October 17, 2018 by The Independent Florida Alligator

www.alligator.org

We Inform. You Decide.

VOLUME 113 ISSUE 24

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018 Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Local law enforcement, ﬁre rescue travel to Panhandle ABOUT 40 EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WENT TO THE PANHANDLE. By Jessica Curbelo Alligator Staff Writer

Alachua County emergency personnel left behind their beds at home for trailers stuffed with cots in the Florida Panhandle. Teams from Alachua County Fire Rescue, Gainesville Police and Alachua County

Sheriff’s Office drove hours to get to areas wrecked by Hurricane Michael last week. The Category 4 hurricane spared Alachua County but devastated the Florida Panhandle when it made landfall Oct. 10. About 40 officers, firefighters and paramedics traveled to help local agencies with search efforts and damaged communication networks. Fire rescue sent two teams for rescue and radio communications to Panama City and Mexico Beach early Thursday once the

storm cleared, Deputy Chief Harold Theus said. “If it happened here, we would have an enormous amount of support,” he said. The 10-person rescue team drove to Panama City with paramedics and ambulances. The team evacuated patients and slept in a hospital before leaving to join the rest of the crew in Mexico Beach on Saturday, Theus said. Fire rescue sent its radio communications team directly to Mexico Beach, he

said. The four-person team volunteered to set up communication equipment between rescue teams. Gainesville Police officers joined fire rescue Friday in Panama City. About eight officers volunteered to give local law enforcement a chance to rest, Sgt. David Schramek said. “It doesn’t matter what agency you’re from, you work together for one goal,” Schramek said. “You try to restore as much

SEE PANHANDLE, PAGE 4

Gainesville mobilizes for Hurricane Michael relief

Tacos, gift cards and water were given. By Alyssa Ramos Alligator Staff Writer

Chris Houston / Alligator Staff

Tom Kelleher, chair of the department of advertising at the UF College of Journalism and Communications, is dunked by a student at the UF Campaign for Charities dunk tank fundraiser outside of Weimer Hall on Tuesday afternoon. Ninety-three charities are participating in the campaign, including the American Red Cross, Community Health Charities and United Way of North Central Florida.

Bess Darrow couldn’t recognize a Florida Panhandle horse farm she’s been to more than 20 times. Darrow, a Williston veterinarian of Tune Ups Veterinary Equine Services, assisted her client of 15 years whose property was wiped out. When she visited Sunday, she saw the barn was gone, trees were knocked down and a horse trailer had ﬂipped onto its roof. “I was intimately involved,” Darrow said. “I was so scared to see the destruction, or my friends sad or destitute.” Darrow and others from Gainesville have come together to provide relief for residents in devastated areas of the state that were affected by Michael, which hit Florida last week. While Darrow has been checking on her clients’ horses and making sure they had water, she has also raised more than $10,000 through a GoFundMe page. The money will go toward hay, water and feed. Darrow said she was shocked at how willing people were to help in the aftermath of

the storm. “So many people stepped up to the plate,” Darrow said. “I’m so in awe of these people because of their cheerful attitude. They’re so thankful for one gas can.” Local churches, such as Anthem Church, Shift Church and City Church, collected donations and sent a 24-foot trailer with water, fuel, gas, canned food, diapers, formula and hundreds of $25 Visa gift cards, said Jon Birkmire, director of family ministries for Anthem Church. “Helping others is a good core of what we want to do — for us, it’s a no-brainer,” Birkmire said. Abby Zachritz, the director of communications at Shift Church, said volunteers went to the area Tuesday to remove fallen trees and clear roads. “We have to make changeable steps, because if we just sit and pray we can’t make a physical change, but God gave us hands to go help.” Nareth Meth, the owner of Cilantro Tacos,

SEE BUSINESSES, PAGE 4

Gainesville Kmart location set to close by end of year SEARS HOLDINGS IS CLOSING AT LEAST 142 STORES ACROSS THE U.S. By Angela DiMichele Alligator Staff Writer

The Kmart aisles were mostly empty Monday night except for brothers Miles and Reese Forziano.

Bye-week business

They took advantage of the open space by tossing a football across the department store. Shawn Forziano, 49, waited for her two sons to stop playing and focus on ﬁnding space-themed pajamas for homecoming week at Gainesville High School. Miles, 17, Reese, 15, and their mother came to the 900 NW 76th Blvd. Kmart for a quick stop. Soon, the Forzianos will have to

The Gators are using the extra week of practice to get younger guys reps, watch other college football games and maybe play some video games, pg. 14

travel into “Archer Road mayhem,” Shawn Forziano said. Sears Holdings announced Monday that Gainesville’s Kmart, one of three Florida stores, will close by the end of the year. Sears Holdings, the company that owns Kmart and Sears department stores, will close 142 locations across the country after ﬁling for bankruptcy, according to a Sears Holdings press release.

Tree ya later

UF students clear debris in Tallahassee, pg. 5

The company is closing unproﬁtable stores to save money, Howard Riefs, the corporate communications director, wrote in an email. The Sears at the Oaks Mall closed in mid-July. In August, Sears Holdings announced 46 other stores will close by November while the next 142 will close by the end of the year. Clearance sales will begin soon, the release said.

The Forzianos are regular Kmart shoppers because they live a few minutes away in a suburb on Newberry Road, Shawn Forziano said. “It’s sad and scary,” she said. “You’re going to have to buy everything on the internet.” @angdimi adimichele@alligator.org

Play your pride

Check out the Avenue’s pride playlist, pg. 8

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