The Point

The Point, Oct. 16, 2023: Florida to hand over new COVID-19 data

WUFT | By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published October 16, 2023 at 12:00 PM EDT

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The stories near you

• The Alligator: Sasse hires former U.S. Senate office members to top leadership positions. "UF President Ben Sasse hired two of his former U.S. Senate office members — James Wegmann and Raymond Sass — to top positions at the university."

• WUFT News: Dog that bolted during vigil chaos at UF returned safely to owner. "Four days after a dog slipped his leash at a vigil held at the University of Florida for victims of the attacks in Israel, Koda the pitbull mix is back home, her owner said Friday."

• WUFT News: An annual event draws many different politicians to Alachua County. "The main objective of this dinner is to provide a platform for officials and campaigns to establish a base."

• Gainesville Sun ($): Gainesville man found guilty of second-degree murder for 2021 killing at Swamp Car Wash. "A man has been found guilty of second-degree murder and accessory after the fact by a jury for his role in a killing at Swamp Car Wash on East University Avenue in January 2021."

• WCJB: Gainesville woman crashes into a home while driving under the influence. "28-year-old Shakira Warmack told Gainesville Police officers she was avoiding a raccoon."

• UF/IFAS: UF studies how to make harvested produce stay fresh. "Fruits and vegetables age differently after they’ve been harvested, so Tie Liu wants to know how crops age in that time after they leave the farm and before they arrive at the market."

• WUFT News: Gainesville tattoo parlor celebrates Friday the 13th. "When the 13th falls on a Friday, it is a special day for tattoo artists, and it is a common belief among artists that getting a tattoo then brings good luck."

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Around the state

• WUSF-Tampa: As Florida hands over new COVID data, what impact could it have? "Jason Salemi, a USF associate professor of epidemiology, told The Florida Roundup the data allows people to make 'informed decisions' and fosters a sense of trust, though he questioned the cost."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Voting and Civil rights groups urge prosecutors to drop voter fraud charges of elderly woman. "Ervin, who received a felony conviction, voted in 2020 and 2022. She thought her right to vote had been restored under Amendment 4 even though she was still on probation."

• Associated Press: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting site toured for final time by lawmakers and educators. "Florida lawmakers and education leaders from several states on Saturday took what is likely the final tour of a building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where a former student shot 17 people to death and wounded 17 others on Valentine's Day 2018."

• Tampa Bay Times: Coral researchers see ‘mass mortality’ amid a Florida Reef bleaching crisis. "Iconic elkhorn and staghorn corals took the heaviest losses, and researchers say they are at risk of becoming 'functionally extinct' in the Florida Reef."

• WUSF-Tampa: New College report shows lowest retention rate in school's history. "New College of Florida lost double the amount of students this year compared to the past two years. Interim Provost Brad Thiessen wrote in a report to faculty it was 'by far' the lowest retention rate the Sarasota school has seen."

• WGSU-Fort Myers: Got bats? Now is the time to shut them out -- temporarily. "Since the animals don’t want to leave the creature comforts of your home, how do you show members of the order Chiroptera the door since Florida law prohibits anyone from even touching a bat, whether to pet it or kill it?"

• Associated Press: NASA spacecraft launched to mysterious and rare metal asteroid in first mission of its kind. "Most asteroids tend to be rocky or icy, and this is the first exploration of a metal world. Scientists believe it may be the battered remains of an early planet's core, and could shed light on the inaccessible centers of Earth and other rocky planets."

• WGCU-Fort Myers: Florida's Coastal Savior: The Benefits of Mangroves. "Mangroves are incredibly beneficial to Florida's environment, and they wear a lot of proverbial hats. Mangroves play a critical role in a lot of marine ecosystems: they filter the water, act as a nursery habitat, and maintain healthy biodiversity."