The Point

The Point, July 8, 2025: Nearly 10 years later, a $10.8M payout coming for Gainesville crash victim

WUFT | By WUFT News

Published July 8, 2025 at 8:09 AM EDT

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Today's Florida stories

• News Service of Florida: Local and state agencies to pay millions in claims compensation. "Jacob Rodgers was a passenger in a friend’s pickup truck on the evening of Oct. 7, 2015, when the driver of a Gainesville city utility vehicle ran a stop sign and hit the pickup. Rodgers, then 20, was thrown from the pickup and suffered injuries that left him paralyzed. Now, nearly a decade later, Florida lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis have approved a bill directing the city to pay $10.8 million to Rodgers."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County Public Schools receives B grade for 2024-25 school year. "This is the third year in a row the district has earned a B since the state restarted its school grading system after the COVID-19 pandemic."

• WCJB: State Board of Education to hear Newberry Charter School appeal. "Both sides will have five minutes to present their cases to the State Board of Education in Orlando next Wednesday, June 16. Alachua County School District officials are appealing to stop the conversion."

• News4JAX: Camp Blanding ICE detention site construction could begin as early as Monday. "Construction is expected to begin soon on a new ICE detention center in Clay County. The site at Camp Blanding near the Clay County-Bradford County line is being developed to hold about 2,000 people awaiting immigration hearings or deportation, Gov. Ron DeSantis said."

• WFTS-Tampa Bay: 'Nutrition that they can’t afford to buy': Pasco woman teams with special needs volunteers at community garden. "The food from the garden is brought to the food pantry at The Volunteer Way, where it is distributed to the homes of people in need."

• Central Florida Public Media: Florida’s Camping Ban: A look at its impact 6 months later. "The law bans unauthorized camping or sleeping on public property. Its effectiveness is unclear, and depends on who you ask."

• WUSF: Clean-energy advocates expect fallout in Florida from a new federal law. "The 'Big, Beautiful Bill' ends tax incentives that help pay for solar panel installations. The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says thousands of jobs could be at stake."

• FOX35 Orlando: Florida lifeguards rescue deer from the ocean. "Lifeguards train for most scenarios, but what happens when a young deer gets caught in the ocean current? You hit the water to try and help. Lifeguard Chase Hunter helped carry the wet and tired deer out of the ocean."

• The Alligator: Ben Shelton fights off familiar foe in fourth-round Wimbledon match. "After losing his first set at the tournament to start Monday’s match, it seemed like Shelton’s magical run at Wimbledon could reach its end."