Justin Ross
Justin is a reporter who can be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.
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The USDA expects total peanut production by U.S. farmers in 2015 to surpass that of 2014 by almost a billion pounds as a side effect of the 2014 Farm Bill.
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Gainesville holds a special connection to National Bat Appreciation Month, housing one of the largest bat houses in North America and a thriving bat population. Bats influence local agriculture by removing pests and dropping seeds that promote regrowth.
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Florida was named the sixth-best state in the country when it comes to assimilating Hispanics into American society. The rankings were based on the state's ability to assimilate Hispanics into American cultural, educational and economic systems.
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Researchers tested 19 different types of blueberries, which were ranked based on overall liking, texture, sweetness, sourness and flavor intensity to determine what type of blueberry people liked and which type would produce consistent results when grown in different environments.
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The month of September is National Honey Month, which marks the end of honey collection for most beekeepers across America. Florida consistently ranks top five for honey production in the country and is seeing an increase in the number of bee colonies in the past 8 years. As a result, the state generates a $13 million annual honey profit.
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The Gainesville City Commission voted to accept the city auditor's report on the financial discrepancies between GRU and Gainesville Renewable Energy Center. GRU customers will continue to pay at the high rates until the conflict is resolved.
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University of Florida researchers have begun developing mouthguards aimed at monitoring player vitals, including concussions, dehydration and heat stroke. The mouthguards are in the prototype phase, and researchers hope to begin testing next year.
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The city of Gainesville and the Florida Department of Transportation are proposing new programs to cut down on bicycle deaths and improve safety conditions for cyclists and pedestrians. The Centers for Disease Control recently published a report that shows Florida had the highest bicycle deaths rate in the country from 2008-2012.