The morning edition

Pounding surf closes Juno Beach Pier indefinitely as king tides chew away beaches up Florida's east coast

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Good Morning! On October 28, 1950, Naples held its second annual Swamp Buggy Race, a year after the first official race in 1949. The swamp buggy, invented by Naples resident Ed Frank, was a custom-built rig that carried developers, hunters and "gladesmen" through South Florida's swamps in the 1930s and '40s. The muddy races they started for fun are still a Naples tradition.

In This Issue: Pounding surf has closed the Juno Beach Pier indefinitely as king tides eat away at beaches up the east coast; Gov. Ron DeSantis names John Anderson's "Seminole Wind" Florida's anthem; Florida joins the FTC and 19 other states suing Dollar General over register prices; and the SS United States now has a Nov. 12 sinking date off Destin. Plus: the Rays force a World Series Game 5 with a 12-inning win, FSU's president tells frustrated fans "we know," and Costco is coming to Cape Coral.

Weather: Rain bands carry showers and a few storms onto the Atlantic coast Wednesday, and NWS Melbourne says a quick 1 to 3 inches south of the Cape could cause minor flooding, while the Panhandle and Big Bend stay sunny and dry. Coastal Flood Warnings remain in effect from Nassau to Martin counties and along the St. Johns River basin until 2 a.m. Friday, and for coastal Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade until 8 p.m. Wednesday, where NWS Miami expects major flooding at each high tide. (NWS)

Tropical: The National Hurricane Center does not expect any tropical cyclones to form in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf over the next seven days. (National Hurricane Center)

Rip Current Report: The rip current risk is high Wednesday along the entire Atlantic coast from Nassau through Miami-Dade, with surf of 9 to 11 feet from Nassau through St. Johns and 7 to 11 feet from Volusia to Martin, under High Surf Advisories. The risk is also high in Franklin County, moderate across the rest of the Panhandle, and low from Levy to Collier. (NWS)

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Rays Stay Alive in the World Series With a 4-3 Win in 12 Innings

The Tampa Bay Rays rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 12th inning to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in World Series Game 4 at Tropicana Field, trimming Milwaukee's series lead to 3-1. The teams meet again tonight in Game 5 at the Trop at 8pm ET.

Pounding Surf Damages Juno Beach Pier as King Tides Chew Away Florida's East Coast Beaches

Powerful waves and wind damaged the Juno Beach Pier, popping deck panels loose and leaving some missing, and the pier is closed indefinitely, WPTV reports. Palm Beach County's parks director says the panels are built to pop out in heavy surf, but some railing may also be damaged, and a full look has to wait until the surf calms.

Farther north, Satellite Beach closed its beach crossovers through Sunday because of steep dropoffs, New Smyrna Beach's seawall is exposed at 27th Avenue, and the St. Johns River is flooding around Astor, where a self-serve sandbag site has opened, ClickOrlando reports.

John Anderson's "Seminole Wind" Becomes Florida's Anthem

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Tuesday naming "Seminole Wind," by Apopka-born country singer John Anderson, Florida's anthem. The order also calls for historic markers in Apopka and a John Anderson Wildlife Drive and Trail System at Lake Apopka North Shore.

The "Florida Anthem" title is a new designation, separate from the state anthem and the state song. Anderson was born in Apopka in 1954, graduated from Apopka High in 1972 and is in the Country Music Hall of Fame; he passed away Oct. 21 at 71.

Florida Joins FTC Lawsuit Accusing Dollar General of Overcharging Customers

The Federal Trade Commission and 20 states, Florida among them, have sued Dollar General in federal court in Tennessee, saying the chain charged shoppers more at the register than its shelf and ad prices and didn't fix it despite knowing about the problem, NBC6 reports. Dollar General runs about 21,000 stores and says its goal is 100% price accuracy.

The 95-page complaint cites Florida shoppers, including one who checked more than 15 stores near him and found the same mismatches, and another who paid $2.50 for baby shampoo shelved at $2.

