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The stories near you

• WUFT News: Marion County K9 dies in the line of duty. "The Marion County K9, Leo, a 4-year-old Belgian Shepherd, was shot by an armed suspect on Feb. 17. He died Tuesday morning from his sustained injuries."

• Fresh Take Florida: Florida minors warn of consequences ahead of social media ban Senate vote. "In Florida, it would prohibit anyone under 16 years old as account holders of any social media platform. It instructs social media companies to implement age verification technology to determine the user’s age and further instructs all current accounts of minors under 16 be deleted."

• WCJB: Hundreds of neighbors oppose Jumbolair expansion, owners reevaluate their plans. "Residents opposing an expansion to the Jumbolair development in Marion County got their wish after the application was withdrawn. The news broke as hundreds of Marion County residents attended a meeting to voice their concerns against the 'Jumbolair Aviation Estates' expansion."

• WUFT News: Half-cent sales tax proposal to appear on 2024 Marion County ballot. "The half-cent tax would help pay for upgrades and renovations in schools. Marion County Public Schools estimate projects planned for 2024 to 2028 still lack about $298 million in funding, including the construction of two new elementary schools and one new high school."

• WCJB: Gainesville officials clear homeless from sidewalks near St. Francis House. "On Tuesday, the city put up signs and flyers telling people to move people away from places where they were blocking sidewalk access on Southeast Fourth Place near the St. Francis House."

• Ocala Gazette: Marion County Hospital District’s hiring of new general counsel raises conflict of interest concerns. "The letter attached to the Gooding & Batsel’s initial proposal acknowledged that there would be conflicts of interest to navigate since the firm represents so many other local institutions, but the lawyers said they would be steadfast about identifying them."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Bradford County School District receives $4M to expand SF nursing program. "Bradford County, which was among 29 projects funded across the state, received the maximum ward from the program, which provides for the rehabilitation and construction of community facilities for educational opportunities, workforce development and access to healthcare in small and rural Florida communities."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville Regional Airport breaks ground for parking garage. "The parking garage will offer covered long-term parking, with fully covered accessibility to the airport entrance. Penska said though anyone can park in the garage, it was designed with elderly and disabled people in mind."

• The Point Podcast: Resale is so in...and here's why. Wednesday's host, Caitlyn Schiffer, speaks with Gaven Simon, a sustainability research analyst with the ARC Advisory Group, about Gen-Z being responsible for the surge in the resale industry and how this is affecting local economies.

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Around the state

• WUSF-Tampa: Measles cases at Broward elementary school prompt investigation. "The health department is looking into five cases of the highly contagious disease at Manatee Bay Elementary in Weston and hoping to identify contacts at risk of transmission."

• WMFE-Orlando: After an hour of public comment, communism bill passes another Senate committee. "Dozens of Floridians who experienced violence and persecution under communist regimes in Vietnam, Cuba, and Russia spoke in favor of the bill."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Dozier School for Boys victims may finally receive reparations. "Hundreds of children who attended the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna and the Okeechobee School were mentally, physically, and sexually abused between 1940 and 1975. Dozens were killed."

• WUSF-Tampa: While Florida's tourism dipped slightly in 2023, international tourism continued strong rebound. "The Visit Florida tourism-marketing agency reported an 18.3% increase in international tourists compared to 2022."

• WFLA-Tampa: Calls to Florida gambling helpline up 138% since sports betting launched in December. "Since the launch of sports betting, Florida’s gambling helpline is experiencing a dramatic increase in calls from gamblers needing help. Officials said calls have more than doubled since sports betting became legal in December."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Athletic coaches in Florida may soon be required to take and maintain CPR training. "According to the American Heart Association, each year more than 356,000 cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital in the United States—with 7,000 of them being young people under the age of 18."

• News Service of Florida: Florida Virtual School appeals in a trademark fight. "The public Florida Virtual School has gone to a federal appeals court in a years-long legal fight about whether a private competitor infringed on its trademarks."

From NPR News

• World: The U.S. has again vetoed a U.N. resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza

• National: Student loan balances wiped for the first batch of borrowers in Biden's SAVE plan

• Law: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are 'children' under state law

• National: Texas has spent over $148 million busing migrants to other parts of the country

• Politics: 'Something needs to change.' Woman denied abortion in South Carolina challenges ban

• Business: Two major credit card companies, Capital One and Discover Financial, may join forces

• Politics: Trump faces some half a billion dollars in legal penalties. How will he pay them?

• National: YouTube mom Ruby Franke apologizes at sentencing in child abuse case

• Space: Watch out, a dead satellite is falling back to Earth

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.