A local playwright and filmmaker who has been recognized globally for his productions will be honored at this year’s 5th Avenue Arts Festival in Gainesville Barry McLeod, founder of The Write Side of Me Productions Inc., will be recognized by festival organizers with the Outstanding Creative Award for his more than 40 years of dedication to the entertainment industry McLeod will receive his award during a festival kick-off reception at 6 p.m. May 16 at the Rosa B. Williams Center, 524 NW First St., that also will feature longtime local arts educator Angela Terrell receiving the Outstanding Artist Award and Wanda Lloyd receiving the Patricia Hilliard-Nunn Cultural Ambassador Award May 18 at the Santa Fe College Blount Center The festival on May 17 will feature gospel music performed by local artists praise dancing and performances by students from Caring and Sharing Learning School staff from SF College will lead tours of the Blount Center from 10 a.m in an effort to educate the public about the opportunities available at the center and allow visitors a chance to enjoy the art throughout the building according to a press release by the Cultural Arts Coalition which has organized the event for 45 years Angela Terrell: Angela Terrell honored for service to music ministry The festival on May 18 will feature bands performing jazz Both days of the festival will also feature vendors selling food Attendees also can expect free information about community resources and organizations McLeod said he is proud to be recognized by festival organizers for his work in the arts throughout the years produced and sometimes acted in more than 30 screen and stage plays McLeod has submitted numerous submissions to film festivals around the world and has been accepted to several where his work has received high praise his political drama “Thug for President” was screened at the Golden State and California international film festivals His short film “Love Ain’t This 1” screened at the Golden State Film Festival in 2023 and his sitcom “The Duval’s” placed as a semi-finalist in the 2022 Indie Short Fest “I’ve had a lot of support from different people and organizations in the community,” McLeod said adding that he still collaborates with churches and organizations to raise funds for scholarships and church renovations He has presented his work throughout Florida “I’ve taken Gainesville out of the city and has been a blessing to people,” McLeod said His new suspense thriller "House of April 1st" was selected to the Accolade Global Film Competition and Venice Film Festival in 2024 and won the Best Feature Film award at the Paris Lift-Off Film Festival in 2024 adding that his new comedy “She Da Playa” was selected to the 2025 Accolade Global Film Competition Keeping the festival around to remember the history of the community celebrate people from the community and connect residents to resources in the community is what it’s all about one of the founders and longtime organizers of the festival “I am very happy it is still going on,” Jah said “We started the festival 45 years ago because we saw gentrification coming and wanted to use the festival to discuss and talk about it.” The Northwest Fifth Avenue area in Gainesville was once the heart of the Black community and home to many Black businesses “The festival is one of the few remaining things from the community,” Jah said “Student housing has taken over from family housing in the community and I want the festival to be around 75 years and 100 years from now to keep the history of the neighborhood alive.” The Gainesville City Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve the first reading of an ordinance to allow the installation of red-light cameras.   The City Commission decided to move forward with red-light cameras and school zone cameras in February and the Office of the City Attorney drafted the ordinance to allow the camera enforcement Thursday’s ordinance only deals with red-light and not school zone cameras.  The city currently plans to only roll out two red-light cameras—at the Waldo Road and NE 39th Avenue intersection and the NW 6th Street and NW 23rd Avenue intersection The ordinance will still need another vote to be finalized.   but pavement-pounding journalism is not free Join your neighbors who make this vital work possible The city is required by state law to place signs ahead of the intersections warning that red-light cameras are in use.  said the intersections were picked based on the number of incidents and severity of crashes She said running red lights has been a growing problem.   the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) issued 388 citations for red light violations and violations of traffic control signals Commissioner Bryan Eastman said he’s excited to finally implement the program after several years of discussions within the Vision Zero program He supported slowly rolling out the red-light cameras and making sure GPD can handle extra work.  While expected not to produce any significant revenue Eastman asked if there was a plan for any additional dollars that come from the $158 fines for running a red light He said other cities have dedicated those funds to traffic safety improvements.   City Manager Cynthia Curry said any revenue from the fines (after paying for costs and the vendor) would go into the general funds She said she created an isolated account for those dollars in order to track the new program.   How the city uses those funds will be a budget question for management and the City Commission to decide Will somebody tell the city what happens when you lose the ticket fines but still have to pay the service fee’s because of the “lack of one to be able confront your accuser in court?” (constitution thing) The experience with red light cameras up there seems to have been almost entirely negative They didn’t noticeably reduce accidents nor did they noticeably increase fines for very long since any tickets that were contested were just dropped (for lack of ability to prove who was driving the car) I think they finally just gave up on their bad idea Be very careful of any private company involvement in the ticketing process So long as the private company involved in the operation of the cameras is not paid a commission on a per ticket basis there will be no incentive for the company operating the red light cameras to issue tickets for marginal I say a very firm “No” to red light cameras Did I ever mis-read the headline — redlight district and cameras– wow Join your neighbors who make this work possible — A 56-year-old Gainesville woman was killed in a four-car crash that shut down Interstate 75 for several hours on Saturday According to a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) report the victim was driving a Hyundai Sonata southbound on I-75 at about 11:25 a.m when she entered the center lane and collided with a Mazda 6 driven by a 30-year-old New York woman The impact caused the Sonata to enter the median WATCH: Gainesville woman killed in four-car I-75 crash that shut highway down the Sonata hit a Kia Sorento driven by a 57-year-old Riverview woman The Sonata came to rest on top of the guardrail A 72-year-old Maryland woman was driving the fourth vehicle that was hit by debris from the crash in the northbound center lane The victim was pronounced dead at the scene The Sorento driver suffered minor injuries The crash closed the northbound lanes of I-75 until 5 p.m and I feel like that's part of where the system failed" Henry Betsey Jr. is facing charges for marrying three Florida women in three different counties at the same time. Now saying the system that handles marriage licenses kept them in the dark Latest Hillsborough County News from ABC Action News Report a typo has been charged with homicide and grand theft of a motor vehicle and firearm after allegedly shooting a man who had given him a place to stay with the victim’s gun and then driving away in the victim’s car an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Detective was called out to a death investigation at Reflections Apartments (205 SW 75th Street) and the detective discovered that the victim’s pistol and vehicle were missing The victim’s car had been found abandoned on April 12 in a ditch at NE 25th Street and NE 4th Avenue and Gainesville Police Department had the vehicle towed when they were unable to contact the owner of the vehicle The missing handgun was a custom chocolate brown Glock 47 and detectives found photos of the victim with the gun a few days before the incident that showed the serial number A pizza box found at the victim’s apartment had a receipt showing that it was ordered at 8:18 p.m on April 10 and was delivered to the victim’s apartment Detectives found that the pizza was ordered by someone who said “Zay” told them to order it and have it delivered to the victim’s apartment A witness told the detective that a black male had been sleeping on the victim’s couch for about a week The witness positively identified Chisolm in a photo line-up and said Chisolm had loaded items from the victim’s apartment into a