Jacob Sedesse

Staff Writer

Jacob Sedesse is a UF Media Production, Management and Technology senior and general assignment reporter for the metro desk. You may recognize his work from WUFT, where he anchored Morning Edition on WUFT-FM among other programs.

City Commissioner Casey Willits (left) sits in the pavilion behind his apartment complex and County Commissioner Mary Alford (right) sits at her office in the Alachua County Administration Building.

Evelyn Miguel

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

LGBTQ Commissioners bring unique life experiences to local government

By Jacob Sedesse | June 12, 2023

Gainesville City Commissioner Casey Willits and Alachua County Commissioner Mary Alford represent Gainesville as the only two elected officials in the county who are openly a part of the LGBTQ community. The two commissioners have followed contrasting paths to their positions today — both professionally and personally.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Guns stolen from Gainesville Big Daddy Guns, two unidentified burglars still at large

By Jacob Sedesse | June 1, 2023

Sheriffs are looking for two people who stole several firearms from Big Daddy Guns in Gainesville early Thursday morning.

Nathaniel Chan, a city planner, is seen at his office at the Thomas Center on Friday, May 19, 2023.

Marcus Rojas

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Nathaniel Chan: City planning for a more inclusive community

By Jacob Sedesse | May 22, 2023

Nathaniel Chan, 24, is a gay, Chinese American dedicated to using city planning to serve the community he loves. While his determination got him a position with the city, his path there was not always clear.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a political roundtable, Friday, May 19, 2023, in Bedford, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Courtesy to The Alligator

METRO | POLITICS

‘Unsettling’: Asian American locals criticize Florida bills targeting China

By Amanda Friedman and Jacob Sedesse | May 22, 2023

Han Yi, who immigrated to the U.S. from China, feels betrayed by the state she’s called home for roughly 10 years due to a bill restricting Chinese citizens from purchasing real estate in Florida. Yi, the vice principal of the HuaGen Chinese School in Gainesville, is one among the many frustrated Asian American and Pacific Islander locals speaking out against three bills signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis aimed at limiting the Chinese Communist Party’s influence on the state.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

METRO | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Gainesville man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after fanny pack firearm discharges

By Jacob Sedesse | May 15, 2023