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MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2026

VOLUME 120 - ISSUE 34 Not officially associated with the University of Florida

Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville Planned Parenthood to close due to decline in patients PLANNED PARENTHOOD OFFICIAL SAID THE CLOSURE MAY CREATE A GAP IN GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE ACCESS

By Julianna Bendeck Alligator Staff Writer

Grace Sands // Alligator Staff

The Ones to Blame perform at Hipp Pride Sessions during Hipp Pride Week at the Hippodrome Theatre, Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla. Find this story in The Avenue on pg. 6.

Planned Parenthood announced May 27 its Gainesville clinic will be closing its doors June 26. In-person medical services like vaccinations will end, though some care will be available through telehealth services, like mental health appointments. The closest Planned Parenthood locations are in Jacksonville, Orlando and Tallahassee, around 77, 126 and 150 miles from the Gainesville location.

The Gainesville location doesn’t offer abortion services but has provided gender-affirming care, screenings for sexually transmitted infections and other reproductive health services to North Central Florida. Michelle Quesada, the vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood of Florida, said the closure is due to the Gainesville clinic’s declining patient volume. Though the decision was made recently, she said the Gainesville location had been monitored for several years, and efforts were made to increase the number of patients. “We just haven’t been able to succeed at that location,” Quesada said.

SEE PLANNED PARENTHOOD, PAGE 3

Farmers, local agriculture experts reflect on drought impacts

Recent rainfall provides some relief from the drought, but not enough, experts say By Olivia Lofaso Alligator Staff Writer

A year after becoming first-generation farmers, the owners of River & Root Farm are facing one of the most severe droughts in over a century. A Gainesville blueberry farm, River & Root relies heavily on irrigation. Farm coowner David Tuthill said the dry conditions have made him and his partner more reliant on their groundwater supply because of the lack of rainfall. During March and

April, they had to water their crops every day to keep them alive, he added. “It's a lot of long nights, early mornings, depending on what time you're watering,” he said. “There's no rain, and irrigation is missing places. Then trees die, and that impacted our production.” Between freeze damage earlier this year and the ongoing drought, the farm estimates it lost 70% of its crop, according to its website. The losses forced the farm to end its blueberry season earlier than expected. Blueberry season begins in

SPORTS/SPECIAL/CUTOUT

The Avenue: Movies & TV

India pg# Houghton sets her sights on going pro. Read more on pg. 12.

Lovebugs

Women's Tennisfinish with comma, Story description

mid-March and usually runs through May, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Much of Florida has been under extreme drought conditions since January, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Alachua County finds itself facing two varying degrees of drought intensity: extreme and exceptional. The latter is the highest drought intensity measured. Drought conditions began in late 2025 because of less intense rainfall from tropical storms and hurricanes, said Jean Wil-

‘Backrooms’ arrives at the big screen, pg. 5

Gainesville sees unexpected swarm, pg. 4

loughby, a senior planner with Alachua County's environmental protection department. This lack of rainfall led to the driest April on record in 132 years. Willoughby said many Florida crops and livestock owners rely on rainfall from storms to sustain them October through May, the drier months of the year. The St. Johns River Water Management District primarily manages northeast and

SEE DROUGHT, PAGE 3

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