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The top stories near you

• WUFT News: Alachua County School Board Discusses Reopening Plan. "All public schools have been mandated by the education commissioner to reopen in August for at least five days a week, and to offer 'the full panoply of services,' and must submit their plan to the state by July 31... Families will be able to choose between traditional brick-and-mortar schooling, a hybrid learning option called Digital Academy, or completely online learning through Alachua eSchool."

• WUFT News: Coronavirus Case Counts Surge At Alachua County Jail. "On July 9, 13 inmates, two employees and two contract health care workers were confirmed positive for COVID-19 inside the Alachua County Jail, according to Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Art Forgey."

• Ocala Star-Banner: Marion County continues to see surge in COVID-19 cases. "The number of COVID-19 cases in the county have doubled since July 1 and positive test results have reached 5% for the first time according to a news release Sunday from DOH-Marion Public Information Officer Christy Jergens."

• The Alligator: Students at higher risk for COVID-19 weigh in on UF reopening plans. "As UF considers its reopening plans for the Fall, students with medical conditions say they are recognizing the potential dangers of going back to campus."

• WUFT News: GRU Says No Electric Rate Increase Needed Amid Coronavirus Pandemic. "Following a 4.42% increase last year, the board originally heard projections of a 6% electric rate increase for 2021. But that was before the economic impacts of COVID-19 appeared."

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Around the state today

• WUSF: Florida Shatters Record For State, National Coronavirus Cases With 15,300 In 24 Hours. "According to the Florida Department of Health's Sunday report, 15,300 more people tested positive for coronavirus, eclipsing the previous high of 11,458 set on July 4."

• Florida Politics: Governor vows to keep Florida bars shut down as virus rages. "On June 3, DeSantis issued an executive order allowing openings at 50% capacity. But it didn’t last the month. And now, there’s no telling when bars will open again, the Governor warned."

• WMFE: Disney Reopens As Coronavirus Cases Surge. "For Disney fans, it was a trip to the Magic Kingdom like no other. Crowds were limited with a reservation system, and the company rolled out a range of safety measures- like temperature checks, hand sanitizing stations, and social distancing on rides."

• Politico: DeSantis seizes power — selectively — as he confronts crisis. "...DeSantis, as he confronts a growing viral outbreak and polls showing President Donald Trump trailing Democrat Joe Biden in Florida ahead of the November election, simultaneously has argued that he lacks authority to alter election law or increase unemployment benefits, issues that could break the wrong way politically for him — and the president. The result, critics charge, is an ideologically driven response to a growing economic and public health crisis."

• WUWF: 'Take It Down:' Protestors March To Remove Walton County's Confederate Monument. "The Walton County Confederate Monument and the Confederate flag right beside it have been debated on for decades in the county. Late last month, commissioners voted 3-2 to keep the Confederate flag flying. While the monument to the Confederate dead was erected in 1871 in the original county seat of Eucheeanna, the flag came in 1964, the same year as the Civil Rights Act."

From NPR News

• Education: Nation's Pediatricians Walk Back Support For In-Person School

• Health: 'In A Fight For Our Lives': Mississippi Issues New Mask Order Amid COVID-19 Spike

• Health: Georgia Governor And The Mayor Of Atlanta In Turf War Over COVID-19 Restrictions

• Health: Strict Rules Apply, But Visitors Will Be Allowed Back In New York Nursing Homes

• National: California Will Release Up To 8,000 Prisoners Due To Coronavirus

• National: Residents Of Alaskan Town Receive Monthly Stipend Not To Move Away During Pandemic

• Politics: Trump Commutes Sentence Of Longtime Friend And Adviser Roger Stone

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.