Good morning, Gainesville.

On Thursday evening, UF Lettuce Club held its second lettuce-eating contest on campus and crowned Jason Wutzler as Head of Lettuce after he finished his romaine head in 2 minutes, 15 seconds.

Over 100 students cheered+ the event promoted sustainable agriculture and community spirit.

A University of Florida study says that expanding the PATHS rehabilitation program for incarcerated women could yield $4.73 in benefits for every dollar spent.

The analysis (using results from Arizona and Indiana) estimates that 100 participants may bring about $3.55 million in statewide fiscal benefits over five years.

Recent rainfall helped ease the dry conditions, but Alachua County residents must still follow strict water restrictions due to low groundwater levels.

Residents with odd-numbered addresses can irrigate on Saturdays and even-numbered addresses on Sundays — outdoor cleaning for nonessential purposes is also limited.

City of Gainesville has updated road closures from Sept.

21-27 with SW Fourth Ave closed from SW Sixth to SW Fifth from Sept. 21-23, the NE Ninth St/Third Ave intersection closed until Sept. 27, and SW Ninth St southbound closed until March 2028 — closures may change with weather.

On Sept. 15, 2026, Alachua County’s AmeriCorps Seniors programs celebrated older adult volunteers with a luncheon, cake and guest speaker as they joined a nationwide Zoom call to honor contributions from Foster Grandparents and RSVP volunteers supporting local children, families and seniors.

Newberry installed a free naloxone distribution box on Sept.

15 to help residents reverse opioid overdoses quickly. City officials plus emergency responders from Newberry and High Springs marked the launch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Florida volleyball, riding a five-match winning streak, prepares to face FSU on Friday at 7 p.m. in Tully Gymnasium — it aims to build on its best start since 2023 as key players Alec Rothe, Taylor Parks and Kamryn Chaney lead the charge.

Gainesville High football coach Ashour Peera was placed on administrative leave on Sept.

18 and did not coach the rivalry game with Eastside on Friday night. Defensive coordinator Ray Smith served as interim head coach (a move announced by Alachua County Public Schools).

Florida Gators are 2.5-point favorites over Auburn in today's SEC matchup at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The spread reflects neutral-field ratings adjusted for Auburn's home-field advantage with kickoff at 4 p.m. on radio and 7 p.m. on ESPN.