Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.

The top stories near you

• Associated Press: Governor: Florida to expand eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine. "Florida will open eligibility requirements to anyone 18 and older on April 5, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday."

• WUFT News: Williston Middle High School Senior Uses Service Project To Reach Homeless With Feminine Hygiene Products. "For Trinity Peacock, raising awareness about women’s issues extends past Women’s History Month. The 18-year-old Williston Middle High School senior packs and distributes feminine hygiene products to those experiencing homelessness through her service project, Project Pink, which began in August 2020."

• WUFT News: Two Gainesville Churches Might Be Headed For Historical Preservation. "Alachua County commissioners this week approved letters of support to add the University Lutheran Church and old Mt. Carmel Baptist Church to the National Register of Historic Places. The next step is approval from the U.S. National Park Service."

• News Service of Florida: Florida Senate Scales Back Toll Road Plan, Including Suncoast Parkway Extension. "The 2019 law called for building a toll road from Collier County to Polk County; extending Florida’s Turnpike to connect with the Suncoast Parkway; and extending the Suncoast Parkway from Citrus County to Jefferson County."

• WMFE: US Court Filing: Florida Oath Keepers Leader Coordinated With Proud Boys, Imagined Battling Antifa On Streets Of D.C. "The leader of the Oath Keepers in Florida imagined former President Trump would hold onto power on January 6th and they would battle Antifa that night on the streets of D.C. And after the deadly Capitol riot, Kelly Meggs of Dunnellon described himself as an enemy of the state who was not quitting but reloading."

• WUFT News: The Repurpose Project Launches Campaign To Expand. "After 10 years in business, the Repurpose Project in Gainesville is looking to expand to a second location. The Repurpose Project launched a campaign on March 18, to raise $200,000 from donations in 60 days. According to its directors, the pressure to have a new place by the end of the year is large."

Your support matters now more than ever.

WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. With the spread of COVID-19, independent, public service journalism has never been more important than it is right now. WUFT exists to serve the north central Florida community and is committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong. Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source in this critical time.

Around the state today

• Sun Sentinel ($): Florida members of Congress call for federal probe of dark money in 3 state Senate races. "Congressional Democrats are calling for U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the source of funding for political committees that mailed ads to residents of three Florida Senate districts, including one in Central Florida and another in Miami where the state attorney’s office has filed charges against an independent candidate and a former state senator accused of bribing him to run."

• Florida Politics: Senate proposes money for Everglades, sea level rise.  "The $6.1 billion spending plan includes $786 million for Everglades restoration and water projects."

• WTSP: ‘We’re in a plateau’: Scientists warn Florida's COVID-19 cases could increase again soon as data levels out. "Increased vaccinations could be our way out of the pandemic, but scientists say it might not be happening quickly enough."

• Sun Sentinel: Delray man indicted in COVID-relief loan fraud totaling over $1.5 million.  "A Delray Beach man is accused of fraudulently seeking more than $1.5 million in COVID relief loans, which federal prosecutors allege he obtained by falsifying business information and using others’ identities, as well as his own."

• Florida Today: Brevard teacher terminated for medical marijuana use.  "The Brevard County School Board voted Tuesday to terminate a teacher for using medical marijuana. Though medical marijuana has been legalized in Florida, it remains a "schedule 1" narcotic at the federal level, placing it in the same category as heroin, LSD and methamphetamines."

• News4Jax: Lee High teacher who hung BLM flag outside classroom reassigned, accused of misconduct.  "Duval County Public Schools has administratively reassigned Amy Donofrio, the Lee High School teacher who garnered attention this week after she refused to take down a “Black Lives Matter” flag that was hanging outside her classroom."

• WGCU: Will A Known Neurotoxin Be Used on Florida Citrus? "In the final days of the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency cleared the way for use of the pesticide Aldicarb, a known neurotoxin. Florida citrus growers want to use it to fight citrus greening."

• CBS Miami: Family Of South Florida Student Who Choked On Chicken Nugget Gets $2 Million From School District.  "The family of a 19-year-old student with autism will receive a $2 million settlement from a Florida school district a year and a half after he choked on a chicken nugget and died."

From NPR News

• World: North Korea Launches Ballistic Missiles Near Japan

• Business: Unemployment Claims Fall To Lowest Level Since Pandemic's Start

• Race: Kim Janey Will Be Boston's 1st Female Mayor And Its 1st Non-White Mayor

• National: Boulder Shooting Suspect Makes First Court Appearance

• National: USC Agrees $852 Million Settlement To End Sex Abuse Litigation

• Education: Rutgers To Require Vaccine Proof For 'All Students Planning To Attend This Fall'

About today's curator

I'm Elise Elder, and I am a digital content producer and reporter at WUFT News. My passion for environmentalism has inspired me to report on 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 eliseelder@ufl.edu.