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 »Walldogs murals enrich culture of downtown High Springs
From Kentucky to Scotland, over 100 volunteer artists have joined from across the world to bring color to downtown High Springs during the Walldogs Dive Into High Springs mural and history festival. Comprised of technical sign painters, an international community called the Walldogs are routinely tasked to craft intricate, large-scale …
Read More »Effort to protect abandoned African American cemeteries stalled last year; things are different now
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. – An effort in Florida’s Legislature to repair and preserve abandoned and historic cemeteries throughout the state – including lost Black burial grounds – is making strides among lawmakers this year after similar measures stalled in 2022. The legislation over abandoned and historic cemeteries would enact recommendations …
Read More »Two months after UF discouraged use of TikTok, students remain on the social media platform
University of Florida students admit they continue to use the TikTok app more than two months after UF discouraged the use of the app on campus.
Read More »UF President Ben Sasse on strategic plan
University of Florida President Ben Sasse says the process to craft a new strategic plan will begin this summer. He made the announcement at Friday’s board of trustees meeting. Sasse covered a wide range of points he thinks the university needs to address. He says the items come from his …
Read More »Fahrenheit 352? What Alachua County educators are saying about book removals
Even as national attention focuses on Florida and other states controlling what books students can read, some Alachua County teachers haven’t faced any issues with certain books being removed from public schools. Jay Winter Collins, a part-time teacher at W.A. Metcalfe Elementary School and children’s book illustrator, said if her …
Read More »High Springs Commissioners postpone talks on residents’ request to ban single-use plastic
A group of High Springs residents will have to wait for the High Springs City Commission to resume its discussion of whether to ban the use of plastic straws and carry-out containers in all establishments in the city. The commission said it will revisit the issue at an as-yet unscheduled strategic planning session.
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 »Gainesville’s kratom community weighs in on state legislation to raise the minimum age to 21
CLARIFICATION: This article has been updated to clarify statements from Mai Kai to show they do not serve kratom to minors. ___ The Florida Legislature’s second recent endeavor in regulating kratom, an herbal extract that creates effects similar to stimulants and sedatives, won unanimous approval in the House of Representatives …
Read More »House bill proposes to drop gun-buying age to 18
Republican Florida House of Representatives Bobby Payne, Palatka, and Tyler Sirois, Merritt Island, are cosponsoring HB 1543, which proposes to reduce the minimum age at which a person may purchase, sell or transfer a firearm from 21 to 18. The measure is headed to the Criminal Justice Subcommittee for discussion March 13.
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