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Gainesville Sun

Some have already declared it be the “year of the child” in Alachua County, but a lot of work remains to make that happen.

Alachua County Public Schools must keep making improvements despite a lack of adequate state support. County voters have stepped up in approving local funding for arts and music programs and other priorities, but more help is needed to improve aging school facilities, address disparities in achievement and prepare children outside the classroom.

That preparation begins long before children enter kindergarten. County commissioners […]

Gainesville Sun

Families with newborns soon will get help with making sure their little ones have the best chance for early childhood success.

Thanks to a $400,000 grant from the Alachua County Commission, Healthy Start of North Central Florida in March will launch the NewboRN Home Visiting Program to provide services designed to help children succeed early in life — academically, emotionally and socially.

Registered nurses from UF Health Shands Home Care team, Nursecore of Gainesville, a national […]

Ocala Star Banner

The state Senate, the upper chamber of Legislature, has proposed lowering funds for an invaluable state-local program — Florida Healthy Start.

Disappointing.

The Florida House of Representatives, which has called for maintaining Healthy Start funding, should stay the course and say no to this unhealthy proposal.

We strongly urge the two senators from our region — Republicans Dennis Baxley and Keith Perry — to break ranks with their fellow senators and support an adequate appropriation for a program that improves the lives of individuals and families […]

Gainesville Sun
By Christopher Baldwin

Held Sunday at Sun Country Sports in Jonesville, the derby benefits the Alachua County Perinatal Mental Health Coalition’s All Bottoms Covered Diaper Bank program.

He came. He crawled. He conquered.

One-year-old Foster, in a series of quick, successive spurts, won back-to-back heats to secure the golden baby bottle trophy during the inaugural Gainesville Diaper Derby.

Held Sunday at Sun Country Sports in Jonesville, the derby benefits the Alachua County Perinatal Mental Health Coalition’s All Bottoms Covered Diaper Bank program.

The event, which saw baby athletes […]

Ocala Star Banner

Turns out, I have a gym membership. Oh, it’s not like I was completely clueless. I just chose to ignore it … since, oh, about 2012. I have good excuses (note the plural). I’m really busy. The gym is always crowded. It won’t do any good. I’m tired. Did I mention I’m really busy?

So when my buddy Ben Marciano — who owns The Zone and collects the monthly gym fee from the Rogers household, whether I go or not — mentioned my perpetual […]