WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Florida Politics: Joe Harding indicted on wire fraud, money laundering charges. “Harding, an Ocala Republican recently elected to his second term representing District 24, was released Wednesday on a $10,000 bond.” • …
Read More »Florida beekeepers rally community in Hurricane Ian recovery efforts
B. Keith Councell is a beekeeper stripped of his bees – 2,800 of them spread across his farms in Arcadia, Cape Coral, Pine Island and Fort Myers. His honeybees were among the 400,000 Florida bee colonies in Hurricane Ian’s path in September. Ian decimated 100,000 total hives, which were toppled and drowned in 12-foot storm surges as high as eight beehives. The state’s surviving bees were left starving from the storm’s destruction of foliage, the bees' source of energy and protein. Deprived of bees, feed and equipment, beekeepers have found relief among themselves.
Read More »Survivors of Hurricane Ian can now apply for state-led housing assistance and home repairs
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) have announced several new forms of housing assistance for survivors of Hurricane Ian, including the first ever state-led housing assistance program. This comes two weeks after DeSantis launched the Unite Florida Hurricane Recovery Portal, which FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie …
Read More »A local cemetery in Cedar Key finds shocking discoveries about its history
CEDAR KEY, Fla. — Hurricanes are destructive forces of nature that take with it memories, valuables and for this Florida city, its history. The Cedar Key Historical Society started research on the Cedar Key Cemetery five years ago, where they found out that 30 unmarked graves were located there. Thirty …
Read More »Weathering the storm: Homeless Micanopy couple spent two hurricanes in a tent
Of the thousands of motorists who drive southbound Interstate 75 every day, hundreds take the Exit 374 ramp toward Micanopy, and they all pass Sharon James and Tim Rader. James and Rader have been “off and on” homeless for over 20 years and have been in Florida since 2016. They spend their days panhandling at the exit and return to their tent in the woods at night, where they weathered Hurricane Ian and Tropical Storm Nicole.
Read More »The Point, Dec. 1, 2022: Gators backup quarterback arrested on child porn charges
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Florida Gators backup quarterback faces child pornography charges, suspended from team indefinitely. “Gainesville police said Kitna, 19, of Burleson, Texas, shared two illegal images with other internet users over the …
Read More »2022 Atlantic hurricane season ends, breaking the six-year streak of above-normal seasons
The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season ends Nov. 30 with a final tally of 14 named storms, eight hurricanes and two major hurricanes. Originally expected to be an above-average season, this year’s season wraps up as the first near-average season since 2015. The last six years have seen a streak of …
Read More »The Point, Nov. 28, 2022: Florida reinsurance rates increasing
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville homeless campers told to move by Dec. 1. “The camp is a microcosm of both this year’s housing crisis and the cracks in the local shelter system. Its uncertain future hints …
Read More »Food banks in Alachua County facing new barriers this season
Food banks and pantries in Alachua County are facing more challenges than usual this season thanks to a rise in the price of groceries, the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and an increase in demand.
Read More »The Point, Nov. 23, 2022: SBAC swears in first all-female board
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: SBAC swears in first all-female board. “At a special meeting on Tuesday, Certain, a returning board member, along with three new members, Diyonne McGraw, Sarah Rockwell, and Kay Abbitt, …
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