ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — In Florida, this year has been a tale of two states as far as rainfall totals, with the southeast coast deluged by sometimes-record rainfall and much of the Gulf of Mexico coast facing a drought. Counties up and down Florida’s west side are under new …
Read More »Canada wildfires bring dangerous smoke levels to Florida
Low air quality levels are prompting alerts and advisories in Florida after smoke from wildfires in Canada is closing in on the Southeast. A smoky haze can be seen over Florida, and it is causing health concerns for residents. Air quality levels in the Tampa Bay area, Central Florida, the …
Read More »Gainesville moving forward with gun violence prevention task force
The Gainesville City Commission is moving forward with the creation of a gun violence prevention task force – slowly. Commissioners agree that it is needed, but also expressed concern with city staff taking on more work as budget cutting eliminates some positions. Mayor Harvey Ward said he wants to proceed cautiously to …
Read More »Recreational marijuana to be reviewed by Florida Supreme Court after voter petition
Randy Rembert started growing hemp four years ago at his Hawthorne farm. In April 2022, he applied for a medical marijuana cultivation license. If granted, he’ll join the 5% of Florida licensed hemp farm owners who are Black. The medical marijuana license will allow the fourth-generation farmer to sell recreational …
Read More »The Point, March 23, 2023: UF students still on TikTok despite email discouraging use
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Two months after UF discouraged use of TikTok, students remain on the social media platform. “On Jan. 12, the University of Florida sent out an email to all university students …
Read More »How women of the Gainesville Giving Garden nurture their community
WUFT · The Giving Garden In the lush pine forests of Maine, the seeds of the Gainesville Giving Garden were planted in the mind of a young girl. Meg Boria-Meyer, 28, is the founder of the Gainesville Giving Garden, 225 NW 12th Ave. She grew up in Maine with …
Read More »Volunteers on a Gainesville farm find joy in the harvest
It’s harvest day. Daniel Robleto and his wife, Aviva Asher, wake up at 7 a.m., brush their teeth, eat their breakfast and begin their morning harvest. Robleto and Asher, both 40, are co-owners of Nicoya Farm, a small vegetable farm in Gainesville. They devote their lives to providing organic food …
Read More »The Point, Feb. 9, 2023: East Gainesville fights landfill expansion – again
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: East Gainesville neighbors fight the expansion of a landfill in their backyard – again. “To the west of the landfill is Showers of Blessings church. To the north, an organic …
Read More »East Gainesville neighbors fight the expansion of a landfill in their backyard – again
The owner, Paul Florence, said he needed the expansion to accommodate expected debris in the coming years as Gainesville rapidly developed.
Read More »The Point, Jan. 18, 2023: Former Afghan pilot’s journey from Kabul to Jacksonville
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: After Taliban takeover, a former Afghan Air Force pilot recounts his journey from Kabul to Jacksonville. “It has been a year since Hakimullah Hamim, an Afghan refugee, arrived in Jacksonville. …
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