Natalie Tajeddine Sleiman
February 3, 2023 Human Interest
Not much has changed more than a year after a national baby formula shortage had parents scrambling to find powdered formula at area stores. Today, mothers are still walking up and down aisles of empty shelves looking for the formula they need to feed their infants.
Read More »
Kristin Moorehead
February 3, 2023 Heard It On WUFT-FM, Human Interest, Longform
It’s been a little over three weeks since a heated debate broke out between Micanopy residents and officials at a town hall meeting. These weeks have raised questions about the town’s ordinance regulating pennant flags, equal enforcement and whether the place that’s believed to be Florida’s oldest inland town is …
Read More »
Richard Bennett
February 1, 2023 Transportation
One of the busiest roads in Gainesville is getting a facelift to modernize it and emphasize safety, the city announced on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the city an $8 million grant to begin the work. The revitalization will affect a 4.15-mile stretch of the roadway, and improvements …
Read More »
Troy Myers
February 1, 2023 Transportation
GAINESVLLE, Fla. – Two new traffic lights are up along the westbound lanes of University Avenue on Northwest 16th and 19th Streets. The lights are being installed by the Florida Department of Transportation. “They were looking at where we are seeing pedestrians cross where we don’t have good signals. So, …
Read More »
Katie Hyson
February 1, 2023 Report for America, Rural equity
An Alachua County Public Schools spokesperson says facilities county-wide will soon be reviewed. Hawthorne Middle/High didn’t wait on upgrades to win.
Read More »
Xinyue Li
January 31, 2023 Holidays
The University of Florida Chinese Students and Scholars Association celebrated Chinese New Year during their Spring Festival by inviting students to participate in a variety of traditional Chinese activities and share food on the second floor of the J. Wayne Reitz Union on Sunday, Jan. 29. UF students from various …
Read More »
Derrah Getter
January 31, 2023 Transportation
Gainesville city commissioners adopted a Vision Zero policy in 2018, aimed at eliminating all traffic-related deaths and injuries by 2040.
Read More »
Claire Grunewald
January 30, 2023 Human Interest
Around 150 people gathered at The Old Citrus County Courthouse in Inverness to protest abortion rights at the annual Roe v. Wade Memorial Service.
Read More »
Silas Morgan
January 30, 2023 Heard It On WUFT-FM
The city of Gainesville announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with a nonprofit to participate in a nationwide initiative to protect local bee populations. Let's find out what all the buzz is about.
Read More »
digitaldesk
January 30, 2023 Racial equity, Report for America
These are not artifacts, challenge those seeking their return. They are human beings with family members. It’s time to bring them home.
Read More »
Katie Hyson
January 19, 2023 Racial equity, Report for America
Folston described demand for immediate community-wide equity, but said it’s a long game and the first step is addressing the issue within the city’s own staff.
Read More »
Jake Reyes
January 17, 2023 Human Interest, Immigration
It has been a year since Hakimullah Hamim, an Afghan refugee, arrived in Jacksonville. Adjusting to a new home and a new job as a data analyst for Stillwater Insurance Group, the 30-year-old has found a new life with his wife in North Florida. But he remembers the tough journey …
Read More »
Kristin Moorehead
January 12, 2023 Heard It On WUFT-FM, Racial equity
This year marks the centennial anniversary of the massacre in the town of Rosewood. WUFT’s Kristin Moorehead spoke to University of Florida history professor Steve Noll about the significance of this event. Editor’s note: This interview transcript and the audio above have been edited for length and clarity. Transcript: KRISTIN …
Read More »
Katie Hyson
January 9, 2023 Heard It On WUFT-FM, Racial equity, Report for America
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the destruction of Rosewood. Listen to a report from the Sunday wreath laying ceremony.
Read More »
Katie Hyson
January 6, 2023 Racial equity, Report for America
Following last year’s internal investigation into the camp’s management and use of taxpayer funds, the school board advised a series of changes, aimed partly at addressing equitable access to the summer camp.
Read More »
Kristine Villarroel
January 3, 2023 Immigration
Paula and her family left their native Mexico to chase their dream of opportunity in the United States. A lot of paperwork and a two-day bus ride later, they arrived in Gainesville in May. Since then, Paula’s family has struggled to get their feet on the ground. Paula and her husband do not have the legal documentation to work in the U.S. Their efforts to find schools for their sons and a way to earn an income while dealing with their legal status have been nearly impossible to navigate, said Paula, who is waiting for her family's 2024 court date to seek asylum. Paula’s story exposes the challenges that immigrants face in Gainesville and other parts of the country.
Read More »
Ericka Garcia
January 2, 2023 Human Interest
Dr. Laura Ellis, a professor and Associate Director in the School of Music at the University of Florida, has been on the faculty since 2003.
Read More »
digitaldesk
December 29, 2022 Racial equity, Report for America
Artificial intelligence powers tools in use every day – Siri, Amazon Alexa, unlocking iPhones with facial recognition. But these tools serve some people better than others.
