The Point

The Point, Aug. 2, 2023: Trump charged, a sheriff retires, the Hollywood sign turns 100

WUFT | By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published August 2, 2023 at 12:00 PM EDT

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The stories near you

• Mainstreet Daily News: AC Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr. announces retirement. "Watson sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declaring that he would step down from his elected term early due to health reasons."

• WCJB: Gainesville city manager announces plans for more budget cuts. "Along with the five jobs being cut within her office, Curry is also proposing reducing her $299 thousand salary by 5 percent."

• The Alligator: UF’s efforts to preserve Native American history remain despite implications from new legislation. "As a land grant university, the main UF campus is located on the ancestral territory of the Potano and the Seminole peoples, according to Smathers Libraries."

• Ocala Gazette: Coehadjoe Park zip line project canceled. "The $35,500 project at the park, at 4225 NE 35th St., Ocala, began in January but was halted in late June due to safety concerns, said Marion County Parks and Recreation spokesperson Sara Lambert via email."

• Florida Politics: Citrus County hails groundbreaking of Inverness Airport Business Park. "County officials picture a business park of up to 17 buildings, 500,000 square feet of commercial and industrial space, and the potential for up to 700 jobs based on the types of businesses that wind up there."

• Mainstreet Daily News: UF to hold open football practice. "UF head coach Billy Napier announced that the Gators football team will host an open practice on Saturday inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium."

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Around the state

• NPR: Trump charged with 4 felony counts for attempt to overturn the 2020 election. "Trump was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, witness tampering, conspiracy against the rights of citizens, and obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding."

• WMFE-Orlando: Doctors who reported rise in Central Florida leprosy cases speak out on findings. "Dr. Charles Dunn, who reported out these findings with a team of doctors, says this shouldn’t cause alarm or panic. Leprosy is not highly contagious and it’s easily treated."

• WMFE-Orlando: Harris rejects DeSantis' invitation to discuss controversial African American history lessons. "During a speech in Orlando Tuesday, she emphatically declined the invitation."

• News Service of Florida: Florida regulators balk at the EPA's plan to cut down power plant emissions. "State regulators argue that the changes could drive up costs for consumers and hurt the reliability of the state’s electric system."

• NPR: Sales are way down at a Florida flea market. A new immigration law could be to blame. "For decades, vendors at the Tropicana Flea Market have worked weekends under the hot sun, listening to music, trading jokes and light-hearted stories. But lately, those stories have taken a grim turn, largely thanks to a new Florida immigration law."

• WUSF-Tampa: How Floridians are affected by a ban on ESG investing and who's behind the anti-ESG campaign. "ESG stands for environment, social and governance. It's basically a tool for consumers and investors to have better information about how a company responds to risks like climate change, how it impacts the environment and surrounding communities, and how it governs itself."