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The stories near you

• Gainesville Sun: Democratic congressional candidate Tom Wells found guilty by jury for resisting officer. "The incident stems from a Jan. 30 event held at the University of Florida's Flavet Field during the Family Extravaganza, hosted by the UF's Hispanic Student Association."

• The Alligator: Animal shelter director resigns, investigation into pet owner’s abuse continues. "The county-controlled animal shelter director stepped down after he testified in court as a witness for a Gainesville resident's alleged animal abuse."

• Gainesville Sun: Alachua County commissioners seek solutions to animal shelter overcrowding. "The Alachua County Animal Resources and Care Center (ACR&C), located at 3400 Northeast 3rd Ave., reported last week being 50% over its capacity limit due to a recent influx of cats and dogs."

• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Ocala/Marion housing crisis? More inventory needed to quell rising home values, rent costs. "Marion County had the second highest first-quarter home value increase in 2022, based on percentage, of all the midsize metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the nation, according to the National Association of Realtors."

• Ocala Star-Banner ($): School test results: Marion sees slight improvement overall, but more work needed. "The news comes just one year after there was a 7 percentage point decline on average in 14 Florida school testing categories, including grades 3-10 in language arts and grades 3-6 in mathematics."

• CBS4: School Board members plan to continue working on school safety. "Alachua County School Board members welcomed new appointed staff and extended contracts for those continuing at Alachua County schools. But school safety also remains on the top of School Board Chair Robert Hyatt's mind."

• WCJB TV20: Central Florida Electric Cooperative plans to expand broadband internet access to multiple North Central Florida counties. "The Central Florida Electric Cooperative’s board of directors approved a project to roll out service in Levy, Dixie, and Gilchrist Counties."

• Gainesville Sun: Mayoral candidate, Commissioner David Arreola's now-former campaign manager hired as elections office worker. "A now-former campaign manager of an active mayoral candidate has been hired by Alachua County's supervisor of elections. But those involved in the hire say there is no conflict and the hiring was above board."

• WCJB TV20: Lake City council candidate fixing multiple errors on filed financial reports. "Lake City officials say candidate BeFaithful Coker, who is running for the open District 14 seat, maybe opening up herself to legal challenges, for discrepancies found on her financial reports."

• WCJB TV20: Alachua County Jail confirms more cases of Coronavirus outbreak. "Sheriff’s office officials confirm that 40 inmates and 19 sheriff’s office employees have tested positive."

• The Villages Daily Sun: Ambulance changes clear their next step in rural Sumter areas. "The Sumter County Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for Sumter Fire and EMS to provide ambulance service for a two-year period."

• Villages-News: Villager won’t be prosecuted in golf ‘etiquette’ altercation that made national headlines. "Richard Eric Randell, 76, of the Village of Springdale, was arrested April 29 after the reported attack on a fellow golfer who was transported by ambulance from the De La Vista Executive Golf Course to UF Health-The Villages Hospital."

• Citrus County Chronicle: Inverness to host largest free concert in county history for Independence Day. "This year, Inverness prepares for an exciting Independence Day celebration, as the city’s annual event will feature national country music performer Eddie Montgomery, in addition to fireworks, games and food."

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Around the state

• WFSU: A second day of hearings begins in a case to temporarily block Florida's 15 week abortion ban. "Leon County Judge John Cooper told the lawyers in the case he's likely to rule from the bench after hearing closing arguments, but that might not be soon enough to stop the new law from going into effect."

• Palm Beach Daily News: Florida surgeon general defends opposition to COVID-19 vaccines for children before Congress. "The chair of a congressional committee on Wednesday berated Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo for being the only state in the country to not pre-order COVID-19 vaccines for children under five."

• WLRN: Jury selected for Parkland school shooter death penalty trial. "They 22 jurors will return to court on July 18th for opening statements. The trial is expected to stretch into October."