car on the night of April 10 The victim’s cell phone was last used at 7:40 p.m Another witness said Chisolm showed up at their residence around 3 a.m on April 11 and told the witness he woke up to find the victim pointing a gun at him; he said he wrestled the gun away from the victim and shot him once in the head The witness said Chisolm had blood on his arm Chisolm also reportedly told the witness he had stolen the victim’s car and ditched it and needed to hide the handgun; the witness said the handgun was chocolate brown Chisolm reportedly told the witness he was worried he had left something in the car that could link him to the homicide A search warrant to TextNow produced text messages for a phone number used by Chisolm to communicate with the victim; around 1 a.m that number sent text messages that said “I need you” and “Kant say much but I stayed with you tonight,” an apparent attempt to establish an alibi of sleeping somewhere else he asked someone to come get him and asked if he could stay with that person Chisolm reportedly responded with a message saying he “fu**ed up.” Chisolm’s fingerprint was reportedly found on the rear passenger door of the victim’s vehicle an arrest warrant was granted for charges of grand theft of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and Chisolm was arrested on that warrant on April 25 in Jacksonvile Chisolm reportedly denied murdering the victim or stealing his firearm or vehicle He said he stayed at the victim’s apartment between April 10 and April 13 and said the victim showed him to the door when he left on the morning of April 13 the detective reported that the victim was discovered deceased on April 13 and had already been dead for several days Chisolm has four felony convictions (non-violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served two state prison sentences he was arrested during an investigation of shots fired at Southwood Apartments and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and introducing a bullet into a detention facility He entered a plea of nolo contendere to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to two years in state prison with an agreement that the rest of the charges would be dropped Chisolm is being held on $225,000 bail on the original three charges and without bail on the homicide charge pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law Excellent detectives and LEOs risking their lives only for SCUMMY judges and public attorneys to release repeat offenders who keep returning to a college town Because they KNOW there’ll be CRICKETS from paid Soros astroturf here Quote “ Chisolm has four felony convictions (non-violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served two state prison sentences He entered a plea of nolo contendere to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to two years…” Trvmp can’t stop murders nor lower grocery prices State prison will now be his permanent place to stay iron bars close on a hundred year night🎵🎵😘 Not enough cops assigned to the victim’s apartment What ever happened to Florida’s 10-20-Life law Why is it not being enforced and these scumbags allowed to plea their actions down That’s a new “tarious” name Another stupid defendant talking to police after Miranda warning Correction: Another violent criminal being let out over and over until someone dies Too bad they’re often attached to criminals <#= ThriveComments.util.render_label('login_submit_comment') #> <#= ThriveComments.util.render_label('commenting_as',ThriveComments.current_user.display_name || ( ThriveComments.social_user && ThriveComments.social_user.name ) ) #> <#= ThriveComments.util.render_label('guest_comment') #> A 56-year-old Gainesville woman died Saturday after a four-car collision that closed I-75 for over five hours in Hillsborough County According to ABC Action News the woman was driving a Hyundai Sonata southbound when the vehicle entered the center lane and hit a Mazda 6 driven by a New York woman before continuing into the median and overturning onto the northbound side of the interstate the Sonata hit another two cars and landed on top of a guardrail ABC reports the Sorento driver received minor injuries .@kendrafalby is a human highlight reel 🤯#NCAASoftball x 🎥 ESPN2 / @GatorsSB pic.twitter.com/bwv4RZEISy Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Chris joined FloridaGators.com in 2011 after nearly three decades as a sports reporter at newspapers in Tampa and Orlando including 10 years covering the UF athletic program and another 10 covering the NFL Scott has been a senior writer for the Florida Gators since 2010 playAmari Rodgers breaks through for Stallions TD (1:12)Amari Rodgers evades the tackles to find the end zone for the Stallions vs The UFL has approved a new collective bargaining agreement with the United Football Players Association, the league announced Monday, finalizing a deal that players ratified last month The deal is retroactive to the start of training camp and will extend through the end of the 2026 season The new CBA includes an annual raise of $7,005 on minimum salaries from $55,000 to $62,005 for players who participate in all 10 regular-season games and makes all players eligible for year-round health care according to a fact sheet produced by the UFPA when it approved the deal The minimum salary for 2026 will be $64,000 Part of the pay raise is a reallocation of a previous $400 per month housing stipend Among the structural changes in the new UFL CBA: • Annual raise of $7,005 on players' minimum salary • Makes all players eligible for year-round health care • Team roster size increase from 42 players to 43 during the regular season and 58 to 64 during training camp • Player bonuses of $500 for player of the week awards $7,500 for league MVP and $5,000 for players that win the UFL championship • Maximum of two padded practices per week • Agreement that players can wear preferred cleats • Creation of labor management committee that will meet three times per year "We have reached a collective bargaining agreement with the UFPA We look forward to continuing to work with our players to grow professional spring football at the UFL," UFL president and CEO Russ Brandon said in a statement Other changes to the CBA include expanded roster sizes and a process to handle player grievances "I think this is a reflection of the fact that the UFL and the UFPA ultimately wanted to come together to reach a sustainable deal that will ensure that spring football will be here to stay," Harry Marino president of Sports Solidarity and the UFPA's lead negotiator for the CBA "And as hard-fought as the negotiation was I think this is turning the page and saying now we're going to work in partnership to make sure this thing lasts and succeeds.'" Labor certainty should lead to more continuity among the player pool Michigan Panthers quarterback Danny Etling said last month noting the value of stability for the league The league clarified there would be discipline but no job loss if a boycott occurred, and all requested players made appearances. But former Memphis Showboats quarterback Quinten Dormady was released a day later and he told ESPN that he believed his leadership role in the union was "a driving factor." In response the league said in part that "any player transactions are purely the result of football decisions at the team level and have nothing to do with collective bargaining negotiations." The UFPA filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board and ultimately the league agreed both to the salary hike and a health care formula that gives players seven months of insurance followed by subsidized COBRA (continuing insurance coverage) for the other five months players were insured only during the four-month UFL season is opening a path for players who were no longer eligible to remain on their parents' insurance after the age of 26 The Presidential Search Advisory Committee named Santa J Ono the lone finalist for UF’s 14th president in an announcement Sunday afternoon The recommendation comes nine months after former UF President Ben Sasse resigned from the position.  Ono currently serves as the University of Michigan’s president He was formerly president of the University of British Columbia and the University of Cincinnati Beyond his experience in university administration Ono was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and serves on the American Council of Education Ono praised UF in its role as the state’s flagship university saying he’s “honored and energized to be considered for this historic opportunity.”  While Ono has an extensive background in academia he notably lacks any experience in politics — something his predecessor drew frequent criticism for.  Former UF president Ben Sasse came from a political background, formerly serving as a U.S. senator for Nebraska. Sasse’s election fueled concerns within the UF community that political leaders like Gov Ron DeSantis were trying to unduly influence higher education sparking widespread protests on campus.  