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The news about Dorian
• The storm that yesterday became Hurricane Dorian skirted Puerto Rico and as of 5 a.m. this morning was moving northwest. Below is the latest imagery our team at the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network has received from the National Hurricane Center. (AP, Florida Storms)
• Gov. Ron DeSantis yesterday afternoon declared a state of emergency for 26 counties, including Bradford, St. Johns and Union in our area. (NPR News)
• Marion County has announced five sandbag locations that will be open for 12 hours tomorrow. The school district also shifted three high school football games to tonight. (Ocala Star-Banner)
• Dorian is currently projected to be a category 3 hurricane at landfall in Florida, and the Fort Myers News-Press has a review of what each category means.
• Encouraging words and a reminder from the Jacksonville mayor: “We’ve been through this together. This is no time to panic.” (New York Times)
• On the Treasure Coast, where the storm has a high probability of making landfall, "some are worried. Some are indifferent." In Volusia County, the storm is a major bummer for hoteliers who expected plenty of revenue on this holiday weekend. (TCPalm, Daytona Beach News-Journal)
• Orlando and Central Florida are currently centered in the cone of uncertainty, a sad irony for the thousands of Puerto Ricans who left the island after Hurricane Maria. "There definitely is a lot of tension we are experiencing at this time," a reverend there says, noting, "a lot of bad memories that come to mind." (WMFE)
• If this slice of Florida is indeed hit with high winds this weekend, you'll want to have read in advance this guide on how to prepare the outside of your home. (Palm Beach Post)
• Have some time to kill this morning? Our colleagues at Florida Storms at midnight hosted a half-hour Q&A about suggested preparation and the storm's possible paths. Their app is available for iOS and Android.
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Florida's non-weather news
• U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho is the only Florida congressman to sign onto an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court that advocates against protection from discrimination for LGBTQ people. (Gainesville Sun)
• Further splitting between the Marion County School Board and the district superintendent transpired over how former Evergreen Elementary employees were transferred from their positions. (Ocala Star-Banner)
• How often does a sheriff hold a press conference to discuss accusations of a crime by a man who is not charged? Not very, but it happened yesterday in Brevard County. (Florida Today)
• The Panhandle might be getting a new area code, with numbers starting with 850 now in shorter supply. (News Service of Florida)
• Even with growing public support for legalizing recreational marijuana in Florida, attorney John Morgan thinks its potential passage would end up being "razor thin." (Florida Phoenix)
• Former Florida Gator Pete Alonso is still a Major League Baseball rookie, but he's already set his franchise's new record for most home runs in a season. (New York Times)
From NPR News
• National: Millions Could Be Diverted From FEMA To Pay For Detention Beds
• Politics: American Farmers Are Paying A Price For Trump’s Tariffs
• Politics: New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Drops Out Of 2020 Presidential Race
• Health: Federal Agency Accuses Vermont Hospital Of Forcing A Nurse To Assist In An Abortion
• Health: Purdue Pharma Considers Converting To A Public Trust Amid Lawsuits Over Opioid Crisis
• Race: 'Why Don't Y'all Let That Die?' Telling The Emmett Till Story In Mississippi
• National: Last Strike For Bowling Alley That Helped Anchor Many Veterans
About today's curator
I'm Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I've found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today's edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.