The morning edition

Front Porch Florida — Sunday, August 30, 2026

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Same edition as the morning email.

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Good Morning! On August 30, 1984, at 8:41:50 a.m. EDT, Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center on STS-41-D — the orbiter’s first trip to space and the twelfth shuttle flight. After an Aug. 29 software scrub, the six-person crew flew a six-day mission that deployed three commercial communications satellites and tested a 102-foot experimental solar array. Discovery would go on to fly a fleet-leading 39 missions.

In This Issue: NASA’s Roman Space Telescope is set for a 7:26 a.m. Cape launch, Leon County called a Monday emergency meeting after a court-IT meltdown, and the Jaguars traded for quarterback Quinn Ewers.

No named tropical cyclones in the Atlantic; no Florida watches (National Hurricane Center). A weak low about 125 miles south of Pensacola has a near-0% chance of developing in 48 hours and 20% in 7 days. Rip-current risk Sunday: moderate NE Florida, Space Coast, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, eastern Panhandle, and Pensacola–Destin; low west-central / SW Gulf and Collier (NWS Surf Zone Forecasts).

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Set for Sunday Falcon Heavy Liftoff at Kennedy

NASA and SpaceX are targeting 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to lift off atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, with live NASA coverage set to begin at 6:20 a.m. ET.

After a Friday Launch Readiness Review at Kennedy, NASA’s Roman blog said the mission was “go” for launch, with Space Launch Delta 45 weather officers then citing about a 60% chance of favorable conditions for the Sunday attempt.

NBC News put the mission cost at about $4.3 billion, said it is launching roughly nine months ahead of schedule, and noted the observatory is designed to survey the sky about 1,000 times faster than Hubble with a field of view at least 100 times larger.

CBS News described the 42-foot-long, roughly 18,000-pound telescope heading for Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 about 1 million miles from Earth for a five-year primary mission, and said a full-resolution image from its 300-megapixel wide-field camera would cover about 45 city blocks.

Space.com reported Saturday’s prelaunch briefing still had Space Force launch weather officer Justin McReynolds putting Sunday’s favorable odds near 50%, with a better backup Monday at 7:22 a.m. ET (about 70%) as a nearby tropical disturbance moves west.

Leon County Court IT Meltdown Brings Monday Emergency Meeting

Leon County Commission Chair Christian Caban called a special meeting for 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, after a botched upgrade of the county’s Justice Information System produced wrongful jail stays and what State Attorney Jack Campbell called a “catastrophic” cascade of case errors.

WCTV reported Campbell said the swap generated more than 1,000 errors — reopened cases, closed cases, new filings, and “ghost cases” — and that at least one defendant stayed in jail six days longer than ordered.

WTXL said Caban described a “significant operational breakdown,” said he has “completely lost trust” in the existing vendor, and framed the Monday session as accountability for taxpayers and constitutional rights.

County Administrator Vincent Long said the Aug. 18 migration of components of a roughly 30-year-old jail-management system caused “substantial operational disruption,” forcing paper workarounds for the clerk, state attorney, public defender, and sheriff.

Campbell said officials planned to turn the old system back on over the weekend and expected reliability by Monday even as they continue cleaning bad data. Caban said he will propose bringing in a new integration vendor at the special meeting.

Fort Lauderdale Records Two Early-Saturday Shootings, One Fatal

Fort Lauderdale police said a ShotSpotter alert about 1:51 a.m. Saturday in the 1600 block of Northwest Eighth Avenue led officers to a man who was shot and later died at a hospital, with no public identification yet.

Local 10 reported a second, unconnected shooting about 3:45 a.m. in the 1700 block of Northwest Ninth Street left a 15-year-old girl seriously injured. She was trauma-alerted to Broward Health Medical Center and is expected to survive.

WSVN also confirmed the teen victim and said family members described friends hearing gunfire as they came out a door before finding her wounded.

Police urged tips to Fort Lauderdale investigators or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 and said they have not linked the two scenes.

WSVN’s separate fatal-shooting package placed the death in the 1600 block of Northwest Eighth Avenue and said life-saving measures at the scene were unsuccessful.

