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: LGBTQ book that was put back on shelf removed again after new challenges. “The Alachua County school district has removed the same LGBTQ book it had previously put back into …
Read More »Florida discontinues manatee winter feeding program after seagrass conditions improve
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A two-year experimental feeding program for starving Florida manatees will not immediately resume this winter as conditions have improved for the threatened marine mammals and the seagrass on which they depend, wildlife officials said. Thousands of pounds of lettuce were fed to manatees that typically …
Read More »The Point, Dec. 4, 2023: School district returns LGBTQ book to library shelf
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: School district reverses decision, putting LGBTQ book back on library shelf. “The district said it now deems the complaint about the book invalid after concluding the woman who challenged it …
Read More »Wildlife rehabbers may be in jeopardy with new rules from Florida Fish and Wildlife
Some people bring their kids or their dogs to work, but Becky Goodman snuck a squirrel into the office every day. She works full time for a local tech company and owns a business building nesting boxes for squirrels to fund all 80 in her care. And she does all …
Read More »‘Birds are citizens of the world’: Climate change affects bird migration
Every bird watcher’s dream is to find a species they wouldn’t normally see wandering through North Central Florida. Some encounters can be extraordinary enough to bring attention, said Felicia Lee, a current board member of the Alachua Audubon Society. That’s the case with the Common Merganser wandering across Alachua County …
Read More »FWC considers ‘greater flexibility’ in gator hunting
A limited number of alligator hunters could get special permits that would expand where they can hunt, under a proposal that state wildlife officials are considering. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at a Dec. 5 meeting in Orlando will take up a proposal that would lead to a …
Read More »School district removes LGBTQ book over objection despite question whether complaint was validly filed
Why we reported this story the way we did This news article covers the Alachua County Public Schools’ removal of an LGBTQ title from the Eastside High School library. The story explains why the book was removed and describes passages from the book that the district determined run afoul of …
Read More »Florida’s corals rescued from one of the worst bleaching events are back to the ocean
When the potentially record-high heat wave swept Florida in July, thousands of corals were rescued and relocated to land-based facilities to avoid bleaching. Now as the temperature drops to normal levels, healthy corals are ready to go back to their offshore nurseries. Bleaching may be deadly for corals. When water …
Read More »Residents who oppose golf course development left waiting after commission meeting
Approximately 20 community members spoke at last Tuesday’s policy discussion at Alachua County Administration headquarters to voice their concerns about the development of a proposed golf course in southwest Gainesville. The meeting lasted approximately three hours and ended with the commission approving a special area study, which outlines the minimum …
Read More »Could toll breaks continue? DeSantis administration says maybe
As Gov. Ron DeSantis prepares proposals for the 2024 legislative session, continuing to give financial breaks to frequent users of toll roads could be on the table. Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez hinted at the issue Saturday as she spoke during the Republican Party of Florida’s “Freedom Summit” in Orlando. A …
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