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• WUFT News Special Report: Dam Love Affair
Today, WUFT News concludes Dam Love Affair, a special report on the more than 1,000 dams and reservoirs in Florida. Ninety-four of them are designated “high hazard,” which the state defines as “likely” causing loss of human life and extensive property damage if the dam were to fail. While dams are taken down across the country due to aging, public risk and environmental harm, Florida holds onto its dams. Read Part III, Free the Dam Records, today.
• WUFT News: Man sentenced to 35 years for February Gainesville murder. "Dyquann Freeney was found guilty of second-degree murder using a firearm, robbery with a firearm, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, fabricating evidence and firing a weapon into an occupied vehicle, all of which are second-degree felonies."
• WUFT News: Sea turtles, a Florida conservation success story, face a new threat. "Heavy rains, winds and storm surges pile on the threats to sea turtles. Nests can drown or wash away — as hundreds did after Hurricane Debby in August — while the erosion of beaches may leave future sea turtles with less area to nest."
• WUFT News: Carinata studies continue to expand with hopes of powering a sustainable future. "Carinata contains unique properties, particularly its high contents of erucic and linolenic acid in extracted oil. Although not safe for consumption, the high contents of non-food oil make it suitable for the production of drop-in sustainable aviation fuel."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County decides to wait out streetlight agreement with Gainesville. "County commissioners said the issue appeared on the agenda too quickly for a vote on direction, especially without talking to the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Kay Abbitt resigns from School Board of Alachua County. "Abbitt sent a letter of resignation to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, stating that she has stepped in as an unpaid interim director for the Boulware Springs Charter School after its previous director, Tiffany White, died unexpectedly in November, according to a press release."
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Around the state
• News Service of Florida: A key Florida lawmaker wants to phase out tuition breaks for 'dreamers'. "Senate President Ben Albritton on Monday suggested phasing out a decade-old law that allows some undocumented immigrant students, known as 'dreamers,' to receive in-state tuition rates at Florida universities and colleges."
• WFLA-Tampa: Hurricanes Helene, Milton may have spread dozens of invasive species across Tampa Bay, Florida. "Botanist Ian Pfingsten said the USGS preliminary map for Hurricane Helene showed 222 possible species could have spread to new areas due to storm-related flooding. Ninety of these species are invasive and 'likely to spread via flood water.'"
• WLRN-Miami: Key West delays water quality testing linked to cruise ships. "Water quality monitoring around Key West’s shallow harbor that linked cruise ships to plumes of sediments as potent as a passing hurricane could be in jeopardy after city commissioners postponed a contract for the second time."
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Governor Ron DeSantis announces 176 additional Purple Star School designations. "DeSantis said the award goes to counties that offer various military programs, for service members and their kids."
• WLRN-Miami: Rare coral added to endangered species list. "The coral had dwindled to just five hundred small colonies when stoney coral disease appeared in 2014 and wiped out most of what was left. By 2021, researchers had only found two colonies remaining in Florida capable of spawning and reproducing more pillar coral."
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Protection of 85,000-plus acres of working Florida farms, ranches gets approval by DeSantis, Cabinet. "The approval of rural lands protection easements totaling over $206,000,000 is the largest ever approved at a meeting of the Governor and Cabinet in the program's history. Rural lands protection easements prevent future development of the land and allow agriculture operations to continue to contribute to Florida’s economy and the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the prosperity of Florida."
• WLRN-Miami: Protection plan for South Florida's marine 'Grand Canyon' is finally ready. Florida says not so fast. "An ambitious blueprint to better protect the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary — in the works for more than decade — is facing opposition from Florida wildlife officials as it nears the finish line."
• NPR: At the Florida Senior Games, pickleball is the crown jewel. Here's why. "Many states across the country host senior games, which include all types of sports like archery, basketball and mountain biking. But here in Florida, pickleball is the crown jewel. Nick Gandy, sports information manager for the Florida Senior Games, says nearly 600 players registered to compete, including some who traveled from outside of Florida."
From NPR News
• National: Luigi Mangione is indicted on murder charges for killing healthcare CEO
• National: The Wisconsin shooting suspect is female. That's rare, data says
• Law: New York judge says Trump is not immune from hush money conviction
• Sports: The president of the NCAA calls for a ban on 'prop bets' in college sports
• National: The American industry that wants more government intervention
• Health: Taking vitamin D is unlikely to prevent falls or fractures. Here's what it does
• National: Turns out the bald eagle wasn't the official U.S. bird until this week
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.