GRU groans, New restaurant, big decision for Gators

September 16, 2024

Magnificent Monday morning to you, Gainesville!

Did I feel a hint of a fall in the air yesterday?! 🍃 Hot or less hot, we’ve got a lot to cover today. Let’s get straight to it!

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📰 The General Scoop:

  • 👮‍♂️ New Chief in town: Nelson Moya will officially take over the reigns of Gainesville Police Department effective today. He’s been the interim since March, and before that was the assistant chief since 2023.

  • 🏘️ Home prices up very slightly: The median home price in Alachua County listed for $354,800 in August, up just over .1% from the previous month.

  • Who should control GRU? My vote? Whoever lowers my bill! In all seriousness, Gainesville residents are fired up over who should control GRU—local leaders or a state-appointed board. Some say giving control to the state could be like letting a cat drive your car: risky and unpredictable. The debate has sparked heated discussions.

🏢 Business News:

  • 🏔️ Climb, Skate 🛹 , and Surf 🏄️ spot coming to Downtown: Ever wished you could ride a wave in Gainesville? Well, you may be able too soon! The owners of the Knot Gym are planning to open a climbing, surfing, and skating mega spot sometime in 2026 in the old RTS bus maintenance facility. Love to see vacant buildings get revitalized.

  • 🇧🇷 New Brazilian Eatery Opens in Haile Village Center: While not exactly a Brazilian steakhouse, the menu looks fantastic with offerings for vegetarians, clearly marked gluten free options, and (of course) the meat eater! Check them out!

🏅 Sports News:

  • 🥹 Florida drops to 1-2 as the Aggies agitate Gators in the Swamp: The Gators couldn’t get anything going on either side of the ball on Saturday as Billy Napier dropped to 12-16 overall record and 6-11 in the SEC. It’s a tough pill to swallow for us high expectation Gator fans, but we’re used to greatness! At press time, Billy is still the head coach, but rumors are swirling about his fate.

  • ⚽️ Gator soccer traveled to Florida Gulf coast: The Florida Gators women’s soccer team headed south to rumble with the FGCU Eagles and came up in a tie 0-0.

📆 Things to Do Today and Tomorrow:

Monday, September 16th:

  • Grand Opening of MayDay Ice Cream 🍦 (inside Hyppo!) @ 12 PM 214 SE 2nd Ave Gainesville, FL, 32608

  • Music at Ballyhoo: The Moondog Duo 🌙 @ 6 PM 3700 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32607. If you need your Monday music fix, head to Ballyhoo for a doggone good time.

  • Gentle Yoga and Meditation @ 6:30 PM at Heart Mind Healing, 2441 NW 43rd St, suite 25A Gainesville FL. Disclaimer, this one isn’t free! Looks like it’s $22, but sounds like a perfect opportunity to give yoga a shot in a low key way if you’ve always wanted to!

  • Grove Street Farmers Market 🍅🥕 @ 4 PM Cypress and Grove Brewery 1001 NW 4th St, Gainesville, FL 32601. The best things about local farmers markets is you get to support local farmers and artisans and the food generally tastes significantly better. Win-win! Bonus with this one is you can browse with a 🍺 beer!

Tuesday, September 17th

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Have a great week!

Lauren
Swamptown Scoop