the chair of the presidential search committee said in a press release that the unanimous decision came from the committee’s confidence that Ono will “build on UF’s strong foundation.”  UF spokesman Steve Orlando declined to comment further on Ono’s recommendation citing the university press release.  The committee reached out to over 450 possible candidates 10 of whom were sitting presidents of institutions part of the Association of American Universities an organization of research universities.  The presidential search committee defined search criteria and vetted candidates but the Board of Trustees must vote to select the president The appointment is also subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors The next Board of Trustees meeting will be on June 5 “I fully support this unanimous recommendation and am confident in Dr Ono’s ability to guide UF to even greater success,” Mori Hosseini Ono will visit the UF campus on May 6 to attend public forums with students Each forum will be held at the Emerson Hall President’s Ballroom the student forum will take place at 2:25 p.m and the administrator and staff forum will begin at 3:30 p.m Kylie Williams and Delia Rose Sauer contributed to this report who has led the University of Michigan since 2022 is the sole finalist to become president of the University of Florida A presidential-search committee recommended that the UF Board of Trustees approve Ono after a search that began last year following the abrupt resignation of former President Ben Sasse “Throughout an extensive and thorough process we sought a leader who could match UF’s extraordinary momentum understand its role as the flagship university of one of the most dynamic states in the country and inspire our community to reach even greater heights,” Rahul Patel a UF trustee and chairman of the search committee Ono’s proven record of academic excellence innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our unanimous choice.” who has a doctorate in experimental medicine from McGill University in Canada served as president of the University of Cincinnati and the University of British Columbia before becoming president of the University of Michigan Ono is scheduled to visit the Gainesville campus Tuesday for forums with students his selection would need confirmation from the state university system’s Board of Governors served less than two years as president before announcing last summer he would step down because of his wife’s health Subsequent reporting by the Independent Florida Alligator student newspaper raised questions about issues such as spending on travel and high-level employees who did not live in Florida Sunday’s announcement came after the Florida House this spring unsuccessfully sought to revamp laws about college and university presidential searches including trying to repeal a 2022 law that provided exemptions to public-records and public-meetings laws for information about most candidates for presidencies only information about finalists for the positions is released The House proposal died Friday when the Senate did not take it up before lawmakers finished most business of this year’s legislative session The UF announcement Sunday said the search committee “was responsible for designing the search criteria identifying and vetting a broad pool of qualified candidates and recommending finalists to the Board of Trustees.” It did not provide information about other candidates Members of the search committee were announced in October The university system has seen heavy turnover in presidents in recent years Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner was selected in February to become president of Florida Atlantic University Jeanette Nunez was named interim president of Florida International University Florida A&M University announced the names of four finalists to become its president University of South Florida President Rhea Law has announced she is stepping down This episode features the Gainesville Fine Arts Association Artist Studio Tour a self-guided tour through working artist studios in and around Gainesville The event is free and kicks off with a special event from 6 to 9 p.m May 16 at the GFAA Gallery at 1314 South Main Street Participants can meet the artists and sample culinary creations and beverages from vendors including Vine Sourdough Bakery and First Magnitude Brewing Company Maps will be available at the event and online for the studio tour locations that will be open on Saturday While at the studios visitors can view each artists’ creative process through examples and impromptu demonstrations and have the opportunity to purchase original work directly from the artists GFAA Tour Co-Coordinators and artists Michelle Nagri and Peter Senesac share information on the 28 participating artists how to access the online interactive map at gfaastudiotour.org and what to expect during this now spring event GFAA Artist Studio Tour 2025More information and self-guided map at www.gfaastudiotour.org Sign up now for NowHab's weekday newsletter Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" After 58 year of serving Gainesville and Alachua County residents as the North Central Florida YMCA the local nonprofit has decided to disaffiliate itself with the national organization The announcement was made May 1 on social media It is with mixed emotions we announce that as of 4/30/25 we will no longer operate as a YMCA After thorough deliberation and consideration we decided it is in our best interest to disaffiliate from the YMCA Movement and continue operations as a separate nonprofit organization — the North Central Florida Community Center," the Facebook post said president of the nonprofit's board of directors told The Sun on May 2 that the decision to separate itself from the national organization allows the center to put "Gainesville first." She said the decision wasn't based on any changes made by the national YMCA organization More local news: Mixed reactions in Alachua County to proposed fluoride ban as bill heads to DeSantis "It gives us a lot of autonomy to make some decisions and allows us to independently best meet the needs of the community," she said Gholson said all programming at the center and that members will still have access to the facility through the remainder of their membership terms will no longer have access to additional YMCA centers "Everything is going to continue to run as is until further notice," said Gholson who also noted that no staffing changes are planned at this time The Sun has reached out to the national YMCA organization for comment The Y also filed for bankruptcy in November 2011 and emerged from it in October 2013 When asked about the nonprofit's past financial struggles Gholson said she is looking forward to forming new partnerships in the community "The YMCA was a great partner in allowing us to continue to serve the community but this will give us the opportunity to look at partnerships that maybe weren't on the table due to the national governing body or being able to do some things that would just align a little bit differently and focus on the mission of where we look to take this organization moving forward," Gholson said the local chapter of a grassroots national resistance movement against the Trump administration held a May Day protest near Depot Park and the Cade Museum on May 1 in downtown Gainesville more than 300 hundred protesters locally joined together at the intersection of Southwest Depot Avenue and South Main Street A few protesters volunteered as crossing guards to safely let protesters cross the street while cars traveled through the roundabout protesters held signs with messages such as "We the People will not subsidize tax breaks with tariffs," "Save Our Social Security," "Simple Math Trump + Musk = Diarrhea," "DOGE is a Scam" and "Won't Back Down," a reference to Tom Petty's iconic song One of Gainesville's most recognized nonprofit groups has gained national accolades for its work to empower the community Nonprofit ministry Good News at Noon has received the Waypoint Award from national nonprofit True Charity at its annual Summit conference The award honors a member of the True Charity Network that has demonstrated outstanding commitment to empowering A release from True Charity this week reminded the community that Good News at Noon was founded in 1987 when they began serving free lunches from their home kitchen. Good News at Noon has grown into a vibrant ministry offering shelter and a food pantry—while focusing on long-term transformation through employment A turning point came after Executive Director Ken Gossage attended last year’s True Charity Summit which he called “pivotal” for the organization’s future Building on their existing use of True Charity’s program plans and operational toolkits the team began implementing a new certificate program using the Developmental Classes Toolkit This allowed both residents and community neighbors to engage in structured learning that fosters personal growth.  