Amid the flurry of changes to Florida public school curriculum before the beginning of the academic year, a new set of curricula, published by PragerU, has emerged as approved content for public school teachers in the state. It’s unclear whether the content — controversial because it is seen as conservative-leaning …
Read More »‘Choose Peace’: Gainesville to host gun violence summit to address deaths and violence in the community
Gainesville will host a two-day summit to address the high gun violence rates sweeping the city. The summit, titled “Choose Peace: Gun Violence Must Cease,” will be held Sunday and Monday and seeks to address the nuances and logistical issues facing gun-violence prevention. The event aims to bring community stakeholders …
Read More »After helping prevent extinctions for 50 years, the Endangered Species Act itself may be in peril
SHARON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Biologist Ashley Wilson carefully disentangled a bat from netting above a tree-lined river and examined the wriggling, furry mammal in her headlamp’s glow. “Another big brown,” she said with a sigh. It was a common type, one of many Wilson and colleagues had snagged on …
Read More »What’s happening with GRU? Here’s an explainer as its control shifts to new authority
A timeline of mounting debt, the biomass plant and a power struggle With Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signing of a bill last month appointing an independent board to oversee Gainesville Regional Utilities, customers may be wondering about the future of the city’s utility company. If the headlines about GRU from the …
Read More »Levy County prepares to end yearslong debate to block horse manure composting facilities
After years of research and public debate, the Levy County Commission has voted to add new ordinances to the land-use code and block commercial composting facilities that use farm animal waste from operating in the county.
Read More »Gainesville files lawsuit against GRU control law
TALLAHASSEE — The city of Gainesville has launched a wide-ranging constitutional challenge to a new state law that overhauled control of the region’s municipal utility, including saying it could violate bond agreements. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Leon County circuit court, seeks to block a law that created the Gainesville …
Read More »Another ‘broken promise’: Blues Creek Residents wait, oppose proposed rezoning development plan
Flooding has been an issue in the Blues Creek neighborhood since its beginning. Now, residents must wait even longer to have their concerns addressed. Blues Creek is a small community tucked away in Gainesville’s northwest corner with wetlands surrounding the quiet bustling of families with young children and pets. The …
Read More »Harris targets Florida rules on Black history pushed by DeSantis
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is making a last-minute trip to Florida on Friday to tackle changes to the state’s education standards that critics say play down the horror of slavery. It’s the latest example of how Harris has been the White House point person for addressing cultural …
Read More »Cox Communications extends its high-speed internet coverage to Archer
Cox Communications made waves in Archer on Wednesday morning touting its launch of high-speed internet access to the rural community. Its expansion efforts are part of the company’s goal of bringing broadband to underserved rural communities. The expansion includes gigabit internet speeds that the company says will reliably serve the …
Read More »Florida’s Black history education standards were approved amid criticism
TALLAHASSEE — The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved new academic standards for instruction about African American history, after numerous teachers from across Florida objected to the changes and asked the board to put the proposal on hold. Meanwhile, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. pushed back on assertions by …
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