Orange County Posts Unsafe Notices at Orlando Atrium Condos

Orange County’s Division of Building Safety posted danger notices at the Atrium / Plaza Condominiums after field investigators cited “significant structural and life-safety concerns” affecting first-, second-, and third-floor structures.

Spectrum News 13 reported residents on floors 2 and 3 have only one stairway available instead of the two required for code-compliant egress, and said eight units are covered by the posted notice with no county-ordered displacement yet.

ClickOrlando said notices at The Plaza Condominiums read “DANGER — THIS STRUCTURE IS DEEMED UNSAFE FOR HUMAN OCCUPANCY,” and that the property faces multiple Code Compliance violations and accruing fines.

County records cited by News 6 said shoring work was not approved or consistent with safe access, and remaining buildings must have shoring evaluated by a Florida-licensed engineer with written repair documentation within 48 hours.

Property representatives have retained an engineering and contracting firm now on site. Additional violations include balconies marked with caution tape, News 13 reported.

➤ St. Petersburg: The Morean Center for Clay’s 15th Annual Great St. Pete Cupcake Contest ran Saturday (noon–3 p.m.) at 420 22nd Street South, with $20–$25 12-count boxes and a people’s-choice vote in youth, novice, professional, and specialty classes. Creative Loafing said boxes usually sell out before the doors open.

➤ Melrose: Alachua County cut the ribbon Aug. 21 on Black Lake Preserve, a 287-acre nature park just south of Lake Santa Fe with about 3 miles of hiking trails and a paved accessible sidewalk. The Alachua County Forever program bought the land in 2020 for a little more than $2 million. Hours are 7 a.m.–8 p.m. through September.

➤ Miami / Wynwood: Nearly 70 silleteros from Santa Elena, Colombia, carry hand-built flower frames through Wynwood on Sunday (11 a.m.–2 p.m.) for the first official Medellín Feria de las Flores delegation held in Miami. Organizers expect more than 12,000 people. Miami Police are closing six blocks from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Frames can weigh more than 150 pounds. Admission at Unlocked Wynwood is free.

➤ Fort Myers: About 200 people came Friday to open Heights CareerTech Institute, a new two-story, 63,000-square-foot trades campus at Pine Ridge and Gladiolus by Harlem Heights. The first electrician class has 12 students ages 18 to the early 30s. Electrician tuition is $8,214; a nursing-assistant track is $1,369; most programs sit in the $5,000–$6,000 range, and WGCU said every student so far has some scholarship.

➤ Safety Harbor: The rebuilt Fire Marshal Dick Brock Memorial Pier reopened to the public this week, two years after Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton wrecked it. Combined pier-and-marina repairs are just over $3 million, with state, FEMA, and insurance help. A formal ribbon-cutting is 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.

➤ Sarasota: The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation staged its first Imagination Installation on Saturday at Harvest House Family Center, a free morning of art, music, movement, books, and take-home supplies for PreK–fifth-grade families. Community programs manager Allison Hunter said the foundation already partners with Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall to reach more than 40,000 students a year across five counties.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly said Friday at the Capitol that Republican Byron Donalds’ spending has not helped Donalds’ numbers. Florida Politics reported Friends of Byron Donalds held more than $50 million as of Aug. 21 versus less than $1 million in Jolly’s Florida 2026 committee.

Campaign accounts as of the same close showed Jolly a little more than $2 million on hand versus more than $7 million for Donalds. Jolly said his side has raised another roughly $2–3 million since Tuesday, including a $1 million check from Donald Sussman.

Cook Political Report rates the race Likely Republican after upgrading Jolly this week, conditional on a “significant financial boost” for statewide TV. Public polls still show a single-digit Donalds lead.

Dozens filled Jacksonville City Hall Friday as Councilmember Jimmy Peluso (D-District 7) pushed a 120-day pause on new Flock-style cameras plus a neighborhood petition path to remove them, arguing residents need Fourth Amendment safeguards.

Jacksonville Today earlier detailed Peluso’s draft: city inventory, CPAC approval before installs, and a speed-hump-style removal petition. He wants local rules before the March legislative session.

Council President Nick Howland said other accountability legislation is already moving and that the state will address the issue next session. Local FOP President Randy Reaves backed talks on data-sale bans and retention limits.