Gossage received the Waypoint Award on behalf of the nonprofit from James Whitford True Charity officials went on to say that Good News at Noon exemplifies the spirit of effective charity by refusing to settle for quick fixes they pursue dignity and long-term change through personal connection More information about Good News at Noon can be found here, while you can also learn more about what True Charity provides by going to this link The University of Florida's Presidential Search Committee announced that Dr the current president at the University of Michigan is the sole finalist to become the university's 14th president chair of the search committee and a member of UF's board of trustees made the announcement in an email to the university community on Sunday understand its role as the flagship university of one of the most dynamic states in the country and inspire our community to reach even greater heights," Patel said in the announcement innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our unanimous choice We are confident he is the right person to build on UF’s strong foundation and help realize our bold vision for the future," he added who holds a doctorate in experimental medicine from McGill University has held previous faculty appointments at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Harvard University and University College London He served as president of the University of Cincinnati from 2012 to 2016 and at the University of British Columbia in Canada from 2016 to 2022 "If I could select a dream candidate for the university’s next president “His demonstrated record of success at the best universities and caring personality have allowed him to work effectively with faculty staff and other stakeholders everywhere he has been I am confident that the future of the University will be in the best of hands with Santa Ono as our leader.” Ono expected on campus in Gainesville on May 6According to the release Ono will be in Gainesville on May 6 to meet with students “Few moments in higher education are as exciting as this one at the University of Florida,” Ono said in the release “No other public university combines UF’s momentum its role as the flagship of one of the nation’s most important states the extraordinary support from state leaders and a shared vision across its entire community "These strengths make UF uniquely positioned not only to lead public higher education but to stand among the most impactful institutions — public or private — in the world I am honored and energized to be considered for this historic opportunity,” he added Ono's appointment must then be confirmed by Florida's Board of Governors Government Relations and Internal Affairs at a Feb 25 meeting unanimously approved a compensation package for UF's next president of up to $3 million Ono's base salary if hired by UF has not yet been revealed The agreement came just two years after Ono began his term as president in October 2022 George Mason University Professor Emeritus of Public Policy James Finkelstein called the contract "unprecedented in public higher education." In a twist Finkelstein also noted at the time that the only other public university to offer a contract of this magnitude was the University of Florida to Ben Sasse Sasse announced his stunning resignation in July 2024 after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy who served as UF president from 2015 to 2023 was quickly appointed by the board of trustees to serve as interim president The selection of the former Republican U.S senator for Nebraska received almost immediate backlash from the university community due to his anti-abortion stance and being accused of not supporting the LGBTQ community People also were upset with how the search for a new president unfolded with Sasse being named the sole finalist after a months-long presidential search involving over 700 candidates UF officials claimed no other finalist wanted to come forward unless they were chosen as the sole finalist Sasse was criticized by some and lauded by others for his handling of pro-Palestinian protests on UF's Plaza of the Americas While many protests on university campuses across the country had escalated into violence Nine protesters were arrested after a days-long sit-in following what demonstrators called unfair rules and restrictions enacted by the university Ono also has faced backlash over the University of Michigan's handling of pro-Palestinian protesters In December 2024, a federal lawsuit was filed against UM Ono and others over the university's handling of the protests It alleges that the school selectively targeted student protesters over their beliefs and took a more hardline approach to disciplining them compared to protesters involved with other causes When Adyan Child joined the cross-country team in middle school The sport brought him accolades and peace of mind but Child could not foresee it would bring him to Depot Park where he would befriend scores of like-minded individuals who felt the same “I found out running was a great way to kind of blow off some steam deal with issues,” Child said while reflecting on his running origins ”Whether it's just running by yourself and fighting demons working on things together and growing as a team.” a run club in Gainesville that meets weekly at Depot Park The first meeting in the summer of 2024 had 15 to 20 of Child’s friends Once the club started to advertise their twice-weekly runs on Instagram “I really wanted an outlet for something fun to do and a way to meet new people,” he said “now it's turned into this great community.” In its yearly trend report the popular workout app Strava found the percentage of social runners increased dramatically in 2024 55% of Gen Z respondents said their primary motivation for joining a fitness group was to make social connections Strava only predicts this trend to grow even more in 2025 Peak Pulse sees anywhere from 50 to 100 runners on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings Each run is characterized by a distinct Peak Pulse “vibe” which involves upbeat music and cold plunge ice baths Child has seen the social club expand into a community For novice runners Anson Wu and Brian Cardoso Peak Pulse was a great way to diversify their workouts they have tackled the pillars of adolescence together they've been at each other's sides for years On why running has become their newest challenge “Running allows you to escape from the craziness of reality,” Wu said Wu and Cardoso will go their separate ways to pursue internships in different cities they'll take on one more challenge: A 10k through the streets of Miami Both Wu and Cordoso called the challenge a “final push.” joined Peak Pulse after hearing about it from a friend he still finds comfort in the galloping gaggle has run with Peak Pulse since that first summer Napoli said she was excited to “make her way back to the Gainesville community.” “I am a little bit older than the undergrad crowd,” she said she was thrilled to help her friend and founder in his newest endeavor; now she attends most weekly runs and loves the support the club provides Child’s social running society that started in Depot park has come a long way in the past ten months Reaching the one-year milestone in the coming months has propelled him into thinking about the future satellite clubs like Peak Pulse Tallahassee and consistent high-turnout Child sees the potential for this movement to take over other college towns across Florida “There are plans in the works,” Child said To anyone looking for a way to break into the sport Aydan has a simple message (one that seems to be the mantra of every member who started at Peak Pulse): Come out and see what it's all about All the pressure stood on the shoulders of Mia Williams when she approached the plate in the sixth inning Florida softball relinquished a lead in the top half of the inning and needed a furious comeback One of the most anticipated games at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium lived up to the hype as No. 7/9 UF (41-13 17-5 SEC) battled for three more innings before the Sooners eventually prevailed 6-5 in the ninth to win the first game of the three-game series Even though the Gators fell short of their first home win over a No and it was needed after an embarrassing loss Monday to LSU Two top-notch defensive put outs defined the early part of the game coach Tim Walton sent Shumaker home after first baseman Sydney Barker couldn’t handle the ball and fired it home to easily get Shumaker out the Gators delivered a perfect play – emblematic of the defense Walton coaches but Mia Williams read it well and fired it to Jocelyn Erickson Williams said she didn’t realize it was a big play until after it happened “I was going to tag the runner out that was going to second and I heard everybody four,” Williams said just like having each other's backs and knowing that my teammates have my back The Sooners got the scoring started with back-to-back runs in the second and third innings Florida made OU pay for an error and a wild pitch The Gators plated two unearned runs but still led 3-2 when the Sooners finally got into Rothrock Mia Williams got Florida back into the thick of things The Gators carried that energy into the seventh OU put two runners on in the seventh and loaded the bases in the eighth but another phenomenal defensive double play from Williams kept it tied Florida stranded two runners on base in the two innings the Sooners loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth Florida reliever Ava Brown escaped only allowing one run but that proved to be the final nail in the coffin and we're right up there with them,” Walsh said “I don't think that they're better than us We're going to come out and we're going to do the best that we can.” Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him by email at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on X/Twitter was arrested yesterday and charged with stealing a car from the parking lot of a convenience store a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a call about a suspicious incident near the 1900 block of SW 36th Street; the caller said Wright rang her doorbell and threatened to kick in her door The officer reported that when he tried to speak to Wright Wright ran into the yard of an abandoned residence and Wright reportedly ran to the back of the residence but stopped and sat down when he could not get inside Wright reportedly complied with commands to lie on the ground and was detained without incident A search incident to arrest produced a set of keys in his hand that were found to belong to a stolen vehicle parked in the woodline near the residence; a debit card belonging to the owner of the stolen vehicle was also reportedly found in his pocket Wright reportedly admitted that he took the vehicle from a convenience store in the 2400 block of SW 34th Street; he said the vehicle was left running and “it was like the vehicle was calling for him to take it.” He reportedly admitted taking it for a joyride and leaving it where it was found Wright has been charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle He has three felony convictions (none violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions (one violent) along with two battery cases that were dropped; he has served two state prison sentences with his most recent release in October 2024 WTH kind of ja ked up bail amounts is that This man stole a car because ” it was calling him” and threaten to kick in a door of a residence I detect a smidgen of mental illness along with a break of violence Are these idiot ‘victims’ ever going learn to ALWAYS LOCK their vehicle when not in it much less leaving it running while going into a store Benz or Beamer I stop and listen really carefully Never once have I heard the car say “Take me” so I have left them in place Ono has emerged as the lone finalist to lead the state’s flagship university The University of Florida Presidential Search Committee announced Sunday that it “has unanimously and enthusiastically recommended” Ono be considered as the sole finalist by the UF Board of Trustees “On behalf of the Presidential Search Committee Santa Ono as the sole finalist to be the University of Florida’s next president,” said Rahul Patel Chair of the Presidential Search Committee and inspire our community to reach even greater heights We are confident he is the right person to build on UF’s strong foundation and help realize our bold vision for the future.” UF touted Ono’s status as a “world-renowned researcher recognized for pioneering work on the immune system and eye disease.” Ono earned a Ph.D in experimental medicine from McGill University and an undergraduate degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago “Few moments in higher education are as exciting as this one at the University of Florida,” Ono said in a prepared statement These strengths make UF uniquely positioned not only to lead public higher education I am honored and energized to be considered for this historic opportunity.” Ono will visit UF campus in Gainesville on Tuesday for a series of public forums with students “I want to thank the Search Committee and the many members of the UF community who contributed to this process,” said Mori Hosseini “This is a great day for the University of Florida and the State of Florida and the Board remains fully committed to seeing UF become not only the best public university in the nation but also one of the most influential institutions of higher learning in the country “We are grateful to our state’s government leaders for supporting this mission I fully support this unanimous recommendation and am confident in Dr Ono’s ability to guide UF to even greater success and their daughters Juliana and Sarah to the Gator Nation.” “If I could select a dream candidate for the University’s next President His demonstrated record of success at the best universities Ono’s appointment must be confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors the University of Michigan under Ono’s leadership has been in litigation over alleged sex abuse by late university President Robert Anderson and the school was in the process of implementing new reporting and investigation policies around sexual misconduct allegations Drew Wilson covers legislative campaigns and fundraising for Florida Politics He is a former editor at The Independent Florida Alligator and business correspondent at The Hollywood Reporter covered the state economy and Legislature for LobbyTools and The Florida Current prior to joining Florida Politics and website in this browser for the next time I comment This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL © Copyright by Extensive-Enterprises 2025. All rights reserved. STAFF LOGIN The University of Florida appears to have found its next president The school announced Sunday the “University of Florida Presidential Search Committee has unanimously and enthusiastically recommended Santa J to be considered by its Board of Trustees as the sole finalist to become the University’s 14th president.” Ono, the current president at the University of Michigan, later announced his plans to leave for the same role at Florida. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors. “I write today to share that I have been selected as the sole finalist for the presidency of the University of Florida, and once the appointment is approved by their Board of Governors, I expect to assume that role later this summer,” Ono wrote. “I have informed the Chair of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, Kathy White, of my decision. This decision was not made lightly, given the deep bond Wendy and I have formed with this extraordinary community. Rahul Patel, Chair of the Presidential Search Committee at UF, was enthusiastic about the prospect of bringing in Ono in a school release. Dr. Ono currently serves as president of the University of Michigan and brings a distinguished record of leadership in academia and public health across the United States and Canada.  Top 101Trump, SabanDuo's NIL order blasted Hot32026 NFL Mock DraftTodd McShay looks ahead By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein. Per the UF release, Ono is scheduled to visit the Gainesville campus on Tuesday for a series of public forums with students, faculty, and administrators. The flip Friday by 4-star linebacker Izayia Williams of Tavares (Fla.) from UF to Ole Miss was significant recruiting news. But how much did it truly... Welcome to the Gators Online Show! For episode 126, we discuss the NFL Draft, Florida's top 2026 prospects, Desmond Claude visiting and more UF... Florida Gators star volleyball player Kennedy Martin, an All-American and one of the top players in college, has entered the transfer portal.... GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Every week Gators Online hold weekly live chats for our members. On Tuesday night, we answered questions about Florida coach Todd... The Florida Gators will go into the NCAA Tournament playing their best golf of the season.... In the latest Gators Online Show, we discuss the latest transfer portal news with On3's Joe Tipton and D'Antre Robinson transferring.... Welcome to the Gators Online Show! For episode 123, we recap Florida's national championship in men's basketball and preview the spring football... In the latest Gators Online Show, we recap the first week of Florida's spring football camp and preview the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament.... he Florida Gators have two national titles and five Final Four appearances but they've never beaten a No. 1-ranked team on the road. Saturday, Todd... Nearly 1,000 wins were racked up during her time with the Florida Gators.... The Final ESPN300 was revealed Wednesday and several Florida signees in the 2025 class made the list -- starting with receiver Vernell Brown III.... For the 23rd straight year, the Florida Gators will have a former player representing the program in the Super Bowl.... For former Florida Gators tennis star Ben Shelton, greatness now is only two victories away.... After a busy weekend for former Florida Gators in the NFL playoffs, here's a quick look at who is moving on.... Dameon Pierce hasn't had a season to remember. But the Florida Gators