Friday, September 25, 2026

Good Morning! On September 25, 2021, the Tampa Baseball Museum opened to the public in Ybor City inside the Al López House, the childhood home of Hall of Fame manager Al López at 2003 N. 19th Street. Tampa native Lou Piniella hosted the grand opening alongside Mayor Jane Castor during a special edition of the free Homeruns & History festival in Centennial Park. The small house now celebrates the Tampa Bay region’s long ties to Major League Baseball.

In This Issue: Florida charges 20 in a voter-fraud sweep, Uthmeier takes the New York Times records fight to court, and a judge faces reprimand over a ‘shoot’ remark.

Tallahassee ☀️ 82°/59° | Jacksonville 🌤️ 80°/63° | Gainesville 🌤️ 83°/60° | Orlando 🌤️ 84°/66° | Tampa 🌤️ 87°/67° | Fort Myers 🌤️ 88°/69° | Miami ⛈️ 88°/75° | West Palm Beach ⛈️ 84°/76° | Key West ⛈️ 89°/77° | Pensacola ☀️ 86°/68° | Daytona Beach 🌦️ 80°/69°

Weather: Friday is sunny to mostly sunny across North and Central Florida, with highs in the 80s and lows near 60 in the north; storm chances linger from West Palm Beach to Miami and the Keys. (NWS)

Tropical: No Florida tropical watches or warnings. NHC’s 8 p.m. Thursday outlook tracks Tropical Storm Fay far southwest of the Azores and a system near the Cabo Verde Islands (80% formation chance); neither threatens Florida. (National Hurricane Center)

Rip Current Report: High rip current risk Friday along the Atlantic coast from Nassau through Martin counties and at Gulf County beaches; moderate elsewhere in the Panhandle, low in Southeast and Southwest Florida. Swim near a lifeguard and heed beach flags. (NWS)

Florida Charges 20 in Statewide Election-Fraud Sweep

Attorney General James Uthmeier and Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced 20 arrests tied to illegal voting, stemming from probes by the state’s Office of Election Crimes and Security and the Election Integrity Unit (Florida Politics).

Officials said most of those charged are foreign nationals and roughly a fifth are convicted felons who had lost their voting rights; ClickOrlando reported some of the alleged illegal votes were cast in elections including the 2024 general election (ClickOrlando).

The Office of Statewide Prosecution charged 16 people accused of registering by falsely claiming U.S. citizenship and four felons accused of registering and voting while still on probation; officials said the investigation began after immigration-status checks, including federal databases, flagged registered voters who were not citizens (WFLA).

Uthmeier said about a dozen suspects are already in custody and the rest are being sought; law enforcement expects additional charges and arrests as the investigation continues (Florida Politics; WFLA).

Speaking at Palm Beach State College, DeSantis said the election-crimes office created in 2022 has produced more than 100 voter-fraud prosecutions, and he pointed to a new national election-officials group to be led by Secretary of State Cord Byrd (Florida Politics).

Uthmeier Takes New York Times Records Fight to Manhattan Court

Acting as legal counsel to Florida’s pension fund, which owns a stake in The New York Times Co., Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a petition Wednesday in a Manhattan court seeking company records on how its board oversees editorial standards (NBC6 / News Service of Florida).

Uthmeier argues Florida’s more than 1.2 million public retirees are Times shareholders and says the company refused to hand over any documents (NBC6).

After an initial demand letter last month was rebuffed, his office says it narrowed the request to board agendas and calendars, versions of the paper’s standards and records of who approved them — not reporters’ notes, drafts or sources (NBC6).

The two sides met Sept. 1, but the Times again declined to turn over the records, according to the News Service of Florida report; Florida Politics separately framed the petition around the pension program’s investment in the company (NBC6; Florida Politics).

Florida Supreme Court to Reprimand Judge Over ‘Shoot All Three of You’ Remark

The Florida Supreme Court plans to publicly reprimand Judge J. Layne Smith of the 2nd Judicial Circuit over remarks he made from the bench last year about a deputy shooting people arguing in his courtroom (Florida Politics).

During a hearing over whether a party had been properly served, Smith said he would like to have the deputy draw his gun and shoot all three people present, then said he did not really want that to happen, according to the opinion (Florida Politics).

