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The stories near you

• WMFE: Marion County School Board Approves Student Mask Mandate With Opt-Out. "The Marion County School Board voted Monday to require students to wear face coverings unless a parent or guardian opts out. This temporary mandate — for up to 90 days — comes after 139 staff and students were positive for COVID-19 last week and more than 500 were in quarantine."

• Gainesville Sun ($): School Board members must decide: Extend mask mandate? "Even with the support of the U.S. Department of Education, school board members of Alachua County are treading lightly over whether to continue their mask mandate — waiting for advice from the School Health Advisory Committee."

• Associated Press: Marion struggles to find bus drivers as virus surges. "Marion County Public Schools continues to struggle to find enough school bus drivers, forcing current drivers to take on several routes and snarling how long it takes students to get to school and back home. It’s the same story around the state as many school districts are finding it difficult because of the pandemic to hire enough bus drivers..."

• News4Jax: Some Putnam students start new school year in different schools. "Putnam County students head back to school Tuesday, but some classrooms will remain empty. Several schools were closed as part of a long-term plan to revitalize the district. In all, five were closed, 13 opened."

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Around the state

• Florida Today ($): New state data shows improving COVID-19 vaccination numbers among 12- to 19-year-olds. "Many parents in Florida were getting their children the COVID-19 vaccine in the past two weeks, as the school year was about to begin and as new COVID-19 case counts hit record highs, Florida Department of Health data indicates."

• News4Jax: St. Johns County schools report 155 COVID-19 cases after 1st day. "For comparison, Duval County Public Schools, which has roughly three times as many students as the district in St. Johns County, reported 82 total cases in its first week — 66 students and 16 employees."

• Spectrum News: Thousands of Hillsborough students in COVID quarantine; District schedules emergency meeting. "Hillsborough County Public Schools says 5,599 students and 316 school employees are currently in isolation or quarantine, so the school board will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday."

• Orlando Sentinel ($): ‘Crisis level’: Seminole fire chief asks public to limit 9-1-1 use amid flood of COVID-19 calls. "(Chief Otto) Drozd asked the public to avoid calling 9-1-1 for non-emergencies, especially for minor symptoms of COVID-19, in order to free up ambulances and avoid hindering the county’s emergency response."

• News Service of Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis Announces Opening Of Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Site In Fight Against COVID. "Up to 320 people can receive treatment at the site, which is located at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium."

• WFSU: Florida's Sharp Teacher Vacancy Increase Tied To Pandemic, Pay. "The union has tracked a roughly 67% increase in vacancies statewide since this time last year. 'That’s huge,' said Florida Education Association Vice President Carole Gauronskas."

• WUSF: State Wants To Expedite Piney Point's Closure As Summer Rains Threaten. "State environmental officials are asking for an emergency hearing as summer rains — and possible hurricanes — increase the threat from retention ponds at the shuttered Piney Point phosphate plant."

• Miami Herald ($): NCAA wants non-discrimination vow from event hosts. What does that mean for Florida? "On Aug. 3, the National Collegiate Athletic Association made a statement that could have major ramifications for Florida — one of at least nine states to have banned transgender females from participating in women’s and girls’ scholastic sports."

From NPR News

• World: 8 Paradoxes That Sum Up America's 20-Year Mission In Afghanistan

• World: Photos: A View Of Afghanistan As The Taliban Take Over

• World: Here's What Taliban Leadership Looks Like In 2021

• World: Why Earthquakes In Haiti Are So Catastrophic

• Health: To Mandate Or Not? Employers Get Urgent About Vaccinations

• Health: The White House May Recommend COVID-19 Booster Shots

• National: States In The West Face Water Cuts After Colorado River Shortage Is Announced

• Business: Home Prices Are Now Higher Than The Peak Of The 2000s 'Housing Bubble.' What Gives?

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.