The Point

The Point, March 14, 2025: New Citrus County Sheriff wants 20-year-old law overturned

WUFT | By WUFT News

Published March 14, 2025 at 8:00 AM EDT

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The stories near you

• WUFT News: New Citrus County sheriff fights to overturn 20-year-old staffing law. "Thanks to a state law that’s been on the books for over two decades, David Vincent wasn’t allowed to choose his own direct reports or command staff upon taking office."

• WUFT News: State audit finds Columbia County School District incorrectly allocated almost $500,000 in federal healthcare costs. "According to district CFO Lindsay Laxton, the district received a certain amount of money from the federal government for health insurance premiums, but the district spread the money evenly among all employees regardless of whether or not they used federal insurance."

Donald DeVito, Alachua County Education Association representative for M.K. Rawlings Elementary school, is disappointed in the way the district and state have handled their turnaround plan. (Kaitlyn McCormack/WUFT News)

• WUFT News: Rawlings teachers fear state-mandated turnaround plan isn’t working. "Schools that earn a D or F grade must implement a 'turnaround plan.' Rawlings’ plan states that if Rawlings’ grade is not raised to a C in May, their principal, Stella Arduser, will be removed unless the state determines otherwise. Several Rawlings teachers interviewed by WUFT said they are not satisfied with the results of the plan so far."

• WUFT News: Emergency preparedness for people with disabilities: “They've been left behind.” "For most people, preparing for storms is routine, but for people with disabilities, it can be a significant challenge. As the cold fronts fade, Alachua County shifts its focus to the upcoming hurricane season."

• Mainstreet Daily News: School board to appeal Newberry charter conversion. "Board members said the state has still not made an official ruling on whether the vote to convert NES passed, after it was announced as a failure, and no one appealed the result. They said multiple points in the charter school’s budget are points of failure."

• WCJB: GRU authority board votes to remove storm water and waste fees from bills. "After complaints of rising utility bills and overcharging, GRU officials are making efforts to lower bills by handing off the billing for stormwater and waste management fees to the city."

• The Alligator: Gainesville Police Department understaffing puts strain on residents’ faith. "When Ruth Hanford spotted a strange woman drinking alcohol in her yard, she rushed to dial 911...By the time Gainesville Police Department officers arrived almost two hours later, 45-year-old Hanford said her fears were realized, and the woman had attacked her."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives to feature Alachua County eateries. "Bingo Deli & Pub, Fehrenbacher’s Meats & Eats, Germain’s Chicken Sandwiches, Humble Wood Fire Bagel Shop, Uppercrust Bakery and The Paper Bag Deli all made the cut from a pool of contestants."

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Around the state

Darren Chase (left) and Erin Booth (right) sit with their 9-year-old son Landon in his bedroom. The family has been on a health journey that began in 2021 when Landon was diagnosed with leukemia. He beat his cancer in 2023, but Landon has been on a long road to recovery made harder because his insurance, through the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, won't cover more than 24 therapy sessions. (Joe Mario Pedersen/Central Florida Public Media)

• Central Florida Public Media: Part 3: Florida Healthy Kids doesn't work for many medically vulnerable kids, here's why. "The issue, Florida Healthy Kids only pays for eight sessions of each therapy. That’s not enough for a recovering cancer patient...Now, Landon is stuck in a coverage gap unable to get the therapies he needs to recover."

• News Service of Florida: Senate set to vote on bill aimed at developing rural counties in Florida. "SB 110 includes various measures to develop rural communities, such as attracting doctors and teachers to rural communities; transportation projects; the creation of an Office of Rural Prosperity at the state Department of Commerce; and a $1 million block grant for eight counties in North Florida."

• WUSF-Tampa: Research reveals possible cause behind sargassum blooms on Florida beaches. "A USF study found that vertical currents are likely behind the algae blooms that dump sargassum onto Florida beaches each year."

• Central Florida Public Media: Medical Professionals Concerned as Measles Cases Increase During Spring Break Travel. "Florida confirmed its first case of measles this year as Central Florida awaits an influx of visitors and travelers for spring break."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida gun rights groups push to repeal the ban on selling firearms and ammo in a local emergency. "A bill moving forward this session would repeal a state law that prohibits the sale of firearms and ammunition during locally declared states of emergency. As Margie Menzel reports, a number of groups that support the Second Amendment are backing the measure."

• Associated Press: Things to know about a potential Trump presidential library in Florida. "Presidential libraries are significant for post-administration historical archives depicting materials from a former president's term. They require years of planning and don't use federal funding. Here are a few things to know about a potential Trump presidential library."

• WLRN-Miami: Miami Beach mayor seeks to evict theater over 'antisemitic' Oscar-winning documentary. "The film won an Academy Award for best documentary feature film earlier this month and has received universal critical acclaim, with a 100% rating on the critic aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. But it has also faced backlash on claims that it is antisemitic, even though two of the four directors are Jewish."

• Jacksonville Today: Jacksonville Zoo mourns death of oldest southern white rhino in human care. "The zoo announced the death of the 55-year-old rhino on Tuesday, calling him a cherished member of the Northside facility’s family."