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City of Gainesville, Fla.

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It's October! Time to start thinking about your Halloween costume. We suggest going as your favorite GNV on the Move episode!

Catch this month's episode of GNV on the Move on Saturday at 8 p.m. on Cox Channel 12! All episodes are also available on our YouTube channel and on-demand through Roku and Fire TV. Just search GNV TV!

This month’s episode features Mayor Harvey Ward and former mayor and current Greater Gainesville International Center (GGIC) President Lauren Poe. Mayor Ward discusses downtown development, including the recently reopened pedestrian-only area called The Streatery. GGIC President Poe tells us his organization’s mission to elevate, celebrate and empower our international community. by @gainesvillefla

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4 hours ago

Gainesville celebrated $25 million federal housing grant for east Gainesville. The award to the Gainesville Housing Authority and the City of Gainesville will support redevelopment of two communities near Fred Cone Park and the surrounding East University Avenue neighborhood.

Contributing to the successful application process has been the city’s continuing investment in east Gainesville, including establishment of the Eastside Health and Economic Development Initiative (EHEDI) and the partnership with Alachua County and UF Health to build the UF Health Urgent Care Center – Eastside. Still to come are the planned Regional Transit System Eastside Transfer Station on Hawthorne Road; the NE Eighth Avenue and Waldo Road – Citizens Field Redevelopment Project; the new Fire Station 3 under construction on NE Eighth Avenue; and additional homes in the mixed-income Heartwood community, among other housing projects. by @gainesvillefla

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2 days ago

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward and @gainesvillefirerescue Chief Shawn Hillhouse marked Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 4-10) with a special proclamation and a reminder that fires can start with something as simple the way you charge your phone or other device.

This year’s theme, “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging is a Superpower,” focuses on lithium-ion batteries found in things like smartphones, laptops, power tools, e-scooters and e-bikes.

A few simple habits can help protect your home and family: use the cord and charger that came with your device or one approved by the manufacturer; charge devices on a hard, flat surface; watch for excessive heat or swelling; unplug devices when they’re fully charged; and charge larger devices such as e-bikes outside and away from exits.

Fire prevention starts with the choices we make every day. Charge safely and help keep our community safe! by @gainesvillefla

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2 days ago

Due to the upcoming changes in curbside collection, our street sweeping schedule has been adjusted as well. Next week, the following areas are on the street sweeping schedule:

• Monday, Oct. 5: C3 (Lincoln Estates)
• Tuesday, Oct. 6: B4 (Brywood)
• Wednesday, Oct. 7: B5 (Suburban Heights)
• Thursday, Oct. 8: A1 (Highland Court)

Please ensure all vehicles and other objects are out of the street by 4:30 a.m. to ensure the streets are properly swept. For more information, or to find our when your neighborhood is on the schedule, please visit www.GainesvilleFL.gov/StreetSweeping. by @gainesvillefla

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7 days ago

RTS keeps our community moving, providing millions of passenger rides each year. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re honoring a bus driver who’s served the City of Gainesville for 16 years. Giovanni Padron shares how his Cuban background helps him make a difference in people’s daily lives.

Q. Tell us a little about your role with the City of Gainesville. What does your day-to-day work involve?
A. I'm a bus driver for RTS, picking up and dropping off passengers, staying on schedule, and making sure everyone gets where they need to go safely. It's more than just driving. I'm interacting with dozens of different people every day, from students heading to class to folks going to work or to their medical appointments. At the end of the day, my job is about helping the community move and function, one ride at a time.

Q. What is your family’s heritage and what does it mean to you personally?
A. I'm Cuban, and that heritage is a big part of who I am. It's not just where my family comes from. It's the values, the warmth and the closeness that come with it. Family means everything to me.

Q. How has your culture or family background influenced the way you serve the community?
A. My parents raised me well, and the lessons they taught still guide me every day. They showed me the importance of respect and treating people fairly, and I carry that with me on the job. No matter someone's culture, background or identity, I treat every single passenger with respect and courtesy.

