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The top stories near you
• Thirteen students from Colombia visited this community earlier this month to get a sense of Alachua County, its educational institutions and, yes, Gator football. “In Colombia, we like soccer," one said, "and it’s very different.” (WUFT News)
• Friday marked National Coming Out Day, and here's a recap of the events that took place on the University of Florida campus and in Gainesville. (WUFT News)
• Marion County's school enrollment total has just this month reached the level where it was before the Great Recession began. (Ocala Star-Banner)
• Hurricane season is starting to wind down, and for now, there are no threats to this state. (Florida Storms)
• Maple Street Biscuit Company, which has two locations in Gainesville, is now owned by Cracker Barrel. (Florida Times-Union)
• The UF English professor whose prolific library book borrowing was publicized last week has been reprimanded by his department chair. (Gainesville Sun)
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Around the state today
• There was apparently no shooting at the Boca Raton Town Center Mall yesterday, though there was a loud bang in the food court and subsequent panic among the thousands there on lockdown. (WLRN)
• Florida Democrats held their state convention this weekend. No presidential candidates were in attendance, but the state chair said, "There's tremendous excitement about what's going on." (AP)
• This is part of the political philosophy of the Florida Senate's next president, Wilton Simpson: "It’s amazing what gets done in Tallahassee if you don’t have to take the credit." (Tampa Bay Times)
• Panama City is pursuing federal funding to protect against hurricanes a year after Michael exposed some of its weaknesses. St. Augustine is in the midst of a similar project with the planning of a federally-funded seawall that could help prevent downtown flooding. (Panama City News Herald, St. Augustine Record)
• One of the struggles in Florida's fight against the python has actually been lagging camera technology. That's no longer the case. (Palm Beach Post)
• Staff at the Miami Seaquarium this past week have helped to nurse a manatee back to health after a boat propeller struck her. (FLKeysNews)
From NPR News
• Business: Troll Watch: Elizabeth Warren's Facebook Ad
• World: Endangered By Turkish Offensive, U.S. Troops Prepare To Evacuate From Syria
• World: Former Ambassador To Ukraine Talks To Lawmakers
• World: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
• Politics: Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan Is Out
• National: Border Wall Rising In Arizona, Raises Concerns Among Conservationists, Native Tribes
• National: Columbus Day Or Indigenous Peoples' Day?
• Books: In 'Me,' Elton John Pulls Back The Curtain On A Storied Life
• Health: Philadelphia Promotes Tap Water Amid National Distrust
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.