Read More »
Thandie Brown
December 28, 2022 Human Interest
Jay Brooks transforms into drag queen KellyTKelly in Gainesville.
Read More »
Alexis Ashby
December 26, 2022 Human Interest
Bobby Two Hats, whose official name is Robert Johnson II, spends his mornings in front of Wawa on University Avenue, across from the University of Florida, in Gainesville, Fla. He always has a cup of coffee in hand and sometimes a side of bacon, too. He’s never had a bank …
Read More »
Erina Anwar
December 24, 2022 Human Interest
The first time Deborah Willis went dumpster diving, it was out of curiosity. She soon realized that most grocery and general stores throw out an abundance of fresh, unexpired food. Now she holds regular food giveaways at her home
for families in her community who are in need.
Read More »
Katie Hyson
December 21, 2022 Racial equity, Report for America
The Remembering Rosewood Centennial Committee has curated a week of events to mark the 100th anniversary of the destruction of Rosewood.
Read More »
Associated Press
December 19, 2022 Holidays, Transportation
ORLANDO, Fla. — The holiday travel season this year is expected to rival the busiest seasons before the pandemic at Florida’s two most bustling airports, which will see millions of travelers passing through them, officials said. Orlando International Airport, the state’s busiest airport and the seventh busiest airport in the …
Read More »
Katie Hyson
December 16, 2022 Heard It On WUFT-FM, Racial equity, Report for America
The ordinance prevents employers from running a criminal background check on a candidate until after making a conditional offer of employment.
Read More »
Katherine Corcoran
December 14, 2022 Human Interest
Five to 6 million years ago, the area of the Montbrook fossil dig site in eastern Levy County was likely a river. Now, eight years after the discovery of bones in the area, it is one of the most productive fossil sites in the Southeastern United States. Over 70,000 specimens have been collected by the Florida Museum of Natural History and crews of volunteers.
Read More »
Keziah Moses
December 13, 2022 Human Interest
Step up and get bucked down. It’s as simple as that. And the Infamous Diamonds of Gainesville always bring their A-game. Majorette-style dance began in the 1960s, with dance lines at historically Black colleges and universities that typically accompanied marching bands. Shows such as “Bring It!” popularized the hip-hop style of majorette dance and competition in 2014, making it a household dance style for many who were unfamiliar with it.
Read More »
Keziah Moses
December 9, 2022 Human Interest
Every Saturday and Sunday, Project Downtown Gainesville sets up camp in the same spot, where volunteers provide hot meals and other resources for individuals facing homelessness. On some weekends local barbers like Ju-Ray Kuo partner with the organization Project Downtown Gainesville to provide haircuts free of charge to homeless individuals.
Read More »
Matthew Quartararo
December 8, 2022 Human Interest
The four recipients of the Rosa Parks Quiet Courage award this year are Devondrick Slater, Sheila Payne, Tony Jones and Desmon Duncan-Walker, who were recognized recently for their work in the community that “demonstrates a commitment to the cause of justice, equality and peace.”
Read More »
Katie Hyson
December 6, 2022 Racial equity, Report for America
It was impossible to feel settled with the threat of arrest and deadly force hanging over them. But where else could they go?
Read More »
Nicholas Valdes
December 5, 2022 Holidays
The city of Newberry has worked tirelessly to put together its first annual Gingerbread Village holiday celebration.
Read More »
Emily Ferguson
December 5, 2022 Human Interest
CEDAR KEY, Fla. — Hurricanes are destructive forces of nature that take with it memories, valuables and for this Florida city, its history. The Cedar Key Historical Society started research on the Cedar Key Cemetery five years ago, where they found out that 30 unmarked graves were located there. Thirty …
Read More »
Paris Coughlin
December 1, 2022 Human Interest
Of the thousands of motorists who drive southbound Interstate 75 every day, hundreds take the Exit 374 ramp toward Micanopy, and they all pass Sharon James and Tim Rader. James and Rader have been “off and on” homeless for over 20 years and have been in Florida since 2016. They spend their days panhandling at the exit and return to their tent in the woods at night, where they weathered Hurricane Ian and Tropical Storm Nicole.
Read More »
Kimberly Iglesias
December 1, 2022 Human Interest
An accurate record of the number of families experiencing homelessness in Alachua County and surrounding areas is nonexistent. According to Patrick Dodds, the director of Continuum of Care in Gainesville, there are currently about 10 homeless families in the coordinated entry system in need of housing assistance. “I think the number’s probably 10 times that,” Dodds said. “Families are often kind of the invisible homeless.”
Read More »
Katie Hyson
November 28, 2022 Racial equity, Report for America
The camp is a microcosm of both this year’s housing crisis and the cracks in the local shelter system. Its uncertain future hints at what may be ahead for many more.
Read More »
Katie Hyson
November 18, 2022 Racial equity, Report for America, Rural equity
The Emerging Artist Program was developed in response to a challenge: What would it take to diversify the Downtown Festival and Art Show?
Read More »