SS United States Sinking Set for Nov. 12 Off Destin, With a Public Send-Off Nov. 11

The SS United States is scheduled to be sunk Nov. 12, weather permitting, about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach to become an artificial reef. A public send-off is set for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, CBS reports; Okaloosa County bought the ship in 2024.

Operations are set to start at 10 a.m. Nov. 12, the project is paid for by tourism revenue and partners, and the sinking will be livestreamed at thessus.com, FOX13 reports.

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❖ Miami-Dade — State Wants the Seaquarium Marina Cut to 250 Slips: Miami: In its review of plans for the revamped Seaquarium site, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the proposed marina should shrink from 877 boat slips to 250 to protect manatees. A staff biologist noted that about a third of nearly 100 manatee deaths recorded in the surrounding waters happened near the planned marina.

❖ Tampa Bay — LA Fitness Opens a $4.8 Million Club: Tampa: LA Fitness has opened a 30,000-square-foot gym at 2170 E. Fowler Ave. in the University Area, with a Reformer Pilates studio and a HYROX training area. The club joins parent Fitness International's network of more than 600 clubs.

❖ Orlando — Florida Blue Foundation Funds Central Florida Mental Health Programs: Orlando: The Florida Blue Foundation announced $3.33 million in grants to nine nonprofits serving 21 counties, including Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Brevard. Local winners include RISE Community Solutions, which will connect Osceola families with trained support navigators, and UCP of Central Florida.

❖ Jacksonville — Sulzbacher Opens Enterprise Village: Jacksonville: The Sulzbacher Center opened the $37 million first phase of Enterprise Village, a four-story complex with 100 workforce apartments and support services for men leaving homelessness. The first 30 residents move in this week.

❖ Broward — A 56-Story Tower Would Top Fort Lauderdale's Skyline: Fort Lauderdale: Developer NE 2nd Holdings has plans for a 645-foot, 56-story tower at 109-117 N.E. 2nd St. in Flagler Village, 146 feet taller than the city's current tallest building. The plan calls for 696 homes plus 7,400 square feet of commercial space and a rooftop pool.

❖ Palm Beach — Boca Paramedics Now Carry Whole Blood: Boca Raton: A new partnership between Boca Raton Fire Rescue and Palm Beach Health Network strengthens a program that lets paramedics start blood transfusions before patients reach the hospital. Crews first used it this summer on Jo Thomas, who came back to the station this week to thank them.

❖ Gulf Coast — Costco Is Coming to Cape Coral: Cape Coral: The city announced plans for its first Costco, a roughly 165,000-square-foot warehouse with a gas station at 600 Chiquita Blvd. S. The council will consider an incentive package of up to $10 million on Nov. 2, and no opening date has been set.

❖ North Florida — IMPACT 100 Hands Out $101,000 Grants: Pensacola/Santa Rosa: IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, a women's giving group, awarded $101,000 apiece to 13 Northwest Florida nonprofits on Oct. 25. Most of the money comes from members who each give $1,000 a year.

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❖ Broward Elections Chief Urges Voters to Hand-Deliver Mail Ballots Amid Postal Delays — Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott says he has heard multiple complaints about slow mail delivery of ballots in both directions, and some never arrived, so he is urging voters to drop them off in person. The Postal Service says it is looking into it, and neighboring Miami-Dade reports no problems, with about 120,000 of 250,000 mailed ballots already back. Scott said his own son in Orlando waited 12 days for a ballot and an assistant state attorney reported waiting weeks, and he warned voters there is a chance a mailed ballot won't reach his office.

❖ Democrats' Top House Super PAC Pulls Out of Central Florida's 7th District Race — House Majority PAC canceled its remaining $1.95 million in ads in Florida's 7th Congressional District, completing its exit a week after it cut the first half of a nearly $4 million plan to back Democrat Bale Dalton against Republican Ryan Elijah. The DCCC says its commitment to the race hasn't changed. Donald Trump carried the district by 12 points in 2024, and the DCCC, which named Dalton to its Red to Blue program before any other Florida candidate, released an in-house poll last week showing him tied with Elijah.

