This work, Protocol Pioneer: Staff Sgt. Jamilla Newberry, by A1C Nelvis Sera, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright The special year for Newberry athletics continues the Newberry softball team defeated Keystone Heights to win the FHSAA Class 2A-District 5 title It was the program’s first district championship in 26 years but pavement-pounding journalism is not free Join your neighbors who make this vital work possible “This win is certainly meaningful to our team for having worked very hard to earn the opportunity to even compete for a district championship but I do hope it means a lot to our school and community as a whole,” said Michele Roundtree who has been coaching NHS softball for the past couple of years but is in her first full season as head coach It was the school’s first district championship game appearance since 2000 and the first district title since 1999 when Michele Honeycutt who currently works in Newberry’s guidance office “She was very good and likely the reason they were in the district finals,” Roundtree said The foundation started a couple of years ago when the Panthers finished 15-9 in 2023 and earned an FHSAA regional bid finished 17-6 and earned a second straight postseason bid The Panthers moved up to Class 2A and parlayed a postseason regional appearance in 2024 into a 20-win season in 2025 “Though it is my first official season as head coach I have helped coach these girls since ’23 with Coach (Ed) Johnson,” said Roundtree who took over partway through last season as head coach the foundational blocks of this program have been in place since then My girls have been involved in coaching camps and playing travel ball in the off season to not only help encourage our local youth talent but also improve themselves as individual players.” she was able to build a full coaching staff with Jessica Ross and Andy Parker who are all knowledgeable coaches with lots of softball coaching experience who won their first 11 games of this season including two freshmen with promising futures and 3 transfers from Santa Fe (Alachua) “Some of the young ladies I coached in ’23 and ’24 (Paige Bankston and Hollie Pabst) were athletes that could’ve transferred elsewhere,” Roundtree said they stayed in their hometown and helped me create a mentality and set expectations for this program We are starting to see the fruits of that labor and I plan to continue to bring in good people and build up our local youth softball in order to keep our program a positive and competitive place for girls softball.” They won the district title in dramatic fashion getting a walk-off win against the Indians (9-16) in the bottom of the eighth inning if the game is tied at the end of regulation innings played This is where each team begins the inning with a runner at second base “At the top of the 8th we were able to hold them from scoring in large part due to some well called and placed pitches by our pitching staff and an amazing diving catch by our sophomore catcher Chloe Jones,” Roundtree said “You could see the drag marks in the dirt of her two cleats from where she left her feet to lay out for the ball She caught it in foul territory as she hit the fence full force.” Newberry put freshman Abbie Parker at second base in the bottom of the 8th as a courtesy runner for junior pitcher Sarah Burns Senior Gracie Mattson bunted a perfect sacrifice bunt and was thrown out Parker was supposed to advance to third but did not and freshman Tristan Layfield had an infield hit to load the bases That sent sophomore Chloe Jones up to the plate with only one out “I was very confident in her abilities to push the winning run across but the way it happened was not what I expected,” Roundtree said Earlier in the game Jones hit a high fly ball well over the left field fence just beyond fair territory just a good swing on a good pitch’,” Roundtree said “She was patient and worked the count to two balls and two strikes I believe Then she was hit by a pitch and the winning run scored That earned the Panthers a home playoff game at 7 p.m this Wednesday in the FHSAA Class 2A-Region 2 Quarterfinals against Cornerstone Charter Academy (Belle Isle) with Mattson leading the team in almost every offensive category Mattson leads the team with a .519 batting average “Gracie is a coach’s dream,” Roundtree said “She embodies everything you want in a player and leader whether the task is small like shagging balls or large like pitching and playing 3rd in the same game she does it with a great attitude and great effort Her work ethic and positive approach shows in her play and in her stats The person Gracie Mattson is only matches the amazing player she is which makes me the luckiest coach in the state.” She is also 3-0 with a 0.40 earned run average in 17.2 innings pitched Kennard is second with a .424 batting average Layfield is third on the team with a .422 average and 23 runs scored She leads the team in RBI (23) and is second with 38 hits The freshman is also third with a .556 slugging percentage The visiting Ducks (18-9) are batting .327 as a team and are led by sophomore Emma Pynes (.444 and we will have to play solid defense like we did in the district championship,” Roundtree said “I’m very confident in Burns and Rodgers to be able to manage the game from the circle Roundtree said it’s more about Newberry than their opponent “I would like my girls to focus more on what they can control and just play for one another,” she said “We did not reach this point in the season by worrying about what strengths our opponent has rather focusing on our game and what we can do together.” Newberry was one of five area teams to win a district title FHSAA Softball state playoffs(teams in the Mainstreet coverage area in bold) Class 2A-Region 2 Quarterfinals4 Cornerstone Charter Academy (Belle Isle) at 5 Newberry7 Keystone Heights at 2 Trinity Catholic (Ocala) Class 3A-Region 1 Quarterfinals6 Suwannee (Live Oak) at 3 West Nassau (Callahan) Class 3A-Region 2 Quarterfinals7 The Villages at 2 Santa Fe (Alachua) Class 4A-Region 1 Quarterfinals3 Columbia (Lake City) at 6 Escambia (Pensacola) Class Rural-Region 3 Semifinals4 Union County (Lake Butler) at 1 Madison County3 Fort White at 2 Branford Class Rural-Region 4 Semifinals4 Moore Haven at 1 Trenton3 Fort Meade at 2 Williston Class 5A-Region 2 Quarterfinals6 Belleview at 3 Gainesville Join your neighbors who make this work possible Senior playmaker Jada Brown of the Richmond Hill High School Lady Wildcats’ basketball team has recently put pen to paper signing to play college basketball for Newberry College in Newberry This past season was her best year at Richmond Hill a season that was one of the best in the program’s history Brown helped lead the Lady ‘Cats to a 19-8 overall record and a 7-3 region record and a First Team All-Region Honor in the process With Newberry College being close by–less than four hours from Richmond Hill–Brown got a sense of a feeling like home in visiting and communicating with coaches “I really like the environment,” Brown said she was able to sign to a Division II college and will be in position to play high level basketball as a result of that “I have always hoped to play for at least a Division II program when I was looking for colleges.” Brown will get a chance to compete against another former Lady Wildcat “I feel like it would be fun to play against Makiyah,” Brown said “Kiyah and I have played with or against each other for many years She has always pushed me to be the best player I can be.” With her signing to play at the next level the work of high school basketball is coming to an end but the real work and goals will begin now that she has signed “My main goal is to showcase my talents with my new team,” Brown said “I also want to have a great season with Newberry.” A man who assaulted a woman on an Appleton trail 10 years ago is again accused of assaulting a woman on a walk April 16 in Kimberly is charged in Outagamie County with stalking when previously convicted of a violent crime — a felony that carries up to three years in prison and three years' extended supervision — as well as two misdemeanors: fourth-degree sexual assault and disorderly conduct Stewart is currently in Manitowoc County Jail on a probation hold Stewart was released from prison for convictions related to the 2015 assault in 2023 according to online records from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections What does the criminal complaint say about the April 16 assault?The following information is from the criminal complaint: What was Stewart convicted of in 2015?In July 4 he assaulted a woman who was going for a run on Newberry Trail in Appleton Stewart was riding a bicycle on Newberry Trail when he passed a woman on a run He then got off the bike and started following the woman from behind and then reached her and put her in a chokehold lost consciousness and remembered falling over with the assailant on top of her A couple biking on the trail witnessed part of the incident and provided aid to the woman he said he was jogging and saw a girl who he believed was someone he knew He claimed he ran away when he realized the woman was not who he thought she was He said after the incident that he ran away and took off his sweatshirt then shaved so police would not easily recognize him Stewart pleaded no contest to one count of second-degree recklessly endangering safety and one count of strangulation and suffocation He also pleaded no contest to felony bail jumping in a related case Stewart was sentenced to a total of eight years in prison and eight years of extended supervision Stewart was sentenced to an additional year in jail and three years of probation when a deferred prosecution agreement related to the 2015 assault case was revoked Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @ArseneauKelli GREAT FALLS — On Thursday, May 1, 2025, the Newberry in downtown Great Falls hosted 63 non-profit agencies in the concert hall to share their missions with the public and one another as part of Give Great Falls week This is one of the only times that we're going to see all of the nonprofits in one space,” says Sarah Cawley Chair of the Great Falls Area Community Foundation From the Great Falls Theater Club to Spouses of Malmstrom The event one of the largest fundraisers for the non-profits of the year it’s an even more crucial time to collect funds given recent events RDI Financial Wellness fell victim to the Americorps cuts from DOGE at the federal level which RDI was one of were slashed on Friday it was a nationwide decision,” says Executive Director That grant allowed RDI to utilize Americorps volunteers to provide free tax prep to Great Falls residents Americorps is a federal agency utilizing volunteers to tackle the nation’s challenges those millions of dollars back into the economy without them providing that free tax prep where they get a return,” says Rogers The Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art was also met with a roadblock within the State Legislature The museum had hoped to receive a Historical Preservation Grant that would fund the construction of a climate controlled storage vault for permanent artworks as well as improve accessibility for one of their classrooms “Due to some different policy changes in the legislature this year we were not awarded that grant,” says Sara Johnson But like others affected by grant roadblocks stemming from the federal and/or state levels “We’re just going to really focus on how we can recruit volunteers locally,” says Rogers For more information, click here to visit the website for more details Report a typo (WCIV) — In a gesture of solidarity and support Newberry College is reaching out to the Limestone University community offering a range of benefits to ensure continuity and care for students transitional president of Newberry College and families of Limestone University—we see you and renewed purpose in the days ahead.” To assist Limestone students in continuing their academic pursuits without disruption Newberry College is providing several benefits These include guaranteed transfer credit for all completed coursework from Limestone provided students meet the minimum GPA requirements and have passed their classes Newberry is waiving enrollment fees to alleviate financial stress during the transfer process and offering an accelerated admissions process to help students secure their future efficiently The college will also match general institutional aid awarded to Limestone students and offer automatic commuter status for those wishing to remain off-campus Support extends to Limestone faculty and staff as well Newberry College is honoring tuition remission benefits for Limestone employees and their eligible dependents For those utilizing Limestone’s tuition remission benefit for the 2025–2026 academic year Newberry will provide comparable access through its own remission program we are not just opening our doors—we are opening our hearts,” Dr “This is about more than preserving academic progress and belonging to those who need it most.” Candidates in the upcoming Newberry election include Tim Marden Voting for the Newberry municipal election ended April 8 Newberry residents had the opportunity to vote on two city commission seats and the mayorship all nonpartisan races elected at-large.  defeating Joy Glanzer by a margin of 97 votes Marden said he’s very happy with the results.  “I think that our positive message shined through here in Newberry,” he said Marden has served as a commissioner in Newberry for the past 12 years and is the chairman of the Alachua County Republican Party.  he dealt with the Newberry Elementary charter school conversion but  said he played a purely supportive role and was not involved in the mechanics of the operation Marden said he hopes to put this chapter in the rearview mirror and work on building a better Newberry.  Glanzer said she intends to focus on getting back to her real estate business She’s thankful for the citizens who voted for her and doesn’t intend to stop helping to improve the Newberry community.  “I'm not going to stop doing any of that just because of the results of the race,” she said “We can do so much as a non-elected official.”  Donald Long won commissioner seat IV against Steve Panaghi A representative of Donald Long’s campaign didn’t immediately respond for comment on election night. According to his campaign website, he said he’s committed to transparency fairness and preserving the quality of life for Newberry residents.  Long has served as the co-chair on the planning and zoning committee since 2021 His goals include supporting local businesses strengthening education and investing in public safety according to his campaign statement.  Panaghi first moved to Newberry in 2012 and said debates over Newberry charter school are what immersed him in local politics.  Panaghi said running for the commission seat is his way of addressing the inequities he witnessed in his community from the charter conversion issue A representative of Panaghi’s campaign didn’t respond for comment on election night.  Incumbent Tony Mazon retained commission seat V by a margin of 634 votes over lifelong Newberry resident Rosa Marie Campbell.  Mazon’s win marks his third consecutive term as commissioner A representative of Tony Mazon’s campaign did not respond in time for publication.  “I believe in thoughtful growth, strong infrastructure, and supporting our local schools—all while preserving the small-town character that makes Newberry special,” Mazon wrote on his campaign website.   Mazon declined an interview on election night.  