The Point

The Point, Oct. 17, 2024: By the numbers: Milton's historic impact

WUFT | By WUFT News

Published October 17, 2024 at 8:00 AM EDT

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The stories near you

• Florida Storms: Hurricane Milton by the numbers: what made this hurricane so historic. "Milton is the third hurricane to hit Florida this year. No other year on record has more than three hurricane strikes. After an early to mid season pause, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is now above normal by all measures."

*Artist Paula Willis said she was able to put Commissioner Clark’s vision on paper “by the grace of the Good Lord.” (Courtesy of Paula Willis and Debbie Boyd)*

• WUFT News: New veterans memorial expected in Newberry next year. "City Commissioner Mark Clark, 57, explained that the Newberry Veterans Memorial will be 'an absolutely class act memorial' and 'a place of honor,' where veterans can reflect on their service and “'they gave to this country.'"

• Mainstreet Daily News: GPD encourages parents, childcare providers to listen to children. "A judge on Tuesday sentenced not only the sexual predator who lured an 11-year-old neighbor into his apartment, but also sentenced the child’s mother, who encouraged her daughter to continue seeking the man’s company."

• WUFT News: Alachua County School Board fires superintendent Shane Andrew. "Shane is the 6th person to hold the position in the past 10 years, with the longest term served being only three-and-a-half years. Since 1972, only one superintendent, Doug Mann, managed to keep the job for a full decade."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County tax collector to offer kiosks at Publix. "The Alachua County Tax Collector’s Office will follow the lead of 21 other Florida counties by offering the kiosks as an option. If statewide numbers hold true, Tax Collector John Power said the office could annually save $70,000 and 2,000 staff hours with the kiosks."

• Ocala Gazette ($): Groundbreaking date set for Marion County’s new animal shelter. "The county has listed the new animal shelter as one of the funding priorities for the penny sales tax if it is renewed and would need to allocate about $20.4 million for the entire project."

• WCJB: $11.8 million grant awarded to UF Health researchers fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "As bacteria become more resistant to antibiotics, scientists are exploring ways to make existing drugs more effective when used together. With few pharmaceutical companies developing new antibiotics, the focus is on refining the use of antibiotics with new insights from the labs."

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Around the state

Flooding from Cypress Creek overflowing its banks in the Lake Padgett East neighborhood in Land O'Lakes. (Hernando County Emergency Management/Facebook)

• WUSF-Tampa: Flooding could continue for weeks along the Withlacoochee River. "Thanks to hurricanes Milton and Helene, Tampa set a new yearly rainfall record, and it's only October. The National Weather Service said the city broke a record that has stood since 1957."

• Associated Press: Abortion rights group sues after Florida orders TV stations to stop airing ad. "Floridians Protecting Freedom says Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis's administration is using public resources and government authority to denigrate materials supporting the ballot measure."

• The 19th: Helene — and now Milton — will impact voting for some. What election workers are doing about it. "Election administrators and advocacy groups are working to keep voting accessible in areas impacted by the back-to-back hurricanes — while also combating false information."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Sen. Rick Scott announces bill to replenish FEMA disaster relief funds. "The bill comes just days after the Biden Administration said certain disaster loan programs were 'running out of money.'"

• Miami Herald: King tides are coming, South Florida. They might bring record-breaking street flooding. "The next few days mark one of the highest tides of the year, known as a king tide. That tide could be strengthened by offshore winds blowing more water ashore, plus a drizzle of rain on already-soggy ground."

• News Service of Florida: Courts grapple with gun age laws in Florida and Pennsylvania. "While the specifics of the Florida and Pennsylvania laws differ, both cases involve Second Amendment challenges to gun restrictions for people ages 18 to 20. Both also focus heavily on how to interpret Supreme Court precedents and the 'historical tradition' of gun regulation."

• FIU Caplin News: Swifties priced out: The high cost of seeing Taylor Swift. "With her Miami concerts — which are scheduled for October 18, 19 and 20 — sold out months in advance, ticket prices have not gone lower than $1000 on reseller websites such as StubHub and VividSeats. In fact, resale prices have soared. And as they rise, many fans are left wondering whether live entertainment is still accessible or has become more of a luxury."

From NPR News

• National: Millions of pounds of meat are being recalled. Here's what to look for in your fridge

• Election: A federal judge has ordered Alabama to stop trying to purge voters before Election Day

• World: Four Americans allegedly killed by Israeli forces, why isn't the U.S. investigating?

• Business: Canceling subscriptions has to be as easy as signing up, FTC says in a new rule

• Law: Supreme Court refuses to interfere in EPA litigation, for now

• Health: ‘Horrifying’ mistake to harvest organs from a living person averted, witnesses say

• Health: COMIC: Science-backed mood boosters to (almost instantly) snap you out of a funk

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.