The Level, July 12, 2021: Acquainted frustration meets Irma and Elsa. flooded neighborhoods

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• Fresh Florida: Tropical Storm Elsa flooded some of the same neighborhoods as Hurricane Irma. “In the Hills of Santa Fe, a northwest neighborhood of Gainesville on Northwest 98th Street, at least four homes suffered significant water damage. On Thursday afternoon, three houses were half under water and the entrance to the neighborhood was completely flooded. “Nobody really gets in or out of here,” said David Moore, who has lived in the neighborhood since August. “What if an EMS team has to come in here? Or what if someone is pregnant and going into labor and has to go out? ‘”

• WUFT News: Gainesville doulas bring babies, comfort and – sometimes – goodbyes. “Given the quarantine and the COVID-19 pandemic, local doulas – trained professionals who support expectant mothers – have seen increased interest in their services. Other types of doulas, such as end-of-life doulas, also cared for patients facing death. While there is no exact data on doula services, a survey found that 6% of 2,400 expectant mothers used a doula in 2012 – a number that has doubled since a survey in 2005. “

• WUFT News: Rain buckets hit U-Pick farms in north-central Florida. “The underground picking farms in and around the Alachua and Marion Counties have seen inconsistent numbers of customers this season, with rainy weather making the problem worse as not that many blueberries and blackberries have people picking them.”

• Mainstreet Daily News: Archer Shuts Down Town Hall After COVID Outbreak. “Archer City Hall is closed until further notice and will be disinfected after employees test positive for COVID-19. Residents were informed that if they visited City Hall between June 21 and July 6, they should schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 test.

• Gainesville Sun ($): Pine Ridge residents say they cannot afford rent increases. “About 40 residents of Pine Ridge hid from the sun on Saturday morning under a shade tent on the black asphalt in front of their community center. In front of an audience of city officials, the Alachua County Labor Coalition and a representative from KeyCity Capital, the complex’s new owners, residents voiced their complaints about a notice asking some tenants to vacate their homes for renovation within 30 days . “

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• Associated Press: Surfside condo search takes weeks, deaths reach 90. “Miami-Dade police said three young children were among the recently identified children. The crews continued to search the remaining heap of rubble, peeling off the rubble layer by layer in search of corpses. “

• New York Times ($): Lord Hear Me: Florida condo residents fear they may be the next. “A fatal collapse of a Florida condo resulted in a close look at other buildings. A luxury tower in Bal Harbor has been classified as safe by an inspector but is spending $ 4.5 million on restoration. “

• Miami Herald ($): Governor DeSantis waives the deadline for property taxes on condominiums in Champlain Towers. “The order issued on Friday afternoon does not remove the tax liability of the former 136-unit oceanfront property tower, which partially collapsed on June 24th, followed by an emergency demolition on July 4th, offering tax breaks when it meets again in Tallahassee.”

• CBS Miami: Security Concerns: The Miami-Dade Courthouse is being closed for repairs and employees are expected to work from home. County Officials Said, “In response to the Surfside tragedy, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami-Dade Courts administrators have asked engineers to perform an assessment of all of the county’s buildings at the recertification point, including the Dade County Courthouse. ‘”

• Associated Press: DeSantis breaks up with Trump in response to the Surfside tragedy. “In the two weeks since a twelve-story condominium tower suddenly collapsed in this coastal community and at least 78 people died, DeSantis has stood grim with local officials, including Democrats, as they assessed the damage. He nodded in agreement at Biden’s visit and welcomed their joint appearance as a sign that those with opposing political views can work together in a crisis. And he even skipped a rally in Sarasota led by former President Donald Trump, whose early support was critical to DeSantis winning the governor’s race in 2018. “

• Spectrum News: Cleanup Continues: To date, 24 tons of dead fish have been removed from St. Pete waterways. “The red tide hit the bay off Elsa, but the storm only made matters worse. For nine days, waves of dead fish washed up along downtown St. Petersburg and Coquina Key, plaguing the residents with the unbearable stench. “

• WFLA: Manatee deaths hit an all-time high in Florida history in 2021. “More manatees have died this year than any other year in recorded Florida history, mainly from starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds.”

• Florida Politics: COVID-19 numbers in South Florida are rising, pushing positivity rates above 5%. “… The latest report from the Department of Health is the largest week-to-week increase in cases since early June. The recent climbs may be of particular concern in Palm Beach County. “

• USA Today Network ($): “It’s a New Day”: Florida tries to change police culture after Floyd’s murder. “Backed by Florida’s ruling Republicans, who are more likely to use tough tactics on crime, the revision could actually be backed by grassroots police – crucial for all revisions to work, experts say.”

• Health: How we know when the COVID-19 crisis is over

• Health: Some COVID-19 survivors ask why they made it while others didn’t

• National: The US has more abortion restrictions this year than any other

• National: Geocaching in Black: Outdoor pastime reveals racism and bias

• National: Death Valley hits 130 degree heat, possibly a record high

• Science: Heat wave killed an estimated 1 billion marine life, and scientists fear worse

• Science: Richard Branson completed a historic journey to the edge of space on Virgin Galactic

• Business: Remington filed thousands of cartoons in a lawsuit against Sandy Hook. Was it trolling?

• World: At a breathtaking depth of 196 feet, the deepest pool in the world opens in Dubai

About the current curator

I’m Ethan Magoc, news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team that searches every morning for local and state stories that are important to you; Please send feedback on today’s issue or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.