ALACHUA COUNTY

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Two Alachua County men were arrested in connection with a string of mail thefts in Marion County over a four-month period, according to the US attorney’s office. Marion County mail thefts On October 21, 2022, at 10:33 PM, a blue Dodge Charge is captured on surveillance video at the Canopy Oaks Center parking near the USPS Collection Box. (United States Postal Inspection Service)On Wednesday, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, with the help of the U.S. Watch: Helicopter video shows arrest of two Alachua men charged in Marion County mail thefts (WFTV)Read: Union leaders say postal police could protect mail carriersWhen investigators searched the car, they found several pieces of stolen mail and a USPS Arrow Key in the backseat. Both men were arrested and charged with theft of mail and possession of a stolen or reproduced postal key.

Crash occurred at I-75 northbound exit ramp at mile marker 384.

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. — A video released by deputies in north Florida shows a dog being rescued from a risky position. Body camera video shows the moments before Alachua County deputies rescued the dog off a seawall. Photos: Video shows dog trapped behind seawall being rescued in FloridaExpand Autoplay Image 1 of 9 Video shows dog trapped behind seawall being rescued in FloridaAfter some convincing and help from a good Samaritan, they eventually got the dog to safety. Watch: SpaceX launches 60th rocket of the year with Falcon 9 launch from FloridaThe dog had a collar, but deputies were unable to locate the owner. Watch: ‘We just have the clothes on our back’: Some passengers face being stranded another week at OIAThe dog was turned over to animal services.

"It’s a sad, tragic event for all the people involved," Napier said.

A man has been sentenced to 90 days in jail after recording nude women in bathrooms where police found 37 videos of 18 different females on his phone according to officials. Alachua County Circuit Judge James M. Colaw sentenced Deontre Mason of Carterville Illinois to one year of house arrest and four years of probation after pleading no contest to nine counts of video voyeurism felony charges. AdvertisementAlthough being sentenced to 90 days in jail, Judge Colaw credited Mason for 81 days already served from time spent in jail. #UCFAlert: Crime Awareness UpdateFollowing the crime awareness message sent Friday evening, the UCF Police Department has arrested the individual involved with video voyeurism on UCF’s main campus. (@UCFPolice) December 7, 2021Police say that Mason faces charges for video voyeurism in a potential Orange County trial in relation to the case at UCF.

A man accused of secretly recording women on the University of Florida campus was sentenced in Alachua County on Sept. 8.

A Florida man who stole a box truck in Hillsborough County Tuesday morning managed to reach Alachua County before he was caught on camera, investigators said.

2 die when Tesla crashes into parked tractor-trailer in Florida 2 die when Tesla crashes into parked tractor-trailer in Florida (Florida Highway Patrol/Florida Highway Patrol)ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. — A driver and her passenger died Wednesday when the Tesla they were traveling in crashed into a parked tractor-trailer in Alachua County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Investigators said a 66-year-old California woman was traveling south on Interstate 75 before exiting toward a rest area at about 2 p.m. when it struck a tractor-trailer that was parked in the southbound rest area parking lot. Read: Troopers investigate 3 deadly crashes on Central Florida roadwaysIt is unknown why the Tesla traveled toward the tractor-trailer and hit it. A 58-year-old man in the tractor-trailer was uninjured. Read: Teslas with Autopilot a step closer to recall after wrecksNHTSA said it’s looking into crashes involving similar patterns that did not include emergency vehicles or trucks with warning signs.

A driver and her passenger died Wednesday when the Tesla they were traveling in crashed into a parked tractor-trailer in Alachua County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Alachua County deputies responded to a call about a deer stuck in a fence, according to a video posted to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Facebook page.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news briefing Wednesday at a restaurant near Gainesville.

A 10th former jail inmate is facing felony voter fraud charges, accused of registering to vote and casting a ballot in the 2020 presidential election...

A 52-year-old man was arrested in Orange County for multiple crimes including impersonating a law enforcement officer.

A Florida school superintendent who defied Gov. Ron DeSantis on pandemic masks for students has been fired by the local school board.

LaVon Bracy and Ingrid Burton Nathan talk about their experiences with racism and hate in the face of desegregating Florida schools.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced an $89 million investment in career and technical education to support workforce training initiatives at state colleges and school districts statewide.

