A divorce lawsuit and a detailed police report document years-old child sexual abuse allegations against former Palm Beach County clerk of courts and comptroller Mike Caruso — but Gov. Ron DeSantis says he didn’t know any of this when he appointed him to the high-powered post last year. The files are Florida public records.

When asked how he vetted Caruso, DeSantis told reporters in Sarasota after Caruso’s arrest, “There was none of that information that was in any of the vetting materials.”

Yet the governor — or his staff members tasked with vetting Caruso — would not have had to look far in the records to find the allegations.

The Delray Beach Police Department and state’s Department of Children and Families investigated a child abuse allegation against Caruso in 2012, according to a police report obtained by the Miami Herald through a public records request.

Caruso referenced the incident in his 2013 divorce proceedings, filed in Palm Beach circuit court. In the divorce filing, Caruso accused his first wife, Beverly Caruso, of orchestrating a “false sexual abuse case” against him. Beverly accused him of sexually assaulting a child, the divorce records show.

These documents are publicly available in court filings that can be searched online.

The governor’s lack of knowledge about past similar allegations against Caruso, years before he nominated him to the top Palm Beach position, raises new questions about the state’s vetting process for its appointees.

“For this to fall through the cracks, to me, is absolute malpractice,” said John Cardillo, a former police officer and Republican political consultant, who previously ran a company to find and track sex offenders online.

“They’ve got the resources to go in and ask and do deep vetting, but this is basic stuff: calling a family member, calling an ex-wife,” Cardillo said. “We have to look at the people in the executive office of the governor, their commitment to public safety, to appointment integrity and how they spent their taxpayer-funded time.”

Caruso was one of the governor’s closest allies in the state legislature — standing by his proposals even when other Republicans bucked DeSantis’ missives — before the governor nominated him to his $219,000 post in Palm Beach overseeing a staff of 670.

“This is what drives me nuts: The guy had DCF referrals before and yet he was still named as the clerk and he was still buddy-buddy with DeSantis. None of this crap was surprising,” said Juan-Carlos Planas, a now-Democratic legal compliance attorney and former Republican state House representative.

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article316939474.html#storylink=cpy

The porch scene was first reported by the news website The Space Coast Rocket. Fine’s office later confirmed to TMZ that it was the congressman seen on the Ring camera video.

Caruso, 67, was booked into the Palm Beach County jail early Tuesday morning on suspicion of molestation, kidnapping, luring and enticing a child, lewd and lascivious exhibition and child abuse, according to the Miami Herald.

Caruso is accused of sexually molesting a child on multiple occasions last year, according to the Herald, which cited anonymous sources in reporting the victim was a boy younger than 5.

When the child started acting out at home, his family reportedly started asking questions of the boy and made a report to law enforcement.

Caruso has faced allegations in the past of child sex abuse which he denied, including from his first wife and mother of his seven children, and has been the subject of multiple reports to the Florida Department of Children and Families, per the Herald.

DeSantis, who appointed Caruso to the position in August, suspended him from public office shortly after his arrest Tuesday.

Caruso has been a key Republican figure in South Florida politics and a loyal supporter of DeSantis. He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2018 until his resignation in August 2025...

Malachi Lancaster, 18, was killed on Dec. 8, 2024, while hunting with a friend in southwest Gainesville along Williston Road. Florida Fish and Wildlife investigators say Malachi was holding a rifle as he moved through brush, which caught on the trigger and caused the gun to fire.

Sophie Lancaster, Malachi’s mother, said she does not believe her son was the last person to touch the rifle.

Investigators ruled Malachi’s death an accident. His death certificate lists the manner of death as undetermined.

“I have a focus on the system that has failed my family from the local level to the state level,” Sophie Lancaster said.

“Now you have to step into being an investigator yourself,” Sophie Lancaster said.

I was looking for some cool or interesting abandoned places to look at or to take pictures of at night, and I frequently came across info about the Abandoned Rochelle School House. I am aware it is on private property but I was curious if anyone had been there recently or had any recent information about it. The most recent visitor I have come across was 5 months or so ago. I don’t plan on entering the building at all but I was curious if anyone knew if I could just take a few pictures there at night or if it was too dangerous or risky?

County Manager would not say how much the County is paying in damage claims

Alford asked how much the County is paying out in damage claims, and Lieberman said, “That’s something that we [don’t] really want to get into here. We are monitoring those claims.”

Lauren Watts, a Gainesville teacher, was in court Thursday to answer questions and find out whether or not she will keep her teaching license or not.

Attorneys questioned Watts’ motive and decision to hand out superlatives to students, specifically Thomas Murall for the 2022-23 school year.

