Someone new is handling the gavel at Alachua County Commission meetings. Chairman Mike Byerly stepped down yesterday, as his year-long term came to an end.

Cynthia Chestnut took his place. She was the vice chair. The new vice chair is Lee Pinkoson.

Chestnut says she has big plans for the commission in the coming months. Some of the issues she wants to address are economic development, particularly in the east Gainesville redevelopment project, and community health, with mobile health units and an initiative to fight childhood obesity.