A seven-page order said two school districts have been “remarkably open in their defiance” of the state over masking.

An appeals court Friday signaled it thinks school officials in Alachua and Duval counties have violated state law by requiring students to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic and ordered lower courts to quickly take up the issue.

President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday warned top Florida education officials to “reconsider your threatened actions” after the state said it would try to thwart attempts to use federal money to cover salaries of county school-board members who approved student mask requirements.

President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday warned top Florida education officials to “reconsider your threatened actions” after the state said it would try to thwart...

The proposal (SB 452), filed by Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, would bar cities and counties from requiring masks or medical procedures.

Amid a series of legal battles, a Senate Republican on Wednesday filed a proposal that would put into state law a ban on school districts...

(UN Web TV via AP) (Uncredited)GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Florida school district has received cash from President Joe Biden’s administration to make up for state pay cuts imposed over a board’s vote for a student anti-coronavirus mask mandate. The move late Wednesday makes Oakland Unified the first school district in Northern California to adopt a vaccine requirement. The vote comes after Los Angeles Unified, the state’s largest school district, and the smaller Southern California district of Culver City imposed similar policies for their students this month. Education Commissioner Randy Watson said Wednesday that state health officials told him the child died this week. State health officials said they are investigating the report.

The U.S. Department of Education provided nearly $150,000 to the Alachua School Board to cover a state penalty targeting board members’ pay.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — (AP) — A Florida school district has received cash from President Joe Biden's administration to make up for state pay cuts imposed over a board's vote for a student anti-coronavirus mask mandate. Alachua County school Superintendent Carlee Simon said in a news release Thursday the district has received $148,000 through a U.S. Department of Education program. Simon says Alachua, where Gainesville and the University of Florida are located, is the first district in the nation to receive such a grant. Ron DeSantis and state education officials have begun cutting salaries paid to school board members in Florida who voted to require masks for students. In Alachua County, the pay reductions so far for four school board members who voted for the mask mandate amounted to $27,000, Simon said.

The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday that it has provided nearly $150,000 to the Alachua County School Board to cover a state penalty targeting board members’ salaries.

At a press conference filled with false information related to how COVID vaccines work, DeSantis threatened to fine local governments $5,000 for every employee they require to be vaccinated.

At a press conference filled with false information related to how COVID vaccines work, DeSantis threatened to fine local governments $5,000 for every employee they require to be vaccinated.

DeSantis and other Republicans slammed Biden’s vaccine mandate requiring employers with more than 100 workers to require vaccines.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is holding a news conference in Alachua County.

School boards in Broward and Alachua counties received a warning from the State Board of Education to walk back their decisions to require masks for all students.

The state Board of Education ordered an investigation of the actions of Alachua County and Broward County school officials over masks.

The board, during an emergency meeting, voted to direct state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to “investigate” the actions of Alachua County and Broward County school officials.

Two school districts that faced pressure from Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran about their attempts to require students to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic have...

Despite a Florida executive order banning mask mandates in schools, one Florida school district is moving forward with mask requirements.

A divided state appeals court has refused to reconsider a decision that raised questions about the constitutionality of a move last year by Alachua County...

Five people were shot, one fatally, in a drive-by in Gainesville, police say.

A 12-year-old was shot multiple times in Alachua County, deputies say.

Authorities were able to recover the vehicle the man accused of shooting a Daytona Beach police officer was last seen in when he fled the scene, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

— Deputies in Alachua County announced Sunday that they found the car driven by Othal Wallace, the man accused of shooting Daytona Beach officer Jason Raynor on Wednesday. WATCH: Suspect accused of shooting Daytona Beach police officer apprehendedDeputies said the car was found at the parking lot of the Home Depot on Tower Road. The car was towed back to the Daytona Beach Police Department for processing and evidence gathering. READ: Recovery fund set up for Daytona Beach officer Jason Raynor: Here’s how to donateHe will be sent back to Daytona Beach to face charges, but the time of his return has not been announced. Officer Raynor is still recovering in the hospital from his injuries.

