Commissioners should be credited for moving forward with improvements that will save lives, but need to finish the job before there are more senseless tragedies.
Closing a Gainesville school might seem like a strange idea given that so many area schools are overcrowded. But Alachua County s public school district has a new elementary school scheduled to open on the west side in the fall, yet lacks the money to operate it.
The School Board is consequently considering closing Terwilliger Elementary and moving its students to the newly built school while a broader rezoning is done. The closure would save $11.6 million in facilities improvements slated for Terwilliger and allow its operating budget to instead be spent at the new school, known for the time being as Elementary School I.
The Gainesville Sun Editorial Board
Ichetucknee Springs State Park represents some of the best of what North Central Florida offers in terms of natural beauty and recreation. The clear waters of the springs flow into the Ichetucknee River, providing a place for people to float on inflatable tubes past the flora and fauna that distinguish our region.
Yet, as with so much of Florida’s natural beauty, people have a tendency to love it to death. Too many tubers can damage the aquatic grasses that are critical for the health of the river s ecosystem. Combine their impact with the overpumping of groundwater that feeds the springs and pollution from agricultural operations that fuels algae growth in their waters, and you have a recipe for destroying the characteristics that make Ichetucknee Springs special.
The Gainesville Sun Editorial Board
Vaccines for COVID-19 were developed and approved at a record-setting pace, which makes the wait for most people to receive the shots even more frustrating.
The distribution of vaccines is a monumental logistical undertaking, especially in a large state such as Florida, and depends on the production of millions of doses. But Gov. Ron DeSantis has only complicated the process by issuing conflicting, confusing and changing orders and blaming local officials when things go wrong.
The lack of a consistent and transparent statewide plan has led to various approaches being taken in Florida’s 67 counties that have added to the public’s frustration. Doctors and nurses who regularly test and treat COVID-19 patients have seen hospitals such as University of Florida Health first distribute some doses to workers who aren’t health care providers. Floridians over age 65 face long waits and other obstacles in getting shots from their local branches of th