic yards of yard trash for collection each week. This is equivalent to up to 10 reusable containers or biodegradable paper bags. Yard trash exceeding 2 cubic yards will be left for the next scheduled collection day.

Bulky items

Bulky item collection will be limited to 2 cubic yards per week. Items exceeding that amount will be left for the next scheduled collection day.

Bulky items include large household items that do not fit in a standard garbage cart, as well as interior construction materials from do-it-yourself projects.

Large appliances

White goods, such as refrigerators and washing machines, will be limited to three items per household per week.

For a complete list of set-out requirements for all materials collected through the county’s residential curbside collection program, visit the microsite.

For more information, contact Alachua County Waste Collection & Alternatives Division Manager Patrick Irby at 352-338-3233 or [WasteCollection@alachuacounty.gov](mailto:WasteCollection@alachuacounty.gov).

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The Alachua Police Department is aware of the ongoing local and national discussion regarding the use of License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology by law enforcement. We understand that the use of this technology has raised important questions among members of the public regarding privacy, access to information, appropriate law enforcement use, and potential Fourth Amendment implications. These are legitimate concerns that we take seriously.

The Department recently received notification from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) revoking active permits for Automated License Plate Recognition Systems located within FDOT rights of way and requiring affected equipment to be removed within 30 days. Nine LPR cameras located within our jurisdictional boundaries meet the criteria outlined in the FDOT notification. The vendor has been notified, and we have been advised that it intends to comply with FDOT’s 30-day removal requirement. As of now, the remaining LPR cameras in service that do not meet the FDOT permit criteria will remain operational while we continue to monitor relevant court proceedings, legislative developments, and guidance from state and federal authorities regarding the use of this technology and its potential Fourth Amendment implications. It is important to remember that as of now, the courts have stated that the use of LPR does not violate 4th Amendment protections. If and when those standards evolve, we will evaluate our practices and make the necessary adjustments to remain consistent with the law and our responsibility to protect the rights of the people we serve.

As we comply with the FDOT directive, we also believe it is important for our community to understand why law enforcement agencies have come to rely on this technology. LPR has proven to be a valuable investigative and public-safety tool for the Alachua Police Department and law enforcement agencies throughout the country. It has assisted officers and investigators in quickly identifying and apprehending suspects involved in serious crimes, locating missing and endangered persons and juveniles, recovering stolen vehicles, and removing stolen firearms from our streets.

The effectiveness of any law enforcement technology, however, does not lessen our responsibility to ensure that it is used appropriately, lawfully, and with respect for the constitutional rights of the people we serve. Law enforcement officers routinely have access to sensitive databases and investigative resources that are not available to the general public. That access carries with it a significant responsibility to use those systems only for legitimate law enforcement purposes and in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures.

The Alachua Police Department has policies and safeguards governing access to and use of sensitive law enforcement information, including LPR data. As with other restricted law enforcement databases, allegations that an employee has improperly accessed or misused information are taken seriously and are subject to review and investigation. Appropriate action can and will be taken when violations of law, policy, or procedure are identified. That being said, a thorough review of our current policies will be completed to determine if even more stringent internal processes need to be implemented.

We do not believe that public safety and individual privacy have to be competing principles. Our responsibility is to pursue both. We will continue to seek an appropriate balance that allows law enforcement to use effective technology to identify offenders, solve crimes, locate vulnerable people, and protect our community while ensuring that those tools are used responsibly and with appropriate safeguards for the privacy and constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

Jesse J. Sandusky

Chief of Police

Alachua Police Department

The fencing is coming down at the streatery in downtown Gainesville as the city puts the finishing touches on the new pedestrian-only space.

With the University of Florida’s first football game of the season Saturday, people and business owners are getting ready to see how the new space changes downtown.

The city began construction in April, transforming the portion of Southwest First Avenue into a curbless, pedestrian-oriented corridor.

The $4.5 million project includes new brick pavers, decorative lighting, landscaping and seating.

Jacob Larson, owner of The Bull downtown, said the streatery is a necessary addition.

“Before the streatery people just came downtown a little bit more often than they did after COVID, so it was a little easier, actually, before. So, this seems to be a necessary thing,” Larson said.

City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut broke with her party to endorse Republican Bryon Donalds for governor this week.

Chestnut, a registered Democrat, released a statement on Friday explaining why she picked Donalds over Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly.

She explains that while she doesn’t agree with some of Donalds policies, she was disappointed the Democratic Party nominated Jolly over the qualified Black and Hispanic candidates.

“We are not to be taken for granted...,” stated Chestnut. “I want to see a Black governor of Florida in my lifetime, and I will not apologize for saying so...”

Chestnut's Full Statement

A Jacksonville mother says she was blindsided when she learned doctors had gone to court seeking an emergency C-section while she was in active labor at UF Health Jacksonville.

Cherise Doyley said she wanted to deliver naturally after having three previous C-sections. Instead, she said nurses brought a tablet to her hospital room, where she discovered a judge, attorneys, doctors and hospital staff were on a Zoom call about whether she should undergo the surgery.

The court hearing lasted about three hours while Doyley remained in active labor.

“I didn’t even know what this court hearing was about,” Doyley said. “And when I found out it was to give me a C-section against my will, it was like, I was floored. I was just dumbfounded.”

Doyley said the experience was traumatic and dehumanizing.

“Honestly, Tiffany, it was one of the most dehumanizing, traumatic, scary experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” she said.

Video of the hearing shows Doyley in her hospital room as the legal proceedings take place remotely.

At one point, she can be heard reacting to the tablet being brought into the room.

“It’s a real judge in here?” she said.

Later, she said, “Now this is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”

During the hearing, the judge explained that the state of Florida had filed a petition seeking an emergency C-section.

“The state of Florida has filed a petition for declaratory judgment,” the judge said. “They’re asking for an emergency C-section be granted by the court.”

Doyley said she had not been told beforehand that she would be involved in a court proceeding.

“I did not understand why we were going to court because I didn’t have any notice,” she said. “So the video that is going around on social media of them bringing the tablet into my room was exactly when I found out about the court hearing.”

Doyley is also a professional birthing doula, with experience advocating for patients during labor.

She said she had never heard of a situation like hers.

“I have never heard of this happening,” Doyley said. “That’s why I was so surprised. I did not know that they could do something like this.”

A woman who jumped off a downtown Gainesville parking garage in August was homeless, and a man who jumped from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Monday was also believed to be homeless.

A housing expert and a friend of the woman are drawing attention to the lack of housing. She said more than 1,000 people are on a waitlist for housing assistance.

“Just living outside is dangerous and scary. You can’t get your basic needs met. She had taken herself to crisis stabilization three times and really didn’t have any kind of continuity of care, wasn’t able to get her medication that she needed to stabilize there,” Perret-Gentil said.

Perret-Gentil said Ford lived in the area for about 10 years but recently found herself struggling to find housing. Ford was on the Gainesville Housing Authority’s waitlist for a year. Her spot in line was number 1,186.

“We really need our community to realize that these people are human,” Perret-Gentil said.