University of Florida News

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Consumer Confidence index plunged five points in October, reflecting election jitters and a heightened focus on the economy in presidential politics, University of Florida economists said today.

GAINESVILLE, Fla .— The value of farmland throughout Florida continues to increase, with grapefruit land posting big gains for the second consecutive year, according to a new University of Florida survey.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s preservation-land purchases have outstripped the supply of people trained to manage them, prompting the University of Florida and The Nature Conservancy to create a program designed to teach the day-to-day skills needed to keep the sensitive acreage on an even keel.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s housing is relatively inexpensive compared with other states, but a new University of Florida study shows that the Sunshine State’s burgeoning service sector is having more and more difficulty paying the rent and mortgage.

STARKE, Fla. — Sometimes it’s nice to fool Mother Nature.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A sharp dip in retail sales and falling optimism about the U.S. economy pushed the Florida Consumer Confidence Index into a three-point slide in September, University of Florida economists said Tuesday.

TAMPA, Fla. — Freshwater mussels in at least one west Central Florida lake — and perhaps several others — may contain elevated amounts of radioactive radium, apparently the result of maintaining the lake’s levels with water from the Floridan Aquifer, according to a University of Florida lake specialist and a state water official.

GAINESVILLE, Fla.— With the Sunshine State having one of the highest divorce rates in the nation, University of Florida researchers have developed a class they say will give the newly betrothed the foundation they need to stay hitched.

GAINESVILLE—RadioSource.NET, a new Internet radio network designed for the general public and broadcast stations, will provide practical information on everything from tips on lawn care to advice on saving for retirement.

GAINESVILLE — The recent Republican and Democratic national political conventions helped the Florida Consumer Confidence index soar to the highest point in its 16-year history, breaking a record for the second time this year, University of Florida economists said Tuesday.