Pointing to privacy rights, a divided state appeals court Friday overturned a circuit judge’s decision last year that allowed Alachua County to keep in place a mask requirement to try to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The remains of a missing 13-year-old Florida girl have been found during a search earlier this week, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

Two arrests have been made in a missing persons case in Florida.

Marion teacher, two others charged in fatal shooting in Alachua County Martesha Williams Johnson, a middle school teacher in Marion County, was arrested along with two other people in connection to a fatal shooting in Alachua county (Alachua County Sheriff's Office)ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. — A local teacher is under arrest and accused of a shooting that left one person dead. Martesha Williams Johnson, a middle school teacher in Marion County, was arrested along with two other people in connection to a fatal shooting in Alachua countyAccording to investigators, Johnson and two other people were involved in the shooting death of Tyerune Blocker on May 17. Detectives have arrested Jasmine Webb, B/F, 32, Doug Heath, B/M, 36 and Martesha Williams Johnson, B/F, 30. pic.twitter.com/9CWbRWpPJa — Alachua Co. Sheriff (@AlachuaSheriff) May 21, 2021According to deputies, Heath, Webb, and Johnson drove to a home in Alachua county to confront Blocker. At some point during the confrontation, Heath began shooting at Blocker and another man. Video: Woman killed in ‘suspicious hit-and-run’ crash in Lake Mary, police sayAccording to Marion County Schools, Johnson has been a math teacher at Fort King Middle School since 2012.

A Marion County teacher was one of three people arrested in connection with a murder in Alachua County on Monday, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities search for a missing 13-year-old Florida.

ORLANDO, Fla. – As News 6 celebrates Black History Month, a local woman who’s been a trailblazer her entire life is speaking out about the history that’s now happening right before our eyes. LaVon Bracy endured relentless attacks as one of the first African Americans to integrate Florida schools. As the first and only African American to graduate from Gainesville High School in Alachua County in 1965, the threats against her life were real. “Every day that I would go to school, I would find dead rats, roaches and snakes under my seat,” Bracy said. I really thought that would be the last day I would be on the earth,” Bracy said.

Justin Green, the owner of a nursery, sued the county, alleging that wearing a mask infringed on his constitutional rights. The other claims masks are a minor intrusion with potentially major benefits to public health during a public health emergency that gives government broad latitude. “There’s certainly a public health interest, isn’t there?” the judge asked. Returning to case law, Lewis pointed to precedent that found vaccine mandates constitutional on public health grounds. The county has the authority to shut down a bar or a restaurant for public health reasons, he said.

An appeals court Friday said it will hear arguments in a challenge to the constitutionality of an Alachua County order requiring people to wear face masks to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Alachua County case, which will be heard Nov. 23 by a panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal, could serve as a test for mask requirements that have been approved in various parts of the state. Opponents have filed a series of lawsuits challenging the requirements, with at least three cases landing at the Tallahassee-based appeals court. Along with the Alachua County case, the other appeals involve Leon and Gadsden counties. An individual Alachua County citizen’s right to be let alone is no more precious than the corresponding right of his fellow citizens not to become infected by that person and potentially hospitalized.”–Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – Alachua County Fire Rescue and the High Springs Fire Department responded to a dog stuck in a sinkhole in a yard, according to investigators. Animal Rescue 9-14-20 This morning Alachua County Fire Rescue and High Springs Fire Department responded to a report of a dog stuck in a sink hole that recently opened up in his families back yard. ACFR's Technical Rescue team, High Springs Fire, and the ACFR UAS Drone team arrived on scene to find a golden retriever named Sammy trapped about 35 - 40 feet down the sinkhole. This is the second sinkhole rescue ACFR and HSFD have preformed in the last few days. #MYACFR High Springs Fire Department Video credit - ACFR UAS Posted by Alachua County Fire Rescue on Monday, September 14, 2020Lieutenant Brian Ferguson used ladders and rope equipment to rescue the dog from the sinkhole, according to investigatorsThe dog was rescued without injury, according to fire crews.

The Alachua County Clerk of the Courts office hosted drive-thru weddings for couples to tie the knot during COVID-19. We figured it might not be the wedding that you planned for, but we wanted to treat you right, he said. Some couples exchanged rings from behind the wheel, while others stood at the window as lovebugs flew around the lovebirds. For the ultimate Vegas wedding surprise, Irby also performed the ceremony as Elvis Presley, if requested. The Carmickals, who have been together for two years, originally planned to get married Friday at the Grand Plaza Hotel on St. Pete Beach.

