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After hurricanes Helene and Milton ravaged through Florida, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses, insurance became a center of concern for people to start rebuilding their lives. ‘Increased homeowners insurance rates leave residents concerned’ focuses on how homeowners insurance rates went up during vulnerable times for people impacted by the destruction hurricanes left.
The stories near you
• WUFT News: Gainesville seniors celebrate love, friendship at Valentine's Day Prom. “Designed to bring joy, connection and a sense of community, the prom allowed attendees to relive cherished memories while creating new ones.”
• WUFT News: Littlewood Elementary renovation project reaches midpoint; set to open by 2025-26 school year. “The highest point of construction marks the halfway point in construction. For the past six months, Littlewood Elementary students have been attending classes in portable classrooms.”
• WUFT News: Son of Florida judge, former UF student arrested for armed robbery of $420 worth of pot. “Prosecutors told a judge Thursday they intend to ask to keep jailed indefinitely a former University of Florida student and son of a state judge accused of robbing a smoke shop at gunpoint and stealing $420 worth of marijuana”
• WUFT News: Florida ranks last in nursing exam pass rates despite public program success. “First-time pass rates for registered nurses in Florida stood at 84.9% in 2024, falling short of the national average of 91.16%. The pass rate for the state’s practical nursing exam (80.78%) was also significantly below the national average of 88.38%.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville Housing Authority gathers input for East University Avenue neighborhood plan. “In September 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Gainesville a $500,000 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant to help revitalize the Pine Meadows, Lake Terrace and East University neighborhoods.”
• WUFT News: Inflation puts a crush on Valentine’s Day dreams. “According to WalletHub, 39% of Americans say inflation is affecting their Valentine’s Day plans, and 34% of Americans also say they don’t expect their partner to pay for a gift this year”
• Fresh Take Florida: Florida executes killer for murder of parents their toddler witnesses in state’s first death penalty of 2025 “James D. Ford, who was convicted of murdering a young couple in 1999 in southwest Florida while their toddler looked on, was executed by lethal injection Thursday and pronounced dead at 6:19 p.m.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: 7 planets to align in sky during “Parade of Planet on Feb. 28.” “This month’s parade with all seven planets lining up will be the last one for the next 15 years when Saturn and Jupiter are back on the same side of the sky in 2040. ”
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Around the state
• Fresh Take Florida: Florida’s governor signs compromise immigration bill: ‘Plane has landed safely.’ “Gov Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping new law Thursday at the Capitol that puts him in charge of a new state board of immigration enforcement, toughens punishments for crimes committed by immigrants in the U.S. illegally and requires state and local governments to cooperate with federal deportation efforts.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: The wildly popular Buc-ee’s is seeking a permit in Leon County. “Now, a permit application filed with Leon County government has the company interested in 73 acres near Capital Circle Northwest and I-10.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: ‘100% it’s a money grab’: Florida school bus cameras generate millions for school districts. “In just the first few months of this school year, more than 100,000 drivers have been caught ignoring school bus stop-arm signs that direct drivers to stop.”
• WUSF-Tampa Bay: How an antimicrobial treatment may have helped more trees survive Hurricane Milton. “And absolutely, we lost trees during Hurricane Milton, but not to the severity that we did with Hurricane Ian and Irma.”
• WLRN-Miami: After years of planning, why Amtrak derailed its service to Miami’s airport. “The nation's passenger rail service will not be one of the transit options at the center, which features rental car operators, Metrorail, buses and Tri-Rail”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Fort Myers awarded nearly $15 million for wellfield expansion project. “The money is part of a $1.1 billion grant from the federal Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant—Disaster Recover (CDBG-DR). The money was allocated following Hurricane Ian to help Lee County with long-term recovery.”
• WLRN-Miami: Immigration attorney: ICE agents have limited access to hospitals even under Trump deportation plan. “They’re allowed to enter any public areas of a hospital, but entering private areas like examination rooms require a warrant or consent from an authorized person, said Chavez.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Tampa kids preparing to run in the Gasparilla Jr. Distance Classic. “This weekend, hundreds of kids will lace up their sneakers and hit the track at Jefferson High School for the Publix Too Good for Drugs Jr. Gasparilla Distance Classic.”
From NPR News
• Business: Why those Valentine’s Day chocolates will be even more expensive this year
• Business: Craft supplier Joann to close 60% of its stores across U.S. as it looks for a buyer
• National: Where is my tax refund?
• National: A federal worker tried to take Trump’s ‘Fork’ resignation offer. Here’s what happened
• Politics: 3 top U.S. prosecutors resign over order to drop NYC Mayor Eric Adams corruption case
• Politics: Sweeping cuts hit recent federal hires as Trump administration slashes workforce
• Health: RFK Jr. confirmed as Trump's health secretary, over Democrats' loud objections
• Health: Unease grows at the CDC as Trump administration keeps grip on research, messaging
Lee Ann Anderson curated today's edition of The Point.