After HBO’s Bill Maher floated racism as a reason some voters might skip Republican nominee Byron Donalds, Donalds told Florida Politics he lost 17 rural counties with about 94% white GOP electorates because 11 Republicans shared the ballot, not race, and noted he closed with 48% statewide.

Named counties included Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hardee, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, and Washington. DeSantis is due with Donalds at a Tampa leadership forum next week.

AAR Corp cut the ribbon Aug. 17 on an expanded airframe maintenance facility at Miami International Airport that adds more than 100,000 square feet and three heavy-maintenance lines, with the first aircraft expected this autumn.

The expansion creates 200 full-time AAR jobs. AviTrader and Aviation Business News both put the company already above 1,300 Florida employees and said hiring runs through AAR’s workforce pipeline and local education partners.

CEO John M. Holmes framed the hangar as capacity for a long-term airline customer. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart hailed the MIA investment as aviation-jobs growth.

Port Tampa Bay is filling more than five acres at the former Metroport / Banana Docks slip for its first new cruise terminal in more than 25 years — the port’s fourth — with Kimmins Contracting leading fill and stormwater relocation through late 2026 and completion targeted for 2029.

President and CEO Paul Anderson said the terminal should support more than 200 additional annual ship calls, push cruise volume past 2 million passengers a year, and add about $100 million in annual economic impact.

HDR with BEA Architects is designing the terminal and parking garage. Cruise & Ferry matches the Aug. 3 start, 2029 target, and passenger/impact figures.

After a Spectrum contractor hit a water pipe in September 2025 at Golf Ridge Condos in MetroWest — flooding the lot, cutting water for hours, and taking three parking spaces offline — the 120-resident HOA waited about a year for pavement repairs.

News 6 reported Spectrum acknowledged responsibility. After the station intervened, the HOA received a $28,000 reimbursement check and the lot has been repaired.

Jaguars Acquire Quinn Ewers From the Dolphins

The Jaguars acquired second-year quarterback Quinn Ewers from the Dolphins on Saturday for a 2028 sixth-round draft pick, pending a physical, both clubs announced one day before the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline (6 p.m. ET Sunday). Miami drafted Ewers in the seventh round (231st overall) in 2025. Jacksonville said he played four games last season with three starts and completed 55 of 83 passes (66.3%) for 622 yards and three touchdowns. ESPN put him at 1–2 as a starter with three interceptions and noted a groin injury limited him to one preseason appearance.

Rays Rally Past the Padres 7-6

Yandy Díaz singled home three with the bases loaded in the seventh and Chandler Simpson followed with a tiebreaking RBI single as the Rays erased a 6–3 Padres lead and won 7–6 on Saturday at Tropicana Field. ESPN’s box: Rays 81–54. Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero homered for Tampa Bay. In the same seventh, Padres second baseman Luis Rengifo was carted off after a right-knee sprain.

Florida State Beats New Mexico State 34-17

Florida State beat New Mexico State 34–17 on Saturday night at Doak Campbell Stadium to open 1–0. ESPN’s scoring: Gabe Panikowski 43- and 41-yard field goals; Ashton Daniels a 4-yard run and a 4-yard TD pass to Samuel Singleton Jr.; Singleton a 2-yard run; Ousmane Kromah a 1-yard run. New Mexico State: Trey Hedden a 33-yard TD to Brodie Malone-Bradford and a 34-yard TD to TK King; Ilya Uvaydov a 38-yard field goal. FINAL.

Scoreboard

Rays 7, Padres 6 (FINAL)

Nationals 5, Marlins 4 (FINAL/10)

Schedule

Sun Aug 30 — Marlins at Nationals, Nationals Park, 12:15 p.m. ET

Sun Aug 30 — Padres at Rays, Tropicana Field, 1:40 p.m. ET

Mon Aug 31 — Mets at Rays, Tropicana Field, 6:40 p.m. ET

Mon Aug 31 — Marlins at Nationals, Nationals Park, 6:45 p.m. ET

Florida’s AAA regular-unleaded average is $3.9173 as of Saturday, Aug. 29. That is down 3.2 cents from Friday ($3.9488), up 3.6 cents from a week ago ($3.8818), and 16.4 cents under the national AAA average ($4.0810). Most expensive named metro: West Palm Beach–Boca Raton $4.0684. Cheapest: Panama City $3.6999 (Pensacola $3.7032). Per AAA.

