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 Special Report: Living on the Edge: Hurricane Ian barreled into the barrier islands of Southwest Florida six months ago, on Sept. 28th 2022. Beginning today, we’re publishing “Living on the …
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 »‘Eco Chase Challenge’ seeks to further conservation and sustainability
The Alachua County Office of Waste Alternatives is inviting residents to participate in a two-month environmental scavenger hunt that began Feb. 22 and will conclude on April 22, which is Earth Day. “Eco Chase Challenge – The Race Against Waste” will welcome up to 50 teams, with up to five …
Read More »Florida residents being dropped by private insurance companies turn to state-backed insurer
Florida’s state-backed insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., is becoming more popular as many Florida residents are dropped by their private insurance companies. Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance predicts to hit a record with nearly 2 million policies in 2023. John Darr, an insurance agent at Darr Schackow Insurance Agency, said navigating …
Read More »Then and now: How DeSantis’ State of State speeches have changed
For the first State of the State address of his second term on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis is kicking off the Florida legislative session in a much different position than he was four years ago. When DeSantis took office in 2019, he had defeated his Democratic opponent Andrew Gillum by …
Read More »Liftoff: Science projects by students from 5 Florida schools headed to space
Watch above: WUFT reporter Elena Barrera produced this video report. OCALA, Fla. – What started out as a group project turned into one middle school student getting her science experiment a seat to the International Space Station, one of five such projects headed to space from schools across Florida. Collins …
Read More »Alachua County Schools see ESOL population bounce back from the pandemic
The number of English for Speakers of Other Languages students in Alachua County increased by more than 100 in 2022 from the previous year, when it dropped during the pandemic. Most ESOL students speak Spanish as their first language.
Read More »The Point, Feb. 24, 2023: Florida executes first prisoner since 2019
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Protestors sang and prayed outside Florida State Prison as Donald Dillbeck was executed. “Schoolchildren, teachers, advocates and attorneys gathered across the street from the prison holding red and black signs …
Read More »The family learning center at Metcalfe Elementary aims to narrow the achievement gap in east Gainesville
Renovation work continues on the Early Learning Center at Metcalf Elementary School, which is expected to open in June. GNV4ALL is organizing public service campaigns to reach parents in need of the services the learning center will offer.
Read More »Only in Florida? Family’s pool shaped like six-shooter gun
ODESSA, Fla. – The swimming pool in the backyard of Louis Minardi’s home near Tampa may be distinctive to Florida: The custom-built pool is shaped like a six-shooter revolver, in a state made famous – sometimes infamous – by guns, gun politics and gun culture. “Neighbors that have bought houses …
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