Campbell said she remains victorious because of the kindness financial and spiritual support she received.  “I am going to rest and relax and continue to do what I do always…be involved in the community,” she said Contact Morgan Vanderlaan at mvanderlaan@alligator.org Morgan Vanderlaan is a second year political science major and a Spring 2025 metro general assignment reporter She has previously worked on the enterprise desk as a political reporter and on the county and city commission beat When she's not on the clock she can be found writing Game Recap: Softball | 4/15/2025 8:56:00 PM – Augusta University softball picked up two nonconference wins at home on Tuesday defeating Newberry 1-0 and 12-7 at Jaguar Field The Jaguars move to 25-23 overall following the doubleheader sweep Augusta broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third. Bailee Roberts and Cadance Winder reached on a pair of singles allowing Roberts to score from third for the game's only run Spinks retired the final five batters of the game in order to seal the win and back-to-back hits from Roberts and Winder drove in two runs to give the Jaguars the lead In the third, Augusta capitalized on a fielding error, a sacrifice fly from Terrell, and an RBI single from Nevaeh Ross to extend the lead to 5-1 The fourth inning broke the game open — Winder delivered an RBI single Bailey laid down a perfect bunt for another run and Terrell followed with a three-run home run to make it 10-1 Newberry responded with a two-run homer in the fifth and a grand slam in the sixth Augusta added insurance in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double from Roberts and an RBI single from Terrell Roberts finished 4-for-4 with four runs scored Howard went 3-for-3 and scored three times Gibson threw the final 1.1 innings in relief 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 Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application and Amiable patient through a six-plus year ordeal with Alzheimer’s Disease Professor Newberry valued not only teaching in the psychology department at Kent State University and the University of Warsaw but also reading and discussing many different fields of science Ben played the tuba in his younger years and continued with a deep love of classical music thereafter He received his PhD in psychology at the University of Wisconsin in 1969 which he called home for the rest of his life Proficiency in teaching and advising students was as important to Ben as his publications His interactions with students were well recognized by several all-campus honors and awards Benjamin married Deborah (Staiger) Newberry in June of 1970 telling her that this was “a forever thing” with both spouses treasuring their long and loving marriage Ben is also survived by his dear daughters Margaret (Gregory) Sears of Bloomington New Mexico; sister Barbara Newberry of Portland Oregon; grandsons Benjamin and Henry Sears; and nephews Martin Wahl and Seth Sterling of Portland Memorial services for Ben will be held on Saturday 2025 at 1:00PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent lnurnment will follow at Standing Rock Cemetery Services in the care of Bissler and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors 2025 at the Hospice of Dayton after a heroic battle with cancer Cheryl Kettlehake and her husband Tommy; her sons his wife Marisa; her grandchildren Chris Nance and Trevyn Newberry; many great-grandchildren; and her brother Jerry Alcorn and his wife Charlene The way is lit for her by her husband Chuck her parents Napoleon and Alma (Goforth) Burns; and her siblings Buddy and Sylvia she developed a character as strong as the Appalachian Mountains from whence her people came She worked as a shipping manager at Superior Abrasives and stands as a pillar of the ethic our nation is built on until the time of the funeral service at 11:30 a.m contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society Newberry residents will head to the ballot box in April and decide whether they want their small town to continue growing at a breakneck pace or if they want to place checks on the city’s growth The qualifying period for the April 8 election ended Feb On the ballot is the mayor’s position and two commission seats While there is no referendum directly affecting Newberry’s growth on the ballot voters will decide whether the three seats are filled by candidates who want to regulate the city’s expansion or by candidates who prefer the way city leaders are currently pursuing growth our infrastructure can’t hold what they’re proposing,” said Tamara Anderson She said this election is “extremely important” for the city’s future according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey five-year estimate That’s nearly a thousand more than the 1,845 counted 10 years ago in 2015 Both figures will be dwarfed by NC Ranch Estates the 4,500-home subdivision Newberry commissioners approved to be built over the next 50 years Mayor Jordan Marlowe’s seat is up for grabs, meaning his name won’t be on the ballot for the first time in 14 years. He is in talks to become the next city manager of Newberry Some candidates said they are in favor of the commission’s push for growth while others want leadership to pump the brakes “Newberry residents are extremely passionate about everything about their town,” said Christa Rummel She said voters are passionate about “keeping the small-town feel Two people have qualified to run for mayor and two have filed to run for each of the two open city commission seats Marden is also the chairman of the Alachua County Republican Party Former city commissioner Joy Glanzer is also throwing her hat into the ring for the mayor’s seat She is the owner of Glanzer Realty and has lived in the city for more than half a century Two people are running for Marden’s open city commission seat who’s lived in Newberry for 13 years and owns an IT consulting firm Commissioner Tony Mazon is running for reelection and is being challenged by lifelong Newberry resident Rosa Marie Campbell I think the school is a very important thing,” Rummel said when asked what Newberry residents will prioritize when casting their ballots on April 8 While every candidate said they would push for the “right” amount of growth Panaghi and Campbell have all expressed their concerns for Newberry’s infrastructure “They’re going to have to do something with our infrastructure and our school system,” Anderson said She said residents are “going to be dead in the water” if city leaders continue their push for growth his priority will be to preserve the momentum the city commission has built “Keep Newberry on the same path that we have been on -- maintaining our services running our general operations as lean as possible,” Marden said “We like to tell that we sort of offer a Mercedes-Benz service of government on a Chevy price.” Marden has held his commission seat since he was first elected in 2013 He just started his second term as the chair of the Alachua County Republican Party Glanzer said she agrees that growth is good for Newberry but she said she will make sure that the city can support the growth but it’s really been something we’ve been working on for decades.” Glanzer has a lengthy resumé as a public servant for Newberry She said she helped found the city’s economic development committee She said that in addition to her time on the city commission from 2017 to 2019 she’s served as chair of the planning and zoning board the city’s visioning board and has owned six businesses in Newberry Marden said he’s running to keep the city operating the same way it has been for the past few years “It was really a matter of what was best for the city,” Marden explained He said throwing his hat in the ring was the best way for “the citizens and staff to maintain a level of consistency and expectation.” When asked about what she would do differently if elected Glanzer said she would make Newberry residents feel more like they’re a part of the conversation at city hall I think citizens may feel a little bit intimidated because there is some pushback from the dais,” Glanzer said “So I would promote and I would really encourage our commissioners to be respectful and lead with an open mind.” “You have to leave your politics at the door if you’re going to be representing all the citizens because half of them are like you and half of them aren’t,” Glanzer elaborated Marden said his experience on the commission and connections he’s made as Alachua County’s GOP chairman will help him achieve more when he is mayor Tallahassee is Republican heavy,” Marden said saying that his connections will help secure grant money for Newberry Glanzer said her decades of working with Newberry residents from all walks of life will make her a good fit for mayor “I really think it’s helped me to see all the sides of Newberry and to understand what drives us,” Glanzer said adding that her decades spent in the city have given her close relationships with important members of the community including business owners and community organizers Former planning and zoning board member Donald Long and resident Steve Panaghi are both vying for Marden’s commission seat he would advocate for the right amount of growth in Newberry there’s a business in Newberry,” Long said “That’s the kind of concept and growth and design you want the city to have but the current commission is too quick to sign off on developments He said that some of the city’s projects can’t be supported by Newberry’s existing infrastructure and that he would err on the side of caution if elected “I think we have a lot of reckless development going on,” Panaghi said can our electric grid that the city owns handle this Panaghi mentioned one specific example of a city commission decision he didn’t agree with right next to two schools has had a negative impact on traffic He said the burger joint has made driving down Southwest 250th Street a slog combining traffic from Oak View Middle School and Greenfield Preschool West Panaghi said he grew up in a community smaller than Newberry in Long Island where he watched rapid growth change his town He said seeing that firsthand will affect how he votes if elected “It’s just not the place that we grew up,” Panaghi recalled about his Long Island town “I’m seeing the growth here starting to happen like what I experienced all those years ago.” Long said that growing up in Newberry gave him a perspective that will help guide his vision for the city He said he doesn’t want the city to feel like a place students need to “escape” from after graduation “You want to make sure the kids have a future going forward,” Long explained Long said community feedback would be important to his process as commissioner if he were elected He said his time on the planning and zoning board gave him experience communicating with residents on issues “A lot of people feel as though they don’t and it’s kind of something I want to kind of debunk,” Long said he would push to establish term limits and a code of ethics for the commission who is running against incumbent Tony Mazon said she believes the push for growth in Newberry has caused a rift in her community She said people are divided on whether the small-town feeling of Newberry should be preserved or if the city’s expansion is more important “We need to bring back the small-town vibe give everyone an opportunity to settle back in,” Campbell said Commissioner Mazon did not respond to a request from WUFT for comment but he has been on both sides of the issue when it comes to supporting the city’s growth he seconded a motion to establish a community development district bigger than 260 acres he was the lone vote against the 50-year plan to build the NC Ranch development which will bring thousands more homes to Newberry Campbell said the sudden push for expansion has hurt local business and damaged the small-town feel of Newberry “I feel like I’m living in the middle of Miami in Newberry,” Campbell said “We have more issues that need to be resolved and better solutions before we continue to expand.” Campbell said she would promote more community outreach if she were elected to the city commission “I would be more engaged in the community,” Campbell said She said she believes every commissioner should know what’s happening in their community and what needs to change Campbell said she will also make parks and recreation a priority of hers if elected She said Newberry’s parks need more funding to give the city’s children an outlet for positive social interaction Newberry residents will decide on April 8 who sits on the dais It will be the first time since 2017 that Newberry has had a new mayor Last year’s election was canceled because no candidates filed to run against incumbents Ricky Coleman and Mark Clark Citizens braved a thunderstorm Monday evening to pack Newberry City Hall for the swearing in of Mayor Tim Marden and Commissioners Donald Long and Tony Mazon In the April 8 municipal election Commissioner Marden defeated former commissioner Joy Glanzer by 97 votes with an 885-788 win a Newberry planning and zoning board member, filled Marden’s open commission seat with a 1,018-610 victory over Steve Panaghi Mazon kept his seat on the commission and earned 69% of the votes (1,144-510) over challenger Rosa Marie Campbell.  The commission also appointed Mazon as Mayor Chairperson Pro Tempore to stand in for Marden if he’s ever absent and Commissioner Rick Coleman as Mazon’s alternate.  After a brief power outage, City Clerk Judy Rice swore in the new leaders, and Marden presented former Newberry mayor and new City Manager Jordan Marlowe with a commemorative plaque and gavel before kicking off his first regular meeting as mayor “I appreciate all of the citizens that showed up tonight in the rain,” Marden said “I realize I have some pretty big shoes to fill over here and I think this commission up here is also up to the challenge to build on the foundation of the great people in the city of Newberry that have come before us.”  staff reported that the city is on budget through 58% of the fiscal year The commission unanimously moved to amend the city’s budget revenues from $12,155,091 to $12,250,091 and expenditures from $12,000,465 to $12,971,232 Staff said the sale of rights-of-way and the Veterans Memorial Park project are impacting revenues while discrepancies in payroll and operating costs and the transferring out of reserves related to the prior year’s financial meal donations are the greatest factors for expenses The transfers out will reflect the largest expenditure increase the commission also unanimously approved a $1,532,617 Community Development Block Grant application The grant would help a section of the city where at least 51% of the residents are very low to moderate income receive the necessary road paving and storm water drainage needed.  Grant plans include $1,183,628 for a new road and pavement covering 2nd $54,400 for new sidewalks on one side of the same roads and $60,800 for new sewer lines and components.  City staff also announced the promotion of Jason Lyman to Newberry fire chief, who served as interim chief since February and discussed the need to expedite the process for hiring a new city clerk.  Rice will retire this year after 35 years as city clerk becoming Newberry’s longest-serving employee in city history She informed the commission that although the clerk job description had been updated the city is roughly four weeks behind from when it initially wanted to have the hiring process completed.  