The Point

The Point, Nov. 7, 2023: Special legislative session brings hurricane relief, school vouchers

WUFT | By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published November 7, 2023 at 1:00 PM EST

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The stories near you

• WUFT News: Lee property development plan approval could mean a UF golf course. "A development plan on one of Alachua County’s 47 environmentally sensitive ecosystems will be evaluated Nov. 7 to determine what should be protected during potential development."

• WCJB: Dunnellon mayor and council member announce resignation over disclosure rules. "Mayor Wally Dunn and council member Juliane Mendonca announced their resignations during a special workshop because of their concerns with Form-6. Form-6 a mandatory state report which requires lawmakers to disclose their finances in detail."

• The Alligator: Activists and officials fear irreversible damage to Alachua County’s Springs. "Robert Knight, the executive director of the Florida Springs Institute, has been monitoring spring health for over two decades. During that time, he said, he’s witnessed the quantity and quality of spring systems decline."

• WUFT News: Alachua County asks residents to complete healthcare survey. "Alachua County is gathering information about residents’ health habits, including medical conditions, vaccination status and disability, in an anonymous and optional survey meant to improve county healthcare services."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Camp Crystal Lake to celebrate 75 years. "At the anniversary celebrations, the camp invites families to participate in some of the activities Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) students have access to. There will be fishing, archery, hayrides, a ropes course, arts and crafts and other activities."

• The Alligator: Homeless vendors sell newspapers to Gainesville drivers. "The paper is owned by the COSAC Foundation, a non-profit homeless aid organization, and sold in the streets by clients of COSAC’s shelters."

• WUFT News: Oxford’s Junk in the Trunk yard sale draws thousands of loyal customers. "Director of Junk in the Trunk, Suzanne Gilbert, has cultivated a multiacre yard sale for patrons across the nation to market their wares. Over the last few months, through social media and word of mouth, new patrons have learned of this attraction and signed up to join the growing park and shop."

• WUFT News: Interview: Steep Canyon Rangers singer-guitarist Aaron Burdett. "According to their website, the Steep Canyon Rangers have three Grammy nominations and were awarded a Grammy in 2013 for Best Bluegrass Album for “Nobody Knows You.” In addition, they’re been inducted into North Carolina’s Music Hall of Fame."

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Around the state

• News Service of Florida: Could toll breaks continue? DeSantis administration says maybe. "Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez hinted at the issue Saturday as she spoke during the Republican Party of Florida’s 'Freedom Summit' in Orlando. A year-long program of providing credits to motorists who frequently use toll roads is scheduled to expire Dec. 31."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Senate Committee approves $400 million disaster relief plan. "The hefty spending package was crafted by Florida Senator Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee) who says the counties he represents are fiscally constrained and have been impacted the most by recent storms, like Hurricane Idalia."

• Associated Press: Some houses are being built to stand up to hurricanes and sharply cut emissions, too. "Some housing developers are building homes with an eye toward making them more resilient to such extreme weather, and friendlier to the environment at the same time."

• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers back proposals to lift a cap on school vouchers. "State lawmakers on Monday moved toward temporarily nixing a cap on the number of students who can participate in a school-voucher program for children with disabilities."

• WUSF-Tampa: USF survey finds Americans want more done about classified information security. "A bipartisan majority (59%) of those polled by USF believe that elected officials are not doing enough to protect classified information."

• WLRN-Miami: 'People want a hate-free society': Community leaders on the rise in Islamaphobia and antisemitism. "Antisemitism and Islamophobia are a dark problem in the U.S., even in peaceful times. But the war that broke out last month between Israel and Hamas seems to have opened a Pandora’s box of hatred toward Jews and Muslims."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: A jury finds Charlie Adelson guilty of the 2014 murder of Dan Markel. "He was charged with three felonies for the 2014 murder of Florida State University Law Professor, Dan Markel. The next phase of the trial is sentencing. Adelson could face life in prison."

• WUSF-Tampa: Invisible fences could be the future of cattle ranching in Florida and climate change research. "Florida scientists are determining how cattle grazing impacts plants, green house gas emissions, and carbon stored in the soil, using collars and cell towers."