Latest news with #AlachuaCounty
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Florida school board chair apologizes after mocking Hulk Hogan's death on Facebook
A Florida school board chair has apologized for celebrating Hulk Hogan's death after writing on Facebook that there was now 'one less MAGA ' in the world. Sarah Rockwell, an elected Alachua County Public Schools board member, took a swipe at the late wrestling legend and longtime Donald Trump ally just hours after news broke last Thursday that he died from cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater Beach, Florida. 'Oh did Hulk die? I didn't even know. Good. One less MAGA in the world,' she said. In a follow-up comment, Rockwell posted that Hogan worked with WWE co-founders Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon, the education secretary, to 'union bust professional wrestling.' 'He's never been a good guy,' she continued. 'I feel absolutely nothing about his death.' Rockewell has faced a growing wave of backlash over her comments, including a scathing opinion piece in the Alachua Chronicle that argued she could be censured for violating the board's Standards of Ethical Conduct, which require members to 'value the worth and dignity of every person.' The Alachua County Republican Party accused Rockwell of having 'stomped on a man's grave over politics.' Raemi Eagle-Glenn, a Florida GOP State Committeewoman who Governor Ron DeSantis appointed to the Board of County Commissioners of Alachua County in 2022, called for Rockwell to 'RESIGN NOW.' 'Does Sarah Rockwell wish death upon the Trump supporting students and parents of Alachua County?' she added. Rockwell apologized on Saturday for her 'cruel and flippant' comments about Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea . 'A few days ago, I made a cruel and flippant comment from my personal Facebook account on a friend's post regarding the death of Hulk Hogan,' she wrote in her apology on Saturday. 'I want to make it very clear that I never have and never will wish harm on anyone regardless of whether we share political views. While I strongly disagree with some of the comments Hulk Hogan made, that is no excuse for my comment.' Rockwell expressed deep regret over the remarks and has since deleted the post. The school board chair said she was dismayed that her comment 'has eroded confidence in my ability to represent all students, families and staff' in the county. Hogan threw his support behind Trump after the then-GOP presidential candidate survived an assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally in July last year. The wrestler decided to use his theatrical personality to officially endorse and advocate for Trump at the Republican National Convention. Hogan yelled into the microphone while ripping his shirt off with his bare hands to reveal a 'Trump Vance 2024' tank top underneath, flexing his muscles the entire time. Last week, Trump remembered his 'great friend' in a post on Truth Social, calling him 'strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart.'
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Florida county school board chair deletes comments celebrating Hulk Hogan's death as 'one less MAGA'
Florida county school board chair Sarah Rockwell apologized for Facebook comments celebrating legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan's death on Thursday as "one less MAGA" in the world. "Oh did Hulk die? I didn't even know. Good. One less MAGA in the world," Rockwell's since-deleted comment read. In a follow-up comment, Rockwell added, "[H]e worked with the McMahons to union bust professional wrestling. [H]e's never been a good guy. I feel absolutely nothing about his death." After her comments went viral on social media, Rockwell deleted and apologized for them on her official school board Facebook account. "A few days ago, I made a cruel and flippant comment from my personal Facebook account on a friend's post regarding the death of Hulk Hogan," she wrote on Saturday. "I deeply regret making that comment and have since removed it. I want to make it very clear that I never have and never will wish harm on anyone regardless of whether we share political views. While I strongly disagree with some of the comments Hulk Hogan made, that is no excuse for my comment." Rockwell added, "I also sincerely apologize for the way my comment has eroded confidence in my ability to represent all students, families, and staff in Alachua County. I want to assure all of you that the best interests of our children and our public schools are at the center of everything I do as a board member. I hope I have shown that by my record of advocacy for children, families, and staff members throughout Alachua County. Again, I apologize for the hurt and distrust I have caused with my insensitive comment. I will continue to do the hard work of putting our children and schools first. I hope that I can earn back your trust." Fox News Digital reached out to Rockwell and Alachua County Public Schools for comment. Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, died at age 71 after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida. He was a six-time WWE champion, won the Royal Rumble twice and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as an individual in 2005 and as a member of the NWO in 2020. He was also a six-time world heavyweight champion in WCW as well as the IWGP champion in New Japan Pro-Wrestling once. At the Republican National Convention last year, Hogan endorsed President Donald Trump for another term by ripping off his shirt to expose a sleeveless "Trump Vance Make America Great Again" shirt.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Yahoo
Alachua County Sheriff's Office, FHP respond to fatal crash on Southwest Archer Road
(This story will be updated as more information becomes available.) The Alachua County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Highway Patrol responded July 23 to a fatal crash in the 5000 block of Southwest Archer Road. The Sheriff's Office reported the crash via social media just after 7:30 a.m. Westbound Archer Road near the crash, which occurred near the Plaza Health and Rehab Center, was still being rerouted east as of about 9:30 a.m. Eastbound traffic was running smoothly. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: ACSO, FHP respond to fatal crash on Archer Road in Gainesville
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alachua County Labor Coalition coordinators drop lawsuit against GRU Authority
The plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority board abruptly dismissed the action on July 2, the same day an Alachua County judge was scheduled to take up the issue. Gainesville Residents United board members Robert (Bobby) Mermer and Jason Bellamy-Fults filed the lawsuit on Feb 3, arguing that the results of a November 2024 referendum should return control of the utility back to the city of Gainesville. Mermer told The Sun they "voluntarily" dropped the case at the last minute after GRUA's attorney, Kristen Ballou, brought to their attention prior state rulings that determined citizens can't litigate or sue over an issue that has already been decided by a court. "If the city sues or is sued over an issue like the right of the city to hold a referendum and wins or loses, citizens of that city are not allowed to sue on that same controversy or same issue,' Mermer said. Local news: City of Gainesville, Alachua County respond to DeSantis vetoes in state budget The lawsuit stated that GRU has served the city since 1912 and that its residential electors have always exercised political control over the city's municipal utility system through their elected municipal office. "HB 1645 (the bill that created the authority) upended that close relationship between the electors and their utility systems as the individuals controlling GRU are no longer subject to the control of the City Commission, but fall under the authority of an unelected, unrepresentative Board selected by Governor DeSantis," the lawsuit read. The lawsuit referenced the November 2024 referendum in which 75.2% of city voters voted in favor of amending the city's charter and dismantling the board. Following an injunction filed by the authority, Judge George M. Wright of the Eighth Judicial Circuit later ruled to nullify the ballot initiative due to "misleading language. Wright, however, also ruled that city has the right to amend its charter as Florida statute gives the city "home rule of an admissible corporation." The city of Gainesville has appealed the judge's ruling on the ballot language, while the authority has appealed the judge's ruling on home rule, arguing that the Florida Legislature's passing of HB 1645 supersedes any decisions made at the local level. Since then, the city commission has voted to hold a special election — at a cost of about $250,000 — with reworded ballot language in November. The authority has filed another injunction in an effort to halt the initiative. Mermer admitted that he partially agreed to dismiss the case because he believes the city's second referendum will pass in November. Warm wrote in an email that the dismissal of the lawsuit on July 2 is one less distraction for GRU management as the board remains focused on making utility bills more affordable for customers. "We have seen a dramatic reduction in residential electric bills over the past two years and will continue to put all customers first," Warm said. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Alachua County Labor Coalition coordinators dismiss GRUA lawsuit
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
5 Alachua County restaurants fail health inspection
You can use the database to search by county or by restaurant name. Florida's restaurant owners are not required to post restaurant inspection results where guests can see them. So every week, we provide that information for you. For a complete list of local restaurant inspections, including violations not requiring warnings or administrative action, visit our Alachua County restaurant inspections site. Here's the breakdown for recent health inspections in Alachua County, Florida, for the week of June 23-29, 2025. Please note that some more recent, follow-up inspections may not be included here. Disclaimer: The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation describes an inspection report as a 'snapshot' of conditions present at the time of the inspection. On any given day, an establishment may have fewer or more violations than noted in their most recent inspection. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions at the establishment. For full restaurant inspection details, visit our Alachua County restaurant inspection site. These restaurants met all standards during their June 23-29 inspections and no violations were found. Crazy Wings, Mobile food dispensing vehicle** Jersey Mike's Subs, 2803 SW 42nd St., Gainesville** Manhattan Gyros and Subs, 490 NE 23rd Ave., Gainesville** ** Restaurants that failed an inspection and aced a follow-up inspection in the same week 2803 SW 42nd St., Gainesville Routine Inspection on June 24 Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public. 4 total violations, with 2 high-priority violations High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed: the front line display cooler indicated these temperatures: block ham 54°, beef 57°, ham 54°, turkey 58°. Per the manager, all items were below 42° on the pre lunch line check. All items were moved to the walk-in freezer. **Corrective Action Taken** **Warning** High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking and the time removed from temperature control cannot be determined. Observed: full pans of lettuce and tomato on the front line, no time mark. Time marks were added. **Corrected On-Site** 3205 Clark Butler Blvd., Unit 70, Gainesville Routine Inspection on June 26 Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public. 10 total violations, with 2 high-priority violations High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed: in the walk-in cooler: salsa 49°, 50°, garlic mix 50°, house dressing 50°, marinated chicken 50°. Truck delivered today, curtains are at the door. Temperature has dropped 2 degrees over 15 minutes. **Warning** High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Observed: blue window spray stored on the front line prep table. This was moved to cleaning. **Corrected On-Site** 3205 Clark Butler Blvd., Unit 70, Gainesville Routine Inspection on June 27 Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public. 1 total violation, with 1 high-priority violation High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed: in the walk-in cooler: salsa 49, 50, garlic mix 50, house dressing 50, marinated chicken 50. Truck delivered today, curtains are at the door. Temperature has dropped 2 degrees over 15 minutes. **Warning** - From follow-up inspection 2025-06-27: Ground beef 50°, bagged beef 50°, chunk raw beef 50°, diced chicken 55°, cheese sauce mix 50°, cooked onions and peppers 50°, salsa 45°, refried beans 50°, pouch avocados 50°, atom bombs 50°, black beans 51°, shred lettuce 50°, shredded cheese 51°, block cheese 50°, cream cheese 50°, chicken 50°. **Admin Complaint** Routine regulation and inspection of restaurants is conducted by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The Department of Health is responsible for investigation and control of food-borne illness outbreaks associated with all food establishments. If you see abuses of state standards, report them and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation will send inspectors. Call the Florida DBPR at 850-487-1395 or report a restaurant for health violations online. Get the whole story at our restaurant inspection database. Basic violations are those considered against best practices. A warning is issued after an inspector documents violations that must be corrected by a certain date or within a specified number of days from receipt of the inspection report. An administrative complaint is a form of legal action taken by the division. Insufficient compliance after a warning, a pattern of repeat violations or existence of serious conditions that warrant immediate action may result in the division initiating an administrative complaint against the establishment. Says the division website: "Correcting the violations is important, but penalties may still result from violations corrected after the warning time was over." An emergency order — when a restaurant is closed by the inspector — is based on an immediate threat to the public. Here, the Division of Hotels and Restaurants director has determined that the establishment must stop doing business and any division license is suspended to protect health, safety or welfare of the public. A 24-hour call-back inspection will be performed after an emergency closure or suspension of license. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville area restaurant and food truck inspections June 23-29 2025