the commission resolved to hold a special meeting to vote on a new clerk Coleman said he and other members of the commission already have someone in mind for the job.  “I don’t think that we need to spend the money to do a national search,” Coleman said “I believe that we have somebody in-house that is capable of doing this job and doing it very well.”  The commission also appointed resident Jessica Carey to fill Long’s vacant seat on the planning and zoning board Carey said she brings significant experience to the position from being heavily involved in the community over the past three years.  “I plan to help utilize my experience coming from a very small town that grew very fast to help guide this community,” said Carey whose term will expire in April 2026.  The commission approved 4-1 term extensions through April 2026 for current planning and zoning board members Anne Polo and Kathi Thomas and through April 2027 for Mellina Parker and Naim Erched with Commissioner Monty Farnsworth in dissent Commissioners Mark Clark and Coleman expressed dissatisfaction with traffic reconfiguration suggestions in compliance with Florida Department of Transportation standards presented by Ali Brighton from engineering consultant Kimley-Horn Brighton showed research for the State Road 26 and Newberry Road intersection as well as other rapidly developing areas in Newberry that will feature a traffic light and could potentially benefit from designs such as eliminating the left turn lane Coleman said he believed this would only cause more problems.  “This particular one looks to me like it’s going to enhance problems instead of fix problems with U-turns that we have to go down the road [to do] because we can’t turn left,” Coleman said but this stuff don’t work and it ain’t everyday life.”  A few professors from the University of Florida attended the meeting to lead students in presenting their recently completed coursework on Newberry enhancements to the commission.  Girman shared a form-based code plan on behalf of the Urban Planning Students’ class project that would better accommodate the city’s rapid growth over single-district zoning.  Dr. Clarissa Carr of UF’s Historic Preservation Program also shared a new ArcGIS StoryMap of the city. The map aims to connect users to an interactive map of the city which features the history of current and former buildings using various archival resources.  Marden also signed a proclamation to recognize May 4 as National Fallen Firefighters Day Flags will be lowered to half-mast on all federal buildings and a bell will toll with a moment of silence as part of Bells Across America to honor fire and emergency personnel who died in the line of duty Editor’s note: This story was updated for the correct name of Commissioner Mark Clark The upcoming Newberry municipal election puts three open seats on the ballot.  Newberry residents will have the opportunity to vote on two city commission seats and the mayorship Election day voting will take place April 8 from 7 a.m Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe’s decision to step down to become city manager left his seat open in the upcoming election Two candidates have stepped forward to run in his place: former commissioner Joy Glanzer and current commissioner Tim Marden.  After being a resident of Newberry for 48 years Glanzer said she decided to run for mayor because she felt it was her way to give back to the community that had given her so much “I have a lot of ideas on ways we can perhaps improve our already wonderful Formerly serving as a city commissioner from 2017 to 2019 and having experience with her real estate company Glanzer said she knows the intimate details of zoning and land ordinances.  she said her proudest achievements were budgeting for maternity leave for city employees and voting “yes” on automated metering infrastructure which was aimed at lowering citizens’ utility bills.  Glanzer wants to prioritize updating pre-existing infrastructure and maintain the city’s current development plan.  “Keep our zoning where it needs to be,” she said and the only way we can prevent sprawl is to have smart growth chose not to seek reelection to run for mayor It seemed like the most natural next step to serve his community my conviction and my consistency,” he said A lot of what we’re seeing happening in Newberry is what happened under my… years as city commissioner.”  Marden dealt with the Newberry Elementary charter school conversion while on the commission but he said he played purely a cheerleader role and wasn’t involved in the “nuts-and-bolts” of the operation.  Marden said he intends to focus on fiscal responsibility keeping taxes low and providing the core services governments are meant to provide.  “We have sort of governed ourselves with the idea of providing Cadillac services on a Chevy budget,” he said.  the commission seat IV has been left open for a race between Steve Panaghi and Donald Long.  Panaghi first moved to Newberry in 2012 and said he didn’t pay much attention to local politics until the issue of the Newberry charter school.  “I noticed certain things were being promised to developers and given to them very quickly,” he said things were either not green-lit for the citizens or dragged out so long that the citizens finally gave up on it.”  Panaghi said he hopes to bridge the divide he currently feels in Newberry and bring the community back together no-cost actions he plans if given the seat is to open the city infrastructure for Wi-Fi at city buildings and parks to all citizens A representative of Donald Long’s campaign didn’t respond in time for publication. According to his campaign website, he has a commitment to transparency “strengthening education” and investing in public safety Incumbent Tony Mazon faces off against lifelong Newberry resident Rosa Marie Campbell.  Campbell’s compassion for the community runs deep She worked for the school board for 26 years and is currently a teacher at UF’s Early Childhood Collaboratory small town vibe to restore our [community],” she said.  Campbell said she doesn’t agree with how the commission handled the issue of the charter conversion and wishes there had been more of a grassroots approach The first thing she intends to do if elected is establish town hall meetings to invite citizens to come and speak on what issues are important to them.  Her favorite part of the campaign trail has been talking to diverse people with different perspectives A representative of Tony Mazon’s campaign did not respond in time for publication Mazon is running for his third consecutive term as commissioner.  The citizens of Newberry voted for continuity and trust in current leadership in a municipal election on Tuesday electing a current city commissioner to become mayor and choosing a planning and zoning board member and an incumbent for two open commission seats.  The results as of Tuesday night are unofficial but will become official after they are audited and approved by the Newberry City Commission.  A hotly contested mayoral race ended with an 885-788 vote in favor of current city commissioner Tim Marden beating local real estate agent and former city commissioner Joy Glanzer The 97-vote lead gave Marden about 52.89% of the 1,673 votes in the unofficial results.  Marden campaigned on a platform of stability promising to maintain Newberry’s approach to government and fiscal responsibility.  “I’m happy with the victory,” Marden told Mainstreet in a text after the results came in “I am happy that my campaign focusing on the positives about Newberry really shined through.”  Glanzer reiterated her commitment to rebuilding bridges and bringing Newberry together “This election proved that half of the community wanted someone other than Tim Marden’s leadership at the head,” Glanzer wrote “My running was not for personal gain It was for Newberry to have a choice for the first time in over a decade I firmly believe that it is my purpose to heal this community after it has been riddled by division because of the decisions of those in power.” current planning and zoning board member Donald Lewis Long won by a 408-vote margin over Steve Panaghi.  The 1,018-610 vote gave a stamp of approval to Long’s campaign platform of smart growth and providing for education as well as a commitment to helping residents feel included in decision-making.  “I want to give a huge thanks to the city of Newberry for coming out in record… to make their voice heard,” Long told Mainstreet in a text message “I’m grateful to be a part of helping this city move forward to a brighter future that we all can be proud of!” while challenger Rosa Marie Campbell took 510.  The Newberry City Commission has scheduled a swearing-in ceremony for 6 p.m an hour before the newly elected officials will experience their first commission meeting in their new offices.  Voter turnout for this year’s election was far higher than the 2022 election about 1,671 citizens turned out to vote.  The mayoral seat alone has been held unopposed by Jordan Marlowe for eight years, but the City Commission agreed in February to make Marlowe the new city manager leaving room for significant shifts.  Editor’s note: This story was updated with comments from Joy Glanzer and Donald Long “A hotly contested mayoral race ended with an 885-788 vote in favor of current city commissioner Tim Marden” Is Newberry a closed corporation Thank you for your continued coverage of Newberry news The city of Newberry promoted Deputy Fire Chief Jason Lyman to fire chief on Monday Kevin Farr was also promoted to the role of deputy chief where he will assist Lyman in his duties when absent The announcement comes two months after former Newberry Fire Chief Mike Vogel was arrested for driving under the influence and later resigned from his position Lyman was elevated to interim fire chief after Vogel’s February resignation  Vogel, 59, was sentenced to one year of probation and 40 hours of community service by a Marion County judge on April 20 “Chief Lyman and Deputy Chief Farr embody the values experience and community spirit that are the foundation of Newberry’s Fire Department,” said Interim City Manager Dallas Lee in the press release “Their commitment to excellent service and vision for the future will ensure the safety and well-being of our residents for years to come.” Lyman’s career in public service includes serving in the U.S Coast Guard out of high school before transitioning into fire service in 1992 where he volunteered with Islamorada Fire Rescue prior to Hurricane Andrew Lyman has worked his way up the ranks from lieutenant He has also been involved with the Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association and the Florida Fire Chiefs Association Lyman lives in the Newberry area with his wife of 23 years Farr started his career as a part-time firefighter for the Newberry Fire Department in October 1997 and has risen through the ranks to senior lieutenant and now deputy chief His fire service career started with the city of Archer’s volunteer fire department during his senior year of high school Farr is actively involved with youth agriculture programs and operates a family farm with his wife receiving 885 of the total 1,673 votes cast In a text message to The Sun on Wednesday morning Marden wrote that he's thrilled with the results "I am glad voters responded to my positive message focusing on Newberry values of community Local news: FHP: Newberry man, 23, dies after being ejected in single-vehicle crash on State Road 26 Marden said he is happy to be putting the election in the "rearview mirror" and begin focusing on the city's future The Sun reported last month that Marden may be in violation of state law after he registered as a lobbyist for the Wisconsin-based political advocacy group Marden said Wednesday's he's still working with legal counsel to resolve the matter "There's another aspect of the ethics statute which is language that says you can't be a registered lobbyist and be an elected official," Marden said there's other language that says you can't be working 20% or more of your job because you don't want somebody that wears both hats and going to be a lobbyist and then moonlighting as a city commissioner." said the city's election set a new record for voter turnout which she attributed to residents paying more attention to city politics and wanting to have more say "Newberry had over 1,673 people cast their vote on April 8 in the City of Newberry," Glanzer said in the release The last municipal election Newberry held was in 2022 Glanzer added that she will work to rebuild the bridges in Newberry burned by isolationist policies incumbent Tony Mazon defeated educator Rosa Marie Campbell 1,144 to 510 Walter Welch beat Gib Coerper by 21 votes to win the mayoral race Jacob Fletcher beat incumbent Edward Potts 785 to 514 for the City Commission Group 2 seat Newberry voters will choose between two newcomers to replace Commissioner Tim Marden's Group 4 seat: Steve Panaghi and Donald Long "Every time I asked about improving the infrastructure for our current residents I've been told that it's in the plan," Panaghi said "Roads aren't being improved until after a new development is selling houses and more load on our electric grid which has brought about more brownouts and power loss." More: Newberry's mayoral candidates offer insights on upcoming election Panaghi added that the city has seen increased brownouts with increased housing and that the city's power grid isn't up to date "We have the AMI system which allows the City to know when and where an issue is but it doesn't seem that this has been implemented yet," Panaghi said "We also only have one interconnect to our power provider Panaghi said the city of Newberry had plans to build a second interconnect but that the first has yet to be built He also believes the current commission is too conservative for the city's changing demographic and that the commission has been too quick to approve development projects "The commission should reflect demographics of the citizens it represents to ensure all voices and ideas are heard," Panaghi said "Only then can we move forward and work to improve the lives of city residents with fresh ideas instead of sticking with what was done in the past." Panaghi wants the city to have secure free Wi-Fi for residents start discussing changes to downtown parking and to increase the number of school crossing guards and officers and the amount of time they spend helping control traffic Long told The Sun Thursday that he decided to run for office after Marden made the decision to run for mayor The owner of All Smiles Auto Detailing and co-chair of the city's Planning and Zoning Board Long said he thinks the current commission has been growing the city in a positive way Like Newberry mayoral candidate Joy Glanzer's demand for "smart growth," Long said he doesn't want Newberry to grow too big like Gainesville "We like to have things that are exciting to our generation to come but a lot of the restaurants we loved ended up closing down," Long said "Newberry is all about having small-time restaurants and places where people can congregate and really kind of show their personalities about whether they want to be in and how we as citizens interact with each other and just grow the right way." Long said education is one of the biggest issues he plans to tackle if elected to the commission With the controversial conversion of Newberry Elementary into a charter school still in question Long said he has mentored and participated in programs at charter schools and see their benefits but also acknowledged that some Newberry residents don't