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The stories near you

• Fresh Take Florida: Dog abandoned amid hurricane suffers major health scares as previous owner faces criminal case. "A judge on Thursday pushed back a criminal case that went viral over a man accused of abandoning his bull terrier tied to a fence along Interstate 75 in the face of an approaching major hurricane."

• WUFT News: Florida bill impacting Medicaid, funding for families of medically fragile children. "Kristina and Nick Bruno were overjoyed when a 2023 Florida bill passed, meant to help support the treatment for their medically fragile child, only to be unable to access the funding two years later."

• WUFT News: Alachua County students compete in annual robotics competition. "Kelley Kostamo, ACPS supervisor of volunteers, said the district program has existed for nearly a decade. School teams have to engineer the best robot to solve the challenge, which changes each year."

• WUFT News: RTS implements new ID system to combat rider fraud. "The fare-free program, launched in 2021, has logged over 1.6 million trips and costs the city $230,000 annually. Concerns about fraud and budget constraints prompted the new policy."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville City Commission votes to increase garbage rates 20%. "The garbage fee item will return for a final vote before it heads to customer bills. Public Works Director Brian Singleton told the City Commission that customers reported incorrect bills in the previous days. He said the problem was traced to an issue with the bill creation that runs through Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU)."

• WCJB: Marion County Sheriff open to absorbing Dunnellon Police Department. "Woods proposes hiring six Dunnellon deputies along with a temporary lieutenant who would serve as interim police chief until the city charter is changed to eliminate the position."

• WCJB: West End renovations near completion for World Masters Games. "What was once an eyesore is now being developed into an area for the World Masters Games and a community park, with Alachua County commissioners investing $3.8 million into the project."

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Around the state

• WLRN-Miami: 'Know your rights': South Florida immigration advocates create rapid response hotline. "In response to the Trump administration's policies, the group has partnered up with a coalition of other Florida-based nonprofits and community groups to provide rapid response for people experiencing ICE enforcement."

• News Service of Florida: Thoroughbred industry alarmed by bill to 'decouple' live racing and gambling. "In a concept known as 'decoupling,' the bill would erase a requirement that Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs hold live races to be able to operate cardrooms and, in the case of Gulfstream, slot machines."

• WLRN-Miami: South Florida teachers unions dispel rumors of ICE raids in schools. "Although they insisted no raids had taken place, they acknowledged one teacher — who had been the recipient of a program for adults who were brought to the United States illegally as children — is currently facing potential deportation."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida Senate aims to detect autism and intervene as early as possible. "Harrell says a key component of the bill is bridging the gaps between learning opportunities for children with autism. Currently, those kids stay in the Early Steps program until they’re 3 years old -- missing out on a year of learning before entering the school system. The bill would keep them in Early Steps until they’re 4."

• Central Florida Public Media: Applications for Florida school vouchers break records in latest cycle. "More than 120,000 families applied for K-12 scholarships through the Step Up For Students portal in the first two days the portal was open, double the closer to 72,000 families who applied during the same application period last year."

• News Service of Florida: Citizens rates will increase, but not as much as previously expected. "The average premium will increase by 6.6% for most homeowners across the state, while Gov. Ron DeSantis says residents in Miami-Dade and Broward counties will see a decrease."

• Bloom Tampa Bay: It’s a Girl! ZooTampa welcomes adorable new baby to the family. "ZooTampa at Lowry Park is starting the year on a high note with the arrival of a special bundle of joy! On January 24, Blitzen, a nine-year-old Eastern bongo, gave birth to a healthy female calf named Millie, weighing in at over 22 pounds."

From NPR News

• National: Historic Black church given 'Proud Boys' trademark calls for stand against hate

• Politics: Trump's anti-trans effort is an agenda cornerstone with echoes in history

• Education: U.S. education policy is at a crossroads. This congressional hearing shows why

• Politics: USAID unions sue Trump administration to halt 'unconstitutional and illegal' cuts

• Science: NASA instructs employees to remove pronouns from all work communications

• Business: Exclusive: GM, Pepsi, Disney, others scrub some DEI references from investor reports

• Health: It's like 'dead birds flying': How bird flu is spreading in the wild

• National: Vaping weed is very popular, but users should be aware it carries risks

• World: Bone appétit! Dog treats from lab-grown meat are hitting the U.K. market

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.