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The Mill Creek Hawks will face off against the Collins Hill Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Mill Creek's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last three matchups.

It was a Battle of the Birds when Mill Creek took on Dacula on Friday. The Hawks put the hurt on the Falcons with a sharp 37-17 win. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Falcons recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.

Mill Creek's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Anderson Ragone, who threw for 146 yards and two touchdowns, and Jayde Beasley, who rushed for 176 yards and one score while picking up 7.3 yards per carry. Carson Hurter did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 82 receiving yards.

Mill Creek didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Hurter and Brooks Green.

Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Collins Hill's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They had to suffer through a 34-3 loss at the hands of Buford. Having soared to a lofty 48 points in the game before, the Eagles couldn't push the score so high this time.

Mill Creek's win bumped their record up to 5-2. As for Collins Hill, their loss was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 4-3.

Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Mill Creek has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 195.1 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Collins Hill, though, as they've been averaging only 94 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?

Mill Creek and Collins Hill were neck-and-neck in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, but Mill Creek came up empty-handed after a 13-12 defeat. Thankfully for the Hawks, Alijah Patillo (who picked up 103 receiving yards and a pair of TDs) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.

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Don Jones, along with about a dozen other painters from Fresh Coat Painters of Canfield, joined forces as part of the 'Fresh Coat Cares" campaign to refresh two well-used backstops that have experienced wear and tear over the years.

YOUNGSTOWN A group of painters were at the Mill Creek Junior Baseball Fields Tuesday to paint backstops and restore the field to its former glory.

Don Jones, along with about a dozen other painters from Fresh Coat Painters of Canfield, joined forces as part of the "Fresh Coat Cares" campaign to refresh two well-used backstops that have experienced wear and tear over the years.

Jones reflected on his time on the field during his childhood. Jones told us the field has been a part of his life since he was eight years old.

"It was the first organized sport that I was a part of. My oldest is 12 years old, so we've been coming back here now for a number of years. We have three total children and two of them will be playing here next year," Jones said.

Jones said as he was watching one of his kids play over the summer, a family member pointed out the wear and tear on the backstops.

"I was standing next to my uncle, and he mentioned, 'boy, those backstops really don't look so great.' And it's just one of those things where you're like, 'I didn't even notice.' And I thought that's something I could probably help them with," Jones said.

Jones says it feels rewarding to see how much better the field looked after the paint job.

"It's one of those things where it may sneak up on you like, 'wow. It really needed it, but it looks good now,'" Jones said.

Mill Creek is a perfect 10-0 against Duluth since September of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Hawks will look to defend their home field against the Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. Mill Creek is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.

If Mill Creek beats Duluth with eight runs on Tuesday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. The Hawks' pitcher stepped up to hand Collins Hill an 8-0 shutout on Thursday. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.

Addison Ursetta made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. Those six strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Blair McClain, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in August. Ellie Kava was another key player, earning two runs and two stolen bases.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Duluth, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 win over Norcross on Thursday.

Like Mill Creek, Duluth also got a great game from a two-way player: Kaylie Zirger. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Zirger was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. She is also on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played.

In other batting news, Saniya Simmons was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Kate Camarena, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Duluth kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.4 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 11.6.

Duluth's victory bumped their record up to 11-12. As for Mill Creek, their win bumped their record up to 15-9.

Duluth's pitching crew better be locked in on Tuesday. Mill Creek hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.7 home runs per game. It's a different story for Duluth, though, as they've been averaging only 0 home runs. Will they be able to keep Mill Creek in the park?

Everything went Mill Creek's way against Duluth when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as Mill Creek made off with a 9-0 victory. Will the Hawks repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.

Plans to build houses and commercial spaces atop a cave system of the Floridan Aquifer are moving forward in the City of Alachua despite action by Alachua County and opposition from some of its residents.

Alachua County Commissioners voted to intervene in the five-part development proposal Oct. 1, 2024. Here’s what’s happened since:

The Suwannee River Water Management District approved all five parts of the proposal’s plans to manage its environmental footprint

Each section of the development required its own "environmental resource permit”: a plan outlining how the developer will avoid polluting, flooding or otherwise harming nearby waterways and wetlands.

The agency granted the Tara Forest West permit, the last and largest of the five, on June 10, 2025.

Environmental protection department staff from Alachua County repeatedly about the permits, citing sinkhole concerns.

“This is a very highly active, sensitive karst area,” county environmental engineer Mary Szoka told the Suwannee River Water Management District’s governing board in May. A sinkhole opened next to the proposed development in 2021, she said, as crews worked to build an artificial wetland to treat runoff from I-75.

If a sinkhole were to form on Tara property, “we’re prepared to deal with that,” responded Jay Brown, president of the civil engineering firm that designed the site’s plans.

A County-contracted firm suggested further studies

Consultants scoped out the site with ground penetrating radar and bored holes into its layered soils. But an independent firm that reviewed those studies said there’s still uncertainty underground.