see it that way He said his position on the charter conversion is neutral because he has never put a child in the school system April 8 at the Mentholee Norfleet Municipal Building at 25420 West Newberry Road The city of Newberry celebrated the long-awaited grand opening of Publix on Thursday as a steady stream of residents were treated to a variety of giveaways and food samples The roughly 54,000-square-foot store at the corner of State Road 26 and County Road 235 — across from the Hitchcock's Market — greeted hundreds of people who braved the chilly weather with a flashy balloon display and a go-kart equipped with an oversized shopping cart on top Local news: Two University of Florida/IFAS-bred strawberries better at resisting nasty pest Customers looking to enjoy one of the grocery store's signature Pub subs will find them in the deli to the right as they enter the store along with the bakery and produce sections There's also a small area with tables and chairs for those who wish to enjoy a quick meal which is to the left as you enter the store Those only looking to pick up or drop off a prescription will find a convenient drive-thru located on the west side of the plaza The front of the store includes eight checkout lanes along with nine self-checkout kiosks The Market at Newberry Farms as the plaza is called also includes a Publix liquor store and space for at least four other retail stores said Thursday that he had just purchased some nice steaks from the new Publix especially for the neighborhood here," Brown said "A lot of people who normally go way down to Publix down in Jonesville are going to save them some gas The new Publix is almost 5 miles closer to downtown Newberry than the Publix at Steeplechase in Jonesville whose drive to the nearest Publix from his home in Trenton is now significantly shorter The attached liquor store is open from 9 a.m Monday through Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m The 2025 Newberry mayoral race is underway Newberry residents will decide its next mayor between former City Commissioner Joy Glanzer and City Commissioner Tim Marden Glanzer told the Sun that she moved from Miami in 1973 to study at the University of Florida and moved to Newberry in 1977 including one as a real estate broker since moving to Newberry where she served on the city commission from 2017 to 2019 She's running for mayor for "smart economic growth" and to push an initiative to increase repairs on infrastructure Newberry is experiencing a lot of growth that Glanzer said is the result of work done by a citizen-run visioning board that set up its design standards and zoning planning 30 years ago Glanzer criticized Marden and the city commission for voting to put an industrial park across from two residential neighborhoods "We need some common sense and a voice to speak up when these kind of zoning changes go off the rails," Glanzer said Glanzer said it's been years since Newberry has seen significant upgrades to its roads and infrastructure She feels there's been few new sources of revenue that can pay for repairs "Voters approved to add to the Wild Spaces Public Places in 2022 and that half-penny sales tax earmarked actually for roads and public facilities so that's one thing and then the increase share that Newberry gets now from the local option fuel tax that's a little bit of money we can use also we have impact fees which developers pay," Glanzer said Glanzer hopes this possible project would start to improve the relationship between the city and Alachua County "Some of our roads that come through Newberry they're actually owned by the county," Glanzer said and I think we can work to negotiate ways that the county can help us improve the road and then we would be willing to take it over at that point." Glanzer added she would be a "full-time mayor" and said her daughter and she have agreed Hillary will take over the business the Glanzer is elected Marden said one of his proudest accomplishments as a current city commissioner is bringing the city forward in a more professional manner there aren't a lot of new things to necessarily bring forward but more just to be continue to be efficient in the things that do come our way like commercial and housing development," Marden said "We've got a pretty well-oiled machine here right now." Marden said Glanzar wouldn't be a good fit as Newberry's mayor with her history as a former city commissioner Joy tried to have (commissioner) Rick Coleman fired from his job at the property appraiser's office because she disagreed with something politically," Marden posted on Facebook "Those are things that you'd settle at the ballot box You don't go after somebody personally and you certainly don't go after their family's livelihood I think it's a pretty lowlife thing to do." Marden added he's concerned with Glanzar's Democratic Party connections in Gainesville and doesn't believe that the balance of the community is interested in turning Newberry into Gainesville Marden said he feels he's fit to be Newberry's next mayor as he's a leader who can work at all levels of government represent the city and has the talent level leadership education experience "I think the biggest factor is whether new people who just moved to Newberry have had the amount of time to look into that and see all the different things that we have done as a commission in the last 10 years," Marden said By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies described in our privacy policy Home / News & Events / Latest News / Newsletter / The BIC: Newberry College Adds Men’s Program Newberry College announced that the school will sponsor men’s varsity intercollegiate volleyball next year The Wolves are expected to play their first varsity game in early January of 2026 First Point seized the opportunity to celebrate high school boys’ volleyball growing in the United States with the hosting of the inaugural First Point National High School Invitational Texas last weekend and featured 16 teams from across the country The event concluded with a training session with USA Head Coach Karch Kiraly and Assistant Coach Luka Slabe DuPage (IL) won the 2025 NJCAA Men’s Volleyball Invitational Championship It is the first invitational win for DuPage The Chaps edged out the #3 seed Nassau in the final made it a record-setting AVCA Spring Volleyball Officiation Week from high schools to college to pro leagues—men’s & women’s and beach & indoor AVCA Men’s National Collegiate Coaches Poll Men’s NAIA Coaches Top 15 Poll – March 5 1 in the latest edition of the NAIA Men’s Volleyball Coaches’ Top 15 Rating USA Today/AVCA Super 25 Boys High School Poll Men’s National Collegiate Player of the Week MaxPreps Boys High School Players of the Week The AVCA/MaxPreps National Players of the Week honor the best high school boys throughout the volleyball season Keep your athlete’s stats updated in MaxPreps to be eligible a near seven-hour court proceeding marked the final hearing in the NCAA’s House settlement agreement Judge Wilken indicated that she would approve the settlement if changes are made: provide a phase-in period for implementing new roster limits or “grandfather in” current athletes on rosters; and adjust language related to binding future athletes to the 10-year settlement The NCAA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship comes to Columbus May 8-12 The Covelli Center at Ohio State is home to all the action from quarterfinals to the final The eight teams that qualify for the 2025 NCAA Championships will open competition in the quarterfinal round May 8 The semifinals will be played May 10 at 5 and 8 p.m The 2025 NCAA Tournament Championship match is scheduled for 7 p.m The quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be streamed by ESPN+ The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has extended its agreement with Cedar Rapids Tourism and Mount Mercy University (Iowa) naming them hosts of the NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Championship through 2026 FrogJump is tracking on this weekend’s conference tournaments USAV Announced Age-Group National Team Competitions and Staff locations and coaching staff for its 2025 indoor age-group national teams which will compete in top international events including the NORCECA Continental Championship Tetairoa McMillan Used Volleyball to Become a top WR Prospect Before he became Arizona’s all-time leader in receiving yards an All-America playmaker and a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft Tetairoa McMillan was a kid who said yes to any game he could play Marist Proves Quality at Karch Kiraly Tournament of Champions Marist’s boys volleyball team was ranked No 2 in the country in the April 3 USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association poll heading into its California trip Marist took down Huntington Beach and split matches with #1 Mira Costa OHSAA Championships Returning to Southwest Ohio OHSAA boys volleyball state championships are returning to Springfield later this spring The organization announced Monday that Wittenberg will host the events for both divisions on May 30-31 NC and NAIA AVCA Award Nominations Open on Tuesday Nominations for All-America for both Men’s National Collegiate and NAIA will open on Tuesday The deadline for NAIA nominations is Monday April 21 and National Collegiate nominations is Tuesday Men’s College Coach Recruiting Panel Coming May 6 and club/high school coaches: don’t miss the AVCA-USAV Regions Men’s College Coaches Recruiting Panel Head college volleyball coaches from all divisions will answer Q&A about recruiting and scholarship opportunities in their division All registrants will receive a link to the recording Questions? Contact alice.rogers@avca.org AVCA Boys High School All-America Watch List 2025 Convention Speaker Application Accepted The AVCA Convention returns December 17-21 to Kansas City The AVCA is now accepting applications to be a speaker and Two-Year College program lists as new programs get announced: Did we miss one? Contact bradley.wilson@avca.org and let us know Programs are also visible on the AVCA’s map: members@avca.org avca.org Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" © 2025 AVCA | American Volleyball Coaches Association Click here for the schedule and results! An official website of the United States government Latest Earthquakes Increased rates of seismicity are likely as a private exploration company conducts geothermal work at Newberry volcano The project is not expected to result in changes to Newberry's status or volcano hazard Sign up to receive email notifications about activity at Cascade Range volcanoes through the Volcano Notification Service and continuing off-and-on for several weeks to months a private exploration company called Mazama Energy will conduct geothermal exploration work near Newberry volcano which will be detected by the Newberry seismic network During geothermal exploration activities at Newberry in 2012 and 2014 hundreds of small earthquakes of magnitude M2.5 or less occurred while a company conducted its work Increased rates of seismicity will be closely monitored by the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory and its monitoring partner the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network The project is not expected to result in any changes to Newberry’s state of activity or potential volcanic hazards Seismic monitoring at Newberry began in 2012 after CVO scientists installed an 8-station network of seismic and GPS sensors scientists have located an average of 15 earthquakes at Newberry each year CVO and PNSN monitoring networks are operating normally and seismologists will be able to differentiate volcanic earthquakes from those caused by geothermal exploration activity.  composite volcano in central Oregon covering an area the size of Rhode Island The central caldera is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) south of Bend 7,986 ft (2,434 m) in elevation on the south caldera rim.  Throughout its 500,000-year eruptive history and lava flows that range in composition from basalt to rhyolite Newberry last erupted about 1,300 years ago (the Big Obsidian Flow) and geologically young lava flows indicate that it is still an active volcano These items are in the RSS feed format (Really Simple Syndication) based on categories such as topics You can install and RSS reader browser extension or use a third-party service to receive immediate news updates depending on the feed that you have added they may look strange because they are simply XML code An RSS reader can easily read this code and push out a notification to you when something new is posted to our site Cascades Volcano Observatory News Since 2017, no one but Jordan Marlowe has run for mayor in Newberry. Marlowe has run unopposed for four terms, but in February the city commission voted to negotiate a contract that will make Marlowe city manager a position he cannot hold at the same time as his mayoral seat.  Newberry voters will have a choice between two mayoral candidates: Tim Marden a local real estate broker and former city commissioner.  Glanzer ran against Marden for his Group 4 seat in Newberry’s 2021 election, and Marden edged her out by only 60 out of a total of 914 votes.  April 8 at the Mentholee Norfleet Municipal Building (25420 W Previous experience in elected office: 12 years Public service other than elected office: As City Commissioner we dually sit on other boards (Board of Adjustment But I have led various community initiatives like Hurricane Helene relief efforts I started broadcasting our high school football and basketball games for our community several years ago I have also been a Take Stock in Children and Junior Achievement mentor.  What prompted you to run for mayor?   When our commission decided to hire the current mayor as our next city manager I felt it was the right thing to do for the citizens and to maintain the overall integrity of the commission that I have been a part of for 12 years My total focus has been what is best for the city and I think maintaining a sense of continuity is important And frankly I do not want Newberry to become Gainesville.  What are your top two priorities if you are elected?   We have a lot of positives happening right now Ensure Newberry continues to be a leader and innovator in our: overall approach to government Newberry has delivered Cadillac services for Chevy prices I think people expect that and it has become part of our identity We do that by focusing on core services as much as possible.  What is your approach to the Newberry Elementary School charter conversion?  I have been a cheerleader for the charter school conversion since the beginning I have not flip flopped whenever it is politically convenient like my opponent Our community deserves a school board that cares about its students Newberry will rise to the occasion because it is the right thing and Newberry will again rise to the challenge and make it successful.  What are the two most important issues facing Newberry’s government?   We have issued around 200 building permits the last two years and we are on pace for less than 170 this year As a commission we are tasked with a very hard decision of balancing private property rights with the effects it will have on the community at large There are lots of legal and historical implications to consider and lots of other entities involved Our commission has done our best to strike the right balance of the 1,000 different factors going into those massive decisions I bring that depth of knowledge and leadership to the table.  