Drought sweeping across Florida
Original reporting by Emma Brisk
Florida continues to suffer from the most severe drought in years.
Officials placed a one day a week watering restriction on Tampa residents since early February.
“If you look at our overall deficit for the year, we are 13.6 inches behind on rainfall for the last 12 months,” said Hydraulic Data Analyst Casie Cutman.
Dry vegetation caused from lack of rain led to government officials placing lasting burn bans in most counties.
Bushfires continue to pop up and spread across the state, affecting tens of thousands of forest acres.
“Conditions are so favorable that a small fire, even a spark, can become a large, devastating wildfire in a matter of minutes,” said Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Todd Chalanda.
Residents can take steps to prevent wildfires.
“For your home, just remove any debris around your house that that if an ember gets loose from a fire near you or anything, it doesn’t take much for this dry vegetation to light up,” said Hillsborough County Fire Public Information Chief Rob Herrin.
We are still a month out from Florida’s rainy season. Officials expect watering restrictions and burn bans to continue.
House Bill 1279
Original reporting by Grace Senecal
House Bill 1279 would require public universities, like USF, to reserve 95% of admissions for Florida Residents.
Preeminent universities that fail to meet that requirement could lose eligibility for certain state funding.
While those who oppose that bill call it harsh, supporters say it would push for in-state applicants to have priority admissions.
Visit flsenate.gov to learn more about the bill.
New historical markers for Black History
Original reporting by Julia Soukar
New historical markers added to highlight Black History across the city, the project stretches more than 46 miles through 25 neighborhoods.
The markers recognize places tied to work, culture and community life.
Credits
Anchors: Sofia Celis Avellaneda & Hannah Lau Gleciano
Teleprompter: Julia Soukar
Producer: Zoe Sax
CG: Ayla Yebba
Floor Director: Joana Riva
Tech Director: Grace Senecal
Editor: Gio Chitto
Web: Maya Gluck
Social Media: Catarina Rocha Tapias
Audio: Zach Sherman
Camera: Lydia Diehm
Clock: Dr. Stephanie Elder
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Elder
Graduate Assistant: Grace Ficara