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The Point, Sept. 24, 2019: Potential Underground Power Line Expansion Could Mean Increase In Floridians' Utility Bills

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Today's top stories

Weeks after the Bahamas experience more than 36 hours of Hurricane Dorian's wrath, public schools on Grand Bahama Island remain closed. While some schools await assessment by engineers to ensure the buildings won't collapse, other schools with less damage remain closed in part due to lack of safe drinking water for students. The ministry said Monday that schools on Grand Bahama won’t open before next week. (WUFT News)

The Florida Public Service Commission is responsible for implementing a new "storm protection" law that could expand underground powerlines for the hurricane-prone Sunshine State. The new law could lead to an increase in power bills for utility customers. (News Service of Florida)

University of Central Florida chemistry instructor Kollbe Ahn has been placed on paid leave while the school investigates a student complaint regarding a video that Ahn made addressing a student's accusation that he does not teach the students chemistry. An online petition started by one of Ahn's students protesting his suspension got more than 600 signatures as of last night. (Orlando Sentinel)

• In a meeting on Monday, Gainesville city and county commissioners failed to come to an agreement on how to fund GRACE Marketplace, a Gainesville homeless shelter, in the upcoming fiscal year. (Gainesville Sun)

Florida investigative correspondent Noah Pransky announced on Monday that he is joining NBC's storytelling channel, NBC LX. “We aim to tell meaningful local stories to a national audience. We’ve been focused on smart stories about topics that are relevant to you: money, community, culture, climate, equality, & of course, investigations," Pransky said. (Florida Politics)

• The age is not a typo: The Orlando-area state attorney won't prosecute a pair of 6-year-olds. (WMFE)

Yesterday was the first day of the federal fraud trial against Katrina Brown and Reginald Brown. Federal prosecutors brought their first witness, an FBI agent, to the stand to explain documents the prosecutors believe show the two ex-Jacksonville City Council members worked together in the formation of “sham” businesses they’re accused of using to defraud a bank in 2013. The trial will resume this morning. (Florida Times-Union)

The Florida Blockchain Task Force, a group made up of people from government and the private sector, held its inaugural meeting yesterday. The group studies how blockchain, an online transaction recordkeeping technology, can improve recordkeeping, security and delivery of services in the government. (WFSU)


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Jasmine is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.