Boca Raton Mayor Andy Thomson named Ocean Rescue member Palmer Smith the city’s first Mayor’s MVP at Tuesday’s council meeting after Smith entered the Atlantic within about a minute to help pilot Faith Tenkley, 23, after her Piper went down about 2 miles east of Boca Raton Airport around 9:40 a.m.

Volusia County lifeguard Nicholas Gerow ran from his tower into the ocean Thursday after a small banner plane crashed and flipped near 27th Avenue in New Smyrna Beach. The pilot exited with minor injuries and the FAA is investigating. Capt. AJ Miller said lifeguards train for more than rip currents.

Dozens of riders rolled through Levy and Dixie counties Saturday for the Veterans Ride for Rural Hunger Relief benefiting the Children’s Table food bank in Bronson. Vietnam veteran Joe Marshall and 97-year-old World War II veteran William Brown spoke to the cause. Managers Sonny Jones and Stacey Kile said turnout exceeded expectations.

Joke of the Day

In Florida, love bugs aren't romantic. They're two insects holding a reunion on your windshield at 70 miles an hour.

Florida Almanac

Moon: Waning Gibbous, 96% illuminated. Full Moon was 12:18 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 28. Next Last Quarter: Sept. 4, 3:51 a.m. EDT.

Sunrise / Sunset (Sunday Aug 30):
Tallahassee (EDT): 7:12 a.m. / 8:04 p.m.
Miami (EDT): 6:59 a.m. / 7:44 p.m.
Key West (EDT): 7:07 a.m. / 7:49 p.m.
Pensacola (CDT): 6:23 a.m. / 7:15 p.m.

Gardening Hottest days still limit new color to heat-tolerant plants. Fall vegetable window is open — dates differ by region (North of SR 40 / Central / South). Herbs from plants, not seed. Many cities ban lawn fertilizer June–September. (UF/IFAS)

Coastal / Red Tide (FWC): Written statewide report dated August 28, 2026 is still current. Past week: Karenia brevis in 13 East Coast samples; bloom (>100,000 cells/L) in one Nassau County sample; background to low in Duval and St. Johns; not observed in Southwest or Northwest Florida. No red-tide fish kills or respiratory-irritation reports that week. Next written report: Friday, Sept. 4.

Florida by the Numbers

120–230 adult and subadult Florida panthers in the breeding-range population (FWC / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service range used on the Florida Panther Program page). Core population is south of Lake Okeechobee. Listed endangered.

Today’s Poll

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope is set for 7:26 a.m. Sunday from Kennedy. Will you watch?

Yesterday’s Results

Hillsborough commissioners voted 5–2 Friday for the Rays stadium deal. Was that the right call?

Yes 55% · No 29% · Still deciding 16%

Florida Lottery

PICK 2 Evening — Sat Aug 29 — 2-0 Fireball 4

PICK 3 Evening — Sat Aug 29 — 2-0-4 Fireball 4

PICK 4 Evening — Sat Aug 29 — 3-5-4-3 Fireball 4

PICK 5 Evening — Sat Aug 29 — 7-1-1-7-8 Fireball 4

CASH POP Evening — Sat Aug 29 — 12

CASH POP Late Night — Sat Aug 29 — 10

Fantasy 5 Evening — Sat Aug 29 — 8-10-16-20-32

Jackpot Triple Play — Fri Aug 28 — 5-11-15-22-30-43

Mega Millions — Fri Aug 28 — 8-17-29-42-55 Mega Ball 2

Florida Lotto — Sat Aug 29 — 2-18-20-22-43-52 | Double Play 4-28-38-41-46-51

Powerball — Sat Aug 29 — 18-56-62-65-67 Powerball 18 Power Play 2x | Double Play 16-27-57-58-59 Powerball 7

Florida Lottery winning numbers

Like what you see? Join Below!

JOIN FRONT PORCH FLORIDA

Front Porch Florida

Florida News With No Spin

Unsubscribe