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The Point, Dec. 10, 2020: Patricia Hilliard-Nunn's Pursuit Of Racial Justice In Alachua County Highlighted In Virtual Ceremony

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• WUFT News: Hundreds Gather To Celebrate The Life Of Patricia Hilliard-Nunn. "Hilliard-Nunn – Tricia, to her friends – died at age 57 on Aug. 5. The cause of death has not been shared publicly, and the several other speakers focused instead on the many ways they knew her. The voice of reason, the life of the party and the social justice warrior. The lecturer, the storyteller, the empath and the filmmaker. Soror, big sister, African Queen, best friend. They also all described the same relentless energy – and said her life’s work was loving and uplifting the Black community."

• WUFT News: Alachua County School Board’s First Pandemic Response Team Drafts Spring Learning Plan. "Dr. Eric Nelson, a member of the scientific committee and an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Florida, said the group must anticipate the new challenges coming up with the holiday season and spring semester. 'I’ve been tracking the innings of the COVID-19 game, and I think we’re in either inning five or six,' Nelson said, using a baseball metaphor, 'which means this is a nine-inning game, and we have quite a ways to go, and I think everyone knows that you can lose games in the eighth and ninth inning.'"

• Gainesville Sun ($): Alachua School Board chooses Simon as interim superintendent. "Carlee Simon, a public schools activist, will be interim superintendent for Alachua County Public Schools."

• WUFT News: Marion County Technical College Acquiring Freightliner Truck For New Commercial Class B Driving Program. "Marion Technical College is acquiring a Freightliner truck for its new Commercial Class B driving program to provide more local job training and opportunities."

• Citrus County Chronicle: School board gets update on spring reopening plan; approves impact fees. "A big portion of the district’s plan is focused on making sure failing students enrolled with the district’s Citrus Virtual online school know they’re wanted back in brick-and-mortar classrooms to help improve grades and narrow prior learning gaps with education-intervention."

• Florida Times-Union ($): Green groups start drive to remove dam at Rodman Reservoir, opening Ocklawaha River. "Fifty-two years after the Ocklawaha was dammed to construct the later-canceled  Cross-Florida Barge Canal, they’re circulating a  video that argues it’s smarter to remove much of the aging dam than pay for needed maintenance and upkeep."

• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Silver Springs State Park will get wheelchair-accessible glass-bottom boat. "Money collected from the specialty license plate for the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is going to help buy Silver Springs State Park’s first wheelchair-accessible glass bottom boat."


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Around the state today

• Florida Politics: 9,592 new COVID-19 cases in Florida as state records 89 more deaths. "As coronavirus outbreaks continue across the country, the Sunshine State is also witnessing a surge in cases. Before Wednesday, the department reported four consecutive days with new cases totaling nearly 10,000 each day ending Saturday. Before that streak, Florida became the third state to record more than 1 million cases."

• Tallahassee Democrat ($): 'Hope on the horizon': Florida gears up for first batch of COVID-19 vaccines next week. "A thin ray of hope is piercing through the dark clouds over Florida as cases and deaths continue to rise and hospital beds fill up due to an anticipated post-Thanksgiving surge."

• Spectrum News: DeSantis Responds After Agents Raid Home of Florida's Fired COVID Data Manager's Home. "On Wednesday, the governor's office emailed this statement to Spectrum News: 'Evidence is abundantly clear that the governor had no knowledge of this investigation until 5 o’clock like everyone else. This is an independent law enforcement investigation, and the Governor will respect the legal process and let it play out.'"

• WUSF: USF Faculty Leaders Ask For Halt To Budget Cuts. "Earlier this month, the USF Faculty Senate published a letter detailing their concerns about planned budget cuts. On Tuesday, the Board of Trustees got a chance to hear those concerns firsthand."

• Sarasota Herald-Tribune ($): State says Sarasota County schools likely caused irreparable harm to students. "Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran issued the results in a damning letter that placed significant new sanctions on the district, with the threat of losing special education funding if it does not comply."

• News Service of Florida: Florida's attorney general backs Texas challenge to election results in four states. "Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Wednesday joined 16 other states in backing a last-chance effort by Texas to get the U.S. Supreme Court to block election results in four swing states where the vote went in favor of President-elect Joe Biden."


From NPR News

• National: U.S. Hits Highest 1-Day Toll From Coronavirus With 3,054 Deaths

• Business: 48 AGs, FTC Sue Facebook, Alleging Illegal Power Grabs To 'Neutralize' Rivals

• Health: At Hospitals, A Race To Save 'Hundreds Of Thousands' Of Lives With New Vaccine

• Health: 'The Perfect Storm': How Coronavirus Spread Vaccine Misinformation To The Mainstream

• Health: Giuliani Leaves Hospital After COVID Treatment

• Politics: Hunter Biden Says He Is Under Federal Investigation For Tax Matter

• Politics: Trump Asks Supreme Court To Let Him Join Widely Scorned Texas Election Lawsuit

• World: 'Cruise To Nowhere' Returns To Singapore Early After Positive Coronavirus Test

• Science: Researchers On Why Dogs Learn Only A Limited Number Of Words

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.

Contact WUFT News by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org