Help Cedar Key, Jazz Nights, and More in Today’s Scoop

Happy Wednesday, GNV:

Thank a custodian today. It’s national custodial worker day! They’ve been working extra hard, especially with all the post-Helene cleanups. Personally, I always loved chatting with the custodians at my school growing up!

Today’s Scoop includes ways you can help out our local communities. If you know of any other opportunities, feel free to share, and I’ll add them in future editions.

Have a great rest of the week! Chin up - we’re halfway there!

🌡️ Wednesday: High is 90°F and Low is 68° with 40% chance of rain ☔️ , Thursday: High is 89°, low of 71° with 25% chance of rain ⛈️ 

📰 The General Scoop:

• Homeless State Law in effect Starting Oct. 1, a new state law (HB 1365) is going into effect that bans homeless encampments in public spaces and puts pressure on the City of Gainesville and Alachua County to respond. Local governments will now have to keep public areas free of encampments while providing services for homeless individuals, including mental health and substance abuse support. Governor DeSantis, who signed the bill, says it’s about maintaining public order and giving people the resources to get back on their feet. Local pushback has been that this law doesn’t address the root causes of homelessness, like mental health and addiction, and simply shifts people around without solving the real problem.

• 🦈 Cedar Key Sharks return to school Cedar Key wasn’t about to lose its school without a fight! After talks of busing students to Chiefland, the community rallied to keep Cedar Key School open, and they succeeded. 💪

  The island’s own author and ambassador Michael Bobbitt, summed it up: “The Cedar Key School without its sharks is something the community wasn’t willing to bear.” With about 200 residents pitching in to clean up the school, they made sure the students could stay on their home turf.

🌀 Relief and Donation Details for Helene:

• City of Cedar Key requests volunteers If you’re able to make the trip over to CK, home and business owners are searching for volunteers to assist with clean up. There is a volunteer station set up at City Hall (809 6th Street Cedar Key, FL) where you should go to be assigned as a volunteer

• Cypress and Grove is collecting necessities to deliver to Cedar Key If you are able, please drop off any of the below supplies during Cypress and Grove business hours which are 2 PM - 10 PM every day except Sunday when they close at 8 PM. Supplies needed are: white vinegar, gloves, heavy duty trash bags, sunscreen, bug spray, large squeegees, drinking water, tarps, hand sanitizer, push brooms, rakes, and box fans.

• Donate to the Florida Disaster Fund This has been activated by the state and is privately funded. The funds directly assist the Florida communities impacted by disaster.

🏅 Sports News:

• 🏈 Gator football is back in action this week, taking on UCF in the Swamp at 7:45 PM on Saturday October 5th. It will be televised on the SEC Network

• ⚽️ Gator soccer fell to Missouri 0-2 in a tough SEC road game on Sunday

• 🎾 Mens and Women’s tennis are in action this weekend, but away from Gainesville. The women play at FGCU and the men play at the Big 12 Tournament

• Some big time home match ups against the Longhorns coming up for soccer and volleyball:

  • ⚽️ Soccer takes on #22 Texas on Friday at 7 PM

  • 🏐 Volleyball takes on #7 ranked Texas Sunday at 1 PM in the O’Dome

📆 Things to Do:

^{Wednesday, October 2nd:}

• 🎼 Jazz Wednesdays @ The Keys Piano Bar (6 PM) Enjoy some smooth live jazz while sipping on drinks and grabbing a bite at Celebration Pointe. It’s free and kicks off at 6 PM—perfect for winding down mid-week.

• 🐮 Barnyard Buddies @ Morningside Nature Center (3 PM - 4 PM) A great family-friendly activity where kids can meet the animals at the Living History Farm from 3–4 PM. Free fun for the little ones!

• Why is UF in Gainesville? @ Matheson History Museum (7 PM - 9 PM) If you're a history buff, check out this talk at the Matheson History Museum. Learn the fascinating story behind UF’s location.

• ✏️ Craft Night @ Dry Wrought Tap Room (7 PM - 9 PM) Get crafty while sipping cider at this event at the 4th Ave Food Park. They’ll be making buttons from 7–9 PM.

^{Thursday, October 3rd:}

• Trivia @ V Pizza & Sidecar (7 PM) Grab your team and test your knowledge at V Pizza starting at 7 PM. It’s a fun evening out with prizes for the winners!

• 🍷 Vino & Vinyl @ Serpentine (7 PM - 10 PM) If you’re into wine and good music, swing by Serpentine to sample natural wines while DJ Cam spins vinyl records. Tickets range from $12–$15.

Drop me a note if you’d like to feature your company in the Scoop! We’re growing quickly!

And please share the Scoop with friends!

Have a great week,
Lauren
Swamptown Scoop