• WFSU: The Leon School Board ok's changes to its LGBTQ guide over concerns it goes too far and not far enough. "LGBTQ students and advocates worry it could lead to schools accidentally outing students to unsupportive parents; parent groups argue the guide doesn’t do enough when it comes to allowing them a say over how the district handles LGBTQ kids."

• News4Jax: Florida teachers raise concerns about new civics training, say it downplays slavery, promotes originalism. "The Florida Department of Education is holding a series of conferences around the state this summer to teach a new civics initiative championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis."

• News4Jax: Jacksonville study using AI app to help patients with congestive heart failure. "Artificial intelligence is used to prevent frequent trips to the emergency room for heart failure, and it’s part of a fairly new study being conducted in Jacksonville to help people who are at risk of dying from the condition."

• WMFE: Medication abortion and other reproductive care is still legal in Florida. Here’s how to access it. "Abortion pills and other services are legal in Florida despite the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. But state law makes it harder to access them than in some other states."

• Orlando Business Journal ($): Every Central Florida county sees worsening home affordability despite housing market cool-down. "The affordability boost some homebuyers got from low mortgage rates has evaporated."

• Pensacola News Journal: FPL’s extreme winter plan would create 'unnecessary' costs to consumers, critics say. "The state's largest electricity producer is getting pushback from consumer advocates over a plan to charge customers extra money on each bill to weatherize its power production network against a severe winter freeze."

• ABC7: Federal court sides with street preacher, rules Fort Myers Beach sign ordinance ‘surely’ unconstitutional. "The Town of Fort Myers Beach has an ordinance that says portable signs are prohibited. It doesn’t matter what they say, how big they are or where they’re at. The judges serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit Court just said on Tuesday that the ordinance is unlawful."

• The Florida Times-Union ($): Florida Supreme Court approves DeSantis grand jury to investigate child smuggling, immigration. "As an example, the grand jury could look into “parents, guardians or other family members of unaccompanied alien children who have conspired with transnational criminal organizations or other illicit actors to smuggle, and thus endanger, their children.”

• Tampa Bay Times: Rays partners sue Sternberg again, alleging ‘fraudulent’ control of team. "Five minority partners claim the Rays’ owner transferred the team to his own company without their input."

• WUSF:Welch says he is starting over with plans to redevelop the Tropicana Field site. "Citing the pandemic, the growing need for affordable housing, and other factors, Welch says "the environment" has changed since the initial request."

• Fox35: Former FBI agent says OMA Basquiat paintings seized to protect the public from alleged 'fake' art. "As the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducts an investigation into alleged art forgeries, the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) has replaced its director."

From NPR News

• Public Health: Major health system stops, then resumes Plan B amid Missouri's abortion ban ambiguity

• Law: The complicated — and rapidly shifting — legal risks of getting an abortion by pill

• National: The dealer that sold the gun used in the Oxford High School shooting is being sued

• Politics: Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Pat Cipollone, Trump's former White House counsel

• Race: Emmett Till's family seeks the arrest of a woman after a 1955 warrant is found

• Reproductive Rights: Period tracker app Flo developing 'anonymous mode' to quell post-Roe privacy concerns

• Business: Ben & Jerry's' corporate owner found a workaround to sell ice cream in the West Bank

• National: Woody Williams, the last surviving WWII Medal of Honor recipient dies at 98

• National:Pete Buttigieg launches $1B pilot to build racial equity in America's roads

• Asia: Dictator's son Ferdinand Marcos Jr. takes oath as Philippine president

• World: New Zealand's government classifies the Proud Boys as a terrorist organization

About today's curator

I’m Sky Lebron, a multimedia producer and Morning Edition newscaster at WUFT. I’ve lived in Florida my entire life, originally hailing from Broward County before eventually moving up here to attend UF. I believe Florida is a reporter’s dream, because there are so many fantastic stories to tell. From state politics, to the environment, to character-driven stories, this state has it all, and I think it’s a great honor to help curate these stories for our audience. If you have any feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed, contact me at  slebron30@ufl.edu.