The Alachua County Clerk of the Courts office hosted drive-thru weddings for couples to tie the knot during COVID-19. We figured it might not be the wedding that you planned for, but we wanted to treat you right, he said. Some couples exchanged rings from behind the wheel, while others stood at the window as lovebugs flew around the lovebirds. For the ultimate Vegas wedding surprise, Irby also performed the ceremony as Elvis Presley, if requested. The Carmickals, who have been together for two years, originally planned to get married Friday at the Grand Plaza Hotel on St. Pete Beach.

The Alachua County Clerk of the Courts office hosted drive-thru weddings for couples to tie the knot during COVID-19. We figured it might not be the wedding that you planned for, but we wanted to treat you right, he said. Some couples exchanged rings from behind the wheel, while others stood at the window as lovebugs flew around the lovebirds. For the ultimate Vegas wedding surprise, Irby also performed the ceremony as Elvis Presley, if requested. The Carmickals, who have been together for two years, originally planned to get married Friday at the Grand Plaza Hotel on St. Pete Beach.

Floridas highest court was slated to hear the cellphone case until it was dismissed last week. Although the circuit court judge, William Davis, required Pollard to turn over his passcode, a divided appeals court overturned the order. Because the Florida Supreme Court has not weighed in on the issue, there is no statewide rule here. In October, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that a defendant could be compelled to disclose her passcode in a driving-under-the-influence case. A Virginia Circuit Court judge, however, ruled the opposite in 2014, claiming that a fingerprint is not protected by the Fifth Amendment because its not testimony.

Floridas highest court was slated to hear the cellphone case until it was dismissed last week. Although the circuit court judge, William Davis, required Pollard to turn over his passcode, a divided appeals court overturned the order. Because the Florida Supreme Court has not weighed in on the issue, there is no statewide rule here. In October, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that a defendant could be compelled to disclose her passcode in a driving-under-the-influence case. A Virginia Circuit Court judge, however, ruled the opposite in 2014, claiming that a fingerprint is not protected by the Fifth Amendment because its not testimony.

Floridas highest court was slated to hear the cellphone case until it was dismissed last week. Although the circuit court judge, William Davis, required Pollard to turn over his passcode, a divided appeals court overturned the order. Because the Florida Supreme Court has not weighed in on the issue, there is no statewide rule here. In October, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that a defendant could be compelled to disclose her passcode in a driving-under-the-influence case. A Virginia Circuit Court judge, however, ruled the opposite in 2014, claiming that a fingerprint is not protected by the Fifth Amendment because its not testimony.

Floridas highest court was slated to hear the cellphone case until it was dismissed last week. Although the circuit court judge, William Davis, required Pollard to turn over his passcode, a divided appeals court overturned the order. Because the Florida Supreme Court has not weighed in on the issue, there is no statewide rule here. In October, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that a defendant could be compelled to disclose her passcode in a driving-under-the-influence case. A Virginia Circuit Court judge, however, ruled the opposite in 2014, claiming that a fingerprint is not protected by the Fifth Amendment because its not testimony.

Floridas highest court was slated to hear the cellphone case until it was dismissed last week. Although the circuit court judge, William Davis, required Pollard to turn over his passcode, a divided appeals court overturned the order. Because the Florida Supreme Court has not weighed in on the issue, there is no statewide rule here. In October, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that a defendant could be compelled to disclose her passcode in a driving-under-the-influence case. A Virginia Circuit Court judge, however, ruled the opposite in 2014, claiming that a fingerprint is not protected by the Fifth Amendment because its not testimony.

Floridas highest court was slated to hear the cellphone case until it was dismissed last week. Although the circuit court judge, William Davis, required Pollard to turn over his passcode, a divided appeals court overturned the order. Because the Florida Supreme Court has not weighed in on the issue, there is no statewide rule here. In October, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that a defendant could be compelled to disclose her passcode in a driving-under-the-influence case. A Virginia Circuit Court judge, however, ruled the opposite in 2014, claiming that a fingerprint is not protected by the Fifth Amendment because its not testimony.

