The morning edition

Hurricane warnings go up on the Panhandle as an appeals court orders a Hope Florida grand jury report expunged

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Good Morning! On Oct. 8, 1885, workers under civil engineer Gavino Gutierrez cleared the first trees for streets in Ybor City. Cigar manufacturer Vicente Martinez Ybor, looking to expand his operation outside Key West, bought the initial 40-acre tract with help from the Tampa Board of Trade. Over the next few decades, thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Spain and Italy flocked to Ybor to work in the cigar industry.

In This Issue: storm warnings for Isaias from Louisiana to Florida's Big Bend, an appeals court order to expunge the Hope Florida grand jury report, a Palm Bay school tragedy and the seizure of Cuba-bound fuel, most of it at Port Everglades. Plus: the attorney general's push to keep Florida kids under 14 off Facebook and Instagram, the Rays' sweep of the Yankees and a Sarasota cheetah who may soon meet a match.

Weather: Showers and thunderstorms are likely Thursday across most of the peninsula, from Jacksonville and Gainesville to Tampa Bay, Southwest Florida and the Palm Beaches. The Panhandle stays mostly cloudy and dry Thursday, with highs from 81° to 88° statewide. (NWS)

Tropical: Isaias became a hurricane at 11:30 p.m. ET Wednesday (75 mph, moving east-northeast at 9 mph about 460 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River), and NHC forecasts it to peak near 110 mph and make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday. NHC has a Hurricane Warning from Ocean Springs, Miss., to the Bay/Gulf County line, a Tropical Storm Warning from east of the Bay/Gulf County line to the Aucilla River and a Storm Surge Warning from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Steinhatchee River (Storm Surge Watch to Yankeetown), and Florida’s state of emergency (Executive Order 26-202) covers 25 North Florida counties. (National Hurricane Center)

Rip Current Report: High rip current risk Thursday along most Panhandle beaches from Escambia through Franklin (moderate on Gulf County's west-facing beaches), with high-risk statements through at least late Saturday night, and on the Atlantic from Nassau through Indian River. The risk is moderate from St. Lucie through Palm Beach and low from Broward through Miami-Dade and on the Gulf coast from Levy to Collier. (NWS)

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Isaias Becomes a Hurricane as Warnings Go Up From Louisiana to Florida's Big Bend

Isaias became a hurricane late Wednesday, with 75 mph winds measured by an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter, NHC said at 11:30 p.m. ET, about 460 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving east-northeast at 9 mph. NHC expects it to peak near 110 mph Friday morning and make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday, and it calls rapid intensification "a distinct possibility." A Hurricane Warning runs from Ocean Springs, Miss., to the Bay/Gulf County line, with a Tropical Storm Warning from east of the Bay/Gulf County line to the Aucilla River. A Storm Surge Warning covers the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Steinhatchee River, and a Storm Surge Watch remains from the Steinhatchee River to Yankeetown. NHC told residents of the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi to prepare for possible long-duration power outages.

DeSantis' state of emergency still covers the 25 counties he declared Tuesday. The state emergency response team is activated. Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky ordered health insurers to allow early prescription refills and pay for at least a 30-day supply in those counties while the order lasts. CFO Blaise Ingoglia noted that about 450,000 people who have moved to Florida have never experienced a hurricane. Okaloosa County ordered a mandatory evacuation of coastal Zones A and B, including Okaloosa Island and parts of coastal Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Mary Esther and Niceville. It asked visitors to leave starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday and will close its airports (VPS, DTS and CEW) at 9 p.m. Thursday.

Appeals Court Orders Hope Florida Grand Jury Report Expunged, Saying the $10 Million Was Never Public Money

Florida's 1st District Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered the entire Leon County grand jury presentment on Hope Florida expunged. It ruled the grand jury exceeded its authority by declaring that $10 million from Florida's $67 million pre-suit Medicaid settlement with Centene was "misappropriated" in a "sophisticated scheme," while charging no one. "A grand jury may investigate and report, but it may not declare conduct unlawful and then decline to charge it," Judge Adam Neff wrote for the majority. The court found the $10 million went directly from Centene to the Hope Florida Foundation, separate from the roughly $57 million paid to the state, and so never became state property.

Separately, Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell said Wednesday her office is reviewing "what, if any, crime regarding Hope Florida may have been committed in this jurisdiction," but it has not opened a criminal investigation, Central Florida Public Media reports. She said her jurisdiction comes from anti-Amendment 3 ads that ran in the region during the 2024 election. Attorney General James Uthmeier has said the use of the money was entirely legal; he and Gov. Ron DeSantis did not respond to the station's requests for comment.

6-Year-Old Boy Dies After a Video Display Board Falls on Him at a Palm Bay Elementary School

A 6-year-old boy at Riviera Elementary School in Palm Bay died Wednesday after a "large video display board" fell on him, Brevard Public Schools said. Emergency crews were called just after 11:30 a.m., and the boy was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center but did not survive. The district did not say how the board fell.

Palm Bay police said it appears to have been an accident, though the department's special victims and major case units are also investigating. Superintendent Mark Rendell said he met with the family. "As parents, you never want to face this tragic situation and unfortunately, that family is," he said. Grief counselors will be at the school over the next few days.

Feds Seize $2.8 Million in Cuba-Bound Fuel, Most of It at Port Everglades

Homeland Security Investigations announced in Miami on Wednesday that it seized more than 600,000 gallons of biodiesel worth $2.8 million at Port Everglades and Port Houston, almost 500,000 gallons of it at Port Everglades. HSI says the fuel was headed to ENETEC, a state-run Cuban wholesaler that the U.S. barred from such imports this year under President Donald Trump's de facto fuel blockade. HSI did not name the U.S. people or companies involved. José R. Figueroa, the HSI special agent in charge in Miami, called the "unlawful sanctions-evasions scheme," intercepted last month, "deliberate and coordinated."

Under this year's sanctions, only private Cuban companies may receive fuel imports. Coral Gables-based Vanguard Energy is one of the licensed exporters, and diesel prices in Cuba have fallen from more than $8 a liter to under $3. Figueroa said the seizures did not interfere with humanitarian fuel shipments, though critics say the fuel sanctions have deepened Cuba's blackouts and collapse.

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❖ Miami-Dade — Five Development Teams Vie to Redevelop St. Thomas University's Miami Gardens Campus: Miami Gardens: St. Thomas University got statements of qualifications from five development teams for a long-term redevelopment of its campus, including Michaels Student Living/Republic Properties and 13th Floor Investments/Adler Properties/ANF Group. The university is reviewing them this month to pick which teams move on to the request-for-proposals stage.

❖ Tampa Bay — 'A Land Remembered' TV Series Is Filming in Rural Hudson Instead of Georgia: Hudson: Showrunner Todd Wiseman Jr. is filming the TV adaptation of Patrick Smith's novel "A Land Remembered" on sets built in rural Pasco County, using local crew and investors. There is no distribution deal yet; producers are aiming for 2027.

❖ Orlando — Disney Cruise Line's Disney Believe Sets a Dec. 18, 2027 Debut With the First 'Encanto' Stage Show: Lake Buena Vista: Disney Cruise Line says its new ship, the Disney Believe, will make its first sailing on Dec. 18, 2027, from Port Everglades. It will debut "Disney Encanto," the first stage adaptation of the film, along with a reimagined "Tangled: The Musical" and seven pools.

❖ Jacksonville — The Oak Tree That Still Stands in Jacksonville's Vanished Black Bottom Neighborhood: Jacksonville: In the Hansontown area that residents called Black Bottom, an oak on Clinton Lane is one of the few things left. Nancy Baker's grandmother, Rena Murphy, raised 12 children in the family home across from it. Baker still hugs the tree whenever she comes back to the neighborhood church.

❖ Broward — Community Foundation of Broward Buys a $5.7 Million Permanent Home in Downtown Fort Lauderdale: Fort Lauderdale: The Community Foundation of Broward bought a three-story, 23,000-square-foot building at 200 N. Andrews Ave. for $5.7 million, moving the 42-year-old foundation out of leased space. Renovations start in 2027, move-in is planned for early 2028, and a $10 million campaign will fund the work.

❖ Vero Beach — UF Study Finds a Dengue-Linked Mosquito Surprisingly Common in Indian River County Yards: Vero Beach: Researchers at UF/IFAS's Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory found relatively high numbers of Aedes aegypti, one of the two main dengue-carrying species, in suburban Indian River County yards, where they expected the Asian tiger mosquito to dominate. Florida has reported 497 dengue cases this year, 252 of them acquired in-state.

❖ Gulf Coast — FGCU Students Turn a Dorm-Room Board Game Into a Company: Fort Myers: Florida Gulf Coast University seniors Carl Cearc and Bella Logsdon formed GG Entertainment to market "God Gauntlet," their mythology-quest board game. The startup won $9,000, the semester's top award, from FGCU's Runway Program.

❖ North Florida — FSU Health Name Goes Up Over Tallahassee Memorial's Entrance: Tallahassee: A new FSU Health sign now stands over Tallahassee Memorial Hospital's entrance at Magnolia Drive and Miccosukee Road, after FSU and TMH signed their final operating and lease agreements last week. TMH will run day-to-day under the FSU Health brand and is also managing the future Panama City Beach hospital.

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❖ Uthmeier Asks Court to Bar Florida Kids Under 14 From Facebook and Instagram — Attorney General James Uthmeier asked a Pasco County judge Wednesday to order sweeping changes to Meta's Facebook and Instagram, including banning Florida users younger than 14 and capping teens' use at two hours a day across Meta's apps. The proposed order would also bar ads targeted at teens and shut off teen direct messaging once the daily limit is reached. The filing follows Florida's refusal to join a multistate settlement with Meta, which Uthmeier called a "mere slap on the wrist."

❖ NBC 6 Poll: Donalds Leads Jolly by 7 Points, Moody Leads Nixon by 10 — A new NBC 6/Telemundo Station Group poll by Mason-Dixon, taken Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, has Republican Byron Donalds leading Democrat David Jolly 48% to 41% for governor, with 10% undecided. In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Ashley Moody leads Democrat Angie Nixon 50% to 40%. The poll also found 55% support for Amendment 3, 26% opposed and 19% undecided, short of the 60% needed to pass.

❖ At 101, Tallahassee's 'Miss Chris' Gets Ready for Her 80th Year of Voting — Chris Prescott, 101, drew a front-row seat and a standing ovation at a Tallahassee candidate forum this week, holding a sign that read "Miss Chris Voting for 80 Years!" She said she first voted in 1946 at age 21 and has already told her grandson to take her to vote as soon as early voting starts. Her advice: "Don't miss an election."

❖ Florida Is Holding $3 Billion in Unclaimed Money, and the CFO Wants It Returned — Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia returned more than $80,000 in unclaimed money to three Florida colleges and universities Wednesday, including $73,651 to the University of South Florida, while promoting the state's Claim Your Cash Florida campaign. Ingoglia said the state holds about $3 billion in unclaimed property, from forgotten bank accounts to uncashed paychecks, that about one in five Floridians has some, and that the state returned more than $66 million in September. Residents can search at ClaimYourCashFL.gov.

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❖ Fort Lauderdale Condo's $1.6 Million Repair Grows Into $36 Million Overhaul, With Owners Assessed Up to $320,000 — Residents of the Galleon condominium on Fort Lauderdale's Galt Ocean Mile say a concrete restoration project that began at $1.6 million has grown into a $36 million overhaul, with individual unit owners assessed between $135,000 and $320,000 each, CBS News Miami reports. Work on the oceanfront building has been underway for five years, and the pool and patio have been reduced to a concrete platform. Sergio Cella, who has lived there for 30 years, said his 14th-floor balcony has failed three repair attempts: "The quality is not there. It's not questionable. It's despicable." The contractor said in a statement that the original contract covered a limited scope of structural restoration and that the association chose to expand the project through numerous owner-approved change orders and additional contracts. The board has been in turmoil, with recalls, lawsuits and resignations. The board president dismissed residents' complaints by phone and, in recent days, sold his unit and resigned. Former board member Edward Rumin, a lawyer, said owners were "run roughshod over, not told things, and lied to." Large restorations like this one have become common across Florida since the 2021 Surfside collapse, which led to state-mandated safety requirements and reserve funding rules.

❖ Sarasota's 324-Unit 1899 Fruitville Apartment Project Is Voided, Leaving 17 Cottage Businesses in Limbo — A proposed 324-unit apartment complex that would have replaced a cluster of colorful cottages in downtown Sarasota has been voided, according to an email from the landlords that business owners at the property shared with ABC7. The project, known as 1899 Fruitville and planned near Fruitville Road and Washington Avenue by Tennessee-based Bristol Development Group, would have required demolishing cottages that house 17 local businesses. It had received partial city approvals and was reportedly a few signatures away from final permitting. Beth Nilsen, owner of Soho Downtown Hair Salon, said the reversal came too late: she had already arranged to relocate, and some of her seven stylists have since left. Laetitia Kepecz, owner of FAM Vegan Kitchen, said she wants to extend her lease and stay. The owner of neighboring Breakfast House said she bought nearby property for a planned "Sarasota Bungalow Village" where some of the businesses could move together, and that she remains committed to it. Kimley-Horn, which represented the project in city review, declined to comment. ABC7 said it was still waiting to hear back from Bristol.

❖ Tampa Riverwalk Hotel From 1968 Will Reopen in January as 281-Room Hotel Cala — The downtown hotel that has stood on the Hillsborough River along Tampa's Riverwalk since 1968 will reopen in January as Hotel Cala, a seven-story, 281-room urban resort, Tampa Bay Business & Wealth reports. Tao Group Hospitality will run two restaurants that are new to Tampa: LAVO, a coastal Italian restaurant, and BarOnda, a more casual waterfront spot for cocktails and smaller bites. Property owner Newbond Holdings brought in New York-based Rockwell Group for the redesign, which adds a resort-style pool deck, 16 suites and 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space for up to 450 guests. Newbond founding partner Neil Luthra said the company wanted something "distinctly Tampa." The hotel will join Hilton's Curio Collection, and Schulte Hospitality Group will manage it.

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Rays Sweep the Yankees With a 4-3 Win in Game 3, Advance to the ALCS

Victor Mesa Jr. hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning, and the Rays held on to beat the Yankees 4-3 Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, sweeping the best-of-five AL Division Series 3-0 to reach the American League Championship Series. New York pulled within a run in the bottom of the sixth when Anthony Volpe's would-be tying two-run homer was ruled a run-scoring double after a replay review found a fan had reached over the fence and interfered with the ball. Ian Seymour got the win in relief, Bryan Baker pitched the ninth for his third save of the postseason, and Max Fried took the loss.

Isaias Scrambles Panhandle and Big Bend Sports as UWF Cancels, FAMU Moves Up

West Florida canceled Saturday's home football game against Northeastern State because of Tropical Storm Isaias, a call the school made Wednesday afternoon out of caution for the campus and the Pensacola community, and it is rescheduling other contests. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos also called off Saturday's fall baseball exhibition between Florida State and Auburn at their ballpark; ticket holders can swap for the Oct. 17 (Alabama vs. Georgia Tech) or Oct. 24 (Florida vs. Troy) exhibitions or get a refund.

Florida A&M's game at Alabama State moved from Saturday to Friday, with a 12:05 p.m. kickoff in Montgomery, and many Big Bend high school football games are being rescheduled. In Northeast Florida, more than a half-dozen area high school games were also moved up to Thursday night.

Panthers Lose Marchand to Left Leg Injury in Win at Los Angeles

Brad Marchand hurt his left leg late in the second period of the Panthers' 2-1 win over the Kings on Tuesday night and didn't return. He took a stick to the face from Los Angeles defenseman Brandt Clarke, twisted into the right post and had his left leg bend back awkwardly, then needed Brady Tkachuk and Niko Mikkola to help him off because he couldn't put weight on it. "We'll get him looked at probably Thursday," coach Paul Maurice said. Marchand, 38, is in his third season with Florida and helped it win its second straight Stanley Cup in 2025. He went down hours after Maurice said captain Aleksander Barkov would miss six to eight weeks. "The tank is deep right now," Maurice said.

Winless This Deep for the First Time Since 2013, Bucs Visit Tired Cowboys

The 0-4 Bucs haven't been winless this far into a season since 2013, when they started 0-8, and they try to end the skid Thursday night in Dallas (8:15 p.m., Prime Video) with undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels making his second start for Baker Mayfield, who has a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand. Tampa Bay will also be without safety Antoine Winfield Jr., cornerback Benjamin Morrison and linebacker SirVocea Dennis. The Bucs' last 10 games, dating to last season, have all been decided by one possession, the longest such streak in club history, and they've lost 11 of 13 since a 6-2 start last year. The Cowboys (2-2) are finishing three games in 11 days that included a trip to Rio de Janeiro, and they're the only NFL team without an interception this season. "You're desperate if you're losing," coach Todd Bowles said.

Scoreboard

Wed Oct 7 — Rays 4, Yankees 3 FINAL (ALDS Game 3; Rays win series 3-0).

Schedule (all times ET)

Thu Oct 8: Wild at Lightning, 7 p.m., The Spot

Thu Oct 8: USF at UTSA, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Thu Oct 8: Buccaneers at Cowboys, 8:15 p.m., Prime Video

Fri Oct 9: Florida State at Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN

Sat Oct 10: UCF at Oklahoma State, noon, ESPN2

Sat Oct 10: South Carolina at Florida, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network

Sat Oct 10: Wild at Panthers, 6 p.m., Scripps Sports

Sat Oct 10: Lightning at Islanders, 7:30 p.m., The Spot

Sat Oct 10: D.C. United at Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV

Sat Oct 10: Columbus at Orlando City, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV

Sun Oct 11: Eagles vs. Jaguars (London), 9:30 a.m., NFL Network

Sun Oct 11: Bengals at Dolphins, 1 p.m., FOX

Mon Oct 12: Panthers at Sabres, 1 p.m., Scripps Sports

More Scores: NFL | MLB | NHL | NCAAF | WNBA

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Florida regular averaged about $4.19 a gallon Wednesday (AAA, as of 10/7/26), up about 4.1 cents from Tuesday (about $4.15) and down about 6.6 cents from a week ago ($4.253). That is about 17.9 cents under the national average of about $4.37. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive metro at $4.338, and Pensacola is the cheapest at $3.983.

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❖ Big Cat Habitat moves forward with its new breeding program: Zuri, a 2-year-old cheetah who came to Sarasota's Big Cat Habitat in 2024 as a baby, doesn't have a mate yet. Chief operating officer Clayton Rosaire has lined up two male cheetahs to come in the next few months to see if either is a match, in a habitat directly across from hers. Rosaire says cheetahs have the opposite behavior of humans: when a female has identified a potential mate, she "whistles" at him.

❖ Gator backs up traffic in Dade City: The Dade City Police Department got a call about a pedestrian blocking traffic, and the pedestrian turned out to be a gator taking a leisurely stroll down a road. "After a brief conversation, the suspect was advised to 'gator' back to the water and clear the roadway," the department posted on Facebook. "No citations were issued, but the suspect was warned that future violations could result in a relocation."

❖ North Florida Christian School sophomore donates 2,000 stuffed animals: Kinsley Locke, a sophomore at North Florida Christian School, has spent a decade collecting stuffed animals and donating them to fire departments across Leon County, and she just hit 2,000. She is now working to expand her donations to kids in foster care, including the Taunton Family Children's Home in Wewahitchka. Locke hopes to donate another 1,000 stuffed animals this year.

❖ A Century of Grace: Pearl Mackey celebrates 100 years: Jacksonville native Pearl Kelly Mackey celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 3. Born in 1926, she was the youngest of 14 children, and after graduating from high school in New York City, she returned to Jacksonville in 1949 and married her childhood sweetheart, Albert M. Mackey; their marriage lasted 62 years, until his death in November 2011. A longtime member of Simpson Memorial United Methodist Church, she also spent 62 years with the Kevinette Bridge Club.

❖ Dispatches from the past: Florida Keys History Center posts historic Key West newspapers online: The Monroe County Public Library's Florida Keys History Center has put a collection of historic Key West newspapers online, a window into island life in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The earliest is The Key West Register from 1829, and the most recent is a 1938 Key West Citizen covering the opening of the Overseas Highway under the banner headline "Key West In Nation's Spotlight." Lead historian Dr. Corey Malcom says his favorite part is the advertising, which shows details "like what movies were playing on the island at the dawn of cinema."

❖ St. Luke's United Methodist Church members build nearly 100 beds for Sleep in Heavenly Peace: More than 300 St. Luke's United Methodist Church members built 98 beds on Oct. 3 for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, whose mission is giving children and families beds. That beat the church's goal of 80. "That means 98 Central Florida children will now have a safe, comfortable place to sleep," church officials said.

Today’s Quote

"In Florida, October 'sweater weather' means you thought about a sweater."

— original / Front Porch

Florida Almanac

Moon: Waning crescent Thursday, Oct. 8 (about 5% illuminated). New moon is Saturday, Oct. 10, at 11:50 a.m. EDT, and first quarter is Sunday, Oct. 18 (USNO).

Sunrise / Sunset: In Orlando on Thursday, sunrise is at 7:22 a.m. and sunset at 7:03 p.m. EDT, for about 11 hours, 41 minutes of daylight. Times vary across the state, and Pensacola is on Central time.

Gardening Notes: For after the storm, UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says never clean up tree damage alone: survey the hazards with a partner and keep everyone else outside a perimeter more than twice the height of the tree you’re working on. Leave big jobs to professionals, and don’t lift anything heavier than 50 pounds.

Coastal / Red Tide: FWC’s latest statewide update (Oct. 2) found background to very low red tide levels in Gulf County, background levels in Sarasota County and none on the East Coast, with no fish kills or respiratory irritation reported. The next report is due Friday, Oct. 9.

Florida by the Numbers

From 1980 through 2024, Florida was hit by 94 weather and climate disasters that each caused at least $1 billion in losses (adjusted for inflation), and the 36 tropical cyclones among them account for about 93.5% of the total cost, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

Today’s Poll

Do you support Florida’s attorney general asking a court to ban Facebook and Instagram users younger than 14 in Florida?

Yesterday’s Results

(PROVISIONAL, live as of ~12:35 a.m. ET Thu Oct 8; final tally freezes 5:00 a.m.)

Do you support Gov. DeSantis declaring a state of emergency for 25 North Florida counties before any storm watches have been issued for Tropical Depression Nine?

Strongly support 18% · Somewhat support 28% · Oppose 28% · Not sure 26%