Mainstreet Daily News

Mainstreet Daily News is a locally-owned news platform committed to sharing the stories of Gainesville and its nearby regions. Our goal is to educate, engage, and inspire our audience to create positive change in the communities we cover. With over 100 years of collective journalism experience, our team has worked across the nation—from the halls of Washington, D.C., to the local sports fields in Alachua County. We have strong connections to North Central Florida and are dedicated to its growth and success. We provide news coverage for Gainesville and Alachua County, as well as the surrounding counties of Columbia, Levy, Suwannee, Union, Bradford, Gilchrist, Clay, and Dixie.

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UF/IFAS Native Plant Sale to return this weekend

1 week ago | mainstreetdailynews.com | Megan V. Winslow

The UF/IFAS Native Plant Sale is on tap at the Native Plant Nursery on Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22, in Gainesville. The two-day sale will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. just west of the greenhouses located at 2333 Mowry Road, Gainesville. Attendees can shop for hundreds of native plant species this weekend at the UF/IFAS Native Plant Sale, the culmination of months of care by green-thumbed UF students, faculty and staff.
UF scrambles as Fuchs set to leave, Ono rejected

3 weeks ago | mainstreetdailynews.com | Seth Johnson

Following unanimous approval by the Presidential Search Committee and the UF Board of Trustees, Dr. Santa Ono’s path to become the university’s 14th president came to an unexpected end before the Florida Board of Governors on June 3. The Board of Governors (BOG) has always approved the candidate sent by the UF trustees, but last week, they rejected Ono in a 10-6 vote. “Alright, the motion fails. First time that’s really happened,” Board Chair Brian Lamb said after the vote.
Gainesville passes preliminary special election vote on GRU governance

3 weeks ago | mainstreetdailynews.com | Seth Johnson

The Gainesville City Commission voted Thursday to continue with its plan to hold a special election in November, with a final vote coming at the June 12 meeting. The special election would be a referendum on a charter amendment that would alter governance of Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU). The special election vote comes a day after GRU sent a letter saying that any referendum result that occurs before the current litigation ends would also end in the courts.
Mainstreet’s sizzling summer reading picks for 2025

3 weeks ago | mainstreetdailynews.com | Seth Johnson

Summer is a great time to not move from a chair and read a book. Though fall, winter and spring work just as well. The Florida heat encourages indoor activities with a fan blowing and condensation dripping down your glass of sweet tea. The notion of a summer read to accompany these “down months” has also been popular. But not just Floridians read in the summer. Publications like the Chicago Sun-Times and Philadelphia Inquirer recently published their list of top summer reading options.
‘Easy mark’: Lawsuit claims Celebration Pointe succeeded through an investment con

3 weeks ago | mainstreetdailynews.com | Seth Johnson

Celebration Pointe’s largest investor, Patricia Shively, sued her financial adviser Will Olinger, Svein Dyrkolbotn and Viking Companies on Tuesday. According to the lawsuit, Celebration Pointe, where thousands of visitors go to enjoy movies, shopping and dining, was built because of a con that used Shively as a mark for her money.
GRU requests Gainesville leaders stop special election plans

3 weeks ago | mainstreetdailynews.com | Seth Johnson

Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) sent a letter to Gainesville City Attorney Dan Nee on Wednesday asking the city to abandon its plan to hold a special election concerning the utility’s governing body in November. The Gainesville City Commission is expected to take a first vote on the special election Thursday afternoon at its regular meeting.
Breaking: Florida Board of Governors rejects Ono as president

3 weeks ago | mainstreetdailynews.com | Seth Johnson

The Florida Board of Governors voted Tuesday to reject Dr. Santa Ono as the next president of the University of Florida, overturning unanimous support by the UF Board of Trustees. The decision abruptly stops the process to appoint Ono as UF’s next president, with the Board of Governors typically confirming candidates. “Alright, the motion fails. First time that’s really happened,” Board Chair Brian Lamb said after the vote. The rejection leaves UF without an option for its 14th president.
Gainesville commission to vote on special election, potential 14-story development

3 weeks ago | mainstreetdailynews.com | Seth Johnson

The Gainesville City Commission will meet Thursday for its first regular meeting in June, voting to establish a special election for November, to set a summer schedule for RTS routes, to redevelop Morningside Nature Center and to approve new zoning near UF. The meeting will start at 10 a.m. in the City Hall Auditorium (200 East University Ave.) with a morning, afternoon and evening portion. In mid-May, the City Commission started the process to set a special election for November 2025.
PAC joins legal case over Alachua County districts, 2024 referendum

3 weeks ago | mainstreetdailynews.com | Seth Johnson

The structure of Alachua County’s Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) remains in the hands of the Florida First District Court of Appeals following the November 2024 elections, with opposing parties waiting for a ruling. But in April, another party joined the legal proceedings. Leading For Our Future PAC filed an amicus brief that allows them to make arguments in the case as an impacted party.
Firefighters discover fatally-shot victim in The Commons apartment blaze

3 weeks ago | mainstreetdailynews.com | C.J. Gish

Gainesville Fire Rescue firefighters discovered a deceased person with a gunshot wound when they responded to an apartment fire at The Commons on Monday afternoon. According to Gainesville Police Department (GPD) spokesperson Art Forgey, the fire was reported at 1:40 p.m. at 2001 SW 16th St. When firefighters entered the apartment to extinguish the fire, they located the deceased victim with a gunshot wound, along with a firearm.