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The top stories near you

• WUFT News: Sign-Up Website, Call Center, Collaborative Committee, Town Halls Are Part Of Alachua County’s Vaccination Strategy. Is It Enough? "Dr. Michael Lauzardo, chief of the division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine and associate professor at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine, said that although Alachua County is ranked first in Florida in vaccine distribution per capita, the county is continuing to work toward expanding its efforts."

• WUFT News: Gainesville Utility Advisory Board Wants To See A Cleaner 2022 Energy Plan For GRU. "Gainesville’s utility is not going green fast enough for the city’s Utility Advisory Board members. The board, which advises the City Commission on Gainesville Regional Utilities issues, met Tuesday to discuss a document known as the 2019 GRU Integrated Resource Plan. Within minutes of the meeting beginning, a push for more progressive sustainable practices at GRU became the theme. The plan is an analysis of Gainesville’s energy efficiency and serves to advise on energy resources in the decades ahead."

• WCJB: Ocala state senator Dennis Baxley’s Baby Box Bill advances. "The bill would direct the Department of Health to approve a design for newborn infant safe haven boxes to be placed at hospitals, emergency medical services stations, and fire stations."

• WUFT News: The Swamp Restaurant’s Reopening Plans In Full Swing. "The proposed 6,100-square-foot building at 1026 SW 2nd Ave. will be located about half a mile down from the original building on University Avenue."

• WUFT News: Putnam County Libraries Set To Close, Still Offering Contact-Free Services. "Putnam County libraries are closed for public access until further notice starting Wednesday. In an announcement on Facebook, the library system cited concerns for the safety of their staff and the community."

• Spectrum News: University of Florida Study Finds Children More Likely to Spread COVID in Households. "University of Florida researchers teamed up with investigators from China to analyze the spread of COVID-19 within households. Among their findings: an age group that's less susceptible to the virus may be more likely to spread it."

• Citrus County Chronicle ($): School district, board eyes return of traditional graduations, proms, volunteers. "It’s the Citrus County School District’s goal to have traditional graduations. How those ceremonies will function amid the fluctuating COVID-19 pandemic is another matter."

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Around the state today

• WJCT: Experts Recommend People Wear 2 Masks; Additional Vaccines Headed For Florida. "Doctor Jeff Goldhagen at UF Health Jacksonville told First Coast Connect host Melissa Ross Wednesday that he’s been wearing two masks from the get-go. 'This is all about doing 2 things: One, stopping the spread to others and two, preventing the intake of the virus directly from others. So yes, two masks do work better than one. I personally always wear 2 masks.'"

• WINK: Snowbirds consider leaving Florida due to frustration with vaccine process. "Seasonal residents of Southwest Florida are at their wits’ end. Snowbirds are ready to pack up and move away if they can’t get a coronavirus vaccine."

• Marco Eagle ($): Marco Island's website crashes as thousands try to make COVID-19 vaccine appointments. "The website of the city of Marco Island crashed Wednesday as possibly tens of thousands of web visitors attempted to make one of 200 available appointments to get the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the city announced in a news release."

• Florida Politics: Ron DeSantis lauds Donald Trump, pressures Joe Biden to send more first shot vaccines. "Gov. Ron DeSantis continued his “Seniors First” campaign Wednesday, with a morning appearance in Sun City Center in Hillsborough County, where he again challenged the Joe Biden administration to up the state’s vaccine supply."

• WFSU: Florida House Advances Gov. DeSantis' Protest Bill. "Legislation increasing penalties for violent protesters passed its first stop in the House Wednesday on a party-line vote. Democrats argue the measure is targeted at the Black Lives Matter movement."

• Associated Press: Far-right influencer charged in 2016 Clinton voter scheme. "A self-styled far-right propagandist was arrested in Florida on Wednesday on charges he used social media to try to suppress votes for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, federal prosecutors said Wednesday."

• Reuters: Proud Boys leader was ‘prolific’ informer for law enforcement. "In a statement to Reuters, the former federal prosecutor in (Enrique) Tarrio’s case, Vanessa Singh Johannes, confirmed that “he cooperated with local and federal law enforcement, to aid in the prosecution of those running other, separate criminal enterprises, ranging from running marijuana grow houses in Miami to operating pharmaceutical fraud schemes.”

• Sun Sentinel ($): Video surfaces showing QAnon-promoting congresswoman harassing Stoneman Douglas student after massacre. "Video surfaced Wednesday showing U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican QAnon promoter, following David Hogg near the U.S. Capitol, harassing him and trying to goad him into responding."

• Tallahassee Democrat ($): Tallahassee tornado: City 'dodged a bullet' as storm flips plane at airport, causes outages. "The severe weather interrupted work at the state Capitol for nearly an hour. Capitol Police moved quickly to implement severe weather safety procedures after the National Weather Service alerted Tallahassee that a tornado was on the ground and for people to 'TAKE COVER NOW!'"

• WTSP: Polk County fire captain accused of stealing COVID-19 vaccines turns himself in. "A Polk County Fire Rescue captain reported to jail Wednesday on accusations he stole COVID-19 vaccines meant for first responders -- with the goal of giving the doses to his mother."

• SwimSwam: State of Florida offers to host 2021 Olympics should Tokyo cancel them. "Following the reporting of rumors that members of Japan’s government had conceded that the Games were unlikely to occur this summer, the Chief Financial Officer of Florida, Jimmy Patronis, sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee offering to move the Games location to Florida."

From NPR News

• Health: Why Scientists Are Very Worried About The Variant From Brazil

• Health: 'Birthday Rule' Blindsides First-Time Parents With A Mammoth Medical Bill

• Politics: Biden Team's Video Of Call With NATO Chief Provides Rare Insight

• Business: Pandemic Piles On Already Reeling Boeing, Leading To Nearly $12 Billion Loss In 2020

• National: Suspect Pleads Guilty In Plot To Kidnap Michigan Governor, Turns Government Witness

• National: 3 People From Extremist 'Oath Keepers' Indicted On Capitol Riot Conspiracy Charges

• Books: Surveillance And Local Police: How Technology Is Evolving Faster Than Regulation

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.