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Today's top Florida stories
• WFSU: Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis Has Breast Cancer. "In a press release, the governor said his wife is the centerpiece of their family and has made an impact on the lives of countless Floridians through her initiatives as First Lady. Mrs. DeSantis is 41 years old. The couple has three young children."
• WUFT News: North central Florida counties are seeking to join the state’s opioid settlement. "Several counties in the region have told the state they want a share of funds dispersed in a national lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies responsible for producing, distributing and advertising opioids. Those counties include Alachua, Marion, Gilchrist, Hernando, Levy and Putnam."
• WUFT News: Alachua County School District officials expect more arrests in large-scale bomb threat investigation. "The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office executed multiple search warrants last week in Newberry, and a total of seven bomb threats have been reported across county schools, said Art Forgey, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. The threats have disrupted instruction at the affected schools as students, teachers and staff have had to be evacuated each time, according to authorities and school officials."
• Tallahassee Democrat ($): Florida only state to not submit plan for COVID funds; US Department of Education wants to know why. "The state received the first two-thirds of the money, but failed to provide a plan by the June 1 deadline and also blew past July and August submission timelines after talking with state Department of Education staff. Upon approval of the plan, the state would receive the remaining $2.3 billion."
• WUFT News: To understand how to save more birds, these Florida volunteers are collecting thousands of dead ones. "Not many people can say that during their career, they’ve prepared 5,000 dead birds. But Andrew Kratter can. Kratter, 61, is the Ornithology Collections Manager at the Florida Museum of Natural History, which houses 25,000 dead birds and 28,000 bird skeletons. Kratter has been with the museum for almost 25 years."
• Florida Politics: Will Florida be ready for its massive projected space growth? "This time, the boom is being driven by the private sector. But there is growing concern that the transportation, utilities and commercial-services infrastructure may not be in place to meet the anticipated demand and thousands of new jobs for industrial areas that are surrounded by miles of open land, much of it off-limits for development."
• WGCU: Collier County beach renourishment project to repair damage from Hurricane Irma could cost $29 million. "Although these barriers would provide levels of safety for the land, structures and residents in the onset of another major storm, homeowners in the area are not pleased with the proposed plans to construct these sand dunes saying it would devalue their million-dollar properties and add an unpleasant scenic view for tourists."
• Florida Times-Union ($): Fraud trial for ex-U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Jacksonville could be repeated in February. "Brown, a Jacksonville political powerhouse before she went to prison in 2018, had her conviction overturned in May by an appeals court that said the judge was wrong to remove a juror who said 'the Holy Spirit' told him she was innocent."
• WMFE: Mayor Demings Says Orange County On Firm Legal Ground As Firefighters Consider Lawsuit Over Vaccine Mandate. "(Jerry) Demings says a group of about 40 firefighters has secured private legal counsel regarding a lawsuit against the county over its vaccine mandate."
• Lakeland Ledger ($): Publix to hire 30,000 associates companywide in fourth quarter. "The company will hire workers for stores, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities at non-seasonal positions."
• Florida Today ($): Port Canaveral returns to profitability after cruises resume, after 16 months of losses. "The port also is receiving a total of $72.21 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to help cover its losses stemming from the shutdown of the cruise industry dating back to March 2020 because of COVID-19. Of that total, $49.88 million was put into the port's 2021-22 budget. That helped raise the port's projected overall profit for 2021-22 at $68.46 million."
• Florida Storms: Wetter, More Humid Pattern Returns This Week. "The Panhandle is in line to see the most rain. 2 to 5 inches are forecast within the Flash Flood Watch area over the western Panhandle. The National Weather Service says a few spots could receive in excess of 6 inches. This heavy rain will fall over areas that have been abnormally wet -- even by wet season standards -- over the summer months. It makes these areas more vulnerable to flash flooding."
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From NPR News
• Politics: What Sen. Blumenthal's 'finsta' flub says about Congress' grasp of Big Tech
• Business: The pandemic has driven food trucks into neighborhoods and onto delivery apps
• Health: Judging 'sincerely held' religious belief is tricky for employers mandating vaccines
• National: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier had its first all-female guard change in history
• Space: William Shatner is going to space next week (for real)
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.