Alachua County staff hired the firm, Geohazards Engineering and Technology, at the direction of the county commission.

the testing didn’t “adequately assess” the site’s sinkhole activity or potential for runoff to trickle into the aquifer and recommended further studies.

The developer isn’t open to that recommendation. The city hasn’t declared a stance.

County staff shared Geohazard’s report with the Tara development team, led by Sayed Moukhtara, and Alachua city staff.

The developer’s representatives weren’t convinced, Szoka said. “They have argued against the need for these studies.”

Moukhtara did not respond to WUFT’s inquiry. A spokesperson for JBPro, the firm that drafted Tara stormwater plans, declined to comment on the Geohazards report but wrote,“we are closely following the development review process for each of the authorities having jurisdiction over the project.”

City staff has been more receptive.

After five resignations, one firing and a few new hires, the staff team working on the Tara approval process looks different than it did when Alachua County first intervened.

“They've responded that they would like to meet and get up to speed with the situation,” said Stephen Hofstetter, environmental protection director for Alachua County. He aims to meet with city planning staff and attorneys in October.

Since the developer doesn’t seem willing to do another study voluntarily, Szoka said, “our intention is for the city to hopefully require it.”

She pointed to studies done for the neighboring artificial wetland as good models. Contractors’ findings led them to redesign the project and move it farther North than planned, Szoka said, “so it is not outside of the realm of reasonability to request these additional studies.”

The largest portion of the project awaits the city’s stamp of approval (but won’t require a vote, thanks to a new state law)

When commissioners voted to approve a preliminary plat for 523-home Tara Forest West last summer, they expected to vote again when the project’s final plat was ready.

But a state law passed during the 2025 legislative session transferred that authority to staff, meaning Tara Forest West won’t come before the commission again.

“There’s still an approval required, but it can be administrative,” Hofstetter said.

That decision, and its conditions, are up to Interim City Manager Rodolfo Valladres.

Hofstetter said the county will continue to intervene “with any application that comes forward to the city,” in the Mill Creek Sink area.

It used to be that only a brave and committed crew calling themselves the Mill Creek Yacht Club floated down the waterway in the heart of Cincinnati.

But city and nonprofit leaders have been drawing up plans to change that — and, on a broader level, to re-envision the future of the Mill Creek.

Now you can make your way to Salway Park in Northside and rent a kayak from a remote kiosk to take to the waters. The rental program run by a private company called Schack's Yaks launched Saturday. The rentals cost $15 for the first hour and $10 for every hour after. The kayaks must be returned to the kiosk at Salway, meaning trips will need to go both down and back up stream.

Schack's Yaks already runs similar kiosks in several Northern Kentucky locations. The program doesn't use taxpayer money, officials say, but benefits from a $500 contribution for equipment from Tristate Trails and the Mill Creek Alliance.

Schack's Yaks owner Chris Schack says regular water quality sampling will ensure safe creek conditions. The company has the ability to shut down the kiosk when water levels are too high or other hazards exist.

The kayak rental idea was facilitated by those groups along with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and Cincinnati Council member Mark Jeffreys.

"There's no place to rent a kayak or canoe in the city of Cincinnati — until today," Jeffreys said a launch event for the program September 6 hosted by the CRC, Mill Creek Alliance and Tristate Trails. "Now, folks can come out here, easily get in the water, pop in, pop out. It provides a lot more access in the city."

Michael Binder and his daughter Helen were among the people who came to the launch and tried out the kayaks. They enjoyed the experience.

"It's feels almost like you're not in the city," Binder said. "It's really fun to see. It's very easy to get in and out of the creek, very manageable."

"It was very, very, very fun," Helen chimed in.

Mill Creek Alliance Executive Director Dave Schmitt says he hopes the rental program encourages more people to visit a hidden gem.

"The Mill Creek is this beautiful, green corridor, sort of an oasis with big mature trees hanging over it and lots of wildlife," Schmitt says. "And you really don't appreciate that unless you've seen it from stream level."

For decades, the waterway has been dogged by its past — a history of industrial pollution, sewage drainage, and neglect. But a large-scale effort by multiple organizations to clean up the creek has shown big results. Wildlife has returned, and water quality data show the creek is much safer than it was even a decade ago.

"For a long time there was a perception that the Mill Creek was an awful place, even a dangerous place to go," he says. "But that's just not the case anymore. The stream is doing really well."

Schmitt says access to the stream has been a recurring theme in community meetings the Alliance and other organizations have held with people living in the neighborhoods along the creek. Those meetings are part of a larger effort by nonprofits and the city to envision how to support those communities better — and how to make it easier to enjoy assets in them like the Mill Creek.

There's potential for a walking and biking path that would connect the area to Downtown. And advocacy groups like the Alliance already are looking forward to a potential second kayak rental kiosk in South Cumminsville next spring, along with greenspace and a boat ramp down into the water there.

"All of these things are coming together now and creating amazing momentum and energy," Schmitt says.

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