By Matthew Peddie – WMFE Space shuttle Discovery departed Florida for the last time on the back of a 747 transportation jet.  WMFE’s Matthew Peddie reports, the NASA staff who worked on Discovery and the astronauts who flew on her final mission to the international space station have mixed feelings about …

Among the possible ideas a proposed Marion County tax would fund, School Board Vice Chair Ron Crawford says an alternative school is at the top of the list. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/news/files/2012/04/crawford5edit.mp3] Marion County residents will vote on a property tax increase this fall, and Crawford says the board hopes to decide on …

A Santa Fe College student is claiming self defense after killing his roommate last night. Investigators are still working on the case, and charges have yet to be filed.  Gainesville Police Department Spokeswoman Angelina Valuri says Jude Rizzo told authorities he shot his roommate Micheal Crace at Mill Run apartment complex …

This weekend, another Dance Marathon raised more than 800K for the Children’s Miracle Network, which helps UF Shands Childrens Hospital.  WUFT-TV’s Bailey Myers reports. [jwplayer config=”News-video” file=”wuftnews/20120402-DanceMarathon.mp4″]

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission is investigating a fatal airboat accident that occured Tuesday morning on the Rodman Reservoir in Putnam County.  According to a FWC news release, Phillip Howard Taylor, 64, of Hawthorne, was operating the airboat and was killed.  The airboat took a sharp right turn …

The Alachua County Commission has approved a motion to let the Sheriff’s office to continue to manage the correctional facility, allowing the Sheriff’s office to hire new staff members.  Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Bryan Garcia spoke earlier today with Sheriff Sadie Darnell about the agreement. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/media/audio/DarnellQA3272012.mp3]

Day two of the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando brought the head of the Federal Emergency Management Administration to speak with state and regional officials.  Craig Fugate, who was once the head of the Alachua County Emergency Operations Center, told those gathered today to forget the past, focus on the …

University of Florida Press Release: Friends, family and colleagues are remembering the creator, and innovator of the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute.  William Luttge has passed away from cancer on Saturday.  Luttge devoted his life to bringing researchers together to have a more comprehensive research facility at …

By Sarah Gonzalez – WLRN It’s been almost a month since self-appointed neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin — an unarmed black teenager.  Martin’s death has inspired a national debate about race and justice.  But at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, where Trayvon Martin …

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the south of Mexico. Effects were felt all the way in Mexico City and Acapulco. But as a professor of geology at the University of Florida Mark Panning says, earthquakes in that area are common. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/media/audio/Panning1Mexico.mp3] Even though the epicenter is at a common location …