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• WUFT News: Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward delivers 2023 State of the City Address. “During this annual keynote, Ward reflected on accomplishments in 2022 related to housing programs, the local economy, sustainability efforts, neighborhood services, and inclusivity.”
• WUFT News: UF college students collect for the five-year anniversary of the Parkland taking pictures. “It’s been five years, but memories of her peers’ screams ringing through the halls of her high school still echo in Rachel Taylor’s mind.”
• WUFT News: Former elected official will get pretrial diversion in housebreaking case. “Daniel ‘Danny’ Gordon, 41, held the District Four seat on the board and was charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor larceny in September.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua BOCC backs clean water amendment. “The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Tuesday became the first county in Florida to pass a resolution in support of a proposed state constitutional amendment related to clean water.”
• The Alligator: Remembering Kaleb Boateng, former Gators offensive lineman. “On the field, he was a quiet leader who attracted scouts and gave others an opportunity to shine. Off the field, he had a penetrating smile and a giving nature.”
• WUFT News: Senior Valentine’s Day Ball hosts buddies and {couples} of all ages in High Springs. “Organized by Deeper Purpose Community Church in High Springs, Pastor Adam Joy said it is important the event, which entertained more than 40 North Central Florida residents of all ages, was hosted on Valentine’s Day.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida’s police chiefs back a proposal for permitless gun carry. “They say proper training in handling and storing a gun is more crucial to gun safety than carrying a permit.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: DeSantis announces lawsuit reforms to protect against ‘billboard attorneys.’ “Appearing in Jacksonville, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that Florida is known as a ‘judicial hellhole’ for the way some attorneys misuse the legal system for their own benefit at the expense of clients.”
• WUSF-Tampa: The New College Board of Trustees offers Richard Corcoran a nearly $700,000 salary. “New College has approximately 700 students, which means Corcoran is earning about $1,000 per student in base salary.”
• Florida Politics: Lauren Book seeks formal apology for Joseph McCarthy-era ‘Johns Committee.’ “For the sixth year running, Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book is calling for a state apology for a Cold War-era legislative committee that targeted LGBTQ Floridians, civil rights leaders and academics.”
• Florida Politics: Scientists working on compounds to combat red tide. “How do you deal with an algae bloom without damaging other creatures and releasing its toxins? That’s something the scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium have been working on.”
• WMFE-Orlando: The Everglades’ wood stork to lose Endangered Species Act protections, under proposal. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the bird’s rebounding population represents a major conservation milestone after decades of restoration work in the river of grass.”
• National: Mass shooting at Michigan State University leaves 3 students dead and 5 injured
• Politics: Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announces run for president
• Business: After a profitable year, some oil companies are slowing their pivot to renewables
• World: Videos show Turkey’s Erdogan boasted letting builders avoid earthquake codes
• World: Russia deports thousands of Ukrainian children. Investigators say that’s a war crime
• Health: How do pandemics begin? There’s a new theory — and a new strategy to thwart them
• Books: Book sales are declining, but not in the romance genre