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The stories near you
• WUFT News: Attacks on Ukraine ignite UF student support. “Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Gainesville residents have banded together in solidarity to understand the war, attend peaceful demonstrations and fundraise to send money to displaced Ukrainian citizens.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): 21-year-old man killed, 18-year-old woman seriously injured in pair of vehicle accidents. "A pair of separate vehicle accidents in Gainesville Thursday evening put an 18-year-old woman in the hospital with serious injuries and killed a 21-year-old man walking on the sidewalk."
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV commission moves forward on language inclusion. “The Gainesville City Commission voted Thursday to expand language access initiatives after a presentation by members of the Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative (GINI).”
• WUFT News: University of Florida student accepts plea deal in sexual assault case. “Michael Nanosky Jr., 20, of Boca Raton, pleaded guilty to a lesser felony, aggravated assault. Circuit Judge James Colaw sentenced him to five years of probation, ordered him to drop out of UF and stay out of Gainesville. He also forbade him from contacting the victim, her family and her sorority, and ordered him to pay for his victim’s therapy, attend mandatory counseling twice a month and complete 750 hours of community service.”
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Around the state
• News Service of Florida: Not so fast: DeSantis warns of cuts to Florida's record $112.1 billion budget. “Gov. Ron DeSantis said the $112.1 billion budget approved Monday by the Legislature might be too generous in some areas and people celebrating getting projects in the spending plan should refrain from ‘any irrational exuberance.’”
• Fresh Take Florida: ‘Slaves built the Capitol’: Advocate for abandoned Black cemeteries criticizes Florida senators. “The ‘Abandoned and Historic Cemeteries’ bill, sponsored by Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, passed unanimously in three House committee hearings. Both Republicans and Democrats supported it. But it was pronounced dead earlier this week without a full House vote. A companion bill in the Senate, sponsored by Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, never made any progress.”
• Florida Politics: Florida hauls in $200M more than expected in January. “Florida received $4.07 billion in January, about $199.7 million more than economists’ predictions. That haul was led by $3.46 billion in sales taxes, which was $183.5 million over the estimate.”
• CBS 4 Miami: Florida Supreme Court Ruling Would Make It Harder To Sue Tobacco Companies. “In what a dissenting justice called a ‘fundamental shift,’ the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday issued a ruling that likely will make it harder for many plaintiffs suing tobacco companies about smoking-related illnesses.”
• Florida Today ($): Several Florida mental health professional organizations criticize 'Don't Say Gay' bill. “Several associations of Florida mental health professionals issued a joint statement Thursday condemning controversial legislation that would limit instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, saying it could harm students’ mental health.”
• WFSU: Too much St. Patrick's Day fun? AAA offers Florida revelers a free tow. “AAA Auto Club is trying to keep impaired drivers off the road on this St. Patrick’s Day. AAA is activating its Tow to Go program starting at 6 p.m. Thursday and lasting through 6AM Monday.”
• WINK-Fort Myers: High gas prices impacting charter businesses, boaters. “The surge at the pump is hitting more than just drivers on the roads. Charter boat captains are struggling to get out on the water as prices to fill up for them have doubled since last summer.”
• Miami Herald ($): Florida state senator apologizes for comments she made during ‘don’t say gay’ debate. “Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Miami Republican who recently faced national criticism for saying 'LGBT is not a permanent thing' while debating a contentious bill in the Florida Legislature, apologized on Thursday to anyone who was offended by what she said.”
• Palm Beach Post ($): Bridge tender facing manslaughter charge after West Palm Beach woman, 79, fell to her death. "Greenacres resident Artissua Lafay Paulk, 43, is facing a charge of manslaughter by culpable negligence in the death of Carol Wright on Feb. 6 as she walked westward across the span that links Palm Beach and downtown West Palm Beach. Paulk told the Florida Department of Transportation in the hours after Wright died that she had checked the drawbridge multiple times before raising it, according to her statement about the incident, which the FDOT released Thursday."
• Daytona Beach News-Journal ($): Spring break: (New Smyrna Beach) issues youth curfew, requests mutual aid following emergency meeting. "These disruptions include 'kids crawling on top of buildings, throwing business furniture into the road, and accosting business employees,' police said. The situation worsened as the week went on – to the point where the City Commission called a special emergency meeting on Wednesday night to address the issue."
From NPR News
• Politics: The House approves a bill to suspend trade relations with Russia and Belarus
• World: Russia bombed a Mariupol theater with 'Children' sign outside — but shelter survived
• Economy: How the pandemic housing market spurred buyer's remorse across America
• Health: Moderna seeks approval for second COVID-19 booster shot for adults
• Business: What the Amazon-MGM deal means for the streaming business
• Business: Conservatives call to revive Keystone XL, but the pipeline company has moved on
About today's curator
I’m Gregorio Ruiz-Perez, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Naples, Florida, I’ve always enjoyed running to clear my mind. I am a senior journalism major and am part of a team searching for local state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to gruizperez@ufl.edu.