After Presidential Primary Day, heres a look at the numbers in Florida. This year, 68.3% voted by mail or at early voting sites. Some of that was because of coronavirus fears, but a lot of it was a continuing trend toward early voting in Florida. His Volusia County numbers were below his statewide margins, but he did win 58% of the vote to Sanders 22%. Early voting for Bloomberg appears to have cut into his margin here.

The Florida Department of Health announced late Tuesday eight new positive cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Florida. The new cases are, according to the state health department:A 68-year old male in Nassau County has been identified as positive. This person is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. This person is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. This person is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials.

The Florida Department of Health announced late Tuesday eight new positive cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Florida. The new cases are, according to the state health department:A 68-year old male in Nassau County has been identified as positive. This person is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. This person is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. This person is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials.

The Florida Department of Health announced late Tuesday eight new positive cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Florida. The new cases are, according to the state health department:A 68-year old male in Nassau County has been identified as positive. This person is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. This person is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials. This person is isolated and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials.

The Florida Department of Health late Tuesday announced the first case of the novel coronavirus in Alachua County, one of eight new positive cases involving Florida residents. A 68-year-old female Georgia resident who is in Alachua County tested positive for the virus, known officially as COVID-19. In all, 21 Florida residents have been diagnosed in Florida with the respiratory disease, a Department of Health news release said. According to the Department of Health, in addition to the Alachua County case, the eight new cases are a 46-year old male in Pasco County; a 73-year old male in Collier County; a 68-year old female in Collier County; a 64-year old female in Collier County; a 67-year old male in Pinellas County; a 64-year old male in Pinellas County; and a 68-year-old male in Nassau County. COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, including when people cough or sneeze.

Gainesville is under a freeze warning. Gainesville is projected to reach below 32 degrees Friday night, he said. Marion County residents will see weather just a few degrees warmer. "Look out for young children and the elderly as well as the homeless," Streuble said. The meteorologist said both counties are expected to reach the low 60s on Saturday.

A Bronson man died Monday after his tractor-trailer hauling cement powder was hit by a FedEx van, the Florida Highway Patrol reported. Holder, 58, was traveling on south U.S. 27, approaching Alachua County Road 241 at 3:20 p.m., according to an FHP press release. Holder veered right to avoid hitting the van, the release said, but the left side of the trailer struck the front of the van. Holder died at the scene, the release said. No charges have been filed, but the investigation remains open, the FHP release said.

An Alachua County jury found Sylvester Burgess, 56, guilty of sexual battery on a minor after a three-day trial. An Ocala man found guilty of committing sexual battery on a minor under 12 will spend the rest of his life behind bars in the Florida Department of Corrections. An Alachua County jury found Sylvester Jerome Burgess, 56, guilty of the crime after a three-day trial from Jan. 7-9 in Gainesville, according to a news release from State Attorney Bill Cervones office. The Alachua County Sheriffs Office investigated the case, which began with a sworn complaint filed in January 2018, according to court records. Burgess has an extensive criminal history in multiple states, the release said, including Georgia and Maryland.

The Alachua County Commission voted to ask the Citrus Levy Marion County Workforce Development Board to temporarily take on administrative services for CareerSource of North Central Florida. To prevent the disruption of CareerSource of North Central Floridas services this week, Alachua County leaders decided Tuesday to ask another workforce organization to take the reins. Alachua County commissioners voted Tuesday to ask the Citrus Levy Marion County Workforce Development Board to temporarily handle local CareerSource administrative services. The workforce board is made up of Alachua and Bradford County community leaders in the private and public sector. Avery also said that because the Alachua Bradford board contracts its work out rather than hiring its own staff, as the Citrus Levy Marion board does, it has more accountability.

A man who was helping a Levy County sheriffs deputy investigate his friend found himself the subject of unwanted attention when he was discovered to have outstanding warrants in Alachua County and for a murder in Texas. Lt. Scott Tummond reported Monday afternoon that a deputy was at a gas station looking into a residents report of a possibly impaired driver Sunday, when he had trouble communicating with driver Rudolfo Diaz. But Granados answers to questions were inconsistent, the deputy reported. His name was actually Victor Granados, and he was found to have an arrest warrant from Alachua County for failing to appear in court and a murder warrant in Texas, Tummond said. Diaz, 30, and Granados, 45, had an address on Eighth Street in Williston, he said.

