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The Point, March 23, 2022: When a high school marching band's evolution is about more than the band

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The stories near you

• WUFT News: How a Black marching band style was erased from Gainesville’s fields, and why it matters decades later. "Alachua County desegregated 52 years ago, but education remains unequal. Today, the county has the largest achievement gap between Black and white students in the state. The story of this high school band reflects a much larger history of who the school system serves, and how the consequences of old decisions still ripple through the community decades later. It shows how choices that may seem small — like how high school students march on the football field at halftime — are not small to the people most affected."

• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Plane that crashed on SR 200 in Ocala in 2019, killing two, had no mechanical issues. "Investigators said the plane, both engines and the fuel transducers were examined, but  'no mechanical discrepancies that would have precluded normal operations' were found."

• CBS4: Alachua County Commissioners pass resolution in support of the LGBTQ+ Community. "The resolution said the board finds the 'Don’t Say Gay' bill is detrimental to the health and welfare of Alachua county youth and urges governor Ron DeSantis to veto the bill."

• WUFT News: International tensions renew emphasis on online security. "While a sea separates the United States from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, cyberwarfare capabilities transcend physical distance."

• WUFT News: Potential turnpike extension risks historic Black community. "That community may be halved by potential construction on the Florida Turnpike. The Northern Turnpike Extension, a proposed project that would expand the road, could run through Royal, among other areas of Citrus, Levy, Marion and Sumter counties."

• WCJB: Ocala’s hot housing market explained, where cash is king. "Data from the real estate brokerage site Redfin show that on average, homes are selling in just 15 days after being put on the market."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Florida gas prices dip 18 cents per gallon. "Both the Gainesville area and statewide, prices plummeted 18 cents per gallon since last Monday to $4.17."


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Around the state

• WMFE: Saving starving manatees will mean saving this crucial lagoon habitat. "The Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, estimates a comprehensive restoration of the lagoon would cost $5 billion and take some 20 to 30 years to complete."

• New York Times ($): Disney Employees Walk Out Amid Furor Over Florida Legislation. "Hoping to avoid controversy, the company initially shied away from taking a public stance on the anti-L.G.B.T.Q. bill. Now, an internal outcry has stretched into its third week."

• Tampa Bay Times ($): Florida Democrats move party fundraiser after controversy over Disney, timing. "The Florida Democratic Party said it is moving venues and rescheduling its annual fundraising gala and organizing event after facing criticism over its timing and its decision to host the event at Walt Disney World."

• WUSF: USF names Rhea Law as its new president. "Rhea Law, a Tampa lawyer who previously served as chair of USF's Board of Trustees, is the first alum to lead the university."

• Sarasota Herald-Tribune ($): DeSantis proclamation: Sarasota swimmer who lost to transgender athlete 'rightful winner'. "Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a proclamation Tuesday declaring Emma Weyant, a collegiate swimmer who grew up in Sarasota, the 'rightful winner' after she lost to a transgender opponent in the NCAA 500-yard women's freestyle swimming championship event."

• WLRN: Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic nomination is changing how Palmetto High students see themselves. "It put her on the path to success in law and in life. That’s how U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson has described her time on the speech and debate team at Miami Palmetto Senior High School."


From NPR News

• Politics: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings: What happened on Tuesday

• World: With war on its doorstep, Germany plans a major military buildup

• World: China's search for survivors from crashed jetliner turns up nothing so far

• National: How to keep yourself safe during a tornado

• Politics: 50 years ago sex equality seemed destined for the Constitution. What happened?

• Health: Pfizer launches a recall of blood pressure drugs due to a potential carcinogen

• National: Governors in Indiana and Utah veto transgender sports bans

• Culture: Former child star Amanda Bynes is freed from conservatorship

About today's curator

I'm Melissa Feito, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Miami, I got my start in public radio covering religion stories like the spiritual roots of Afro-Brazilian music and modern communities of pagans. I'm a graduate student getting my master's degree in mass communication and am part of a team searching for local and 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 mfeito2@ufl.edu.

Contact WUFT News by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org