WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
There was little information from the affected islands, though officials expected many residents to be left homeless.
Read More »Record-Setting Hurricane Dorian Keeps Pounding North Bahamas
Tolls Lifted As Devastating Dorian Remains A Threat
Tolls were suspended Sunday on Florida’s Turnpike and other roads in South Florida and Central Florida, as local mandatory evacuation orders started and large portions of the state’s East Coast continued to face threats from catastrophic Hurricane Dorian. With Dorian churning westward Sunday afternoon less than a couple of hundred …
Read More »Sandy Soil And Rising Seas Spell Septic Tank Disaster In Florida
By Brendan Rivers Communities across Florida are already grappling with aging septic tanks, which leak into groundwater and are considered a leading cause of toxic algae blooms. As sea level rise is expected to worsen that situation, the state and cities are beginning to tackle the expensive task of converting septic systems to sewer or newer septic technologies. It’s no small challenge. Floridians are estimated to be using 2.6 million septic systems, most of them the conventional variety with two
Read More »ACLU Sues Over Florida Law That Requires Felons To Pay Fees, Fines Before Voting
The ACLU says the new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis creates "two classes of returning citizens: those who are wealthy enough to vote and those who cannot afford to."
Read More »DeSantis Signs Budget, Vetoes $131 Million
Gov. Ron DeSantis used his line-item veto power to slash more than $131 million in proposed spending Friday as he signed a record $90.98 billion budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Calling the package “fiscally responsible,” the freshman governor praised lawmakers for exceeding his request for spending …
Read More »DeSantis Redistributes Election Security Money
A month after learning Russian hackers breached elections systems in two Florida counties in 2016, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday said his administration is focused on identifying “any vulnerabilities” ahead of next year’s elections. The Republican governor announced he is redistributing $2.3 million in election-security money that went unspent by …
Read More »Florida Deputy Charged For Inaction During Parkland Shooting
Scot Peterson was on duty as the resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on the day of the February 2018 shooting but never entered the building while bullets were flying.
Read More »Storm Season Could Be Met With ‘Skittishness’
Saturday marks the start of the six-month long Atlantic hurricane season, and with the destruction of Hurricane Michael still visible, Florida residents may have a heightened sense of skittishness when it comes to perceived hurricane threats.
Read More »Sheriffs Sign On To Help With Immigration Enforcement
The number of Florida sheriffs who have signed agreements to participate in federal programs designed to catch undocumented immigrants in county jails has tripled, and there are currently 15 local law-enforcement agencies participating in federal immigration programs.
Read More »DeSantis Orders Elections Security Review
Eight days after being notified that Russia hacked into two Florida county's election records during the 2016 election, Gov. DeSantis directed the Secretary of State to conduct a review of the security of state and county elections systems.
Read More »