A Judicial Qualifications Commission report cited other remarks as well, including Smith calling the lawyers the “Apple Dumpling Gang” and “the gang who cannot shoot straight” (Florida Politics).

Smith recused himself, self-reported and agreed the reprimand was appropriate; the court said his conduct fell far below the professionalism judges owe the people before them (Florida Politics).

Three Tampa Bay Counties Declare Dengue Emergencies as Cases Climb

Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise signed an executive order Thursday declaring a seven-day local state of emergency as the county’s locally acquired dengue cases reached 170; officials said it allows emergency measures and opens the door to possible federal reimbursement (WFLA).

Pinellas County commissioners voted Thursday to enact their own emergency, a day after Pasco County’s declaration; Pinellas cited seven confirmed cases, 179 across the three counties in the state’s Sept. 24 report, and increased West Nile virus activity in sentinel chicken flocks (WFLA).

Pasco mosquito-control officials reported two cases with more under investigation and said a local mosquito collection recently tested positive for the virus; Pasco had urged its neighbors to issue similar declarations (WFLA; FOX13).

State data showed 190 dengue cases across Florida, not counting Polk County’s first confirmed case Thursday morning, and doctors at Tampa General Hospital estimated they have treated more than 100 dengue patients (WFLA; FOX13).

Separate CDC figures count 392 dengue cases among Florida residents in 2026 across all travel statuses, including 177 in Hillsborough and 132 in Miami-Dade (WWSB).

❖ Miami-Dade: Chef Michelle Bernstein will close her Coral Gables restaurant Sra. Martinez after its final dinner Saturday, Sept. 26, less than two years after reopening it there; she and her husband and business partner, David Martinez, say they are keeping the Galiano Street space (Miami New Times).

❖ Tampa Bay: USF Health researchers say they found a weak spot in the P. vivax malaria parasite, published Thursday in the journal Immunity, that could become a vaccine target, though a shot is still years away (WFLA).

❖ Orlando: Orange County commissioners will reconsider a developer’s application to build in the environmentally sensitive Shingle Creek basin (Spectrum News 13).

❖ Jacksonville: With the Jacksonville Transportation Authority facing a nearly $40 million shortfall and about 200 layoffs, City Council let JTA tap up to $30 million in gas-tax money, and an oversight committee is expected to open an inquiry; some bus routes change Nov. 2 (News4Jax).

❖ Broward: Coral Springs landed $366,000 in FEMA grants for fire-safety equipment and firefighter training (Coral Springs Talk).

❖ Palm Beach: County commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale AI data centers of 50 megawatts or more while they write rules on power, water, noise and heat; existing approvals stand (WPTV).

❖ Gulf Coast (Sarasota): The Sarasota County Public Hospital Board approved Sarasota Memorial’s plan for an outpatient cancer center on Curry Lane next to its Venice hospital, with radiation oncology, infusion, imaging and an endoscopy center; clinical spaces are targeted for 2028, and no cost has been announced (WWSB).

❖ North Florida (Tallahassee): Leon County commissioners reversed course and will discontinue license-plate-reader and school-zone speed cameras (WFSU).

❖ Gov. Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Cord Byrd unveiled the Association of State and Local Election Officials, a new national nonprofit meant to train election administrators and promote Florida-style election rules in other states; Byrd is set to lead it after the Nov. 3 election, and DeSantis said it will be privately funded, not paid for with state money (Fox49).

❖ A Sept. 16 letter from Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office concluded that rural land allowing limited commercial uses can qualify as mixed-use under the earlier Live Local Act, contrary to Sarasota County’s position against large apartment projects; the letter is advisory, not binding (Suncoast Searchlight).

❖ Education Commissioner Henry Mack sent superintendents a memo directing districts to review and remove inappropriate library materials without waiting for parent complaints, singling out Hillsborough County after parents read excerpts at a recent school board meeting; the district had not responded to Bay News 9 (Bay News 9).

❖ Fort Lauderdale-based GA Telesis is opening a used serviceable material processing center in Port St. Lucie as demand for aircraft parts grows, and says it expects to add jobs in St. Lucie County; the company says it is dismantling a record number of aircraft and engines as airlines and lessors trim fleets (AviTrader).

