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The Point, May 7, 2021: Middle Schools in Alachua County Could Soon Become Vaccination Sites

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The top stories near you

• CBS4:  ACPS prepare to vaccinate students 12 and up. "Whenever the decision comes down, Alachua Public schools said they will be ready. Spokesperson Jackie Johnson, said the district plans to work with the health department to bring vaccines right to middle school students."

• WUFT News: Pop-Up Offerings At Paynes Prairie? Temporary Food Trend Reaches Gainesville. "The pandemic threatened not only brick-and-mortar establishments but other food businesses as well, foreshadowing the surge of pop-ups."

• WUFT News: Wedding Planners ‘Learn To Pivot’ After A Year Of Rescheduled Ceremonies. "Reflecting on this year’s booking season, which is January to March, Seguin said she booked two clients over the three-month period, as opposed to her average of at least eight per month."

• Gainesville Sun ($): Springs protection gets boost with $7.1 million grant. "Springs are a vital part of the economy in the communities near them, which rely on the spending of visitors who come to dive, tube, paddle and swim in the natural pools and their runs."

• Gainesville Sun ($): Week after big raise, Gainesville's equity director wants to resign. "A week after getting a major pay raise, the city’s director of Equity and Inclusion has submitted a resignation letter, saying she has been treated with disrespect."

• WCJB TV20: Columbia County teacher fired after kicking student with disabilities. "The investigation determined that Denise Nash kicked a student in her ESE class after other employees tried helping the student off the floor."

• Main Street Daily News:Emotions run high at school board meeting. "Citizens started to weigh in on the district's face mask policy, even though it was unrelated to the agenda item at hand. Those comments were soon followed by a disagreement between SBAC chair Leanetta McNealy and board member Rob Hyatt that resulted in the banging of the gavel and a call for an unplanned recess."

• Citrus County Chronicle: County's oldest GOP club faces elimination. "The state charter of Citrus County’s oldest Republican club is at risk after county party leaders leveled accusations against the club’s president."

• Gainesville Sun ($): Alligators captured at UF's Lake Alice after one crawls into students' picnic. " Because Florida has a healthy and stable population of about 1.3 million alligators across all 67 counties, it reads, the animals are not relocated after trapping."


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Around the state today

• Politico: DeSantis gives Fox 'exclusive' of him signing election bill. "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, continuing his ongoing feud with most of the “corporate media,” on Thursday signed into law a contentious election bill during an event where only Fox News was allowed to observe."

• First Coast News: League of Women Voters, Black Voters Matter sue all 67 Florida counties over new election restrictions. "The organizations were joined by several individual voters in their legal challenge of what they describe as "Florida's voter suppression bill."

• WFSU: Housing Advocacy Group Applauds Likely End To Affordable Housing 'Sweeps'. "State lawmakers this year permanently slashed the affordable housing trust fund's revenue share, while also passing a guarantee that housing dollars would never again pay for other expenses."

• WJCT: New Initiative Aims To Conserve 1 Million Acres Of Salt Marsh Along Southeast Coast. "The South Atlantic coast from North Carolina to North Florida is home to over 1 million acres of salt marsh and tidal creeks. The Sunshine State alone is home to more than 500,000 acres of salt marsh, much of that along the state’s northeast coast."

• First Coast News: Changes to local VPK programs on the way after Gov. DeSantis signs education reform bills. "This week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed two bills aiming to improve early education in state. He believes they will help increase Florida’s kindergarten readiness rate, which was only 53% in 2019, according to an legislative staff analysis."

• News4Jax:  Federal appeals court overturns former US Rep. Corrine Brown’s conviction. "Brown’s appeal focused on whether U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan was justified in replacing the juror -- known as Juror 13 -- with an alternate because of the statement about the Holy Spirit."

• Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota Police are implementing body cameras after years of delays. "Seven years later, after significant delays and widespread calls for police reform, training has begun to equip uniformed officers with body-worn cameras. By June, officials expect all of the 154 cameras to hit the streets."

• WMFE: As Florida Reviews Its Water Quality Standards, State Regulators Continue To Reject Federal Limits For Toxic Algae. "State environmental regulators said yesterday at a public hearing that they still have no plans to adopt federal Environmental Protection Agency standards for toxic algae."

• WMFE: Disney And Universal End Temperature Checks For Guest. "Universal Orlando no longer requires temperature checks as guests enter the park. Walt Disney World will begin phasing out the checks for cast members beginning May 8 and for guests on May 16."

• Orlando Weekly: The number of tourists visiting Orlando fell by more than half in 2020, per report. "According to a new report from Visit Orlando, the city's tourist count fell to 35.3 million visitors. That's a 53% drop off from 2019, and the lowest total in over 20 years."

• WFSU: Hurricane Michael Disaster Communities Get $111 Million For Infrastructure Projects. "More than a dozen communities recovering from Hurricane Michael are getting another round of federal disaster relief funding to help make their stormwater, sewage and water infrastructure more resilient."

• NBC2: FGCU researchers come closer to installing artificial reef in Gulf. "Instruments will be placed underwater for tracking different levels in the water. It will help scientists learn more about where red tide is moving, as well as how it impacts marine life."


From NPR News

• National: Bill To Combat Sexual Assault In Military Finally Has Votes To Pass, Senators Say

• National: Oversight Board Says Facebook Must Revisit 'Arbitrary' Indefinite Trump Ban

• COVID-19: Doctor In India: Emergency Room Is So Crowded, 'It's Nearly Impossible To Walk'

• COVID-19: U.S. Backs Waiving International Patent Protections For COVID Vaccines

• Health: The Pandemic Didn't Appear To Spur A Baby Boom, Rather A Bust

• Travel: Banking On Busy Summer Travel Season, Airlines Add More Flights And New Routes

• Environment: Environmental Concerns Arise Over Energy Needed To Mine Bitcoin

• Environment: Deepening Drought Holds 'Ominous' Signs For Wildfire Threat In The West

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