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The stories near you

• WUFT News: Potential Florida Turnpike extension threatens rural land. "There are four separate proposals to the Florida Turnpike that would extend the interstate from Wildwood through combinations of these counties: Citrus, Levy, Marion and Sumter. Each of the routes would pave over large swaths of rural areas."

• Gainesville Sun ($): Parents express frustration on school bus delays, district chiefs seek to find solution. "On Wednesday morning, there were 21 late buses, according to the Alachua County Public Schools late bus dashboard. Tuesday morning 15 buses were running behind and there were nine late afternoon buses."

• WUFT News: Gainesville Regional Airport has yet to achieve levels of pre-COVID travel. "Across the country, the spike in the omicron variant of COVID-19 has led to staffing shortages and supply chain issues. These factors, combined with winter weather extremities, have resulted in flight delays, cancellations and reduced airport foot traffic."

• Mainstreet Daily News: West End golf developer submits latest application. "A development plan for the West End Golf property that started out two years ago with 487 residential units and an 80-room hotel has now been pared down to 129 single-family units, a tree line with open space, and a donation of 37 recreation acres to Alachua County."

• Florida Politics: Gov. DeSantis pledges more support for workforce education. "Gov. Ron DeSantis is pledging another $89 million for workforce education initiatives in the state to develop 'skills in very high demand fields.' Wednesday morning saw DeSantis at Santa Fe College, where he spotlighted the school’s career and technical programs to illustrate progress in workforce education during his tenure, a focus that started in his 2018 campaign."

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Around the state

• USA Today Network ($): Bill to ban abortions in Florida after 15 weeks on fast track to Gov. DeSantis' desk. "Florida lawmakers have put on a fast track a proposal that mirrors a Mississippi law currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. A decision is expected this summer. With a high court reshaped by former President Donald Trump and a Florida Supreme Court now with a majority of justices selected by Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Gov. Rick Scott, conservatives think the time is right to either undermine or even do away with abortion access in Florida."

• News4Jax: Jewish groups seek to educate following antisemitic demonstration in Florida. "Antisemitic incidents are on the rise and have been for the last four years, according to those tracking the incidents. Now, Jewish community advocates say the stories making national headlines are a reminder of why education is so important."

• Daytona Beach News-Journal ($): FBI: Threats against HBCUs, including Bethune-Cookman, investigated 'as highest priority.' "An FBI joint terrorism task force is investigating a series of bomb threats made this week against historically Black colleges and universities, including Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach. At least 17 colleges, including Edward Waters University in Jacksonville on Tuesday, have been targeted, as have houses of worship, according to the FBI statement. Campuses have been locked down and classes have been canceled as a result of the threats."

• Politico: States moving fast after Congress failed to expand felon voting rights. "Some activists attribute the dramatic increase in states restoring voting rights to a victory in 2018 in Florida, where a measure to automatically restore voting rights to those convicted of a felony was overwhelmingly passed by voters, although a successful push from Republicans to make it contingent upon paying court debts and other fines tempered that victory there."

• CBS Miami: Parkland School Shooter Penalty Phase Trial Pushed Back. "On Wednesday, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer set a tentative date for the first week of April. Jury selection for the trial had been scheduled to begin February 21."

• Associated Press: Media barred from Justice Gorsuch talk to Federalist Society. "Gorsuch is billed as the banquet speaker Friday at the Florida chapter of the Federalist Society’s annual meeting, which is being held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista. The schedule on the organization’s website notes, 'The banquet is closed to press.'"

From NPR News

• Education: New Mexico asks National Guard to work as substitute teachers to keep classrooms open

• Health: U.S. Army begins to discharge soldiers who refuse COVID-19 vaccination

• Health: So you've got COVID. Here's what to do

• Politics: Here's how the Biden administration says it will halve cancer death rates by 2047

• Politics: Alexander Vindman sues Trump allies for alleged intimidation over impeachment hearing

• World: The multi-ethnic state of Bosnia is once again in crisis

• World: At the Beijing Olympics, a Kashmiri skier will carry India's flag — all by himself

• Business: OPEC members to meet as crude oil prices reach 7-year highs

• Business: CNN president Jeff Zucker resigns over relationship with network executive

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.