In part one of our how Florida counties got their name list, we learned about every county in Florida, starting with the As and going through the Hs. As a reminder, all facts are from this writers book, Florida Fun Facts, as well as the Florida Department of State and the Florida Handbook. On Jan. 9, 1878, the 175-ton brig, with 20,000 coconuts, grounded on the coast of what is now Palm Beach. - Marvin F., Juno BeachEliot Kleinberg has been a staff writer for the past three decades at The Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, and is the author of 10 books about Florida (www.ekfla.com). Florida Time is a product of GateHouse Media and publishes online in their 22 Florida markets including Jacksonville, Fort Walton Beach, Daytona Beach, Lakeland, Sarasota and West Palm Beach.

As a reminder, all facts are from this writers book, Florida Fun Facts, as well as the Florida Department of State and the Florida Handbook. What is Alachua County named after? On Jan. 9, 1878, the 175-ton brig, with 20,000 coconuts, grounded on the coast of what is now Palm Beach. - Marvin F., Juno BeachEliot Kleinberg has been a staff writer for the past three decades at The Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, and is the author of 10 books about Florida (www.ekfla.com). Florida Time is a product of GateHouse Media and publishes online in their 22 Florida markets including Jacksonville, Fort Walton Beach, Daytona Beach, Lakeland, Sarasota and West Palm Beach.

As a reminder, all facts are from this writers book, Florida Fun Facts, as well as the Florida Department of State and the Florida Handbook. What is Alachua County named after? On Jan. 9, 1878, the 175-ton brig, with 20,000 coconuts, grounded on the coast of what is now Palm Beach. - Marvin F., Juno BeachEliot Kleinberg has been a staff writer for the past three decades at The Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, and is the author of 10 books about Florida (www.ekfla.com). Florida Time is a product of GateHouse Media and publishes online in their 22 Florida markets including Jacksonville, Fort Walton Beach, Daytona Beach, Lakeland, Sarasota and West Palm Beach.

As a reminder, all facts are from this writers book, Florida Fun Facts, as well as the Florida Department of State and the Florida Handbook. What is Alachua County named after? On Jan. 9, 1878, the 175-ton brig, with 20,000 coconuts, grounded on the coast of what is now Palm Beach. - Marvin F., Juno BeachEliot Kleinberg has been a staff writer for the past three decades at The Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, and is the author of 10 books about Florida (www.ekfla.com). Florida Time is a product of GateHouse Media and publishes online in their 22 Florida markets including Jacksonville, Fort Walton Beach, Daytona Beach, Lakeland, Sarasota and West Palm Beach.

In Marion County, housing costs are slightly lower than the national average but also have increased by about 2% in the past year. Calculations by ATTOM Data found that the average wage earner in both Alachua and Marion counties cannot afford to purchase a median-priced house. The average wage of a worker in Alachua County is $47,476, while the annual income needed to afford the median-priced house is $50,609. The average wage of a worker in Marion County is $38,649, while the annual income needed to afford the median-priced house is $39,843. Counties that had an increase in foreclosure starts compared with last year include Bradford, 80%; Clay, 74%; Columbia, 21%; Gilchrist, 33%; Marion, 34%; and Putnam, 46%.

Data is for the second and third quarters of 2018Marion and Alachua counties had some of the states highest rates of non-fatal drug overdoses during the second and third quarters of 2018, according to the latest public data from the Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance Program. Alachua County had 149 all drug-involved non-fatal overdoses per 100,000 people for quarter two (April-June) and 190.2 per 100,000 in quarter three (July-September). Marion County's rate was 85.1 per 100,000 residents in the second quarter and 90.3 in the third fifth highest among Florida's 67 counties in both quarters. The highest overall number of overdoses for both quarters occurred in Palm Beach County, with 1,031 in quarter two and 952 in quarter three. No North Central Florida county ranked in the Top 10 for opioid-involved non-fatal overdoses during quarters two and three of 2018, the Department of Health reports showed.