Legislators in favor of Amendment 3 tout it as a lifeline for Floridians struggling in a volatile housing market, but those against it say the measure wouldn’t do enough. If passed, the amendment would increase the homestead exemption for K-12 teachers, police officers, correctional officers, firefighters, emergency-medical technicians, paramedics, child-welfare …
Read More »Sanibel residents return to hurricane-ravaged island by boat, await bridge repair
With Sanibel’s causeway bridge still out of commission from damage during Hurricane Ian, many islanders in southwest Florida scrambled to secure transport by boat this weekend, the first time they were allowed home.
Read More »Downtown Fort Myers sifts through debris as it tries to regain identity as social hub
Downtown Fort Myers is the city’s social hub. Local restaurants, parks and landmarks are strewn with debris, but coming back to life. WUFT’s Jack Prator spoke with home and business owners taking stock of their damages from Hurricane Ian.
Read More »Lifelines after landfall: Southwest Florida grapples with Hurricane Ian’s impact
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Gulf of Mexico swallowed driftwood, stray shoes, split skim boards and the last vestige of Crystal Edge’s mother’s memory in the days following Hurricane Ian’s devastation. The 28-year-old sailboat – a family heirloom – remained trapped below piled debris at a marina under the Fort …
Read More »Audio postcard: What some UF students think of the debt relief plan
The White House has released data that shows more than 2 million Florida borrowers could benefit from the Biden Administration's plan for student debt relief.
Read More »Watershed: Shining Example
After decades of pollution suffocated Tampa Bay and killed half its seagrass and much of its marine life, unprecedented political cooperation and hundreds of science-guided projects brought the estuary back to life.
Read More »Bill permitting development on manatees’ food source stalls in Legislature
TAMPA, Fla. – Environmental advocates are encouraged that a bill to open Florida’s seagrass beds to development – which could be devastating for the dwindling manatee population – has only a slim chance of passing the Legislature this session. “We would be destroying what little seagrass we have left in …
Read More »Rural Florida pharmacies struggling, worsened by pandemic
Two other reasons small, rural pharmacies across the country are struggling to keep doors open: insurance company practices and the pandemic.
Read More »New Alachua County conservation land provides a wildlife corridor for black bears, other species
Alachua County's newest conservation effort will protect what county officials call a vital wildlife corridor.
Read More »Gainesville City Commission pledges COVID-19 relief dollars
The Gainesville City Commission met Monday to decide how to spend what remains of $32 million in federal relief money, reviewing scores of proposals but approving just four projects costing a combined $4 million.
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