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 • WUFT News: Two people hospitalized following collision on West University Avenue. “Two people were taken to the hospital around 6 p.m. Monday after the driver of a red Ford F-150 truck lost …
Read More »The Point, April 17, 2023: Fort Lauderdale deals with aftermath of flooding
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: GRU, Gainesville City Commission work to find way out of debt issues. “GRU General Manager Tony Cunningham opened the meeting by stating that he and other utility officials had worked …
Read More »Alachua County Board approves Water Conservation Month proclamation
WUFT · April is one of the driest periods of the year for Florida April is now Water Conservation Month in Alachua County. “Alachua County is seen as a leader in the field of water conservation,” said Stacie Greco, Water Conservation Coordinator at Alachua County Environmental Protection Department. “We …
Read More »Here’s what to know about the new mosquito species that was found in Florida
A new mosquito species has established itself in Florida, according to a new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology by faculty at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach. Since the study was published on March 22, …
Read More »Uh-oh. A new tropical mosquito has come to Florida. The buzz it’s creating isn’t good
MIAMI — There’s not a lot of love for mosquitoes in Florida. The pesky insects are unrelenting. Now there’s a new species that’s shown up and become established in Florida … and its arrival is concerning to scientists. The mosquito — known by its scientific name of Culex lactator — is typically …
Read More »Get ready for the Marion County Master Gardeners’ 2023 Spring Festival
For the 27th year, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Marion County Master Gardener Volunteers are hosting the Spring Festival. It’s an event that is always held on the second weekend in March. The 2023 Spring Festival is a two-day event at the Southeastern Livestock …
Read More »Invasive Cuban treefrog extends its presence in Florida
Cuban tree frogs are a native species of Cuba, the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas that came to the United States, more specifically Florida, in the 1920s. This species has had over a century to invade Florida ecosystems and negatively impact both human infrastructure and native species.
Read More »Alachua County will spend $2.5M in federal aid on a publicly-owned meat processing facility
The Alachua County Commission unanimously voted at a special meeting Tuesday to spend $2.5 million for a new United States Department of Agriculture-certified meat processing facility in Newberry. The $2.5 million is part of the $52.25 million in federal funds allocated to Alachua County through the American Rescue Plan Act, …
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 »Alachua County considers plan to partner with Newberry to establish new meat processing center
Alachua County is considering plans to partner with the City of Newberry to construct a new meat processing facility that will serve the entire county and potentially beyond. Alachua County officials want to reorganize the county's food supply lines to be more locally based and independent by constructing the meat processing center in Newberry. Plans for the new facility originate from concerns about the nationwide supply chain issues that have occurred since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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