Jasper Wittig - The Independent Florida Alligator

Three cats play inside the cat room at the Feeline Good Cat Cafe on Jan. 19. There were a total of 12 adoptable cats at the cafe being fostered from the Humane Society of North Central Florida.

Jasper Wittig

METRO | BUSINESS

Gainesville cat cafe successfully adopted out 200 cats after its seventh month open

By Jasper Wittig | Jan. 27, 2022

The Feeline Good Cat Cafe in downtown Gainesville reached its 200th adoption Jan. 23, seven months after its grand opening. Francesca Hall, the cafe’s 23-year-old founder and owner, said the cat cafe works as a foster home for adoptable cats, and she recently increased the number of cats the cafe takes in at a time from 10 to 12.

University of Florida Disability Resource Center located at Reid Hall on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. The DRC provides services to students with physical, learning, sensory or psychological disabilities.

Mingmei Li

NEWS | CAMPUS STUDENT LIFE

July amplifies the voices of the disabled community

By Jasper Wittig | July 23, 2021

July brings the disabled community together to reflect on common experiences and celebrate differences as the month commemorates the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990.

A white cat sits at the window of the Feeline Good Cat Café on Sunday, July 4, 2021. At the café, visitors can pet cats while enjoying beverages.

Mingmei Li

NEWS

Cat cafe opens in downtown Gainesville

By Jasper Wittig | July 6, 2021

The Feeline Good Cat Cafe opened on June 21 and gives guests a chance to meet a variety of cats that are up for adoption.

Alex Brown

METRO

Free clothes and accessories given out before pride prom

By Jasper Wittig | June 26, 2021

In preparation for the Pride Prom For All this Saturday, the Pride Community Center and Alachua TranQuility co-hosted a pop-up shop at 3131 NW 13th St. to give away free clothes and accessories. Each person could pick out one dress, one pair of shoes and three pieces of jewelry.

Attendees of the Pride Center Community meeting picnic and collaborate in groups to discuss their goals for the upcoming year on Saturday, June 12, 2021. The event brought together families and members of the LGBTQ+ community to give their input in rejuvenating the center while helping themselves to a catered breakfast at Westside Park.

Jasper Wittig

NEWS

Pride Community Center celebrates Pride Month

By Jasper Wittig | June 14, 2021

LGBTQ pride flags decorated the pavilion at Westside Park as the sun beat down on bagels, donuts, fruit and coffee arranged on a long table. More than 50 people gathered to discuss the future of the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida. On the fifth anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting Saturday morning, the center held a meeting to collaborate with the community to understand the needs and goals of LGBTQ individuals.

Ashley Hicks

METRO | K-12 EDUCATION

About 70 Alachua County Public School students and staff are in quarantine

By Jasper Wittig | June 2, 2021

Alachua County Public Schools had 72 students and faculty members in quarantine as of Tuesday evening — an increase of about 20 cases since May 25, according to the school district’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Tim Rogers looks at a computer inside the Grace Pharmacy (Photo courtesy of Lorry Davis, programs administrator for Grace Healthcare Services)

Courtesy to The Alligator

METRO

Grace Pharmacy continues offering free insulin to the Gainesville community

By Jasper Wittig | May 17, 2021

Grace Pharmacy, also known as the “pharmacy without a cash register,” announced May 10 it has insulin for people with Type 2 diabetes. While Humulin-R and Humulin-N supplies last, anyone can come by the pharmacy as long as they know the type of insulin they need and how to use it.

UF professor Hannah Mathews, 43, washes kale after volunteering to help harvest vegetables at Siembra Farm in Gainesville on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. She was among many volunteers who worked to harvest extra vegetables to give to local families in East Gainesville. (Photo by Joelle Wittig)

Jasper Wittig

METRO | BUSINESS

Weekly harvest provides food for local families

By Jasper Wittig | May 10, 2021

Farmers and volunteers harvested hundreds of unused crops at Siembra Farm in East Gainesville. The event began at 6 p.m. on May 4 and volunteers stayed until 8:30 p.m. to pick and wash vegetables and create 110 community-supported agriculture boxes.

Ashley Hicks

METRO | CITY COUNTY COMMISSION

Alachua County will not be immediately affected by Gov. DeSantis’ new executive orders

By Alexander Lugo and Jasper Wittig | May 8, 2021

Gov. DeSantis signed an executive order invalidating local emergency COVID-19 orders requiring masks and social distancing around the state, but Alachua County will not be affected by the change.