Infrastructure that goes along with growth Most people do not realize we do not build infrastructure too far in advance because the current residents will be paying for it if we did that We want the new movers causing the need to pay for it We have instituted a number of measures to thread that needle and credit goes largely to the staff bringing their expertise to those decisions I believe we have the best city staff in the area It has taken us a long time to get to this level and I am proud of the work they do every day.  Occupation: Real Estate Broker/Owner Glanzer Realty  Previous experience in elected office: Newberry City Commissioner 2017-2019  Public service other than elected office: Newberry Chamber of Commerce Past President Newberry Mainstreet Organization Past President Newberry Planning & Zoning Board Past Chair Gainesville Alachua County Association of Realtors Board 2009-2012 Lay Servant Newberry United Methodist Church  Campaign website: Joy Glanzer for Mayor on Facebook  What prompted you to run for election?  the growth trajectory of Newberry over the past few years has been historic Having lived in Newberry for 48 years and having participated in the visioning process preceding the growth it is a natural progression of my public service to see this through My career in real estate has enabled me to be closely involved with the processes and procedures for development to make sure our comprehensive plan is followed but I will be a vocal proponent of following these plans and putting the focus on getting it right You don’t get a second chance once a development is in the ground which is another thing that prompted my run for mayor.  What are your top two priorities if you are elected?  Newberry’s streets and roads are in disrepair as are many of the roads around Alachua County Newberry has a few newer sources of revenue into which I will tap: Newberry’s CRA impact fees on development and the Wild Spaces Public Places funds I will also work diligently with Alachua County to negotiate improvement on the roads owned by them within our city limits.  I will make Newberry’s government truly transparent There is a perception that not all business is done in the Sunshine emails and phone calls will be answered promptly No citizen will be left to feel that they are unheard there is no reason why all citizens can’t have a voice.   no matter if you were for or against the Public Charter School conversion of Newberry Elementary and that is to provide our children with the best education opportunities possible Education has always been a priority in our town and because of that there has been extreme passion following the State Department of Education decision which confirmed that the charter will proceed in Newberry Citizens opposing it have pointed to questions about the budget not being solid children being denied access due to economic or special needs challenges and transportation limitations to name a few It is crucial to have all these questions answered and allow those questions to be asked and answered publicly The Newberry School Board needs to address the issues and remedy any shortcomings prior to the school opening.  What are the two most important issues facing Newberry’s government?  Helping our staff maintain the resources they need to continue to serve the public at the highest level Newberry has won awards for the way our city is run and it is a top priority for me Our citizens deserve to have access to services they need and the personnel available to serve them we need to be aggressive and creative in going after state and federal money to build the new wastewater treatment plant The cost is far more than the city can afford alone The state mandates the capacity and level of treatment but gives municipalities no clear path for obtaining the money to comply with their mandates.   What do you think Newberry needs to be doing differently In my job I have the opportunity to engage with other municipalities from time to time I am aware that all cities do not have the wheels turning as smoothly as we do the one thing that I hear from the public is that they sometimes feel unheard or even shy away from interacting with our elected officials I’d like to see more effort made to circle the wagons and all get along no matter if the officials agree or disagree with the citizen.  talk less in platitudes and deal with issues more definitively and rationally Valentine’s Day may be for lovers yet Friday was also an occasion for early music aficionados to savor Renaissance vocal and instrumental miniatures celebrating the many aspects of love “So Sweet Is Your Return” was the double-entendre title of the Newberry Consort’s illuminating exploration of mostly secular chansons and madrigals from 16th-century France and Italy Repeat concerts are scheduled over the weekend in Hyde Park and downtown Chicago Founded 39 years ago at Chicago’s Newberry Library the ensemble-in-residence of Chicago College of the Performing Arts has been steadily redefining its artistic objectives over the decades introducing local listeners to the infinite variety of preclassical music as a living art form That mission has taken on renewed vitality under Liza Malamut now in her third season as the group’s artistic director and resident virtuoso on period trombone and recorder That much was clear from the fervor and polish the five singers and five instrumentalists (lute recorders and trombones) brought to a remarkably diverse tour of tender love songs English translations of the texts (Ronsard Virgil and Petrarch were among the poets) were projected on a screen and embellished with reproductions of analogous paintings from the period Malamut’s spoken remarks complemented her thorough and informative program notes As much care clearly went into the performances as went into the scholarship secure balancing and careful blending of voices no degree of expressive commitment would have mattered very much But the latter was front and center as well a quality also conspicuous in the superb lute solos by Lucas Harris and other instrumental playing that tied together and undergirded the consort fears and regrets of love were as challenging for partners to navigate as they are in the love lyrics of today’s pop music – they just were expressed more subtly and decorously wrote the poets behind several of these exquisite musical miniatures Perhaps no poet spoke of such pain better than Virgil whose evocation of the spurned queen Didone’s lament anticipates a similar scene in Berlioz’s opera Les Troyens by some three centuries The groups of secular and sacred vocal gems making up the second half of the program carried romantic sentiment over into the realm of the erotic and ecstatic randy shepherds and willing shepherdesses as main characters in a loose narrative.  There were many welcome musical discoveries or as emblematic of the concert as a whole as Nicola Vicentino’s masterful setting of Petrarch’s Laura che’l verde lauro: Its strikingly modern chromaticism falls as pungently on the ear as that of the great Italian madrigalist And what better way to bring a grand love story full circle than with party music—a lively pair of pieces by Alessandro Striggio most likely written for a Medici family wedding in Florence in 1579 The program will be repeated 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bond Chapel, University of Chicago; and 4 p.m. Sunday at Ganz Hall, Roosevelt University. newberryconsort.org Posted in Performances XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> Newberry city commissioners on Monday unanimously selected Mayor Jordan Marlow as the city's new manager Before being selected as the new city manager Marlowe commended New's accomplishments including helping the city through several hurricanes starting the Agricultural Technology Innovation Park bringing IFAS to the city and saving the Canterbury Equestrian Center "Mike worked tirelessly to attract business and foster economic development and establish programs like impact fee incentives and development fee waivers spurring growth and investment in Newberry," Marlowe said New said he wouldn't get emotional but shed a few tears after hearing about his tenure with the city and acknowledged the city for helping him serve his community Local sports: Newberry DL, Ohio State signee Jarquez Carter leads All-Area Big School Defensive Football Team "I think I am fortunate to have six city officials that are responsible for hiring me so if the citizens of Newberry want to be angry with someone four of them are sitting here," New said jokingly Marlowe later revealed that he has had several meetings with Travis Parker Parker previously served as the city of Newberry's director of parks and facilities Commissioner Rick Coleman made a two-part motion to have Mayor pro-tempore and Commissioner Mark Clark draft a three-year contract for Marlowe to serve as city manager "I think the city is on a fantastic trajectory I want to keep us moving in the direction that we have set that Mr I would say I'm willing to have those contract negations with the mayor pro tempore I understand we are having budgetary issues and I would be willing to do this for a lot less," Marlowe said an English teacher at Newberry High School made it clear he wanted to finish the school year first before serving as city manager Commissioner Tim Marden said this motion is the best thing the city can do for its citizens and gives the city some breathing room and I don't want to see him leave either before the end of the year," Marden said jokingly When Commissioner Monty Farnsworth asked if Marlowe would serve as both the mayor and city manager Marlowe responded that he would serve only as city manager because the city's charter doesn't allow him to hold both positions I'll accept the city manager position and would not run for re-election as mayor," Marlowe said was selected to serve as interim city manager through the end of the school year Some Newberry residents reacted to the motion negatively calling the selection process "weird" and "a backroom decision." Travis Adair called this another scheme done behind closed doors and quoted Commissioner Marden as saying that the selection for a new city manager does not need to be transparent "I don't quite fully understand why you wouldn't want this to be transparent unless you have something to hide It is disgusting especially that we have an upcoming election where some of you may not have a choice to join us again," Adair said Newberry resident Rob Baker voiced his concerns about the public not being a part of the selection process and said that selecting a new city manager should involve an employment process voiced her support for Marlowe as the new city manager "I think I have been coming to these meetings for 50 years and of all the city managers we've had it's always been decided by the commission by public discussion," Glanzer said Marlowe said he understands some of the residents' disapproval but that the city is following the same process it has always went through then that wouldn't be fair to the applicants," Marlowe said (This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.) Florida – Dorothy Ann (McLeod) Newberry died on Wednesday after 105 years of a well-lived and wonderfully full life She succumbed to injuries related to a fall and passed at Naples Community Hospital with her hand gently held and family by her side the daughter of Robert Willard and Olga (Kovar) McLeod.  Dorothy was a high school graduate and went on to attend business college and work for a reinsurance company She was dedicated to her faith and attending church and was a former member of the Lady Elks Devere Newberry who was her loyal partner for over 66 years until his death in 2008 They spent most of their married life in Muscatine Iowa their journey did not start or end there.  In their early years Massachusetts where Devere worked for General Electric (GE).  They also lived in Schenectady NY often sharing quarters due to WWII.  Returning to Iowa where they became deeply committed community members and parishioners of Wesley United Methodist Church they were members of the church choir.  Very special for the 1970s Malaysia for several years on an expatriate assignment  They had a deep interest in people of different backgrounds and visited over 60 countries in their life.  They shared these unique experiences with their family and perhaps without knowing it and welcoming to all.  In their later years and enjoyed being a part of a new community and church and overall zest for life in every community she lived she lived at the Terraces in Bonita Springs and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church.  She was an active card player often sought out to join in a game of bridge.  In addition to collecting a few winnings You could not walk into the building without someone saying you’re related to Dorothy?  We just love her.”  Or “We can’t believe she’s 105 years old!”.  This statement varied by the year but it happened regularly and often.  And Dorothy took a certain enjoyment in being incredibly active and able to astound others with her youthful physical and mental state.  To highlight this even more this is a woman who at 89 visited the archaeologic mound in Tel Megiddo and was the first one in the tour group up 80 stairs and down 183; who on her 90th birthday walked 2 miles in high heels to her hotel from the Broadway show Jersey Boys in New York; and hiked up mountains in Costa Rica when she was a mere 93 Dorothy will be deeply missed by her loving sons Robert (Linda) Newberry; James (Kitty) Newberry living grandchildren Sarah Wallman (Patrick) O'Hare; Amanda Newberry (Phil) Medsger Douglas Newberry; 16 cherished great-grandchildren: Samantha Ian and Alexandra Wallman; Quinn and Catherine O'Hare; Frederick and Addie Medsger; Noah and Charlotte Hankins; Gabriel Grace and Elijah Hart; Erin and Nathan Rice Connor Newberry; 1 great-great grandson Landon LaBray and many nieces She is preceded in death by her parents; devoted husband F dedicated daughter Carol Newberry (Barry) Wallman Visitation for Dorothy will be from 9:00 a.m 2025 at Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral & Cremation Services Iowa 52761.  Funeral Services will follow at 11:00 a.m 2025 at the funeral home.   Burial will be in Muscatine Memorial Park Cemetery.  Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservices.com.  