❖ Veteran-owned engineering firm Drummond Carpenter celebrated a 2,500-square-foot expansion of its Maitland headquarters on Wymore Road and plans to create 30 high-wage jobs over five years as it grows from nine to 12 offices; the firm has more than 45 employees and about 450 projects in more than 25 states (Orlando Economic Partnership).

❖ Cargo operator GT USA signed a lease of up to 25 years for 10 more acres at Port Canaveral's North Cargo Berth 6 and plans at least 15 hurricane-resistant warehouses totaling nearly 170,000 square feet (Space Coast Daily).

Cubs Clinch at Marlins’ Expense in 2–1 Finish

The Marlins fell 2–1 at Wrigley Field on Thursday as Chicago locked up its second straight postseason berth and Pete Crow-Armstrong joined the 40-40 club with his 40th steal. Jakob Marsee drove in Miami’s lone run in the third; Ian Happ tripled off Jack Ralston (0–2) in the sixth and scored on Nico Hoerner’s go-ahead single. Miami (78–81) opens a season-ending three-game home series with Atlanta on Friday (Sportsnet / AP).

Mayfield Practices Fully as Bucs Pass Rush Stays Thin

Baker Mayfield was a full participant Thursday after an illness and is on track for Sunday against Minnesota, while edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. (groin) and Josiah Trotter (shoulder) again did not practice and Anthony Nelson (shin) returned on a limited basis (FantasyPros).

Rice Homers Twice as Yankees Beat Rays a Day After Clinch

With the AL East already in hand, the Rays lost 9–2 in the Bronx on Wednesday night as Ben Rice hit his 40th and 41st homers and Ryan McMahon added a grand slam; Cedric Mullins homered for Tampa Bay, and Mason Englert fell to 0–4 (AP via WRAL).

Dolphins: Robinson Practices Fully Ahead of Chiefs; Miller Sits

Edge rusher Chop Robinson, back from a concussion, practiced fully again Thursday ahead of Sunday’s home opener against Kansas City. Receiver Ryan Miller (hip/back) did not practice Thursday after being limited Wednesday, adding to Miami’s receiver injury worries (SI All Dolphins; AtoZ Sports).

Scoreboard

MLB Thu Sep 24: Cubs 2, Marlins 1 — Sportsnet

MLB Wed Sep 23: Yankees 9, Rays 2 — WRAL

MLB Wed Sep 23: Marlins 3, Cubs 2 — CBS Sports

Schedule

Fri Sep 25: Braves at Marlins, loanDepot park — season-ending three-game series opens.

Sat Sep 26: No. 21 Florida vs No. 4 Ole Miss, Gainesville, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC.

Sat Sep 26: No. 6 Miami vs Central Michigan, Hard Rock Stadium, 6:30 p.m. ET, The CW.

Sun Sep 27: Dolphins vs Chiefs, Hard Rock Stadium, 1 p.m. ET, CBS.

Sun Sep 27: Buccaneers vs Vikings, Raymond James Stadium, 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX.

More Scores: NFL | MLB | NCAAF | WNBA

Florida regular averaged $4.382 a gallon Thursday (AAA, as of 9/24/26), up about 8.8 cents from Wednesday ($4.294) and 8.3 cents from a week ago ($4.299), and about 10 cents under the national average of $4.483. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive metro at $4.507 (Naples $4.480); Pensacola is the cheapest at $4.130 (Crestview–Fort Walton Beach $4.135).

❖ Firefighters Carry 12-Year-Old Out of Stock Island Blaze — Halle Randolph, 12, was alone in her third-floor bedroom Monday morning when a kitchen fire filled her family’s Stock Island townhome with smoke; Lt. Nelson Cabrera and firefighter John Guieb used thermal imaging cameras to find her and carried her out, and Monroe County Fire Rescue says she is doing well. Officials say a charging lithium battery appears to have started the fire (Key West Citizen).

❖ Immokalee Crew Frees Baby Raccoons From a Downspout — After an afternoon thunderstorm, Immokalee Fire Control District firefighters found two baby raccoons stuck inside a rooftop downspout, got them out and reunited them with their mother (Gulf Coast News).