❖ DeSantis to Campaign With Donalds for First Time in Weeks — Gov. Ron DeSantis will join Republican nominee for governor Byron Donalds at two bus-tour stops Wednesday, at Luigi's Pizza in Brooksville at 9:30 a.m. and Tampa's Cuban Civic Club at 6 p.m. Since the August primary, the two have shared a stage only once. With less than a week left in the campaign, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and other state leaders have joined Donalds on his "Defending the Florida Dream" bus tour, and his ads have reminded voters of DeSantis' support as he faces Democratic nominee David Jolly.

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❖ World Series Pushes Tampa International Traffic Up to 45% Above a Normal October — Tampa International Airport is preparing for as many as 80,000 passengers a day for the World Series, compared with about 55,000 a day in a usual late October, or 20,000 to 25,000 extra travelers daily. Officials stress those are projections, not counts. More than 40,000 fans attended Monday's Game 3 at Tropicana Field, with Rays fans flying in from across the country and the Dominican Republic, and TPA's operations team expects another wave when fans fly home, stretching the rush into what is usually one of the airport's slowest travel periods.

❖ Florida CEOs Still More Upbeat Than the Nation, Especially on Hiring — The Florida Council of 100's CEO Index came in at 96 for the third quarter, down from a record 106 but above the national 94. Forty-nine percent of Florida executives plan to hire, versus 36% nationally, and only 10% expect cuts, compared with 28% nationwide. The quarterly survey of council members, whose companies employ more than 1.3 million Floridians, tracks six-month expectations for sales, investment and hiring, and Florida's employment reading of 89 beat the national 58 by 31 points.

❖ Blue Origin Finishes Rebuilding Its Cape Canaveral Launch Tower — Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp says the tower at Launch Complex 36 has been fully rebuilt five months after a New Glenn rocket exploded during a May 28 test, which the company traced to a faulty oxygen valve. Blue Origin wants to fly again before the end of 2026, but no launch date has been set. NASA, which is counting on Blue Origin to help return astronauts to the moon, has more than 100 teams working with the company on return to flight, and crews are also building a second New Glenn pad, Launch Complex 36B.

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FSU President Tells Frustrated Fans "We Know" Everything Isn't Fine

Florida State President Richard McCullough opened a letter to fans Tuesday with "I hear you," saying the school shares their expectations for a 3-4 football team and will soon start searching for a new athletic director. Coach Mike Norvell, 41-38 in his seventh season, has a buyout of nearly $50 million, and the Seminoles host Clemson on Saturday. FSU fired athletic director Mike Alford last month and named Bruce Warwick interim AD, and Norvell has just five Power Four wins since the start of the 2024 season. The Seminoles are 1-3 in the ACC, and Clemson comes in at 4-3.

Rays Rally in the 12th to Beat the Brewers 4-3 and Force Game 5

Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson singled home Nick Fortes in the bottom of the 12th inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, cutting Milwaukee's World Series lead to 3-1. Cooper Pratt's home run off Ian Seymour had put the Brewers up 3-2 in the top of the 12th. Junior Caminero then reached on an error, Liam Hicks singled and Jonny DeLuca's single tied it before Williamson's hit off Shane Drohan. Seymour got the win before 40,514 fans. Game 5 is Wednesday at 8pm ET at Tropicana Field on Fox.

Colts Trade Away Nelson and Buckner Days Before Visiting the Jaguars

Indianapolis traded All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to San Francisco for draft picks Tuesday. The 2-5 Colts have lost 12 of 14 dating to last season and visit the 4-2 Jaguars on Sunday. Indianapolis got a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder for Nelson, the league's third-highest-paid guard, and a 2027 fourth-rounder for Buckner, a Pro Bowler who began his career in San Francisco. Both players' contracts expire after the season, and the trades came a week after co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon fired general manager Chris Ballard.