Memorial donations may be sent in her honor to Wesley United Methodist Church at 400 Iowa Avenue Muscatine The Florida Department of Education's Charter School Review Commission on Wednesday approved the application to convert Newberry Elementary School into a public charter school beginning in the 2026-27 school year The initiative received immediate support from local elected officials “Following the lead of parents and teachers from our community converted our elementary school to our very own community charter,” Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe wrote Wednesday in a Facebook post our kids will be better prepared to do the same thing for their children.” Past coverage: 'Yes Newberry' group document sheds light on organizing and fundraising plans “The support from Newberry’s families and educators has been nothing short of inspiring,” said Derek Danne chairman of the Newberry Community School Board said in press release announcing the ruling “We look forward to working with the Alachua County School Board to ensure a seamless transition and a strong partnership that benefits all students.” Officials from Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) have expressed concerns about the potential impact on the district such as providing equitable treatment of students residing outside the city limits and possible diversion of funds and resources from existing schools who attended Wednesday's meeting in Orlando told The Sun that an individual who worked for the Charter School Review Commission advised those in favor of the charter conversion not to bother filling out comment cards because a decision had already been made “I’m very disappointed with the decision,” Certain said Certain also said that an attorney for the Charter Review Commission advised members to proceed with the vote despite acknowledging that the vote held in April would not be valid based on the the rule change approved by the Board of Education in August because it could not be made retroactive “A municipal charter is not allowed under the current law,” Certain said “This charter conversion is masquerading as a group of small parents leading the charge and it is not The city has pledged a lot of money behind this charter and that is the opposite of how charter schools are funded; they are funded by the Florida Department Finance Program.” The Newberry City Commission unanimously approved a letter of intent to provide an over $2 million “financial backstop” to Newberry Community School Board Inc Certain said she looks forward to discussing the approval at future meetings to see what avenues the board can take to possibly appeal the decision Alachua County Publics Schools spokesperson Jackie Johnson could not be reached by The Sun Wednesday regarding the district's next steps the district sent out a statement late Wednesday afternoon: "Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) is aware of the Florida Charter Review Commission's (CRC) decision today to approve the conversion of Newberry Elementary School to a charter school Newberry Elementary's leadership and staff will remain focused on meeting the needs of the students ensuring they continue to receive a high-quality education." Former city commissioner Tim Marden becomes mayor of Newberry City of Newberry residents elected Tim Marden to serve as the city’s mayor after he had been a city commissioner for the past 12 years Marden won in a close race with a margin of 97 votes Marden will replace current mayor Jordan Marlowe Marden quit the city commission to run for mayor marking an end to a more than decade-long tenure in the city Marden ran on a campaign of economic development and lower taxes and serves as the chair of the Alachua County GOP Donald Long wins Newberry city commission seat four  Donald Long has won the City of Newberry commission seat four Long won the seat in a landslide race over Steve Panaghi Long served as co-chair of the planning and zoning/historic district board for the past three years He’s also a member of The 100 Black Men of Greater Gainesville Florida a community service organization dedicated to improving the Black community in north central Florida infrastructure and improving education in the city Incumbent Tony Mazon retains Newberry city commission seat five Tony Mazon retained his city commission seat beating challenger Rose Campbell by claiming 69% of votes cast Mazon has served on the commission for two terms. He previously seconded a motion to develop the city by establishing a district larger than 260 acres. He also voted against a five-decade plan to build the NC Ranch development He ran on a campaign of making the city safer improving infrastructure and investing in community spaces for youth Sign up to receive our email newsletter in your inbox a stalwart of Illinois Democratic politics and a progressive voice.. Drums echoed through Welsh-Ryan Arena Saturday afternoon as Northwestern’s Native American and Indigenous.. Northwestern apologized for and condemned a performance held Tuesday in Sargent Dining Commons by Firket.. Northwestern confirmed recent cases of grant terminations payment suspensions and stop-work orders tied.. Raj Ghanekar Ducks Dan and Dave: Park Vultures Ducks Dan and Dave: Lost and Not Found Baseball: Northwestern earns milestone 10th Big Ten win amid fifth consecutive series loss Cross Country: Ellis breaks 1,500-meter record, Wildcats sweep 5,000-meter podium at Badger Challenge Maia Alvarez Since the grand reopening of the Evanston Animal Shelter in October 2024 the staff and volunteers said they have noted an increase in the number of visitors and adoptions.. Seesaw Theatre brings accessibility to theatre spaces Valentina Valcarce, Finian Hazen, and Isabela Camargos Everything Evanston: Partners of the Evanston Public Library hosts open mic poetry reading for National Poetry Month NAISA hosts fourth annual Pow Wow themed around honoring relatives By the numbers: The Trump administration has frozen millions in federal support for Northwestern. Here’s what it means for science funding on campus. Northwestern students sweep Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium awards New councilmembers reflect on Envision Evanston as zoning legislation emerges in Springfield D65 board updates policies to include sustainability plan, swears in new members U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky will not seek 15th term, capping a career of progressive advocacy The Newberry Library’s exhibit “Native Pop!,” which premiered March 20 explores how Indigenous people have shaped popular culture The exhibit draws from the Newberry’s various Indigenous studies collections which include archival materials like books the Newberry Library has shifted from collecting historical Indigenous materials to collecting more contemporary material by Indigenous creators.  co-curator of “Native Pop!” and vice president for collections and library services and curator of Americana at the Newberry was inspired by the library’s new collections of contemporary materials and proposed the exhibit in 2021 “When you’re collecting more historical material there’s an imbalance of white creators talking about and sharing information about Native people and fewer Indigenous creators actually creating material that makes its way into a repository like this,” Hansen said “We’re trying to correct that imbalance a little bit through this.” Independent artist and citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin who was brought on by The Newberry as a co-curator about three years ago said the show spans over 400 years and showcases a variety of mediums from beaded books and polaroids to video games and comic books It was important for the exhibition to explore the spectrum of art Native people engage in from traditional cultural practices to contemporary forms “I just want people to recognize that Native people have always been here and we make up part of the fabric of American culture and pop culture in general,” Kerstetter said.  “Native Pop!” exhibits items by Indigenous creators with at least 23 different tribal affiliations While deciding which items and works would be included in the exhibit Indigenous ways of knowing and the exploration of time These themes are important when thinking about how Indigenous people have engaged in their own culture and in broader popular culture vice president for public engagement at the Newberry said the library is also running programming centered around pop culture to go along with the exhibit.  The Newberry will hold a screening of “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” in the Navajo language and an Indigenous Zine Fest Hansen said the major goal of the exhibition is to represent Indigenous people as vital active presences in the world today and not relics of the past “The oppression that Native people have experienced is real and sort of inflects [sic] everything they do,” Hansen said “But (Indigenous people) also have fun and experience the joy of being a part of their culture.” The exhibit will be open to the public until July 19 at Trienens Galleries in the Newberry.  Email: [email protected] X:  @ClareKirwan31 — Block Museum hosts webinar on artwork connected to One Book One Northwestern — Block exhibition Woven Being: Art for Zhegagoynak/Chicagoland highlights Indigenous artists — Block exhibition ‘it takes a long time to stay here: Paintings by Jordan Ann Craig’ explores Indigenous histories in keynote conversation This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Williamsport police along with paramedics and firefighters rushed to West Fourth Street and Wayne Avenue in the city’s Newberry neighborhood for a reported stabbing about 8:30 p.m A 17-year-old male and 16-year-old female both suffered superficial injuries while struggling over a knife a few blocks south The girl ran to a house near West Fourth Street and Wayne Avenue Both she and the other teen declined medical treatment was recovering from injuries he suffered Monday morning when .. Members of the Newberry Community Partnership (NCP) are looking for volunteers to join them from 9:30 a.m on Saturday to help beautify the small Williamsport neighborhood The NCP President Michelle Frey said the organization works to “preserve the strong sense of community that defines our neighborhood NCP members are always ready to lend a helping hand to neighbors According to Michelle Frey the “NCP Annual Clean-Up centers on the West End of Williamsport…specifically…to ensure a well-coordinated effort volunteers are asked to sign in and indicate which streets they’ll be working on This helps avoid overlapping coverage and makes sure every area gets the attention it needs.” litter and garbage can build up around the community and this special day helps to beautify things “This event is focused on reducing litter,” Frey said all collected trash and recyclables are weighed before being properly disposed of The total amount of waste removed from the streets is then reported to organizations like Keep America Beautiful and the Susquehanna Greenway Project helping track the impact of our efforts on the local environment.” the event has drawn “a diverse mix of families we’re fortunate to have dozens of volunteers we see a smaller group of dedicated participants.” every effort counts and contributes to the success of the cleanup,” she said When asked if volunteers should bring anything “Volunteers should come dressed for outdoor work but there’s no need to bring anything other than themselves,” she said Volunteers will meet up at West End Christian Community Center The NCP will have road signs for the safety of the volunteers as well as “all necessary supplies it wasn’t just the volunteers who have stepped up to help — local organizations have done their part She said Wegmans contributed “a gift card to help cover the costs of breakfast snacks drinks and a pizza lunch for all volunteers ensuring everyone is well-fed and energized throughout the day.” The members of the NCP have worked with organizations to develop positive relationships in the county “We’re proud to have built strong relationships with Mayor Slaughter One of our cherished traditions is the annual Christmas Tree Lighting where we come together to celebrate the season with festive cheer and a special visit from Santa Claus,” Frey said One of the positives of Newberry’s Annual Cleanup Day is the possibility it can inspire other clean ups in Williamsport “Neighbors coming together for a shared purpose is what keeps communities strong In an era where the sense of community can feel like it’s slipping away it’s more important than ever for groups like NCP to lead the way in fostering unity and positive change,” she said The purpose of the NCP is to encourage “a vibrant neighborhood where stewardship cooperation and shared values are at the heart of everyday life.” She further explained the mission is to “make both Newberry and Jaysburg a better place to live Actions like this will lead to better home values increased home ownership and thriving local businesses,” she said Faced with the prospect of having a solar farm literally next door to their homes The Alachua County School Board on Wednesday voted unanimously to direct the superintendent and legal counsel to file an appeal with the State Board of Education concerning the conversion of Newberry Elementary School into a public charter school That decision comes after the Florida Department of Education's Charter School Review Commission last month approved the application to convert Newberry Elementary School into a public charter school beginning with 2026-27 school year who attended the Charter School Review Commission meeting in Orlando on Feb which included exploring "all available legal actions" regarding the charter approval "I really do hope you guys support the motion and I am ready for doing a whole lot more than that," Certain said The Charter School Review Commission unanimously approved the Newberry Community School Board's application despite a controversial vote in April 2024 in which it was determined that exactly half of the teachers at Newberry Elementary voted in favor of the charter conversion A state rule that has since been amended called for a majority of teachers and parents at a school attempting a charter conversion to approve the measure amended the rule to allow for only 50% of teachers and 50% of parents — instead of a majority — to approve a charter conversion for it to pass "These people did not follow the rules in any step of the way," board member Thomas Vu said and no one's ever ruled otherwise with any authority that has a say otherwise — even Florida's attorney general refused to comment and rule on this "Their whole campaign started with a lie," he said In the event the appeal is dismissed or denied district attorney David Delaney said staff is currently working on a contract that would allow Alachua County Public Schools to sponsor the charter school Local news: Memorial wall will honor graduates of former all-Black Lincoln High School in Gainesville Wednesday's meeting also provided a platform for teachers to express their unease regarding the district's protocols for interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released in February a veteran educator with 36 years of experience in Alachua County "Schools have always been safe places in which students could freely learn and be part of the community,” she said “When did teachers become wardens of the law Teacher Nickole Dean talked about the potential impact on student trust and holding the board accountable regarding teachers’ salary increase "We may be middle of the bar in the state of Florida “Teachers are posting in Facebook groups asking what jobs are out there because they're tired of feeling so insignificant we're feeling forced to hand over children."  — Local News Editor Alan Festo contributed to this report Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInNEWBERRY (WCJB) - Newberry’s mayoral and commission races are already shaping up With two weeks until the qualifying period begins commissioner Tim Marden and business owner Joy Glanzer have both announced their run for mayor Current mayor Jordan Marlowe announced at Monday’s commission meeting that he will likely not be running for re-election because he is in talks to become the next city manager of Newberry Commissioners Marden and Tony Mazon’s seats are also up for re-election in April Mazon announced on his facebook page that he intends to run for re-election Three new candidates are also running for the open commission seats Rosa Marie Campbell is running for the group five seat Newberry resident Steve Panaghi and Newberry planning and zoning district board member Donald Long are both running for group four The qualifying period for the election is from the 24th until the 27th of February the mayor and commissioners will all serve two-year terms RELATED: Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe won’t run for reelection, seeks city manager position instead Click here to subscribe to our newsletter A 63-year-old Newberry woman was killed Monday morning in a two-vehicle crash on State Road 121 in Alachua County according to a Florida Highway Patrol news release Florida Highway Patrol: 1 dead, 2 injured in three-vehicle crash in Columbia County On State Road 121 near its intersection with Southwest 137th Avenue the Newberry woman was traveling south in a sedan on SR 121 while at the same time a 77-year-old Archer woman was attempting to turn left in an SUV from Southwest 137th Avenue onto SR 121 causing the sedan to run off the roadway and into a tree The Newberry woman was transported to a local hospital The Archer woman and one of her passengers Newberry voters will choose who they want to fill two commission seats with two candidates running in each race.  Running for the Group 4 seat are Donald Long a current member of Newberry’s Planning and Zoning Board is running against early childhood educator Rosa “Marie” Campbell for the Group 5 seat.  at the Mentholee Norfleet Municipal Building (25420 W Newberry Rd.).  Occupation: IT Consultant & Program Manager Previous experience in elected office: None  Public service other than elected office: I’m an Eagle Scout and highly involved in Scouting with my daughter both as an ASM (Assistant Scout Master) and Merit Badge Councilor I’m a strong believer in the Scouting method as it teaches leadership skills to youth at a young age I’m also an active member of the Concerns Citizens group that meets monthly at the MLK Center.  I’m a non-active member of Alachua County ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) group They provide radio communications at all emergency shelters throughout the county during major weather events I’ve helped with EmComm (Emergency Communications) for both the TWA Flight 800 recovery efforts and the 9/11 recovery efforts Website: www.stevefornewberry.com     I decided to run for City Commission because I wanted to address concerns that are critical to our community I didn’t follow our local politics closely but no changes to our infrastructure.  The moment I fully started to pay attention was when I saw the mayor endorsing the charter school at a public meeting I listened to what was said and had some questions The lack of responses to my questions made me start looking deeper into this issue and even reached out to the school board to learn more about the issues the charter was bringing up The multiple inconsistencies I found led me to my decision on the charter school.  I then started to deep dive decisions our commission has made in the past I quickly saw housing developments being green lit but impact fees to pay for infrastructure improvements only started in 2023 meaning we current residents were paying to improve the infrastructure for the new residents There were projects to help current citizens running into major opposition especially when it came to infrastructure and other essential improvements I quickly realized how wrong I was to not pay attention to our local government My housing community could not get the city to pay for a sidewalk down 4th Ave that our kids could use to walk safely to the middle school and cross over to the elementary and high schools so our HOA came together and paid for it ourselves.  The first of my priorities focuses on restoring respect honesty and transparency to the commission I plan to hold monthly “Meet the Commissioner” events where I hope the public will come and ask me questions and hold me to account for my decisions A key part of accountability is to have an enforceable ethics policy and term limits to apply to all elected officials.  My second priority is to ensure the city works for all citizens We all pay for the upkeep of the city-owned parks and buildings and I want to improve them and utilize them in new and different ways I will work hard to find new ways to use the resources the city has to ensure more access to all taxpayers I want to solve the downtown parking issues before the one-way pairs are completed — there is no reason to wait on the state to complete the project in 2030 when our businesses have parking concerns now.  I want to restore open communications and have a working relationship with the county and school board I want to work with the sheriff to increase the presence and schedule of crossing guards so our kids can walk to and from school safely especially with all the increased traffic from all the reckless development.  I’ve been publicly against the conversion charter from the start. I go into detail on my website at stevefornewberry.com/conversion-charter, but here is how I’ll fight back.  It’s important to understand some facts on who voted Only 520 homes were eligible to vote on the parent side for the elementary school The breakdown was 149 yes and 125 voted no This means that 29% of eligible homes voted yes for the conversion out of all eligible homes.  Eligible homes mean a home where a student lives who is zoned for Newberry Elementary, even if it’s outside the city limits. All the data I cited is found at the following: www.mainstreetdailynews.com/education/breaking-newberry-residents-vote-down-charter-conversion  The reason this is important is that when the city gave the conversion charter board a loan This means that people who live in the city limits had their tax dollars sent to a group who was voted on by a small subset of parents who can either live inside the city limits or be outside city limits and not pay taxes to Newberry Talk about taxation without representation!  Not only am I against this takeover of our public schools I will fight against any future attempt at the middle and high schools I will be holding the school board accountable to complete the rezoning that will solve the overcrowding issue at Newberry Elementary School and ensure our students can receive the highest quality education they deserve.  All this growth has brought a lot more traffic Our kids deserve a safe commute to and from school and we need to increase the time the crossing guards are scheduled We also need to make sure we look at how all the roads are impacted and see where we need to make improvements to make them safer speed humps or even adding in traffic lights.  With all the developments that have been approved there doesn’t seem to be a plan to ensure our infrastructure can handle it While we do collect impact fees to pay for the needed changes it seems that those changes only come after the homes are sold I want to change that — we should ensure the infrastructure is improved and ready to handle the influx of new people before the first home is sold or the business has its grand opening.  We need to figure out the funding so we can complete the advanced wastewater treatment plant project We need to work with everyone to solve the downtown stormwater issues We must build out the second interconnect for our electric grid so that when the main one goes down we can easily keep our city powered off the backup This city is still divided by the charter issue I’ve met people from both sides who have said they lost friends over this We can all be passionate about our beliefs I want to work to bring this city back together It has caused kids to lose friends because parents disagree and created a host of other school issues.  I want to find ways to get our youth more involved civically MyTime at the MLK Center is a fantastic program that helps tutor students after school I’d like to find a way for older kids to come and tutor the younger ones Imagine a middle schooler being tutored by a high schooler.  We have a student government at the high school but I’d also like to see our youth create a youth City Commission to focus on their needs and then bring those ideas to the commission to vote on Not only will this drive engagement with our youth and teach what it means to be a citizen but it will bring fresh ideas to light.  Occupation: Owner of All Smiles Auto Detailing LLC  Public service other than elected office: Served on the Planning and Zoning/ Historic Architectural District Board for the city of Newberry for the past three years Campaign website: www.votedonaldlong.com  After serving on the PNZ I wanted to continue to help serve my community with the growth and guidance that I’ve learned over these three years I had plans to run one day and this was a good time.  Make sure we keep the focus on the city growth the smart way focusing on the combination of home-to-business ratio with building our roads and infrastructure together Also making sure our schools get my utmost focus to ensure they have everything they too need to be successful My approach is simple: make sure that we hold this school administration to what they have committed to and to make sure every kid that all kids have access to the school and will have the transportation to get there.  the well-being of our kids’ education for years to come.  Just make sure all residents feel included in the decisions that are made about the city so people feel informed as much as possible Get more family events in the city to bring the community close.  Occupation: Teacher @ UF ECC @ Baby Gator.  Previous experience in elected office: none.  Public service other than elected office: none.  Website: https://rosafornewberry.com  I am running to be a voice for the community!!  What is your approach to the Newberry Elementary School charter conversion?   School Board of Alachua County and Newberry Charter School Administrators need an effective approach to their school for 26-27.  Leadership needs to be more effective and collaborative with citizens of Newberry.   The community has suffered because of the recent Charter School issues.  Previous experience in elected office: Running for my third consecutive term for Commission Group V  Public service other than elected office: Volunteer coach for Girls Place and Newberry Parks and Recreation volunteer with Concerned Citizens and MLK center in Newberry and youth mentoring at Newberry Elementary School  Website: tonymazonfornewberry5.nationbuilder.com   What prompted you to run for re-election?   I am running for re-election to continue what I started — empowering the people of Newberry My goal has always been to ensure that our community is informed I take great pride in being accessible to residents and working toward solutions that reflect the needs of our city infrastructure improvements and ensuring our community is not left behind Safety and Infrastructure — I am committed to ensuring the safety of our community by improving infrastructure This includes adding sidewalks to the northwest side of town which has historically been underrepresented and improving our wastewater system to accommodate future growth while maintaining environmental responsibility.  Investing in youth and community spaces – our children need safe places to grow That’s why I support developing a skate park and expanding after-school programs to keep kids active and off the streets These initiatives build stronger community connections and provide constructive opportunities for our youth.  I have taken the time to meet with the city attorney multiple times to fully understand the legal framework of the conversion The majority of the citizens I have spoken with are in favor of the conversion Newberry is a forward-thinking community that is willing to explore new opportunities to improve education I believe this transition has the potential to create a school system that is more responsive to the needs of our students My role as a commissioner is to ensure that the transition is smooth transparent and beneficial for everyone.  Managing Development — Newberry has seen rapid growth and while we have successfully brought in businesses that residents have asked for It is critical to balance economic growth with maintaining the small-town charm and quality of life that make Newberry special.  Infrastructure and Wastewater Management — Our city’s wastewater system is a pressing issue that must be addressed to support both current residents and future development Proactive planning and responsible investment in infrastructure are key to maintaining a high standard of living and avoiding costly emergency fixes down the road.  Newberry has done a great job balancing development with preserving our community’s character we need to be more selective about large-scale developments Growth should be thoughtful ensuring that our roads and schools can handle the expansion without straining city resources I believe we can improve communication and accessibility between the city government and residents —ensuring that all voices especially those from underrepresented areas like the northwest side Mazon come across as focused and intelligent They seem to have a good grasp of the environment they operate in as well as seeming to be in touch with the need to listen to their constituents but if I was in Newberry I would seriously consider voting for them based solely on the information provided here I have no real information outside this article Panaghi really seems to have done his homework and a lot of thinking Steve does not seem to understand how government operates Impact fees are paid once the houses are sold and then pay for the improvement for infrastructure If the work is done prior to the houses being sold then the cost would be the burden of the citizens already living in the city The two main roads that run through our city are state roads The city of Newberry can only make requests for lights (which they have many times) Having high school students come and tutor at MLK has already been proposed you don’t have all the facts on everything you speak of Maybe do a little more research as you sound like the kid running for Student Body President and promising free ice cream from the cafeteria regardless if future houses/buildings are built Maybe spend $2.2M on infrastructure instead of an illegal municipal conversion charter that literally only 150 people voted for (some of whom don’t even live in Newberry) Vote did pass no matter how many times you stomp your feet and cry that it didn’t Infrastructure is paid by the new residents Why do you guys have so much to complain about? Find a hobby that brings yall joy for goodness sake the HOA DID NOT pay for the sidewalks🤦🏽‍♀️ no one understands how things work like our former mayor turned city manager who knows Why is everyone so scared to comment under their real names though (Can I use that word without triggering someone?) people are even more cautious than normal Civility is something I believe we should all vote for Game Recap: Baseball | 2/18/2025 7:21:00 PM Augusta grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the second inning. Jake Vachon singled and moved to third on a Ty McClintock double before scoring when J. Ben Haynes reached on an error by the third baseman The lead was short-lived as Newberry responded by scoring the next 10 runs Augusta attempted a late rally. In the seventh, Vachon reached on his second hit of the game, stole second, and later scored on a bases-loaded walk to Haynes. Roland Chance followed with a sacrifice fly bringing in McClintock for the second run of the inning In the eighth, Nolan Turner singled Morrison launched his first home run of the season Gavin Zoeller was solid in relief tossing four innings while allowing just two hits