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The stories near you

• WUFT News: People have mixed reactions to the raised crosswalk on University Avenue in Gainesville. "In February 2023, the Gainesville City Commission received an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funds aim to transform a 4.15-mile stretch of University Avenue into a safer route for pedestrians and bikers, according to the city."

• WUFT News: Community contention and a foggy future: Newberry grapples with ongoing charter school conversion. "Education First announced on Feb. 19 that it would push for a vote to convert Newberry’s three public schools into charter schools. The charter schools would be overseen by a school board specific to the Newberry area instead of the School Board of Alachua County. Education First’s initiative was known as Yes Newberry."

• WUFT News: CDC: Overdose deaths have dropped by 10% nationwide. "Nationwide overdose deaths have declined. That's according to NPR. But how is Florida faring in the opioid crisis?"

• WCJB: Gainesville city commissioners vote to require developers to price some units below market value. "After a more than two-hour discussion and a 5-2 vote, with Reina Saco and Casey Willits in dissent, developers planning to build new housing complexes in the city have new rules to follow. Any housing complex with more than 50 units is now required to price at least 10% of their apartments below market price."

• News Service of Florida: Hurricane Debby caused up to $263M in farm losses. “'There always are impacts to agriculture of these types of events,' Christa Court, UF/IFAS economic impact analysis program director, said Thursday during a call with reporters. 'Hurricane Debby was not quite as intense as Hurricane Idalia, which might still be somewhat fresh on people's minds. But it's still a reminder that there's a lot of production of agriculture out in Florida.'”

• WUFT News: Florida Board of Governors approves new Hamilton Center course for students to fulfill civic literacy requirement. "The Hamilton Center at the University of Florida is expanding its reach across the state after top higher education officials meeting in Tampa approved a new civic literacy course, 'Civil Discourse, and the American Political Order,' that can be taught statewide."

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Around the state

• WUSF-Tampa: How Tampa Bay area schools are responding to an increasing number of threats. "Fred Heid, Polk County Schools superintendent, shared their “zero tolerance” policy in a Thursday morning news conference, “pleading with” parents to remind their kids of the lifelong consequences of making threats. In the first 28 school days, 24 students in Polk County were arrested for making online threats against local campuses."

• JaxTdy: 6 Jacksonville elementaries could close at the end of this school year. "Staff and parents at seven Duval County elementary schools are being informed this week that their schools are under consideration for closure and consolidation into other schools for the 2025-26 school year. The changes are part of the latest version of Duval County Public Schools’ Master Facility Plan."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: DeSantis calls for a special session to address the condominium crisis. "Florida condo owners say their insurance and home owners association fees have skyrocketed as a result of a new state law. The legislation requires all condos 30 years and older to undergo safety inspections by a qualified engineer or architect."

• WLRN-Miami: Endangered sea corals moved from South Florida to the Texas Gulf Coast for research and restoration. "Scientists have moved about 300 endangered sea corals from South Florida to the Texas Gulf Coast for research and restoration. Nova Southeastern University and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi researchers packed up the corals Wednesday at the NSU's Oceanographic Campus in Dania Beach. The sea creatures were then loaded onto a van, taken to a nearby airport and flown to Texas."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: A big grant helps a Tallahassee bookseller launch 2 public literacy projects. "Fueled by a large grant, a Tallahassee book shop is launching two projects to spur more reading by young and old in the area. One effort will focus on kids in Title One schools; the other will turn the entire town into a gigantic book club."

From NPR News

• Politics: Voters are advised to return their ballots early because of mail delay concerns

• World: An iconic Churchill photo stolen in Canada and found in Italy is ready to return

• Business: FAA investigating cabin pressure problem that injured passengers aboard Boeing plane

• Health: Deadly high blood pressure during pregnancy is on the rise

• Sports: Shohei Ohtani becomes the first MLB player to top 50 homers and 50 steals in a season

• World: Turkey wants to regulate Germany's beloved döner kebab street food

Krista Jensen curated today's edition of The Point.