alum had a memorable TD Sunday.... Here's a look at the known players thus far expected to officially visit Florida.... Former Florida Gators standout Eddy Piñeiro is the most accurate field-goal kicker in NFL history. For now, at least.... The Florida Gators are expected to visit one of their biggest offensive targets Friday night.... Count Florida edge T.J. Searcy among those happy to see UF athletics director Scott Stricklin give Gators coach Billy Napier a public vote of... Anna Hall was a decorated track and field star for the Florida Gators. Her success in the sport has continued after college and she was an Olympian... Two Florida Gators starters on offense have been ruled for the Texas game, while a defensive starter was cleared to play on Friday night.... Former Florida star Pete Alonso is set to enter MLB free agency and nearly a dozen teams are showing up in the betting odds.... After the Devin Moore interception, DJ Lagway then connected with Aidan Mizell for a 43-yard TD to put Florida ahead.... The Florida Gators have a major challenge in front of them as they face No. 8 Tennessee on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium... On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media Leagues and Governing BodiesUFL approves labor pact with playersBy Ben Fischer05.05.2025 The UFL and its players union have finalized the league's first collective bargaining agreement Getty Images The UFL Board of Directors has ratified the league’s first union contract with the United Football Players Association a deal that gives players an effective 5.1% raise now and year-round health insurance “We look forward to continuing to work with our players to grow professional spring football at the UFL,” said UFL President & CEO Russ Brandon in the release members will see their full-season salary increase from $55,000 now to $62,005 this year with another increase to $64,000 scheduled for 2026 More than half of that initial $7,005 increase will be paid for by eliminating a separate $4,000 housing stipend which makes the immediate raise effectively 5.1% players now have health insurance for themselves and dependents in the offseason via a blend of extended active coverage and the UFL’s promise to subsidize COBRA coverage for five months each offseason Players said those changes will make the cost-conscious league more sustainable by making it possible for players to consider it their primary occupation When Santa Fe College student Saoud Al-Ammari he feared deportation back to his repressive native county he took up residence at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gainesville Westminster was the first Gainesville church to declare itself a sanctuary. To help Al-Amari, the Rev. Larry Green, then church pastor, told The Sun in 2019 Al-Amari lived at Westminster for about a year before being granted legal asylum status “We were very happy for him,” said the Rev Westminster Presbyterian is stepping up its activism on behalf of migrants This time on a national scale and in a courtroom on the other side of the country The church is one of a handful of plaintiffs that have filed suit in the U.S challenging the right of the Trump administration to send U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents into schools health care clinics and other “sacred spaces” in search of undocumented immigrants “What drew us to this lawsuit in particular was the scope of it,” Putman said it is about something that is happening nationally The church’s participation in the litigation came about almost by serendipity after Putman met attorney Tess Hellgren at a gathering of the Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative Hellgren is director of legal advocacy for the Innovation Law Lab a Portland-based nonprofit that uses legal advocacy and technology to advocate for immigrant justice “It is incredibly meaningful to be able to represent a local church that’s doing this incredible work” on behalf of undocumented immigrants Oregon’s largest farmworker advocacy group; Augustana Lutheran Church in San Diego; and the San Francisco Interfaith Council under both Democratic and Republican administrations there has been an understanding that immigration officials should avoid going into churches schools and the like except in extreme cases when terrorism or violent crime is involved The Trump administration’s decision to no longer respect such spaces violates the First Amendment and health clinics should be places for adults and children to assemble and heal — not zones for deportation enforcement,” the lawsuit asserts “As a result of the administration’s new policy sacred spaces have become sources of extreme anxiety rather than places of healing the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement saying that the policy change “gives our law enforcement the ability to do their jobs.” But it added: “For context: Our agents use discretion Officers would need secondary supervisor approval before any action can be taken in locations such as a church or a school The litigation repeatedly uses the term “sacred spaces” to describe churches “We use that term intentionally,” said Hellgren “because we want to convey what it means to have these types of locations protected for all We should be able to send our kids to school and feel safe doing so You should be able to worship without fear “At a time when there is a lot of rhetoric that seeks to divide us places where people can come together…that’s what this case is really fighting for.” Although Westminster is not currently offering sanctuary Putman said the church provides other programs to assist undocumented migrants it partners with local nonprofits to conduct “Know your rights” workshops She worries that the fear of being confronted by law enforcement will have the effect of discouraging undocumented immigrants from coming to the church for help “We haven’t completely dismissed the idea of taking someone into sanctuary on our campus but it would have to be something very different than it’s been in the past,” Putman said she said “what I would like to see happen is for the lawsuit to succeed for these sensitive locations I love the narrative use of ‘sacred’ because these are places that I think define what it means to be human being able to offer welcome and sanctuary is paramount Participating in this lawsuit is part of how we are trying to preserve the truth that human lives are sacred Part of our faith is speaking truth to power.” On May 4, 2025, the University of Michigan and the University of Florida announced a major leadership transition: Santa J. Ono, Ph.D., president of the University of Michigan since October 2022, has been unanimously recommended by the University of Florida's Presidential Search Committee as the sole finalist to become UF's 14th president marks the end of Ono's tenure at Michigan and the beginning of a new chapter for both prestigious institutions Ono expressed gratitude for his time at Michigan "Serving as your president over these past three academic years has been a distinct honor I have been inspired beyond words by the vibrancy and alumni..." He highlighted Michigan's momentum and expressed confidence in its future "I have every confidence that our exceptional leadership team and our Board of Regents will come together behind a new leader ensuring that Michigan's extraordinary momentum continues to serve the people of Michigan and the world." The University of Florida's announcement praised Ono's track record and qualifications stating "proven record of academic excellence innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our unanimous choice." Interim UF President Kent Fuchs added "If I could select a dream candidate for the University's next president it would be Santa Ono," citing his approachable leadership style and ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders though these were unrelated to Ono's departure Ono is expected to bring his expertise in academic leadership and public health drawing on his experience at institutions like the University of British Columbia and the University of Cincinnati The UF announcement noted that Ono's appointment aligns with the university's goal of maintaining its trajectory as a leading public research institution The UF Board of Trustees is set to finalize the decision with Ono expected to assume the presidency this summer The University of Michigan has not yet announced plans for an interim president or the search for Ono's successor The university's Board of Regents is expected to provide updates in the coming weeks as it prepares for this transition This move represents a pivotal moment for both universities Michigan faces the challenge of sustaining its momentum under new leadership while Florida anticipates a transformative era under Ono's guidance As Ono prepares to leave Ann Arbor for Gainesville the higher education community will be watching closely to see how these institutions navigate their next chapters Copyright © 2025 UNIVERSITY HERALD. All rights reserved. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy Ono has been unanimously recommended by the University of Florida Presidential Search Committee as the sole finalist to become UF's 14th president Ono would replace former president Ben Sasse who resigned from the role in July of 2024 The role has since been held by former president Kent Fuchs on an interim basis “Few moments in higher education are as exciting as this one at the University of Florida,” Dr. Ono said in a press release Ono has been president at the University of Michigan since October of 2022 and was previously president at the University of British Columbia (2016-22) and the University of Cincinatti (2012-16) who is best-known for his research with pioneering efforts on the immune system and eye disease is "widely recognized for his ability to cultivate philanthropic partnerships and lead ambitious fundraising efforts," according to the release and inspire our community to reach even greater heights," said Rahul Patel Ono brings strong experience after tremendous investment in his time with the Wolverines which won a national championship and two Big 10 titles in football with Ono in office He was also known for crowd surfing at sporting events during his time at Cincinatti and British Columbia and was regularly seen as an active supporter at sporting events at Michigan Ono was also president at Michigan for an extensive locker room renovation as a result of a $7 million donation and had seen a record-breaking $5.3 billion renovation to Michigan Stadium be announced earlier this month "President Ono's departure marks a significant moment for Michigan Athletics," Rivals' Trevor McCue wrote he was a vocal supporter of the Wolverines celebrating major milestones such as the football team's national championship and the hiring of men's basketball head coach Dusty May His active engagement with the athletic department and presence at sporting events underscored his commitment to the university's sports programs." Would be a tough loss for Michigan athletics, as Ono is a huge sports fan and has been very supportive of the program during his tenure. Definitely would be a plus for Florida. https://t.co/yWOOnz5Ppy Ono will be on campus Tuesday for a series of public forums with UF faculty, staff and students with selection by the university Board of Trustees and confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors to come at a later date. Ono is expected to receive both and take office sometime this summer. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Here’s why | ColumnOur AI systems learn about our world only from the data we offer them   Sreens displaying the logos of OpenAI and ChatGPT [ LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP | Getty Images North America ]Published Earlier todayIn the global AI race between small and major competitors the next giant leap isn’t about faster chips or improved algorithms Where AI agents have already vacuumed up so much of the information on the internet the next great uncertainty is where they’ll find the next trove of big data Alina Zare [ University of Florida ]The answer is not in Silicon Valley It’s all across the nation at our major research universities which are key to maintaining global competitiveness against China he said we are running out of new data to mine to keep fueling the gains in AI so much of this thinking assumes AI was created by private Silicon Valley start-ups and the like AI’s history is actually deeply rooted in U.S when early research laid the groundwork for the algorithms and tools used today While the computing power to use those tools was created only recently the foundation was laid after World War II not in the private sector but at our universities most papers come from academic institutions Our AI systems learn about our world only from the data we offer them Current AI models like ChatGPT are scraping information from some academic journal articles in open-access repositories but there are enormous troves of untapped academic data that could be used to make all these models more meaningful A way past data scarcity is to develop new AI methods that leverage all of our knowledge in all of its forms Our research institutions have the varied expertise in all aspects of our society to do this Digital twins are virtual recreations of places or systems in our world we can develop digital twins that gather all of our data and knowledge about a system — whether a city a community or even a person — in one place and allow users to ask “what if” questions Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. As we continue to layer more data into the twin — real-time traffic information scans of road conditions and more — our ability to deploy city resources will be more informed and driven by real-time actionable data and modeling Using an AI system backed by this digital twin “How would a new road in downtown Jacksonville impact evacuation times How would the added road modify water runoff?” and so on The possibilities for this emerging area of AI are endless We could create digital twins of humans to layer human biology knowledge with personalized medical histories and imaging scans to understand how individuals may respond to particular treatments In short, to see the next big leap in AI, don’t immediately look to Silicon Valley. Start scanning the horizon for those research universities that have the computing horsepower and the unique ability to continually renew the data and knowledge that will supercharge the next big thing in AI. Alina Zare, Ph.D., teaches and conducts research in machine learning and AI as a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. She also serves as the director of UF’s Artificial Intelligence and Informatics Research Institute. As native vegetation like pine trees and wire grass begin to enter the growing season, the Alachua Conservation Trust is conducting various prescribed burns to support proper seeding and prevent wildfires heading into the summer months. The dormant season in north Florida, including Alachua County, runs from November to March, after which the area enters the growing season. Throughout Florida, the state and other organizations burn just over 2 million acres a year to manage Florida ecosystems. The Alachua Conservation Trust conducts the burns of about 20,000 of those acres. “We do our part,” said Barry Coulliette, stewardship director of the Alachua Conservation Trust. The Alachua Conservation Trust is a nonprofit regional land trust created to protect Florida’s critical natural lands from development and degradation. In December, wildfires engulfed Southern California, exemplifying the importance of land management. Over 23,000 acres were burned in the raging fires of Los Angeles. Coulliette said he sees this as a representation of what happens when land is left unmanaged. “Florida has a similar scenario, about every 10 to 15 years we have a lot of fire in our state,” Coulliette said. “Yet we’ve not had a huge amount of fires. And that's due mostly because of the dry burning we do in the state of Florida.” Before joining the Alachua Conservation Trust , Coulliette worked at the Florida Forest Service for 36 years instructing prescribed fire training and conducting burns at various state forests and private lands in the north Florida region. He stressed the importance of increasing public knowledge of prescribed burns as purposefully burning natural habitat can sound negative. “It’s a safe and effective way to manage our natural resources,” he said. Prescribed burning is necessary to prevent large-scale wildfires because it removes dead materials that can be kindling for fires. “You remove the fuel, you remove the fire,” Coulliette said. Prescribed burns are also used in agriculture to renew the soil in between crops. It also creates new habitats for animals and promotes proper seeding of vegetation. Much of Florida vegetation, like longleaf pine trees and wire grass, actually require burning to properly seed. There are many different weather factors that the Alachua Conservation Trust monitors to ensure a safe and effective fire. The time of day of a burn is important for the spread of fire, heat and humidity levels change throughout the day. Surface-to-volume ratio of the kindling is also important. Dead, fallen pine needles are thin and long which means they burn quickly. Removing those prevents wildfires from getting out of hand. Kestrels are used to help read the weather, which is updated hourly during a burn to ensure conditions are remaining safe to proceed. While Coulliette says that the fires are conducted safely, wildfires like those in California at the beginning of the year have caused people to think prescribed burns are unsafe or put their homes at risk. In actuality, it's the opposite. “It creates an environment where we can do prescribed burning in a safe manner to remove the fuel so we don’t have catastrophic fires, like in other places in the United States and other places in the world that's going on right now,” Coulliette said. © 2025 BVM Sports. Best Version Media, LLC. boasting a 10-game winning streak against them This