The Rev. Christe Lunsford knew from a young age they had a spiritual calling. After growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, Lunsford, now 55, began seminary preparatory school at 19 years old. But when they came out as transgender, they were met with opposition that pushed them away from organized religion …
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Seven-year-old Ranessamae Rinehart could not contain her excitement after sitting on Santa’s lap at the Ocala Town Square gazebo recently. She asked Santa for Legos bricks and sparkly shoes with bows on them. As several other families waited in line for their turn to meet the old man with the …
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Williston point guard Greg Maxwell is determined to prove his doubters wrong. “They think everything is going to be given to me because of my last name,” he said. Greg is the nephew of two-time NBA champion Vernon Maxwell. Yet, he wants people to know that he’s worked hard for …
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For one Gainesville bus driver, it’s the holiday season year-round. January through December, Steven Sowders displays “happy holidays” on his bus header to celebrate a national holiday, big or small, every day. Sowders has worked for the Gainesville Regional Transit System for nearly eight years. For most of that time, …
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In partnership with Winn Dixie, Pepsi donated $50,000 to the Alan and Cathy Hitchcock Field and Fork Pantry. The donations came in the form of $20,000 in Winn Dixie gift cards donated by Pepsi, as well as $5,000 in groceries courtesy of Winn Dixie. According to the University of Florida’s …
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If you walk past Nellie ‘Sunshine’ Eshleman home this holiday season, you’ll hear the strum of a cello, a piano to the tune of ‘Carol of the Bells’ and the timbre of violins. You’ll also hear her cheers, reassurances and laughs. Her home, Sunshine Music Studio, is the musical escape …
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Members of the Jewish community at the University of Florida are standing together with support from peers, parents, faculty and alumni in the weeks after an antisemitic message was displayed at a football game. Rabbi Jonah Zinn said he received texts from many disturbed students on Oct. 29. That night, …
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For Raef Slim, the worst part is the rain. Slim moved to Gainesville from Lebanon last year and still takes issue with the new climate. “It’s so hot, and then suddenly it rains,” he said. “What happened?” But on a sunny day in November, Slim spends most of the day …
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A shout of joy echoes through Idylwild Elementary School’s media center every Thursday afternoon, as anywhere from 15 to 20 kids run into the room. Fifteen minutes before the double doors burst open, Alexa Tierney, Holly Buss and the rest of Eastside High School’s ReadSquad are setting up shop. The …
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Food banks and pantries in Alachua County are facing more challenges than usual this season thanks to a rise in the price of groceries, the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and an increase in demand.
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WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville