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Good morning, Gainesville! In today’s edition: Skinesa’s Gator100 leap, first babies of 2026, an immersive ocean concert, and more. Let’s get to it!
— Cait Baker
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📰 In the news
Probiotic skincare leader expands: Skinesa was ranked No. 2 on the 2025 Gator100, the University of Florida list, recognizing a 665 percent three year CAGR, and CEO Ryan Walters called the honor deeply personal — read the full story.
A joyful start for families: HCA Florida North Florida Hospital celebrated the first babies of 2026 and the first New Year for NICU babies. Baby girl Cielo arrived January 1 as the hospital shared congratulations — read the full story.
Local draws win high marks: A recent WorldAtlas report named Daytona Beach and Palm Coast among Florida’s best places to retire, citing motorsports, beaches, and outdoor fun. Cities on the list include Tampa and Gainesville — see the cities on the list.
Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.
Protect your nest egg: Savvy investors are turning to gold amidst today’s inflation, national debt, and market uncertainty for a reason. It holds its value when everything else feels shaky. Case in point: it’s up ~62% since this month last year. If you’re curious about adding it and other precious metals to your portfolio, American Hartford has a super helpful guide that covers everything you need to know. It’s free, and definitely worth a read — check it out here.
*We do our best to avoid paywalled articles. If any slip through, let me know which ones and I’ll permanently remove them from our source list!
Highlights this week:
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🫶 We got your back
What you need to know: The Alachua County Commission will hold a special meeting tomorrow, Jan. 6, in the Grace Knight Conference Room. It will be broadcast on Cox Channel 12, the AC TV app, and the county website. The meeting is open to the public. Read the full story.
Where Gainesville dinks: Tucked among trees, The 300 Club keeps play laid-back with multiple courts, open play for all levels, and easy Playtomic reservations. Swap doomscrolling for dinking; friendly vibes and on-site coaching make it stick for newcomers and regulars alike.
Escape the sugar zoomies: When cabin fever hits, Flip Factory Zone has a four-story jungle gym, trampolines, a ropes course, bumper cars, and a two-story laser tag arena. Kids burn energy, you reclaim your evening, and 60+ arcade games satisfy your inner 10-year-old.
Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I discovered Keranique’s hair regrowth system. Everything with them is surprisingly easy: no quizzes, no pills, no choosing between dozens of products. Just grab the kit and follow the instructions. The best part? It’s $75 off right now, you’ll get three free gifts, AND you’ll get your money back if you don’t love the results.
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📆 Around town this week
All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.
🐦 Alachua Audubon Bird Walk @ Sweetwater Wetlands Park | Wednesday (1/7) at 8:30 AM – Set your alarm and head to Sweetwater for a Wednesday morning bird walk with the Alachua Audubon crew, free with the $5 park entry. They bring the know-how, and sometimes loaner binoculars, you bring coffee, curiosity, and your best quiet voice. All levels welcome.
♻ Eco Rangers @ Hogtown Creek Headwaters Nature Park | Wednesday (1/7) at 3:30 PM – Got kids obsessed with sticks and puddles? Eco Rangers is an all-ages eco adventure, with Tuesdays geared to toddlers and pre-K, Wednesdays to grades three through five. You chaperone, they explore, you sip coffee, $5 for the first kid, $2.50 each additional.
🍎 Farmers Market @ Florida School of Massage | Wednesday (1/7) at 4:00 PM – New year reset calls for a Wednesday wander at the Florida School of Massage farmers market, complete with bites, makers, and free chair massage. Shop, sip, gossip, then brag about supporting produce. Musicians and vendors, especially veggie folks, ping Cece and join the party.
🧶 Crocheting for Adults @ Headquarters Library | Alachua County Library District | Thursday (1/8) at 4:00 PM – Bring your hooks, yarn, and best small talk, and come stitch with the grown-ups. We’ll swap tips, learn new stitches and patterns, and pretend counting to eight is meditative, not math. BYO supplies, leave with brag-worthy rows, maybe a new friend.
🏛 Art After Dark: Art from Every Angle II @ Harn Museum of Art | Thursday (1/8) at 6:00 PM – If you’re craving culture without the chatter, this after-hours museum night is your speed. Dr. Sara Garzón reframes the art, Conrad Cheung has you co-build large sculptural furniture, and Visual AIDS films honor those living with and lost to HIV/AIDS with perspective, remembrance, and hope.
🎨 Painting Class: Palm Trees @ Corks & Colors Studio | Friday (1/9) at 6:30 PM – Trade screen time for beach time, the canvas kind. This class for adults, any level, walks you step by step, $35 gets you supplies for a 16×20, plus access to beer, wine, and soda. Seats are limited, so pre-register online, sip and paint your vacation.
🤸 Florida Gators Gymnastics @ Stephen C. O’Connell Center | Friday (1/9) at 6:45 PM – Gators gymnastics means big flips, bigger cheers, and you judging landings like it is the Olympics. Every person needs a ticket, even the carpool hero. Gates open 90 minutes before the first vault, so stretch, snack, and settle in.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
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📻 Gainesville report
Weather forecast
Today – High: 74°F – Low: 52°F – Precip: 1%
Patchy fog before 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Northeast wind around 3 mph. Later: Patchy fog after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. Northwest wind around 2 mph.
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Tomorrow – High: 77°F – Low: 57°F – Precip: 0%
Patchy fog before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Southwest wind 1 to 8 mph. Later: Patchy fog after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.
This house is wild
This 4-bed, 3-bath spans 2,540 square feet with a 3-way split plan and a two-car garage. A fenced 0.54-acre lot backs to a private easement and green space. Outdoor perks include a heated saltwater pool, new pump and filter, and a paver patio with fire pit.
Inside, the primary suite opens with French doors to the screened pool and adds a fireplace. Each bedroom has large closets. Updates include a new roof, new flooring and paint, plus remodeled kitchen and baths with granite, gas range, and coffee bar. Plantation shutters throughout. Zoned for top schools and under 15 minutes to UF and UF Health Shands.
Take a peek inside →
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