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• WUFT News: FSU shooting recalls previous tragedy for UF student. "Lexie Sealy, a UF senior, said the FSU shooting caused her to revisit a memory that has taken years for her to cope with. She attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and was at school the day of the shooting Feb. 14, 2018."
• WUFT News: The path forward: what Newberry residents can expect after elementary school charter conversion. "In Alachua County, Newberry Elementary is slated to become the state’s 24th conversion charter school in fall 2026. Its conversion has been a highly debated topic since April 2024."
• Florida Storms: Florida's Easter Weekend: warming, fire weather, rip & marine hazards for many. "The week ends with elevated fire danger across Central and Southwest Florida. The humidity will be very low, and there will be gusty winds. This is a bad combination for any fires that get started, as they can quickly become uncontrollable."
• WUFT News: Historic Matheson House to undergo three-year rehabilitation project. "Parts of the house are sinking into the ground; window frames are slanted and dysfunctional; floorboards bear the scars of termite colonies; and ceilings are littered with cracks from water leaks."
• WUFT News: Virtual reality exhibit offers immersive journey through Venezuela. "Noa Iimura began his journey to Venezuela despite warnings about safety in the country. What was initially planned as a one-month trip turned into a six-month exploration of the country’s people and places."
• WUFT News: Food festival celebrates 10 Years at Celebration Pointe. "More than 50 vendors lined the walkways at Celebration Pointe on Thursday for the 10th annual GCM Food Festival, a spring tradition that brings food lovers, families and small business owners together."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County planning agency votes against 82-acre rezoning near Newnans Lake. "The meeting lasted nearly five hours, and the first vote didn’t occur until just before the four-hour mark. The second vote took place a little before 11 p.m. and ended the meeting."
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Around the state
• Associated Press: Florida State gunman used deputy mom's former service weapon to kill 2 and wound 6, authorities say. "The shooter, identified by police as Phoenix Ikner, is believed to be a Florida State student, investigators said. He had obtained access to a weapon that belongs to his mother, who has been with the sheriff’s office for over 18 years, said Walt McNeil, Sheriff of Leon County. Police said they believed Ikner shot the victims using his mother's former service handgun."
• WUFT News: Online trolls take over Hope Florida virtual board meeting with slurs, hate symbols, and adult images. "Directors of the Hope Florida Foundation cut a Zoom board meeting short Thursday morning after online trolls began spewing racial slurs, Nazi symbols and pornographic imagery on the open call, derailing the foundation’s first public comment since its executive director stepped down Wednesday amid a slew of ongoing legislative controversy."
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida’s county commissioners face a potential ballot measure to limit their terms to eight years. "A proposal to impose eight-year term limits on Florida’s county commissioners and school board members is back this year. This time, the sponsors are looking to place the limits in the state Constitution."
• Miami Herald ($): Coral Gables-based Florida Bar president accused of misappropriating $625,000. "Beyond stating the complaint was open, the Bar didn’t disclose the status of the investigation. But, Sanchez-Medina has been asked for financial data and bank records."
• WUSF-Tampa: Reproductive health access is on Florida employees’ minds. "A national study found that Florida ranked the highest in people who are concerned about contraception access, with 58%."
• News Service of Florida: Florida pushes back in a fight over immigration law. "While the temporary restraining order put the law on hold, (U.S. District Judge Kathleen) Williams is considering a request for a preliminary injunction, which would last longer. The state’s filing Tuesday urged Williams to reject the injunction request."
• Central Florida Public Media: Burn Bans are in effect in Orange, Volusia, and Polk. "The bans are automatically put into effect when the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) meets or exceeds 500. The ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including burning yard trash, bonfires, campfires, and igniting fireworks."
From NPR News
• National: Court denies White House appeal of 'shocking' Abrego Garcia deportation case
• Law: Supreme Court to hear challenge to Trump's birthright citizenship order in May
• Environment: Destroying endangered species' habitat wouldn't count as 'harm' under proposed Trump rule
• National: Luigi Mangione indicted in federal court in CEO killing
• National: The State Department is changing its mind about what it calls human rights
• Health: You're probably taking over-the-counter painkillers incorrectly
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.