University of Florida students have until Dec. 15 to sign up for the opportunity to win $25,000 in the 2024 Big Idea Gator Business Plan Competition. Shelby Thomas, a Ph.D. student at UF, won the first-place prize of $25,000 in the 2023 competition, along with the $1,000 Best Social Impact …
Read More »A wet winter expected for Southeast, National Weather Service says
Weather patterns are changing entering the winter season, and this could continue to bring wetter conditions to the Southeast. A strong El Niño is already in place and is expected to strengthen. The National Weather Service says there is a one in three chance of a historically strong El …
Read More »Pickleball pro: one UF player’s journey to the big leagues
Django Chassang wants to dink for a living. The 20-year-old junior at the University of Florida follows much of the same lifestyle as his peers, but he tries to balance it with a career as a professional athlete. Chassang plays pickleball. Pickleball was America’s fastest growing sport in 2022 according …
Read More »‘Birds are citizens of the world’: Climate change affects bird migration
Every bird watcher’s dream is to find a species they wouldn’t normally see wandering through North Central Florida. Some encounters can be extraordinary enough to bring attention, said Felicia Lee, a current board member of the Alachua Audubon Society. That’s the case with the Common Merganser wandering across Alachua County …
Read More »Monkey business: Gainesville primate sanctuary builds hurricane-proof facilities
Golden Child, a male capuchin monkey, spent years of his life trapped in solitary confinement in a small metal cage in a laboratory where he was tested in iron-toxicity studies. Today, he receives permanent care at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary in North Gainesville, where more than 200 rescued monkeys are …
Read More »Angel’s Story: One family’s journey from Venezuela to Miami
No car is in the house’s driveway, only gravel dampened by rain. The living room is minimalistic, with a white leather couch backed against the wall and an old-fashioned clock hanging above it. The busted door does not close. The vehicles outside zoom over the wet asphalt, and it sounds …
Read More »North Central Florida support group brings hope to people with long COVID
Kimberly Moore, 55, of Interlachen, is in her second year with long COVID. After getting infected for the first time, her life hasn’t been the same. “Before COVID, I was chopping down trees, building a deck, working 10 hours a day, coming home and dealing with all my animals,” Moore …
Read More »The Point, Oct. 24, 2023: Pro-Palestinian protesters gather near UF
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Pro-Palestinian protesters rally near UF entrance for Israel’s de-occupation of Palestine. “Laila Fakhoury, a Palestinian business owner, led the protest near the northwest entrance to the University of Florida campus …
Read More »The Point, Oct. 18, 2023: UF conducts first open-heart surgery on a dog
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: UF conducts first open-heart surgery on dog in U.S. “The 12-year-old miniature poodle, named George, spent seven hours on the operation table and a week in the intensive care unit.” …
Read More »New Florida law lifts ban on all dog breeds, pit bulls remain controversial
In 1989, 7-year-old Melissa Moreira underwent facial reconstruction surgery after being severely attacked by a neighbor’s pit bull. Shortly after, Miami-Dade County banned all pit bulls. At the time, pit bull advocacy organizations across the state mourned. Pit bull foster and adoption groups felt the breed was being unfairly targeted …
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