The Point

The Point, Sept. 19, 2022: Starlink satellites launch after scrubs

WUFT | By Jacob Sedesse,

WUFT News

Published September 19, 2022 at 12:00 PM EDT

Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.

The stories near you

• WUFT News: Trial scheduled Monday for Gainesville men accused of using Snapchat to sell drugs. "Authorities said they first became aware of the group in May 2020 following an early morning shootout at Cabana Beach Apartments – about two miles west of the University of Florida campus – when three gunmen who still haven’t been identified forced their way into an apartment occupied by four members of the group."

• Gainesville Sun ($): Body-cam footage, investigation show inconsistencies in GPD's handling of Terrell Bradley case. "GPD presented a carefully-crafted video and narrative while announcing the findings of two simultaneous investigations – one by a third party, V2 Global and the other by the department’s internal affairs (IA) division."

• WUFT News: A crowd of hundreds gathered to remember Eastside High School student Dabien White. "Dabien, a senior offensive lineman better known by his nickname, 'Dae Dae,' died Sept. 4 of undisclosed causes at age 17. He was 6-foot-three-inches tall and weighed 330 pounds, but also known by those who loved him as a 'gentle giant.'"

• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV commission to convene three times this week. "The City of Gainesville will hold two special meetings this week along with its regular General Policy Committee, touching on items from the police department’s K-9 team to utility rates and a cultural arts center."

• WUFT News: Affordable senior apartments open at Oak Valley in Ocala. "The senior apartment complex is a joint venture between Housing Trust Group and non-profit AM Affordable Housing Inc., an organization founded by former Miami Heat champion and NBA Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning."

Today's sponsored message

We focus our legal attention on these practice areas: • Family Law • Business Law • Estate Planning • Probate • Guardianship

Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.

Around the state

• Florida Today ($): Weather perfect as SpaceX Launches 54 Starlink Satellites. "After several scrubs due to bad weather, SpaceX sends another 54 Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station."

• Politico: National conservative groups pour money into local school board races. "The 1776 PAC, which asks anyone who visit its website to report local cases of critical race theory in schools, endorsed 49 candidates in Florida throughout 21 counties — more than even DeSantis."

• FOX 35 Orlando: President Joe Biden to speak at rally in Orlando. "The president will join Democratic officials and voters to 'highlight the choice voters have in the midterms between building an economy that works for working families, and the Republican plan to put Medicare and Social Security on the chopping block,' according to the DNC."

• Associated Press: Defense seeks judge's removal in Florida school shooter case. "The motion cited Florida's Judicial Code of Conduct that states a judge shall disqualify himself or herself if the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned, including but not limited to instances where the judge has a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party or a party’s lawyer. Defense attorneys said Scherer's repeated improper and unjustified attacks on the defense counsel undermine the public’s confidence in the judicial system and have also caused Cruz to fear that he will not receive a fair trial."

• Tallahassee Democrat ($): DeSantis likely to pass on appointment as District 2 Leon County Commission race heats up. "The open seat prompted seven people — four Democrats and three Republicans — to run for the nonpartisan post. And while a few of them applied to fill the vacancy after Jackson’s death, none of them ever heard back from the Governor’s Office."

• Florida Politics: Lisa Wheeler-Bowman resigns City Council post. "St. Petersburg City Council member Lisa Wheeler-Bowman resigned her position Thursday following accusations that she no longer lived in the district she represents."

• News4JAX: ‘It’s a hot mess’: Traffic, construction around stadium make life difficult for some Jaguars fans. "Fans who come down Bay Street will run into construction for the Commodore Point Expressway which goes east and west between the Hart Bridge and East Bay Street. The westbound overpass to Adams Street and Duval Road is also under construction. And so is the new Jags practice field being built in front of the stadium."

• WGCU-Fort Myers: D.C. Sniper with ties to SW Florida is denied parole 20 years after shootings. "The Virginia Parole Board rejected Malvo’s parole request on the grounds that he remains a risk to the community. Malvo, now 37, was also sentenced to life in prison in Maryland."

• WUSF-Tampa: A new exhibit in St. Petersburg celebrates the Black Pioneers of the American West. "When we think about the Wild West, many of us probably imagine characters from a Clint Eastwood or John Wayne movie. But the reality is, the West is — and was — a melting pot."

• FOX 35 Orlando: Brevard County high school launches first ever eSports team. "Eau Gallie is one of seven Brevard County Public high schools participating in competitive video gaming for Rocket League this year.... Players are being evaluated for things like skill level and communication. They'll then be placed into three-man fire teams."