<i>Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is backing his party's aim to win additional county school board seats in November. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)</i> Republicans have managed to increase their party's control over all but 12 of Florida’s 67 county school boards, according to a new analysis of election data. The GOP’s control has increased from 44 counties to 55 in just a few years. Republicans are competing in November to pick up at least 23 more school board seats, which could give the GOP control over as many as five more school districts if their candidates are successful. The bo ..read more

The Gainesville Police Department and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office have been arresting more juveniles for first-time misdemeanor offenses rather than issuing citations. The changing pattern stems from the decreased frequency of youth dialogue meetings and difficulties in supporting at-risk youth programs, according to over a dozen interviews with community leaders and law enforcement officials. Officers may issue temporary penalties called civil citations if a youth aged 8 to 17 has committed a minor offense, said Olivia Hollier, the youth services manager for the Alachua County Sheriff ..read more

Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local communities to report on under-covered issues, named nearly 60 reporters to new positions at newsrooms around the country on Wednesday, including an agriculture, water and climate change beat for WUFT. Schnabel, who grew up on her family’s farm in Indiana, graduates next month with dual degrees in biology and Spanish from Indiana University. Her reporting experience includes covering science and the environment for the Spanish language El Nuevo Día in Puerto Rico. “Agriculture and the environment are siz ..read more

Chefs from Flavorful Inc. prepare a meal with other participating organizations during the Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative (GINI) event “The Community That Eats Together, Stays Together,” in June 2023.((Photo courtesy of Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative)) Good food warms the heart and feeds the soul. The idea of that connection between food and sharing led Aisse Kane and Awa Kaba to create Flavorful Inc., a catering service of Afro-fusion food in Gainesville, and work on different initiatives to combat food insecurity. “The more we work together and share ..read more

<i>Less than one point stood between the final score for the Tigers (1st) and the Gators (4th) at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships from April 18-20 in Fort Worth, Texas, at Dickies Arena.</i><br/> LSU secured their first NCAA gymnastics national championship title on Saturday, trailed by California, Utah and the University of Florida. Less than one point stood between the Tigers and the Gators. After advancing to the team final four event, Florida got off to a slow start on vault, falling behind to fourth place after the first rotation. First-place LSU led the Gators by 0.3 ..read more

Colombia's Juan Sandoval competes in the Esports championship at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(Matias Delacroix/AP / AP) TALLAHASSEE — The Florida High School Athletic Association could potentially sanction competitive video gaming, or esports, as an official sport, amid growing interest from member schools. The FHSAA Board of Directors held a discussion about esports during a meeting in Gainesville Monday, with talks focusing on the share of Florida schools that would be interested in offering programs if the games are sanctione ..read more

(<i>Gainesville residents can pick fruit off of mulberry trees. (Liana Handler/ WUFT News)</i>) Around Gainesville, loquats hang between leaves in three publicly accessible groves. Caterpillars crawl up the bark. Birds flutter between branches. In 2021, the City of Gainesville planted a variety of trees to create an area for people to come and pick fruit–without strings attached. The project has had mixed success. In 2022, the Florida League of Cities gave Gainesville the Florida Municipal Achievement Award. But while the plants blossomed, public knowledge of the projects was stunt ..read more

<i>Cynthia Johnson shows off her Dutchman’s Pipe plant. These plants were all available for purchase at her booth at the Marion County Farmland Preservation Festival. (Savannah Rude/WUFT News)</i> Marion County residents have been celebrating all month long, thankful for the ground beneath them. In 2007, county commissioners officially declared April as Marion County Farmland Preservation Month. For Sara Fennessy, the executive director of Horse Farms Forever, the awareness lasts all year. “It’s reassuring to see that the county recognizes the importance of the industry,” Fennessy ..read more

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