The Point

The Point, July 31, 2024: Gainesville hopes to revamp lagging downtown

WUFT | By WUFT News

Published July 31, 2024 at 8:00 AM EDT

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A bicyclist crosses Southeast First Street in front of the Hippodrome Theatre, which is surrounded by local businesses on the left and Hyatt Place Gainesville Downtown on the right. When it opened in 2022, the Hyatt brought the first new hotel rooms to downtown in 13 years, according to a city strategic plan. (Zoey Thomas/WUFT News)

• WUFT News: 'I think there’s opportunity': Gainesville strives to revitalize its lagging downtown center. "Gainesville gained about three million square feet of retail space over the 11 year period ending in 2021, but less than 2% of that growth occurred in the city’s downtown area."

• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Explosion destroys NE Ocala laundromat. Three people injured. "Marilyn Vega Ortiz told the Star Banner she was inside Classic Laundry, 1423 NE 25th Ave., Ocala, and had just put some clothes into a washing machine when she heard a loud noise and smelled gas. She was hoping it wasn't a gas leak."

• The Alligator: Ninety UF faculty sign letter calling for lighter penalties for arrested pro-Palestine protesters. "Ninety UF faculty are urging the university to reverse the suspensions of six arrested pro-Palestinian student protesters in favor of lighter penalties previously recommended by the Student Conduct Committee."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Local homeless services nonprofits get $776K in grant cycle. "The TaskForce Fore Ending Homelessness, the new lead agency for the Continuum of Care (CoC) that applies for these funding cycles, said the money will go toward rental assistance, rapid rehousing, emergency shelter, diversion programs and more."

• WCJB: Bradford County sheriff identifies body found in woods. "Warren Jr. went missing on July 21, according to a social media post. His body was found in the woods between Raiford and Starke July 29."

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Around the state

This 2002 electron microscope image from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a Listeria monocytogenes bacterium. Health officials have announced a recall of liverwurst and deli meat products in connection with a national listeria outbreak that has sickened nearly three dozen people in 13 states. (Elizabeth White/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/via AP)

• Associated Press: Boar's Head recalls 7 million more pounds of deli meats tied to listeria outbreak. "The new recall includes 71 products made between May 10 and July 29 under the Boar's Head and Old Country brand names, following an earlier recall of 200,000 pounds of sliced deli poultry and meat. Boar's Head is based in Sarasota."

• WLRN-Miami: Mysterious sawfish die-off has likely ended. Scientists keep searching for why it happened. "A mysterious outbreak that sickened or killed fish in the lower Florida Keys, including 54 dead endangered sawfish, appears to be largely over, state scientists said Tuesday. Only one sighting of spinning fish and no thrashing sawfish have been reported since June."

• WUSF-Tampa: Trump, Scott, pot and abortion are favored by Florida voters in a recent survey. "The poll conducted by the University of North Florida shows constitutional measures on recreational marijuana and abortion rights appear to have the 60% threshold needed to pass."

• News Service of Florida: Florida sheriffs, police chiefs oppose pot initiative. "Pointing to issues such as traffic safety, the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association on Tuesday announced opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow use of recreational marijuana."

• News Service of Florida: Tallahassee companies revise their lawsuit related to the FIU bridge collapse. "After a U.S. district judge dismissed an initial version, a group of Tallahassee-based companies and their owner have filed a revised lawsuit over the possibility that they could be prevented from working on federally funded projects after being affiliated with an engineering firm that designed a collapsed Florida International University pedestrian bridge."

• WLRN-Miami: Can Florida’s lagging film industry attract big-budget movies and TV again? "Beautiful coastlines. Swamps. Vibrant neighborhoods and urban scenes. What’s not to like about shooting scripted Hollywood films and television series in Florida? Well — the cost."

• WFLA-Tampa: $4.5M settlement among funds unaccounted for after St. Pete nonprofit files bankruptcy. "Cheryl Weimar was severely beaten by prison guards and left a quadriplegic for life, so the state awarded her and her family $4.65 million for her care. That money was then given to a St. Petersburg non-profit for safekeeping, the same non-profit that is the focus of an 8 On Your Side investigation where $100 million have gone missing."

From NPR News

• Education: Interior Dept. concludes 3-year probe of Indian boarding schools

• Sports: Simone Biles and Team USA reclaim Olympic gold in women's all-around gymnastics final

• Elections: Trump may be a star on TikTok but Republicans aren't following his lead

• National: 30 years later, the evangelical purity movement still impacts sex education

• Health: One of the 7 people cured of HIV tells his story. Can his cure work for others?

• Climate: Do you rent? You may be more vulnerable to climate-driven disasters

• Sports: Paris Olympics TV ratings are up 79% over Tokyo Games, NBC says

• Science: The Rubik's cube is turning 50. This is how the iconic puzzle really works

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.