The Point

The Point, Dec. 14, 2023: Rabies alert issued for parts of Alachua County

WUFT | By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published December 14, 2023 at 1:00 PM EST

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The stories near you

• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County Health Department issues rabies alert. "The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County issued a rabies alert on Wednesday for Northwest Alachua County in the area between Newberry and High Springs along US Highway 27/State Road 45. The alert was raised after a stray cat tested positive for rabies on Tuesday."

• Ocala Gazette: Marion County school district raises state rating from “C” to “B." "Rather than using the usual system of grading schools and districts based on how students score in high stakes standardized testing, schools will now be graded based on progress monitoring for students through the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST)."

• Gainesville Sun ($): Emails reaffirm Gainesville High School club directly targeted Black male students. "Emails obtained by The Gainesville Sun reaffirm the notion that a Gainesville High School club — run by a school board member’s daughter — 'hand selected' Black male student members, despite conflicting accounts from district officials."

• Ocala Gazette: 20-year renewal for penny sales tax to be on the ballot in 2024. "The 'penny,' or 1% sales tax, was first approved by voters in 2016 and increased the sales tax in Marion County from 6% to 7% in order to fund improvements to infrastructure and public safety."

• WCJB: Orphaned manatee rescued in Ocala National Forest, taken to Sea World facility. "The team carefully isolated the orphan calf from a mom and calf pair the manatee was following and pulled it from the water. The orphan had been attempting to nurse from the adult female manatee and was rejected."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Farm Share to distribute food in Gainesville, Trenton. "Distributions are drive-thru only to minimize contact and to help ensure the safety of all parties. Attendees must arrive in a vehicle with a trunk or cargo bed."

• WUFT News: ‘World Famous in Gainesville:’ Local magician inspires audiences. "Local Gainesville magician, Magic Mike, has been captivating audiences for over thirty years with an array of tricks of the trade, including puzzles, creative balloon-making, and, of course, amazing magic."

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Around the state

• WMFE-Orlando: NAACP calls on Osceola school to apologize after roleplay allegedly turns racist. Here's what to know. "The NAACP says it has received photos from the parents of a 2-year-old girl showing her being handcuffed and fingerprinted during a Rosa Parks roleplay activity. The activity took place on December 1."

• WUSF-Tampa: A teen accused in the deadly Ybor gunfight is ordered to remain in jail until trial. "The judge agreed with prosecutors that 14-year-old Kadyn Michael Abney remains a danger to the community. He faces a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of an innocent bystander."

• News Service of Florida: Attorney General Ashley Moody launches antitrust investigation into FSU playoff snub. "In a step toward a potential lawsuit, Attorney General Ashley Moody on Tuesday demanded wide-ranging information from the College Football Playoff Selection Committee about Florida State University’s exclusion from the upcoming four-team playoff."

• WLRN-Miami: South Florida immigrant activists push Biden administration to approve work permits for migrants. "With Congress and the Biden administration debating stricter immigration policies, a coalition of immigrant activists are urging the White House to grant work permits to a wide range of immigrants, especially those with pending U.S. residency applications."

• Associated Press: DeSantis attorneys ask federal judge to dismiss Disney's free speech lawsuit. "Attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis are asking a federal judge on Tuesday to dismiss a free speech lawsuit filed by Disney after the Florida governor took over Walt Disney World's governing district in retaliation for the company opposing a state law that banned classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades."

• News Service of Florida: Trial starts in a battle over transgender treatments in Florida. "Testimony from a St. Johns County mother began the multiday trial by testifying that it would be 'devastating' if her child could not get gender-affirming treatment."

• WMFE-Orlando: International teachers fill special education vacancies in Florida. "Florida started the year with 7,000 teacher vacancies, according to the Florida Education Association. Ahead of the next teacher count in January, WMFE’s Danielle Prieur checked in on a school in Orlando that's using international teachers to fill the gaps."

• WGCU-Fort Myers: Environmentalists: Florida panther will hurtle toward extinction if Town of Big Cypress is allowed. "The Town of Big Cypress includes three, city-sized villages — Rivergrass, Longwater, and Bellmar. In total, the development will result in 8,400 residences, up to 11,000 new residents, and nearly 1.6 million square feet of commercial space for hospitals and schools and movie theaters."