❖ Stuffed Animals Get Stitched Up, Then a Tour of Downtown — Volunteers with the Panama City Trash Market, a group of local artists, repaired beloved stuffed animals at a “Mending for Memories” event; once fixed, the toys tour downtown Panama City businesses to “read” and play games, with photos sent to their owners (WJHG).

❖ Rescued Matlacha Dolphin Is Thriving — The adult male dolphin that neighbors and the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District helped free from a Matlacha Pass sandbar on Sept. 17 is doing well, with FWC satellite tracking showing him active in the pass (WINK).

❖ “Leave No Pup Behind”: Pilots Fly Rescue Puppies to Central Florida — Volunteer pilots flew a load of rescued puppies into Central Florida, where they will be placed for adoption (ClickOrlando).

❖ Parkland Deputies Honored for Carrying Seven Dogs From a House Fire — Broward Sheriff’s deputies Moses Arce and Hayden Stachura helped rescue seven dogs, five of them puppies, trapped in a play pen during a June 19 Parkland house fire, loading the pups into a bin and carrying them to safety. The city commission recognized the pair, with rescued puppy Bailey on hand for the moment (WSVN).

❖ Boca Raton’s Kay Approbato Blows Out 105 Candles — Katherine “Kay” Approbato, born in Brooklyn in 1921, celebrated her 105th birthday with family and friends at 60 Vines Restaurant in Boca Raton, the city she has called home since 1980. She spent years working at Manufacturers Hanover Bank in New York and has lived at Edgewater in Boca Raton for the past 15 years (Local10).

Today’s Quote

“Well done is better than well said.”

— Benjamin Franklin

Florida Almanac

Moon: Waxing gibbous, about 99% illuminated Friday (USNO). Full Moon (the Harvest Moon) arrives Saturday, Sept. 26, at 12:49 p.m. EDT.

Sunrise / sunset (Friday; Orlando, EDT — times vary across the state; Pensacola is Central): 7:14 a.m. / 7:20 p.m., about 12 hours, 5 minutes of daylight.

Gardening: Late September is cool-season planting time across much of Florida — broccoli, collards, kale, lettuce, carrots and cabbage, depending on region. Check UF/IFAS regional calendars before planting.

Coastal note: FWC’s latest statewide update (Sept. 18) found the red tide organism at background levels in one Sarasota County sample and none in Northwest Florida or on the East Coast; a new report is due Friday.

Florida by the Numbers

Florida’s public transit systems carried 199 million passenger trips in 2024, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s Transportation Fast Facts (updated February 2026); the state counts 30 urban and 18 rural transit systems.

Today’s Poll

With Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties under local dengue emergencies, what should Florida communities focus on first?

• Expanded mosquito spraying and standing-water cleanup

• Faster public case reporting and testing access

• Household prevention — repellent, screens and dumping standing water

Yesterday’s Results

Should Florida keep supporting Brightline’s Miami–Orlando passenger service if the company files Chapter 11 to restructure more than $1 billion in debt while trains keep running?

Yes — keep the service running through restructuring if riders keep showing up 25%

No — stop public and political support until private debt is cleaned up 50%

Wait for the actual court filing and a clear plan before deciding 25%

Florida Lottery

CASH POP Evening — Thu Sep 24 — 12

CASH POP Late Night — Thu Sep 24 — 2

PICK 2 Evening — Thu Sep 24 — 1-6 Fireball 2

PICK 3 Evening — Thu Sep 24 — 6-6-3 Fireball 2

PICK 4 Evening — Thu Sep 24 — 6-8-8-8 Fireball 2

PICK 5 Evening — Thu Sep 24 — 3-3-5-3-6 Fireball 2

Fantasy 5 Evening — Thu Sep 24 — 11-12-15-22-32

Florida Lotto — Wed Sep 23 — 6-13-22-40-43-47

Powerball — Wed Sep 23 — 5-15-26-29-30 Powerball 14 Power Play 5x

Jackpot Triple Play — Tue Sep 22 — 2-7-12-14-20-34

Mega Millions — Tue Sep 22 — 7-13-26-37-68 Mega Ball 8