Earlier today the Secretary of Homeland Security and the President announced that they will stop deporting the children of undocumented immigrants and begin giving work permits to younger people who came to the U.S. as children. This decision will affect as many as 800,000 immigrants, and allow them to apply for work authorization without the fear of being deported. Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Donna Green-Townsend talked with the President of an organization that assists the needs of migrant workers called Harvest of Hope about today’ announcement.
Kellerman adds the Harvest of Hope Foundation is holding a yard and book sale to benefit a migrant farmworker who is in the St. Francis House with inoperable cancer. The goal is to raise funds to help transport him to his family in Texas. The event will be on Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon at 3519 NW 53rd Terrace in Gainesville just off NW 39th Avenue.
“Suicide” is often considered a sensitive topic in society. But independent radio producer Rich Halten says he hopes his recent Murrow Award winning documentary on the subject can help make a difference to people thinking about taking their life. Halten recently produced a documentary called “Splash” telling the story of a man who survived jumping off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay. Halten talked with Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Donna Green-Townsend.
A Gainesville man is recuperating after being attacked by a 9-foot alligator near a homeless campsite in the woods east of South Main Street last evening. Alligator attacks are not uncommon in Florida, especially this time of year when more people are outdoors and recreating near water bodies. Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Donna Green-Townsend talked with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Karen Parker about ways to avoid such encounters.
This weekend between 10 to 15 thousand people were attending the Florida Folk Festival at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs. As Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Donna Green-Townsend reports, White Springs is in Hamilton County and was in the target area for high winds and heavy rain from what was “then” Tropical Storm Beryl as the storm was moving west across the state.
Memorial Day weekend is usually one of the busiest times on Florida’s waterways, lakes, rivers and the ocean. According to statistics compiled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Office of Boating and Waterways, the number one cause of boating deaths in Florida is drowning, so wildlife officials remind people to wear life-jackets. Other suggestions for a safe weekend of boating include: not overloading the boat with people or equipment, carrying a cell phone, filing a float plan with relatives and being weather-wise. In addition to these suggestions, wildlife officials are also warning boaters to look out for sturgeon jumping out of the water in many of North Central Florida’s rivers, especially the Suwannee River. Water levels are especially low which puts many boats and sturgeon in closer proximity. Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Donna Green-Townsend talked with FWC spokeswoman Karen Parker about the dangers of jumping sturgeon
The 60th Annual State Folk Festival got underway today in White Springs just north of Lake City and runs thru Sunday night. Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Donna Green-Townsend talked with longtime festival performer Tom Shed about the history of the longest running folk festival in the country.
Canadian entrepreneur Frank Stronach stands next to a special plaque unveiled for him at the dedication ceremony at the University of Florida’s Plant Science Center near Citra.
The Frank Stronach Plant Science Center is the home of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Science’s agronomic, fruit and vegetable research efforts. Today marked the dedication of the conference center to Stronach himself. The celebration wasn’t without controversy. Protesters turned out from a variety of locations and organizations over Stronach’s plans for a 30,000 acre organic beef ranch and Stronach’s permit request to pump 13 and a half million gallons of water per day for the ranch. As Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Donna Green-Townsend reports, the Canadian businessman took note of the outside protests and promised to be a good corporate citizen in Marion County.
Various IFAS administrators cut the ribbon on the new Frank Stronach Plant Science Center Conference facility on Tuesday.
UF Plant Science Center dedicates conference facility after Canadian businessman Frank Stronach
Frank Stronach stands next to Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos at an IFAS building dedication ceremony.
Frank Stronach sits next to UF President Bernie Machen at the dedication ceremony on Tuesday.
Protest sign over Adena Springs
Protesters turn out at Frank Stronach Bldg. Dedication over his Adena Springs Ranch water permit application
One of many different signs protesting water permit request for Adena Ranch in Marion County.
Various protesters carry signs across the street from the dedication ceremony on Tuesday.
(from l to r) Jason Thomas, Lis Williamson, Lon Williamson and Gabe Valla
The Gatorbone Band is an award winning, world class band whose repertoire includes Bluegrass, Americana, Swing, Old-Time, and Jazz. The band features Jason Thomas on fiddle, Lis Williamson on guitar, banjo and vocals, Lon Williamson on standup bass and vocals and Gabe Valla on guitar and vocals.
Lis and Lon Williamson
Lis Williamson is an award-winning songwriter. She’s won first place in the Will McLean Best New Florida Song competition twice in recent years. Lis and her husband Lon make their living performing music with a variety of bands. From her audio archives from April of 2012, Donna Green-Townsend talked with singer songwriter Lis Williamson from Keystone Heights about some of her latest song inspirations, including a song about the effects of one of Florida’s recent droughts on North Central Florida lakes.
In addition to the Gatorbone Band, they also perform as a duo and with the Driftwoods. Lon is also a local luthier. During the 2015 Florida Folk Festival in White Springs over the Memorial Holiday weekend the Driftwoods performed on the Main Stage on Saturday, May 23rd and the Heritage Stage on Sunday, May 24th.
Here are a couple of video clips from the band’s Sunday performance. The first video is the band’s rendition of, “Hard Times Come Again No More.”
Here’s the finale performed by the Driftwoods on the Heritage Stage on Sunday.
Lis and Lon Williamson
Donna Green-Townsend brings us up close and personal with Lis Williamson from the Keystone Heights area who performs alongside her husband Lon in a variety of bands all over North Central FL. (Aired on WUFT-FM on Sept. 23rd, 2011)
Cover of the CD “Deep”
Elisabeth and Lon Williamson
Lis Williamson on her first-time win of the Will McLean Best New Florida Song Contest
In the weeks following the January I-75 tragedy that left 11 people dead, Republican State Representative Keith Perry from District 22 pushed lawmakers for improved signage along the interstate. Perry says the accidents that occurred during the smoky and foggy conditions on the section of the interstate crossing Payne’s Prairie could have been avoided if motorists could have been warned about the conditions. Representative Perry talked with Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Donna Green-Townsend after briefly reviewing the FDLE’s just released report on the accidents.
Nature-based tourism can benefit an area’s environment and economy. That’s according to a newly released University of Florida study. UF Associate Professor of Ecotourism and Natural Resource Management, Taylor Stein conducted his research in the popular tourist destination of Costa Rica, an area with similar ecotourism opportunities as Florida. Stein found that tourists are more likely to go to places that are environmentally friendly and where the money they spend goes back to help preserve natural resources. Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Donna Green-Townsend talked with Stein about how his findings in Costa Rica can also apply to the Sunshine State.
Stein’s study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Environmental Conservation.