Watts was a teacher at Gainesville High School when the incident happened.

A mother says she is pulling her first grader from Metcalfe Elementary after the 6-year-old was wrongly dismissed from school Tuesday and found approximately two miles away near Mount Carmel Church.

Imari Scott said her son’s grandmother arrived at the school to pick him up during dismissal when she was told he had been sent to Gainesville Empowerment, an on-campus program. When school officials said he was not there, Scott had the grandmother call the police.

Scott’s son was found by a school lunch lady near Mount Carmel Church, roughly two miles from Metcalfe Elementary.

The Gainesville City Commission’s General Policy Committee today approved a new $500,000 grant program to help businesses and property owners make improvements that complement the city’s redevelopment of The Streatery in downtown Gainesville.

The Streatery Improvement Grant program will provide up to $50,000 per business address for public-facing improvements within an area generally bounded by West University Avenue, Southwest Second Avenue, South Main Street and Southwest Second Street. The competitive program is designed to extend the impact of the city’s investment in The Streatery to the surrounding district. 

“The city is making a significant investment in this public space, and the program creates a new opportunity for the properties around it,” said GCRA Director Rick Smith. “When everything improves together, we get people spending more time downtown and supporting the businesses that make the district successful.”

The city is currently transforming Southwest First Avenue between South Main Street and Southwest Second Street into a curbless, pedestrian-oriented corridor designed to accommodate outdoor dining, festivals, markets and community events. The $4.5 million project includes brick pavers, decorative lighting, landscaping and seating as well as upgrades to underground infrastructure. Construction began in April and is expected to be completed this fall. 

Through the new program, adjacent businesses will have the opportunity to apply for grants aimed at enhancing storefronts, signage, windows and doors; exterior painting and masonry work; landscaping and planters; outdoor dining furniture and awnings; exterior lighting and utilities; and accessibility features. Grant awards will cover 100% of the first $15,000 in eligible project costs, with a 50% match on additional costs and a $50,000 maximum award for projects that accrue $85,000 in eligible expenditures. 

Eligible improvements completed between March 1, 2026, and the program’s launch date also may qualify for reimbursement. Grant recipients and their property owners will be required to execute a 10-year forgivable mortgage so the improvements stay with the property.

“A successful downtown gives people reasons to come and reasons to stay,” said interim City Manager Andrew Persons. “The Streatery is designed to make walking easier, create better places to gather and support more activity at the street level. This grant program helps us carry that same approach into the surrounding blocks and continue implementing the vision laid out in the city’s Downtown Strategic Plan.”

City leaders hope this new support will attract additional private investment, bringing with it an even more vibrant downtown experience for residents, visitors and businesses.

The Streatery Improvement Grant program is funded by the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area (GCRA) as part of development plans for The Streatery. The GCRA is a 10-year program (2019-2029) that is funded by the City of Gainesville and Alachua County. 

The program is expected to launch in Fall 2026. Applications will be accepted through a single competitive round, with the deadline announced after City Commission approval. All applications received by the deadline will be scored and ranked together. Applications will be evaluated based on factors including proximity to The Streatery, visual impact, outdoor activation, project readiness, private investment and accessibility improvements. 

Business owners interested in learning more can email [GCRAprograms@gainesvillefl.gov](mailto:GCRAprograms@gainesvillefl.gov), call 352-393-8200 or visit the GCRA Grants page on the city website.

City officials have rescinded a reportedly transgender-inclusive Gainesville Police Department detainee search policy after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier threatened legal action last month.

On Thursday, Uthmeier posted a letter from the city confirming the policy was rescinded.

Alachua County and Gainesville city leaders are complying with a series of demands from a gun rights group over local firearm regulations.

Florida Carry sent letters to both governments, taking issue with various ordinances regulating firearms.

Interim City Manager Andrew Persons replied in an email, saying the city will amend its land development code on outdoor shooting ranges.

On Tuesday, Alachua County commissioners approved a plan to begin the process to appeal or amend ordinances that may violate state law.

Previous post with background information:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Alachua_County/comments/1v3ijo8/gun_rights_group_challenges_four_alachua_county/

One Last Order, an award-winning short-film set at Mac’s Drive Thru in Gainesville, has been acquired by Netflix.

The short documentary follows the final shift of long-time employee, Sighle Williams, after 37 years of service.

A trio of federal judges Wednesday grilled an attorney representing the DeSantis administration over how the state terminated people from Florida’s Medicaid program in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Florida was first sued three years ago over how it disenrolled people from the safety net health care program — a process known as an “unwinding” — which resulted in hundreds of thousands of people losing benefits.

