Some people bring their kids or their dogs to work, but Becky Goodman snuck a squirrel into the office every day. She works full time for a local tech company and owns a business building nesting boxes for squirrels to fund all 80 in her care. And she does all …
Read More »A perfect storm leaves Perry residents fearing the future
PERRY, Fla. – After a hurricane rolls through, a city’s usual worries are cleaning up and rebuilding. Perry wasn’t so lucky. Less than three weeks after Hurricane Idalia hit the town of less than 7,000 people, Perry’s biggest employer announced it would permanently close on Nov. 16. The Georgia-Pacific (GP) …
Read More »A new project looks to create permanent homes as Gainesville grapples with finding temporary housing for the homeless
Alachua County is struggling with the homeless population in Gainesville. However, the Alachua County Commission proposed to buy the Scottish Inn, a local motel in town, and turn it into a permanent supportive housing facility for homeless people. Gainesville has 625 homeless people, as of a 2022 count. To house …
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 »The Point, Nov. 17, 2023: Second LGBTQ book removed from Alachua County schools
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: School district removes LGTBQ book over objection despite question whether complaint was validly filed. “The Alachua County school district removed another LGBTQ title from its libraries this week, despite issues …
Read More »The Point, Nov. 15, 2023: Searchers find plane that crashed in Paynes Prairie
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Neighbors release new chemical test results from area surrounding old Clay County mining site. “The nation’s largest homebuilder has proposed plans to build townhomes on a property bordering an abandoned …
Read More »Neighbors release new chemical test results from area surrounding old Clay County mining site
The nation’s largest homebuilder has proposed plans to build townhomes on a property bordering an abandoned Clay County mining facility with a history of chemical contamination. The Russell Road Land Trust is the new owner of the 78 acres sandwiched between the mining site, owned by Stoneridge Farms, and Russell …
Read More »Residents who oppose golf course development left waiting after commission meeting
Approximately 20 community members spoke at last Tuesday’s policy discussion at Alachua County Administration headquarters to voice their concerns about the development of a proposed golf course in southwest Gainesville. The meeting lasted approximately three hours and ended with the commission approving a special area study, which outlines the minimum …
Read More »The Point, Nov. 9, 2023: Third GOP debate: What you need to know
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Firefighters rescue chickens, dogs, rabbits, goats, ferret in burning home. “Firefighters in Crystal River extinguished a fire at a rural home Tuesday and rescued 15 chickens, six dogs, six rabbits, …
Read More »A difficult path: How volunteers, waste workers save old books from going to the landfill
It’s been almost a week since Alachua County’s Friends of the Library fall book sale ended, but for volunteers and book lovers alike, the hardest part of the work is just beginning: throwing away books into the dumpster. “Paperback books that can’t be sold are recycled,” said Ellen Smith, a …
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