The Point

The Point, Nov. 16, 2023: Gainesville family battles near-constant flooding

WUFT | By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published November 16, 2023 at 1:00 PM EST

Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.

The stories near you

• WUFT News: The war against flooding: A Gainesville family’s nightmare. "The Blanchards live in a downstream neighborhood that sits at the bottom of a 480-acre watershed that starts at Newberry Road and flows all the way to their front door. But, Mike Blanchard said flooding continues long after the rainfall stops. The county estimates three other homes in the neighborhood also are affected."

• WUFT News: Man blames child pornography on hacking, alternate personality. "A Gainesville man who was in jail Wednesday facing child pornography charges told police that he wasn’t to blame because he was hacked and may have a second personality who committed the crimes."

• WUFT News: Florida’s corals rescued from one of the worst bleaching events are back to the ocean. "When the potentially record-high heat wave swept Florida in July, thousands of corals were rescued and relocated to land-based facilities to avoid bleaching. Now as the temperature drops to normal levels, healthy corals are ready to go back to their offshore nurseries."

• Ocala Gazette: Family of deceased inmate files wrongful death lawsuit against sheriff. "The family of an inmate who died in custody at the Marion County Jail has filed a lawsuit against the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, claiming that jail staff could have prevented the man’s death."

• WUFT News: Local law enforcement agencies tackle staffing shortages addressed by statewide bonus program. "As part of a 2022 bill that also established law enforcement scholarships, family benefits and increased salaries as hiring incentives, the bonus reflects a legislative push for law enforcement recruitment and retention. Behind the effort lies a nationwide shortage of law enforcement officers."

• Ocala Gazette: Marion County Hospital District hopes to improve first responders’ mental health. "The Marion County Hospital District (MCHD) rolled out the Marion County First Responder Program during the summer of 2022 with the goal of 'elevating your mental well-being to the gold standard,'’ according to program materials provided to the 'Gazette.'"

• WUFT News: Neighbors weigh in on proposed Tom Petty Park renovations. "The City of Gainesville’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department and the Wild Spaces & Public Places held an open house Tuesday at Tom Petty Park to discuss the potential designs for the renovation and hear the public’s feedback."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County allows social media comments in 30-day trial. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alachua County closed all comments. The page had seen an increase in misinformation, and communications director Mark Sexton said staff didn’t have time to always monitor the page."

• WUFT News: Laughing stock: Sheriff’s office finds wandering steer in High Springs. "It’s an udderly puzzling mystery: Whose Brahman steer did sheriff’s deputies wrangle in a rural community near High Springs?"

Today's sponsored message

Around the state

• News Service of Florida: Florida legislators eye testing and recess changes in bills aimed at school deregulation. "A slate of bills aimed at reducing regulations on public schools began moving forward Wednesday, as a key Florida Senate panel signed off on changes such as eliminating testing requirements for earning high-school diplomas."

• NPR: Once Florida's favorite son, Floridians turn on DeSantis in his bid for president. "Despite winning a landslide election in the state two years ago, DeSantis hasn't been able to win over enough base GOP voters there."

• News Service of Florida: Florida's lawsuit against Meta moves to California. "A lawsuit filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody against social-media giant Meta has been transferred to California, where similar cases are pending. The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued an order last week transferring Moody’s lawsuit from Tampa."

• WMFE-Orlando: Brevard residents speak out against arming district school teachers. "No one spoke in favor of a proposed expansion of the program during public comment. But about a dozen parents, residents, teachers and students spoke out against it, especially if that expansion were to include arming teachers."

• WLRN-Miami: Starbucks workers at Miami Springs store to join nationwide strike against coffee retailer. "Workers at a Starbucks in Miami Springs will be joining a nationwide strike at more than 100 stores across the nation on Thursday to push the coffee company to 'respect their right to a union' and its efforts to obtain better wages and working conditions."

• Associated Press: Former CEO embroiled in a fake Basquiats scandal countersues a Florida art museum. "A former executive director of a Florida museum which was raided last year by the FBI over an exhibit of what turned out to be forged Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings is filing counterclaims against the museum."

• WGCU-Fort Myers: Manatees on the move; boaters asked to slow down and watch out for the sea cows. "As temperatures start to drop manatees travel to places where the water temperature is warmer than 68 degrees, places that include Florida springs, power plant discharge areas, and other warm-water sites to hang out there until temperatures rise."

• Politico: The steaks are high: Florida Republican wants to ban lab-grown meat. "Sirois said he finds the process of growing meat in a laboratory, using chemicals and enzymes, to be 'deeply troubling.' His legislation would make it a second-degree misdemeanor to sell or distribute it."