The Point, April 24, 2025: Residents express concern over downtown Gainesville block demolition

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The Wine and Cheese Gallery building is over 100 years old. (Nicholas Diaz/WUFT News) (880x542, AR: 1.6236162361623616)

• WUFT News: Residents express concern over the demolition of a block in downtown Gainesville. “These buildings include the former business locations for the Wine and Cheese Gallery, Modern Shoe Repair building and Barton Thrasher/Douglas law office, located in the 100 block on the east side of North Main Street. The building’s owner has a permit to demolish them this summer.”

• WUFT News: Climbing traffic lights: Experts explain celebratory fan behavior. “There are some who go out and celebrate in a nice, happy way, but there are others who “take advantage of the opportunity and turn it into something destructive and weird and odd and do stuff that they would not normally do alone,” he said.”

• WUFT News: High sea turtle nesting season expected, but experts warn the species is not out of danger. “While sea turtle population numbers seem to be steadying as a whole, experts say this does not necessarily mean they have been saved from endangerment. They warn that the current high nesting numbers are not the result of recent efforts to save turtles but from the work of decades ago.”

• Mainstreet Daily News: UF study finds introduced trees in eastern U.S. increase, native species declines. “Using data collected as far back as 1995, the authors found two conspicuous patterns. First, introduced species are picking up speed rather than losing steam. Second, in areas with introduced species, the number of native species is decreasing over time.”

• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville board OKs new civil courthouse, Oak Hall School parking lot. “The civil courthouse approved Tuesday will be five stories and 87,400 square feet... It's a large addition to the criminal courthouse and will share a public entrance and security checkpoint.”
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Around the state

• WFTS-Tampy Bay: After disturbing discoveries, students want better communication from USF. “Students like Webber were already on edge after last week’s shooting at FSU, and she says that anxiety was intensified by USF’s communications after the gun paraphernalia was found on campus.”

• News Service of Florida: Florida House passes plan to help ease financial strain on condominium owners. “The House and Senate bills address condo-safety laws passed after the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside that killed 98 people.”

Students and activists rally for gun control policies outside of Florida's historic old capitol on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Tallahassee, Fla., less than a week after a deadly shooting at Florida State University (Kate Payne/AP) (840x630, AR: 1.3333333333333333)

• Associated Press: FSU students who endured Parkland shooting urge Florida lawmakers to defend gun control law. “Following the FSU shooting, student activists are urging lawmakers to support gun control policies in the final two weeks of the legislative session, which is set to end May 2.”

• WUSF-Tampa: Uthmeier is suing Snapchat and denies any role in Hope Florida spending concerns. “Uthmeier said the suit against Snapchat, filed on Monday, is "just the start" for Florida's crackdown on social media.”

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Tallahassee Memorial Hospital CEO Mark O'Bryant speaks about the swirl of uncertainty and debate that surrounds the institution's future. “The controversy came last month when it appeared the City of Tallahassee, which owns the hospital's land, building and other assets, discussed selling the facility to an outside owner.”

• WLRN-Miami: 'A hand up, not a handout': The unique Broward courtroom that looks out for the homeless. “It began as a jail diversion program for unhoused individuals charged with low-level nonviolent offenses like aggressive panhandling or sleeping in public. Those offenders have their charges dismissed if they complete ten hours of community service, and they are offered a chance to connect with service providers who could assist them with things like housing or addiction treatment.”

• WFLA-Tampa Bay: Anthony Collins becomes first black Chief Deputy in Hillsborough County Sheriff Office history. “Collins is the first African-American to serve in this role, and it’s the highest position any African-American has ever held at HCSO.”

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida Senate passes Apalachicola oil drilling bill, sends it back to House.”The policy dispute follows loud opposition to a proposed oil drilling project in the Apalachicola Basin. Opponents worry the project could hurt the environment as well as the economy and a group of North Florida lawmakers is behind a pair of bills to try to add some guardrails to the plan.”
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Lee Ann Anderson curated today's edition of The Point.