marks Denver’s seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and their ninth overall with a solid record of 11-8 in the tournament history Denver could advance further in the tournament aiming to replicate or surpass their prior quarterfinal run in 2019 and championship appearance in 2023 Denver's strong performance throughout the season positions them as serious contenders in the national tournament with the potential for another deep run pushing the program's legacy forward The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it OK Privacy policy Thanks for visiting Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight University of Michigan President Santa Ono prepares to toss t-shirts into the crowd during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon The University of Florida plans to hire school president Santa Ono away from the University of Michigan Ono was recommended as the search committee’s only finalist to be considered by the board of trustees on Sunday night The school’s board selects the president and the appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors Ono is expected to be on campus Tuesday for a series of opportunities to connect with students who became the school’s interim president after former U.S GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The University of Florida plans to hire school president Santa Ono away from the University of Michigan Ono was recommended as the search committee's only finalist to be considered by the board of trustees on Sunday night Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content rewritten or redistributed without permission Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Sign up to receive a daily list of Obituary notifications Signup today for the Harker Heights Herald Would you like to receive sports news from all the schools we cover Would you like to receive news about the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs Would you like to receive news about the Belton Tigers Would you like to receive news about the Ellison Eagles Would you like to receive news about the Florence Buffaloes Would you like to receive news about the Gatesville Hornets Would you like to receive news about the Harker Heights knights Would you like to receive news about the Killeen Kangaroos Would you like to receive news about the Lampasas Badger Would you like to receive news about the Lometa Hornets Would you like to receive news about the Midway Panthers Would you like to receive news about the Salado Eagles Would you like to receive news about the Shoemaker Grey Wolves Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Heading into the bottom of the sixth inning with a 3-2 lead 7 Florida Gators softball team needed to separate themselves from the No 1 Oklahoma Sooners in the rubber match of the series Sophomore pitcher Ava Brown stepped up to the plate looking to add to the score before closing out the contest in the circle She lifted a 2-1 pitch onto the red roof of the bullpen for a solo home run Florida was not done in the bottom of the sixth inning Senior center fielder Kendra Falby hit a single and junior catcher Jocelyn Erickson reached on a fielder’s choice throwing error by Oklahoma senior starting pitcher Sam Landry Freshman right fielder Taylor Shumaker then walked to load the bases with one out After Oklahoma junior catcher Isabela Emerling committed a passed ball Falby raced home and avoided the tag to give the Gatorsa three-run lead Senior first baseman Reagan Walsh then reached on an RBI fielder’s choice as senior pinch-runner Brooke Barnard beat the tag at home plate to give her team a four-run lead 14-10 SEC) used the three-run sixth inning to defeat Oklahoma (43-7 This was the first series win for Florida against a No Unlike the first two contests in the series Florida opened the scoring in the bottom of the first junior catcher Jocelyn Erickson reached on a walk and freshman right fielder Taylor Shumaker hit an RBI double out of the reach of Oklahoma senior first baseman Cydney Sanders putting runners on second and third with one out Florida senior first baseman Reagan Walsh opened the scoring with an RBI sacrifice fly on a 1-0 pitch The play placed Walsh first in program history for sacrifice flies gold-glove winning senior center fielder Kendra Falby made an electric play in center field Sanders took a 1-1 pitch and lifted it to center field reached over the wall and caught the ball to steal a game-tying home run from Sanders “We practice it [scaling the fence] all the time,” Falby said and he’ll hit us balls over the wall in practice.” Her catch helped keep the momentum of the contest in her team’s favor “Recognize just how dang special Kendra Falby is in the outfield,” UF Coach Tim Walton said Shumaker singled and Walsh walked to load the bases on Landry (18-4) senior left fielder Korbe Otis hit a two-run double to center field just out of reach for the diving junior center fielder Hannah Coor Sanders was able to get the best of Florida sophomore starting pitcher Keagan Rothrock She hit a solo home run on a full-count pitch to score Oklahoma’s first run of the contest.  Sophomore right fielder Kasidi Pickering hit a double.Sophomore designated player Ella Parker hit a single to put runners on first and third with no outs before freshman shortstop Gabbie Garcia hit an RBI sacrifice fly giving up two runs on five hits while striking out three and walking two Brown came into the contest after Parker’s single and pitched the final three innings in relief giving up two runs on one hit while striking out one batter on three walks “I think there’s an upward trend for me and it’s a huge one,” Rothrock said on her confidence After allowing a leadoff walk to Parker in the top of the seventh Garcia hit a two-run home run to center field to cut Oklahoma’s deficit back down to two runs Despite allowing back-to-back walks with two outs in the inning Florida’s next action will be in the SEC Tournament at Jack Turner Softball Stadium in Athens with its game date and seeding still to be determined Contact Jackson Colding at jcolding@alligator.org Jackson Colding is a junior sports journalism major and the Spring 2025 softball reporter He is in his second semester at the sports desk Press release from Kathy Cafazzo Photography Kathy Cafazzo Photography presented a donation check for $1,200 to Faithful Friends Pet Rescue & Rehoming at the PetSmart on Archer Road — funds raised through the 2025 Pooch Playoffs photography campaign The second annual Pooch Playoffs was a fun bracket-style competition – except in the international round – unleashed by several dozen members of Photography Business Institute located around the United States and two foreign countries Each photographer teamed with a local pet charity to raise money bring attention to that charity’s needs and take professional photos of the participating canines Each participant’s entry fee doubled as a donation and Kathy Cafazzo Photography is proud to present the proceeds directly to Faithful Friends to support their rescue and rehoming efforts Faithful Friends Pet Rescue and Rehoming is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of dogs and cats in Gainesville and surrounding communities.  organized the Pooch Playoffs to help raise money for Faithful Friends Pet Rescue and Rehoming which received 100% of the proceeds from the event Cafazzo photographed 16 canines during the month of March to compete in the fun event Pinot, a piebald Miniature Dachshund from Gainesville, earned the crown as the Ulti-MUTT Cutie of North Central Florida A total of 3,172 votes were cast during the week-long competition Pinot will celebrate her 14th birthday this month She was found abandoned in a backyard before finding her forever humans through Gainesville Pet Rescue when she was 6 months old GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tree kangaroos live high in the trees, and they need our help. On Saturday, May 17, the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo in Gainesville will host World Tree Kangaroo Day Families and friends can visit the zoo to learn about these amazing animals and have fun There will be animal encounters and fun music with didgeridoo performances by Lindsey Dank with Mayflower Cellars and Kona Ice serving tasty treats The City of Gainesville’s Urban Forestry Division will be giving away native plants purchased through the Tree Mitigation Fund These plants help our local animals and can grow in residents’ backyards Kathy Russell and Jade Woodling will also give a talk about how zoos help protect tree kangaroos “We are very proud of the collaborative work our zoo is part of to bring awareness for Matschie’s tree kangaroos and hopefully make a meaningful impact for their wild cousins and habitats,” said Woodling Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan Education Advisor Tickets are only available at the gate the day of the event This event is funded in part by Visit Gainesville This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time therefore access cannot be granted at this time.