and striking out three The Jaguars begin conference play on Friday when they host USC Beaufort at Jaguar Field The first game of the three-game series is set for 2:30 p.m Thanks for visiting (WIS) - Two missing teenagers in Newberry County were found the 14 year-old and 15-year-old boys were last seen Wednesday evening and were believed to be together according to a Facebook post from the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) An update from NCSO on their Facebook page Thursday evening said the boys were found Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here The moderators also welcomed questions from the audience Marden said as a longtime commissioner he knows the issues sought restitution and got it for the city," Marden said "I've watched our hard-earned tax dollars being given out for political favors and I stopped that." Higher education: UF trustees discuss housing overhaul, Miami plans and major construction projects said the city has provided her with a rewarding life having raised four children and started six businesses she said she plans to be a "full-time mayor" and put all over her focus on her fellow residents as well as have an open-door policy and welcome new residents "The growth we're seeing in Newberry has been a long time in our vision and didn't happen overnight and its growth we can be proud of," Glanzer said "If you have anything you'd like to bring up drop me (a line) and I'm ready to talk and listen." Marden was asked by the moderators about why he has continuously voted against accepting grants for the city Some of the grants include a $2 million infrastructure grant $1 million for an elevated water storage tank and $1 million toward a wastewater treatment plant Marden elaborated that the grants aren't always guaranteed and advocated against federal grants "Those are actual debts because the federal reserve just prints the money," Marden said and I don't see it as a win in a traditional sense but more of taking on another debt." Marden said if the city wanted to make up the potential money lost he said the commission has been respectful and diligent with the taxpayers' money and we would take it as a misdecision in how to address it," Marden said Glanzer said the government's role in economic development is critical "They can't go out and bring the businesses here but they can lay the foundation," Glanzer said we planned that five or six years ago and just last week Moderators then asked Marden about his decision last year to vote in favor of allowing zoning for an industrial park across the street from two neighborhoods Marden said the industrial park is small-scale and would be dedicated to the NC Ranch development that will be located near that property what it actually does it help things like the environment because you don't have trucks coming in and out of the road all day long they'll be able to stay on the sight and service the property," Marden said moderators asked Glanzer what impact she would have if elected mayor on the Newberry charter school too which Glanzer said the city will not be involved and that it will be run by the Newberry School Board "I will be watching it to make sure they're doing what they need to do but as far as day-to-day policies — the books that they read or the curriculum they have — that's not going to be at all a decision of the city," she said "We hope the Newberry School Board will keep a good eye on it and to make sure they do all the things they promised give the teachers the raises they promised but that's going to be up to the Newberry School Board said the city will be involved in various capacities including providing payroll services and access to the Florida Retirement System "Now that we have the elementary school as a public conversion I would want to wait at least two years to see how that works because it's new for us Why would we go and convert all three of them when we can test it with one of them?" Marden said he fully supports the conversion of Oak View and Newberry High if the elementary school is successful Newberry residents will elect the city's next mayor and two commissioners on April 8 Ohio passed away peacefully with her family by her side on November 16 Ohio daughter of the late Luther Carson Sr She had a fun loving spirit and could often be heard singing her favorite songs As a result many of her friends affectionately called her Patty Duke.  Patricia was preceded in death by her brothers Tiffany Newberry and Brittany Jones; siblings and Nehemiah Robinson; several nieces and nephews; as well as numerous other family members and friends Memorial services for Patricia will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday To share a memory of Patricia or to leave a special message for her family please sign the online guestbook provided.   Thanks for visiting 88-year-old lawyer Robin Gibson dedicated himself to public education in Lake Wales “I’m an incurable community person,” he said Gibson was an architect of the city’s charter school district which began with five public schools converting to charters in October 2003 Polk County as a whole has 10 conversion charter schools — the most by far of any county in Florida Since the state enacted its charter school law in 1996 Florida has accumulated 23 conversion charter schools Newberry Elementary is slated to become the state’s 24th conversion charter school in fall 2026 Its conversion has been a highly debated topic since April 2024 As Newberry Elementary enters uncharted waters precedent may give parents and teachers alike an idea of what’s to come for the school When Lake Wales Charter School District’s original five charter schools converted from public schools, they were graded no higher than a “C,” according to state education department records three of those schools were graded “B” and two were still graded “C.” another Polk County conversion charter school It was graded “A” for the 2023-24 school year four of Polk County’s ten conversion charter schools were graded “A” last school year Each was graded “C” when it first converted Not all of Polk County’s conversion charter schools were as successful Bartow Charter School and Lake Gibson High School closed within five years of converting Alachua County Public Schools officials weren’t entirely convinced of the decision to convert Newberry Elementary to a charter school said her office had its fair share of worries “We shared a number of concerns with the charter review commission at the state level regarding the application that was presented,” she said “Our concerns covered everything from who was going to be able to go to this school what transportation was going to be available and how special programs would be funded for students with special needs.” Johnson is now tasked with outlining the charter agreement as Newberry Elementary’s conversion date approaches Once ACPS presents its contract to the elementary school’s organizers it will have 40 days to negotiate who will operate the school before getting the contract approved by the operators and the school board Johnson disagrees with the Florida Department of Education’s approval of Newberry Elementary’s charter conversion “Whatever decisions the state may have made afterwards should not have applied retroactively to a vote that had been held months before,” she said In a School Board of Alachua County meeting held March 12 Board Member Tina Certain echoed Johnson’s disagreement “I do believe the motion failed and suggest the superintendent move to file an appeal to the Florida Department of Education challenging the approval,” she said Newberry resident Jessica Mrozinske Baker captured the feeling of those who oppose the Florida Department of Education’s decision in her public comment the charter school situation out there will keep dragging more and more money out of this school district than it has right now,” she said executive director of the Florida Charter School Alliance says conversion charter schools commonly spawn from grassroots efforts Norman-Teck said the burden is on the organizers of Newberry Elementary’s charter school conversion to produce positive results “Whoever’s driving that conversion has to sell it,” she said “They have to define their mission and meet their goals.” Parents tend to look beyond a school’s grade as a determining factor for whether to send their child to that school Factors like proximity to home and access to standardized state exams are ones parents typically consider when deciding whether to send their kid to a charter school the driving factor is having freedom of choice Charter schools promise parents greater flexibility regarding their child’s education Gibson said Newberry Elementary parents and students will have to wait until its conversion to decide whether it was the right choice “The only thing they can do is wait and see if their elementary school can hit it out of the park,” he said Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInGAINESVILLE (WCJB) - Attorneys representing the Alachua County School Board are asking for another chance to stop the public-to-charter school conversion of Newberry Elementary TV20 obtained a letter sent by Sniffen & Spellman to the State Board of Education on Wednesday The attorneys are asking the State Board of Education to overturn the decision made by the Chater School Review Commission approving the controversial conversion They acknowledge that under current state rules the Alachua County School District has no right to appeal the commission’s approval of the application they argue the situation is “unjust and unfair.” “The Newberry Community School board is aware that a letter was sent to the Department of Education requesting an appeal,” said Derek Dane “It is our understanding that there is no avenue for the District to appeal the approval We look forward to working with the District in finalizing the conversion to Newberry Community School The letter explains the district’s argument against the Newberry Elementary charter application They explain the April 2024 vote to approve the conversion was split among teachers 50/50 A discrepancy between the state statutes and administrative rules led to a debate about whether the conversion passed the state sided with the Newberry Education First group over the district The district’s attorneys pointed out state statutes appearing to prevent cities from creating charter schools While the city of Newberry and the charter school organization are separate entities city leaders are involved in the conversion the attorneys argued the Chater School Review Commission didn’t fully evaluate the Newberry Elementary School application and rushed the process Click here to subscribe to our newsletter The Newberry City Commission approved a plan to apply for a state grant to repave roads in lower-income areas of town during a regular meeting on Monday.  The commission also voted unanimously on a franchise ordinance that will allow Central Florida Electric Cooperative (CFEC) to furnish and distribute electric power in the city.  In a public hearing city staff brought a recommendation that Newberry apply for the state’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Department of Housing and Urban Development an applicant must submit a plan that meets certain requirements The neighborhood revitalization grant Newberry will apply for is administered by FloridaCommerce and requires that 51% of the homes in the area where funding is applied must be considered low to moderate income The grant can be applied toward fire protection or sidewalk and street improvements.  Newberry’s plan is to use the funding to repave existing streets that are “extremely worn.” Staff said the grant would normally be capped at $700,000 but because of back-to-back hurricanes last year the funding has an emergency order and will be capped at whatever the approved project costs.  Commissioner Tony Mazon asked about another portion of the town near the neighborhood staff had identified for the road improvements and asked if there is a way this grant could be applied there too.  said she could submit a second application for the other neighborhood but warned that when a town sends in two applications for a grant the state may choose to approve one and ignore the other.  She said she would “go back to the drawing table” and talk with other city staff members to make sure the issue is addressed.  staff might look for a different “pot of money” that could address a flooding issue.  “Once you’ve identified this is the criteria that will be successful I really hate to mess with that,” Marlowe said “But I do want to address Commissioner Mazon’s point.”  The City Commission also unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance granting a 30-year franchise to CFEC which staff said was the final major utility provider in the area that did not have a franchise agreement.  The ordinance grants CFEC access to use city streets easements and public spaces for its infrastructure though the city maintains regulatory oversight and right of way.  The franchise fee is set on a step-up basis where CFEC will pay a growing percentage of its Newberry electric sales revenue over the 30-year timeframe Staff said this is the same as the agreement Newberry has with Clay Electric.  The commission also approved an application on behalf of NC Ranch a 1,293-acre planned development that is to be constructed over the course of the next 50 years Though the development has not yet submitted construction plans or a final plat to the city’s Community Development Department the commission has approved a community development district to help pay for the project.  The developer asked for a one-year extension on the May 28 deadline to submit a final development plan and the City Commission unanimously approved the request.  the City Commission also heard the plight of an industrial business that missed its filing deadline by a day and has been issued a stop work order.  said his company offers the unique service of converting retired railroad ties into alternative fuel Malay said his company moved into Newberry in October to become a primary fuel source for Argos.  The company is in the process of buying about 17 acres of land and has about $6 million worth of equipment in Newberry already and had been running its operation on a temporary basis before receiving a stop work order for submitting a full site plan on Saturday instead of Friday.  “We recently came into your city… and there’s been a lot of gracious help with us,” Malay told the commission “I come to you with a small solution I need on a temporary basis of us trying to file for our permit there’s communication with a large project and there’s things like that we failed at and we’re here humbly to ask for a resolution.”  which was helping Track Line with the project noted that the city offices are closed on Friday saying his team thought there would be no difference if they took a little extra time to look the site plan over and submitted it through the online portal on Saturday.  Citizen Joy Glanzer, who recently ran for mayor and earned about 47% of the vote asking the commission to make a way to support the business and get it across the finish line for approval.  City Attorney Scott Walker said he would look into the matter and Marlowe said the city welcomes Track Line’s presence and will do what it can to help He said the process as it is has gotten “out of whack.”  we’re gonna expedite it and we want them to be here but the men and women back here that live in this town also have a right to the opportunity to see the application