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MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2026

VOLUME 121 - ISSUE 3 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Krishna Lunch banned from UF campus after operating for over 50 years THE BAN FOLLOWED A SPRING CRASH ON CAMPUS THAT LEFT A STUDENT HOSPITALIZED

By Sofia Garcia Alligator Staff Writer

After temporarily suspending campus operations following an incident where a Krishna box truck struck a student, Krishna Lunch’s presence on UF campus has been permanently banned, according to UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldán. Bob Cohen, Krishna Lunch senior adviser, said he hadn’t heard from UF since the accident until the restrictions were announced. He said UF was silent following the event, and the group didn’t hear from the university until the ban was announced Aug. 19. “We said, ‘OK, give it some cooling off time,’ and [UF] refused to talk to us,” Cohen said. “Finally, I wrote them again and again … They sent a letter saying, ‘Don’t come back,’ and nobody will talk or discuss it with us.” In an email sent on Aug. 19, Brandi Renton, UF’s vice president of business affairs, wrote that the memorandum of understanding between the organization and

SEE KRISHNA, PAGE 4

Grace Sands // Alligator Staff

Sugar Baby staff pose in front of their candy cart at Peach by Pump's pop up Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026 in Gainesville, Fla. Find this story in The Avenue on pg. 6.

‘Every time we spoke, I left learning something new’: Dorothy Zimmerman’s friends and students reflect on her legacy The beloved UF Graham Center faculty member led a life of service By Alana Nguyen Alligator Staff Writer

Dorothy Zimmerman — or Dotty, to loved ones — died Aug. 16 after battling ovarian cancer for the second time. She was 66. Even with the disease’s recurrence, Zimmerman’s former student assistant, UF alumna Isabella Garcia, said the woman was

resilient through it all. “Rarely did she mention it,” Garcia said. “Rarely did she ever let it stop her.” Born Feb. 9, 1960, in Louisville, Kentucky, Zimmerman grew up with seven siblings. She attended Murray State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science in 1979 at age 19. She

then headed to graduate school for communications management at Syracuse University. At age 21, she became a managing editor at the Marshall County Messenger in Marshall, Texas. She went on to work as a freelance journalist in Brazil and Venezuela. Zimmerman arrived at UF in 1998 as the communications

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

East Gainesville

Recapping UF SG issues and looking pg# ahead. Read more on pg. 3.

The Avenue: Music

Student Government Story description finish with comma,

coordinator for the Office of Executive Education. In 2000, she started work for the Florida Sea Grant and in 2019 joined the Bob Graham Center for Public Service as communications director. Zimmerman played a vital role in student’s academic and personal lives during her nearly 30 years at the university, Garcia said. Every student who worked

Residents debate priorities after recent trail construction, pg. 5

Website shares Gainesville music history, pg. 6

with Zimmerman will never forget her, and many desire to be the “Dorothys” in others’ lives. “Every time we spoke, I left learning something new,” she said. Along with her role as a UF faculty member, Zimmerman served at the Sunrise Rotary Club of Gainesville and eventually became Rotary District 6970’s assis-

SEE ZIMMERMAN, PAGE 4

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