As the rest of Florida moves on after Hurricane Idalia, Suwannee County remains devastated. The areas impacted the most house chickens and crops, specifically peanuts and hay. Officials are worried about the recovery response and hope to receive outside help. Chicken houses in Live Oak, Florida, were destroyed by wind …
Read More »Gainesville accepts $8 million award to make University Ave safer
Four-year-old Dylan Roberts was crossing East University Avenue when he was hit by a car Oct. 27, 2021. Almost two years after his death, the city he called home accepted an award to improve pedestrian safety. The Gainesville City Commission accepted an $8 million award from the U.S. Department of …
Read More »The Point, Sept. 18, 2023: East Gainesville gets a half million-dollar HUD grant
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: HUD grant money to go toward improvements in East Gainesville. “Gainesville is one of the 14 cities nationwide that will receive a Housing and Urban Development neighborhood planning grant.” • …
Read More »Steinhatchee scalloping to suffer
Steinchatchee: a small, quiet riverside town known for its scalloping. It’s now flooded, muddy and littered with debris. Sludge normally trapped on the river’s bottom has muddied the crystal-clear water, now spotted with dead fish, furniture and vegetation. But Jody Griffis, owner of the Steinhatchee Marina at Deadman Bay, said …
Read More »DeSantis requests aid for Big Bend fishing industries
Governor Ron DeSantis requested assistance for North Central Florida’s fishing industry to repair damage from Hurricane Idalia. He wrote a letter on Wednesday to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to issue a federal fisheries declaration providing federal funding for offshore, nearshore and inshore fisheries to rebuild. In DeSantis’ letter, he …
Read More »The Point, Aug. 31, 2023: Idalia’s aftermath
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. Hurricane Idalia • WUFT News: Photos capture aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in Perry and Cedar Key. “WUFT photojournalists made their way to Cedar Key and Perry to report on the damage following the arrival Wednesday morning of …
Read More »A small Florida town on the Gulf Coast braces for Idalia’s impact
Prepare for the worst and pray for the best is the mantra of those in Steinhatchee, a riverside town that meets the Gulf just north of Cedar Key. It’s expected to experience major storm surge from Hurricane Idalia. Taylor County commissioner Michael Newman is urging residents to get to safety. …
Read More »Democrat announces challenge to Sen. Rick Scott in Florida
TALLAHASSEE — Former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, an immigrant born in Ecuador who served one term in Congress, entered the race Tuesday to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott in 2024. The announcement made Mucarsel-Powell the top name in a Democratic field that includes former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson and …
Read More »The Point, Aug. 18, 2023: Gainesville commission debates open container ordinance
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. Today’s Florida stories • Mainstreet Daily News: Mayor provides swing vote on open container motion. “The ordinance, created by general government and police department staff, aimed to break a commission stalemate from March while helping law enforcement …
Read More »The Point, Aug. 9, 2023: One year of 988, DeSantis campaign shuffle, ‘Barbie’ makes $1 billion
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: 988 hotline, one year later: mental health professionals talk positives and pitfalls. “Erin Brooker Lozott has worked in the field of autism and mental health for 29 years. She answers …
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