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Your voter guide
Florida’s midterm elections are November 8th, and we are rounding up key local races in north central Florida to help you cast an informed vote.
• In Alachua County, three county commission seats are up for election.
• Gainesville's mayoral race has generated over $100,000 in campaign contributions, and two city commission seats are up for election.
• Citrus and Hernando Counties have school board seats up for election, and Citrus County is voting on a county commission seat.
• In Dixie, Gilchrist and Lafayette Counties, Dixie and Gilchrist are voting on county commissioners, and Lafayette has a school board seat up for election.
• Marion, Putnam and Union Counties have county commission seats up for election, and Palatka is voting on its mayor.
• Three U.S. House district seats are up for election in North Central Florida.
• For the State Legislature, two State Senate seats and two State House seats are up for election.
• Legislators in favor of Amendment 3 tout it as a lifeline for Floridians struggling in a volatile housing market, but those against it say the measure wouldn’t do enough.
• Sean Brewer and Aubroncee Martin go head-to-head for open 8th Circuit Judge slot.
For more information about voting in North Central Florida, including polling locations and sample ballots, visit www.wuft.org/election2022.
The stories near you
• WUFT News: Food System Policy Board members raise questions about board’s effectiveness. "The issue of food accessibility has long been a focus for the city of Gainesville and Alachua County, and the Joint Food Systems Policy Board has been tasked with coming up with suggested solutions."
• The Alligator: Gainesville’s ‘lame-duck’ period, and how it affects officials until January. "While ending terms is a regular part of any political cycle, a potential majority vote of commissioners terming out hasn’t occurred in decades. This 'lame-duck' period — when elected officials are still active but won’t be re-elected — forces commissioners to prioritize final pieces of legislation to cement their legacy."
• WUFT News: Veterinary shortage makes its way to North Central Florida. "A typical pet owner can spend hundreds of dollars yearly on scheduled vet visits. These increased costs are due partly to a nationwide shortage of veterinarians that has made its way to North Central Florida."
• WUFT News: Bats are on the move on the UF campus. "Just in time for Halloween, the bats at the University of Florida’s Field and Fork gardens have finally relocated into their new bat barn."
• WUFT News: Mall walking at the Oaks Mall protects active seniors from the elements. "Brice and Beth Keith have gone to the Oaks Mall nearly every day for years. But the couple hasn’t spent a penny on merchandise. In fact, they haven’t even entered a store."
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Around the state
• News Service of Florida: Opponents try again to block Florida's law that restricts instruction on LGBTQ-related issues. "After a federal judge rejected an earlier attempt, students, parents and teachers have filed a revised lawsuit seeking to block a new Florida law that restricts classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation."
• Florida Politics: Citizens Property Insurance rate hikes for homeowners take effect. "Citizens Property Insurance customers with traditional homeowners policies will see an average 6.4% rate increase when they renew their policies, starting Tuesday."
• WFLA-Tampa: Guideline states migrant relocation program is for ‘unauthorized aliens who are found in Florida.' "Gov. Ron DeSantis has said the 48 migrants picked up in Texas last month and brought to Martha’s Vineyard were headed to Florida. But a Florida Department of Transportation document released after a records request states that the $12 million program was set up 'to assist in the voluntary relocation of unauthorized aliens who are found in Florida.'"
• WJCT-Jacksonville: Prosecution unlikely for antisemitic messages around Jacksonville. "The antisemitic messages plastered around Jacksonville over the weekend were disturbing and distasteful, but they probably weren't criminal, legal experts say."
• Florida Politics: Report: Medical marijuana patients, daily dose amounts at an all-time high. "Not only has the number of patients qualifying for medical marijuana increased in the last year, daily dose amounts ordered have, too, according to the Physician Certification Pattern Review 2023 Annual Report, which shows 546 million ounces of smokable marijuana was certified for patients between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022."
• Miami Herald ($): How much does it cost to die in the U.S.? "Funerals may be closure for the living left behind, but they also create debt. The Sum dives into the costs behind what death could cost those you leave behind."
From NPR News
• Business: Thousands of Delta Airlines pilots vote overwhelmingly to authorize a strike.
• National: The Trump Organization tax evasion trial begins.
• Health: Families fear a ban on gender affirming care in the wake of harassment of clinics.
• World: South Koreans mourn 154 people who died in a Halloween stampede in Seoul.
• Health: Shopping for ACA health insurance? Here's what's new this year.
• Economy: The bond that broke the internet.
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.