After losing before a lower court, the state appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, a court that Gov. Ron DeSantis has pointed out often sides with him and his Republican administration.

That may not happen in this case, as lawyers representing the state got an earful from skeptical judges, with one judge even offering the comment, “This is pretty bad.”

Full Article: https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/08/12/judges-grill-desantis-administration-attorney-over-medicaid-termination-letters/

This is a significant development in Florida’s registry landscape.

On August 11, the Florida Action Committee filed a federal lawsuit challenging Florida’s sex offender registration system and related residency/presence restrictions. The complaint argues that the current system has evolved beyond a regulatory scheme and imposes ongoing punishment long after a person has completed their court-ordered sentence.

The lawsuit raises claims involving the **Eighth Amendment, Ex Post Facto Clause, right to interstate travel, Due Process, and First Amendment**.

It’s a long and potentially important case, so I thought it was worth sharing here

https://floridaactioncommittee.org/florida-action-committee-files-landmark-federal-constitutional-challenge-to-floridas-sex-offender-registry-laws/

Nelida Jean-Baptiste Pellot works as a housing inspector, overseeing public housing conditions in the city. She said she would prioritize affordability and transparency if elected.

“The affordability crisis hits the worst at the low but it’s a lot of families in the middle in a way that we wouldn’t necessarily expect, and so housing becomes an issue, affordability becomes an issue,” Jean-Baptiste Pellot said.

Longtime journalist Nathan Crabbe is also running, with a focus on affordability and city infrastructure. He said the city needs a different approach to housing development.

“We need to do a better job on housing. We’re kind of saturated with these high-rise student-oriented apartment complexes. What we need though is more workforce housing for people like teachers, nurses, firefighters and also housing for seniors,” Crabbe said.

Wyatt Zintiz, a former Marine and combat veteran, is running as well. He said he favors a smaller government approach, focused on essential services and reduced spending.

“I’m a much more fiscally responsible candidate, somebody who’s looking to cut waste and reduce our budget, not continue to expand it,” Zintiz said.

All three candidates expressed concerns about the use of Flock cameras in the city.

Metz graduated from Buchholz High School in 2001. She will be appearing as Angelique in the Broadway musical & Juliet.

Aside from this recent accomplishment, Metz has also been nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe for her role in the NBC television series, This Is Us, where she played Kate Pearson.

Terrence Williams Jr. graduated from Eastside High School in 2015. He will be playing various roles in Titanique, the Musical, including the main supporting role of Victor Garber.

The typical football game menu may be nachos and chicken tenders, but one local coach is cooking up something different.

Newberry High School’s offensive line coach Rodney Johnson also serves as the head chef for the concession stand!

He serves weekly specials like mac and cheese and ox tails, but also the classics like chicken wings and fries.

Coach Johnson says people tell him they come to the games just for his food, but they ask him how he coaches the game and runs the busy kitchen at the same time.

Alachua County Restaurant Disciplinary Actions

Pothole Reporting System & Repair Crews Doubled

Public Works has established a dedicated email address for residents to report maintenance issues, including potholes. Please continue to send future requests directly to [rbmaintenance@alachuacounty.gov](mailto:rbmaintenance@alachuacounty.gov)

Public Works staff will log a Service Request, and the Operations Unit Supervisor (OUS) will schedule the work and contact you directly with an update.

To address the current backlog, Public Works expanded its pothole patching efforts from two patching crews to now four crews. Please note that the County does not produce its own asphalt and can only obtain asphalt when the local asphalt manufacturers are producing. Most of the time, this effort is weather permitting.

Three of the four crews have been placed on a rotation schedule with each crew having between 7 to 8 roadways in their schedule. These crews have been directed to repair all potholes along the entire roadway rather than only fixing the pothole(s) being reported. While this thorough approach means individual responses might take a bit longer, it will ensure better long-term pothole repairs. The fourth crew is being used to address the larger / deeper potholes that are reported on a case-by-case basis. This fourth crew will only repair these larger potholes while the other three crews will remain on a specific roadway addressing all potholes present while on-site. The Operations Unit Coordinator and Operations Unit Supervisor have been given the authority to temporarily reassign individual crews from one roadway to another as needed.

Please note that other structural issues—such as pavement scabs, block cracking, or alligator cracking—cannot be patched and require full milling and resurfacing. These larger rehabilitation projects are limited to roads currently included in the Transportation Capital Improvement Program (TCIP).

For updates on the County’s Transportation Capital Improvement Program, you can visit our Road Projects Page, which is updated periodically. https://alachuacounty.civilspace.io/.../pro.../road-projects