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The year so far
With the year half over, much has happened so far in 2024. Here are some of the top stories from the first six months of the year.
• HCA Florida North Florida Hospital abruptly suspended all surgeries amid concerns over sterile equipment, a suspension that lasted over two weeks and ended in an inspection from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. The hospital eventually got a clean checkup from the state, and also later removed its surgical vice president.
• The push to convert Newberry's public schools into public charter schools was met with opposition from some parents and teachers, and ended in a close teacher vote. While the city is going forward with converting Newberry Elementary School, the middle and high schools will not be converted. Later, a spokesperson from Newberry Education First, the organization pushing to convert the city's schools, was arrested on charges of soliciting a minor for sex.
• The ongoing drama with Gainesville Regional Utilities continued in March when all the members of the governor-appointed GRU Authority Board resigned. Gainesville city commissioners then discussed putting the question of GRU's governance to the voters with a ballot referendum. In May, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed new members to the authority, including former general manager Ed Bielarski, who opposed the ballot referendum. Bielarski is once again the utility's general manager, following a vote last month to put him back in the position.
• Gainesville city officials held a press conference in early April stating that the University of Florida was pulling its share of the funding for the Regional Transit System, a move that UF called a "major misunderstanding." This confusion happened in the wake of RTS turning 50 years old this year.
• Pro-Palestinian protests continued on UF's campus, resulting in the arrest of nine protesters. All were later released from jail. DeSantis held a press conference shortly afterward on UF campus to laud law enforcement and universities' responses to campus protests across the state.
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Environment and Agriculture
• Miracle cure or wishful thinking? Research using oak leaves on citrus trees to combat citrus greening has been fruitful so far. Some growers say it’s been a lifesaver, but others say it’s not enough.
• March of the Mangroves: Mangroves, once axed for development, are expanding across Florida due to climate change. Will Floridians learn to live with the iconic coastal tree?
• The tree’s truth: Longleaf pine conservation is considered a key part of climate resilience for Florida and the Southeast. But when it comes to climate change, longleaf pines are not out of the woods.
• The new natives: Climate change is pushing Florida’s native marine species into new regions across the state. You can call them the new natives.
• USDA Agriculture Census: Both the number of farms and total acreage of farms in the US and Florida decreased between the previous census in 2017 and 2022. But Alachua County’s numbers increased.
• From farm not to table: Sanctuaries in Alachua County provide refuge to farm animals in need.
Other stories this year
• Gainesville’s forgotten history: Birthplace of the women’s rights movement
• ‘Student loophole’ in Florida’s Live Local Act exacerbates Gainesville’s financial issues
• An unexpected danger: the dark side of pickleball
• Candlelight vigil honors the victims of the Marion County bus crash
• UF employee, students implicated in illegal plot to ship drugs, toxins to China
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.