With dozens of vacancies across different local agencies, Alachua County has not been immune to national law enforcement recruitment challenges. As local law enforcement applicant pools dwindle, agencies in Alachua County are launching new efforts to combat recruiting struggles and strengthen their relationship with the community. The Alachua County Sheriff’s …
Read More »UF’s concrete canoe team aims for fourth national title
When Jackson Carcaba, a third-year civil engineering major at the University of Florida, enrolled at the university in 2020, he had to find a way to get involved in his field in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The university assigned him a mentor who he said was a member …
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 »As Tax Day nears, free help is available through AARP and United Way
Tax Day is next Tuesday, April 18, and for seniors and other residents with modest income there’s free help available for filing those federal income taxes. The IRS teams up with nonprofit organizations like the United Way and AARP to assist taxpayers through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling …
Read More »UF bans TikTok on campus amid broader social media crackdown in Florida’s Capitol
The University of Florida’s decision this week to ban TikTok effective immediately from its campus networks and college-owned devices occurred amid broader bipartisan efforts in Florida’s Legislature to limit or prohibit students in public schools from using social media. UF said it planned to start actively blocking use of TikTok …
Read More »A Gainesville-based nonprofit seeks volunteers to work in Colombia’s poor neighborhoods
The student volunteer program Children Beyond Our Borders seeks applicants interested in working in poor communities in Medellín, Colombia, this summer. The deadline to apply for the Bound For Peace program is March 24.
Read More »Chess grows more popular, with chess.com experiencing server issues due to high user volume
After a busy morning of classes, Ross Wolpert, a student at the University of Florida, returns to his off-campus house. He calls up his friend, brings his chess board to his front lawn, and awaits his challenger. “Chess has been able to keep me mentally awake,” Wolpert says. “It strengthens …
Read More »Residents asked to review Santa Fe Watershed Flood Risk maps
The Suwannee River Water Management District has completed a flood-risk review of the Santa Fe River Watershed. Residents in parts of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Suwannee, and Union counties may be impacted by the updated flood maps. Engineer Mary Diaz says it’s time for residents to review the initial maps. …
Read More »Stop the scroll: Pressure builds to ban TikTok on Florida campuses
Is TikTok dead for Florida college students? The University of Florida is warning there is a “strong possibility” it will ban TikTok from its wired and wireless computer networks on campus. That would effectively block access to the popular social media platform for students and faculty in dormitories, classrooms, lecture …
Read More »Meet the 17-year-old helping young women embrace their Inner Value
Many people can claim they want to change the world one day. But not many of them have the blueprints for success in their communities. And very few of them, like Sophia Vernon, are 17 years old. Vernon, a senior at Buchholz High School, is the founder of BEING-Inner Value, …
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