It may not be what comes to mind when you hear row, row, row your boat- it’s the sport of rowing.  WUFT-FM’S Corey Matthew looks at how this physically challenging sport is growing in popularity in North Central Florida. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/news/files/2011/10/Rowing-Feature1.mp3]

Progress Energy Florida and local emergency response agencies held a full scale simulation to practice emergency medical drills this morning.  The drill focused on the decontamination and transportation of patients from Progress Energy’s nuclear training center to Seven Rivers Hospital. Progress Florida Energy Spokeswoman Heather Danenhower says these drills are taken …

The nearly four-month-old Honey Prairie Fire in Georgia continues to grow. The supervisory refuge ranger at Okefenokee National wildlife refuge Art Webster says safety is their priority. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/media/audio/JRWebster.mp3] Webster adds that Gainesville residents might experience some smoke by Saturday.

UFPD monitors and protects spectators at every home football game and with the Gator’s first conference rivals coming to town this weekend we spoke with UFPD about the special security measures they take on game days. UFPD Assistant Director Brad Barber says planning and organization account for a majority of game day security. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/media/audio/Barber1.mp3] As …

A project to help homeless veterans in Alachua County has been stopped. The proposal to house homeless veterans at a former hotel at Newberry and Tower roads has been put on the shelf. County housing authority executive director Gail Monahan says there was too much opposition from area residents and …

Tropical Storm Maria formed in the central Atlantic today and has winds of 50 miles per hour. Conditions aren’t ideal for Maria for strengthen much over the next 48 hours, but current data suggests that Maria could become a weak hurricane over the weekend and pass just north of Puerto …

The department of orthopeadics and rehabilitation in the University of Florida College of Medicine has a new chairman. Mark T. Scarborough, M.D., is an orthopaedic oncologist and has been a member of UF faculty for 20 years. Scarborough says his vision is for the entire “department to grow and become one …

In December, Florida Governor Rick Scott asked Edwin Buss to head the Florida Department of Corrections. Scott even tasked Buss with spearheading the massive prison privatization effort across South Florida. But, as Sascha Cordner reports, during a Wednesday afternoon meeting, Buss offered his resignation to Scott and he accepted. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/media/audio/BussResigns0824ss.mp3]

The Florida Supreme Court says that the state can proceed with the execution of Manuel Valle, who killed a Coral Gables police officer 33 years ago. The court issued a stay last month until a lower court could hold a hearing on Valle’s claim that a new lethal injection drug …

The University of Florida plans to give staff members a 3% raise next month and is no longer persuing a 40-hour vacation-time-cut to pay for it,  that’s according to an e-mail sent today to employees.  Raises and benefit changes for faculty will be discussed later this fall and will start occuring in …