Government and politics

Children testifying in court in abuse, abandonment and neglect cases would be allowed the help of therapy animals under a bill passed Thursdays by the Florida House.

Ultimate Towing of Gainesville's owner Steve O’Grady announced last week that he wants to stop using spotters at the Sun Center downtown but can't until the city changes its rules on tow companies having photographic evidence of violators.

A bill (SB 80) that would crack down on abuses of Florida's public records law has passed the state Senate, and a similar bill is moving through the House.

Gainesville Regional Utilities General Manager Ed Bielarski made his case to the Alachua County commission Tuesday night for GRU's $750 million purchase of the biomass plant in the city, saying that the purchase will result in utility-rate reductions of 8 to 10 percent for GRU customers.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate returned to his hometown of Gainesville after stepping down when the Trump administration took office in January. Fugate sat down with WUFT News this week to talk about his experiences and the future of disaster response. The interview is available at WUFT.org.

More growers, access to treatment for snowbirds, and greater flexibility in the relationship between patients and doctors are among the items likely to be included in a new proposal from the Florida Senate to carry out a constitutional amendment approved by voters in November to broadly legalize medical marijuana.

Motorcyclist Ahmed Elkhaldy is spending the year riding his bike across the country in an effort to raise money for Syrian orphans and spread awareness of Islam. He has raised about $250,000 for the orphans so far.