Scoreboard

Rays 4, Brewers 3, 12 innings (World Series Game 4; Milwaukee leads 3-1)

Panthers 5, Jets 1

Schedule (all times ET)

Wed Oct 28 — MLB: World Series Game 5, Brewers at Rays, Tropicana Field, 8pm ET, Fox

Wed Oct 28 — NBA: Heat at Hawks, 7pm ET, WPLG Local 10

Wed Oct 28 — NBA: Magic at Raptors, 7:30pm ET, MagicTV 27

Thu Oct 29 — NHL: Jets at Lightning, 7pm ET, ESPN+

Thu Oct 29 — NCAAF: FAU at North Texas, 7:30pm ET, ESPN

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

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Florida regular averaged $4.05 a gallon Tuesday (AAA, as of 10/27/26), down about 4 cents from Monday and up about a penny from a week ago. That is about 21 cents under the national average of $4.27. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive metro at about $4.22, and Pensacola is the cheapest at about $3.72.

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❖ Spring Hill Woman's Halloween Display Swallowed by a Water Main Break: Krystal Phipps has spent five years building her Spring Hill Halloween display, and late Saturday her front lawn caved in from a water main break, with water nearly to her waist. Crews fixed the pipe, Phipps marked the spot with a skeleton and a sign, and she still hopes to win the neighborhood contest.

❖ Teen Floats to Safety After Sebastian Inlet Pier Grate Gives Way: Landen Williams, 16, dropped into the ocean Sunday at Sebastian Inlet when a pier grate gave way during the king tides. He kicked off his boots, floated toward shore and was pulled out by his friend Memphis Prince and others, and he didn't need the hospital: "Happy to be alive."

❖ Navy Veteran Boater Steadies a Naples Food Boat After a Wake Nearly Flips It: Adrian Perry runs Wicked Good Eats, a food-service boat in Naples, and Saturday a big boat's wake nearly capsized her. Boater Jim Lee, who said he "went in my Navy mode," tied her boat off and kept it out of traffic until she was safe.

❖ Pinto, Hillsborough's Longest-Waiting Shelter Dog, Finds a Home: Pinto had waited more than 370 days at the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center and was adopted within hours of staff spotlighting Tampa Bay's longest-waiting shelter pets. Valerie, 6, is still waiting at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, which will cover her heartworm treatment.

❖ Palm Beach Lakes' "Ram Regiment" Is Marching to London: The Palm Beach Lakes High School band, rated superior at state seven times, is headed to London's New Year's Day Parade. Band members Jordan Johnson and Trevon Richardson have already earned college scholarships.

❖ Miami Guide Dog Eddie Is a Finalist for a National Hero Dog Award: Eddie, a 3-year-old Labrador from Miami who guides his blind handler, is one of five finalists in the guide and service dog category of American Humane's 16th Hero Dog Awards. Winners will be honored in Washington in early December.

Today’s Quote

"The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it."

— Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Domestic Life" (1870)

Florida Almanac

Moon: Waning gibbous on Wednesday, 91% lit; last quarter is Sunday, Nov. 1.

Sunrise / Sunset: Orlando: sunrise 7:35 a.m., sunset 6:44 p.m. ET, 11h 9m of daylight. Times vary across the state, and Pensacola is on Central time.

Gardening Notes: Kale can be started from seed anytime from September through January or February, UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says. Give it sun and regular water, pick Florida-friendly types such as Tuscan (lacinato) kale, and harvest lower leaves, no more than a third of the plant at a time.

Coastal / Red Tide: FWC's latest update (Oct. 23) found bloom-level red tide in St. Joseph Bay; elsewhere it was at background levels or absent.

Florida by the Numbers

34.01 million: estimated visitors to Florida in the second quarter of 2026, down 0.7% from a year earlier, according to Visit Florida figures. That brought the first half of the year to 73.5 million.