Q. What do you enjoy most about working for the City of Gainesville and serving our neighbors?
A. What I enjoy most is simply being able to help people. Whether it's getting someone to work on time, helping an elderly rider find a seat, or just being a friendly face on someone's commute, knowing that I'm making a difference in people's daily lives is what keeps me motivated. Serving the Gainesville community through RTS gives me the chance to give back every single day, and that's something I take real pride in. by @gainesvillefla

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11 days ago

“This engine is an investment not only in equipment but in firefighter safety, operational readiness and the reliability of the service that we promise to our community,” said Gainesville Fire Rescue Chief Shawn Hillhouse at the dedication ceremony for the new Engine 1 at Fire Station 1. The new engine is capable of carrying 750 gallons of water and replaces a fire engine which has averaged nearly 2,000 calls annually over five years. It is the city's second new engine in as many months. by @gainesvillefla

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12 days ago

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Wild Spaces & Public Places (WSPP) is hosting the second community workshop for the Thelma Boltin Trailhead and Sweetwater Greenway Loop Trail Alignment project.

When: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: Matheson History Museum, 513 E. University Ave.

WSPP and project consultant NV5, Inc. will provide a brief overview of the project, summarize community input received to date, and present draft conceptual plans developed based on feedback from the first community workshop held in June 2026.

Attendees will have an opportunity to review the draft concepts, ask questions, and provide additional feedback to help inform the design phase of the project. Following the workshop, the workshop materials and a summary of the feedback received will be posted on the project webpage at GainesvilleFL.gov/ThelmaBoltin.

We hope you’ll join us to learn more about the project and provide your feedback! by @gainesvillefla

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15 days ago

Thanks to Carol Velasques, the A Quinn Jones Museum, and the city of Gainesville for hosting me. Such a great conversation with members of the community and UF students! by @gainesvillefla

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20 days ago

Gainesville Mayor Harvey L. Ward and Fire Chief Shawn Hillhouse are marking Fire Prevention Week with a special proclamation and a reminder that fires can start with something as simple the way you charge your phone or other device.

This year’s theme, “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging is a Superpower,” focuses on lithium-ion batteries found in things like smartphones, laptops, power tools, e-scooters and e-bikes.

A few simple habits can help protect your home and family: use the cord and charger that came with your device or one approved by the manufacturer; charge devices on a hard, flat surface; watch for excessive heat or swelling; unplug devices when they’re fully charged; and charge larger devices such as e-bikes outside and away from exits.

Fire prevention starts with the choices we make every day. Charge safely and help keep our community safe! by @gainesvillefla

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20 days ago

Recovery.Hope.Healing
When: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2-4 p.m.
Where: Clarence R. Kelly Center (1701 NE Eighth Ave.)
* Free NARCAN
* Community partner resources
* Healthy snacks

Join Gainesville Fire Rescue every month to participate in fun, family-friendly activities, learn valuable health and safety information and connect with local organizations. These events are free and family-friendly. Translation services available upon request. by @gainesvillefla

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25 days ago

📖 We're bringing back our Meet the Author and Lecture Series through spring 2027, with award-winning Florida author Kevin Powers presenting his novel, Children of the Wind. From the bestselling and award-winning author of The Yellow Birds comes a gorgeous, haunting love story set in the Virginia mountains and on the battlefields of World War I France.

⏰ 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17
📍 A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center, 1013 NW 7th Ave.
🎟️ Free and open to the public
📷 Author photo courtesy of Lynn Tennille Photography.

The monthly series will feature local, regional and national authors, scholars and historians who share their work through readings, book signings, lectures and discussions with the audience. Topics include Florida history, Southern culture, literature, folk art, education and other humanities subjects. Join us to engage with authors, discover new perspectives and celebrate Florida's rich literary and cultural heritage. Meet the Author Kevin Powers on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. at the A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center. by @gainesvillefla

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a month ago

Labor Day message from Mayor Harvey Ward:

This Labor Day, please join me in honoring the neighbors who make our city run. These are the folks who give us clean water and working traffic signals. They teach our children, treat us when we’re sick, and support our technology. They build our homes, parks, streets and stores.

Maybe President Lyndon B. Johnson said it best in 1968, in a special message to Congress about protecting American workers:

“When Walt Whitman heard America singing a century ago, he heard that sound in workers at their jobs…. Jobs are the measure of how far we have come.”

When I measure how far we have come in Gainesville, it makes me proud. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing left to do—far from it. But I have confidence we’ll get there because we’re a community of neighbors who love a challenge and are never afraid to do the work.

Labor Day asks us to see how special that is and give thanks. by @gainesvillefla

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a month ago