The morning edition

Shots fired at MIA. Brightline Chapter 11 prep. Homeless Trust $1.2M theft.

Thursday, September 24, 2026

Thursday, September 24, 2026

Good Morning! On September 24, 1955, the Miami Seaquarium opened on Virginia Key in Miami — a roughly 38-acre oceanarium that the Florida Historical Society calls the oldest of its kind in the United States. The park housed fish, sharks, sea turtles, birds, and manatees and later served as a filming location for the 1960s television series Flipper. Education and marine-rescue programs still run alongside public exhibits that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. (Florida Historical Society)

In This Issue: Shots fired at MIA, Brightline Chapter 11 prep, and Homeless Trust $1.2M theft.

Weather: Thursday is mostly sunny and drier across the Panhandle and much of the peninsula, with the best storm chances along the Atlantic coast from Daytona Beach through Miami and the Keys. Highs mainly mid-80s to low 90s (Tampa near 91°); overnight lows mid-60s north to upper 70s South Florida. (NWS)

Tropical: No Florida tropical watches or warnings. NHC’s 8:00 p.m. EDT Wed outlook: Tropical Depression Fay is several hundred miles southwest of the Azores — not a Florida threat. Far eastern Atlantic disturbance AL90 near the Cabo Verde Islands has a medium (60%) chance of a short-lived tropical depression Thu–Fri; no Florida interest. (National Hurricane Center)

Rip Current Report: High Thursday for Northeast Florida Atlantic (NWS JAX) and East-Central Atlantic including Volusia–Brevard–Indian River (NWS MLB). Moderate Thursday for eastern Panhandle Gulf (NWS TAE). Low Thursday for SE Atlantic and Collier Gulf (NWS MFL), west-central / SW Gulf (NWS TBW), and Pensacola–Destin (NWS MOB). Swim near a lifeguard; heed beach flags. (NWS Beach)

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One Detained After Reports of Shots Fired at Miami International Airport

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies responded about 4:05 p.m. Wednesday to reports of shots fired at Miami International Airport and detained one subject; MDSO said the man discharged several shots from a firearm toward the ground or a garbage can outside the airport, and deputies later confirmed there was no active shooter and no ongoing threat to the public (Local10; WSVN; NBC6). (Local10)

Airport officials temporarily closed departure-level doors 12 to 17 and the departure roadway, diverting vehicle traffic to arrivals; the departure roadway fully reopened shortly before 6 p.m. as the investigation continued, and authorities urged travelers to allow extra time (Local10; NBC6). (Local10)

Reports: Brightline Preparing Chapter 11 Filing While Florida Trains Keep Running

ClickOrlando reported Wednesday that Florida passenger-rail operator Brightline is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as soon as this week to restructure more than $1 billion in corporate debt while keeping Miami–Orlando trains running on schedule, citing Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal reporting (ClickOrlando). (ClickOrlando)

The audit showed Brightline lost another $127 million last year with total debt listed at $2.26 billion even as ridership grew — nearly 1.5 million riders January–May 2026 (+16% year over year) after a record 3.1 million passengers and $214 million revenue in 2025 (ClickOrlando). (ClickOrlando)

Miami-Dade Nonprofit Housing Director Accused of Stealing $1.2M From Homeless Trust

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said Wednesday that Thomas Jardon, 42, director of housing for Citrus Health Network, faces charges including organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, identity theft, and racketeering after authorities say he stole more than $1.2 million from the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust through fake rental and furniture schemes (NBC6; Hoodline). (NBC6)

Prosecutors said the schemes funded purchases including two $19,000 Rolex watches, an 18K gold Cuban chain, Swiss lithographs, designer clothes, travel, and four vehicles (Jeep, BMW, two Chevy Silverados); Citrus Health has reimbursed the county more than $1.2 million, leadership denied knowledge, and Jardon was held on bond just under $700,000 (NBC6). (NBC6)

Decision Desk HQ Moves Florida Governor Race to “Toss Up”

WFLA reported Wednesday that Decision Desk HQ shifted the Florida governor’s race from “Leans Republican” to “Toss Up”, with Republican Byron Donalds at a 60% win probability (down from 68% early September) and a projected vote share of 51.5% Donalds to 48.5% Democrat David Jolly (WFLA). (WFLA)

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❖ Miami-Dade: British fashion house Vivienne Westwood won approval for a new South Beach flagship on Collins Avenue near Seventh Street that will include offices and a bridal floor, with renderings showing the brand’s giant pink sign and orb sculpture; no opening date announced (WSVN Sep 21). (WSVN)

❖ Tampa Bay: Southwest Florida Water Management District extended the Modified Phase III “Extreme” water shortage through March 31, 2027, keeping most Bay Area residents on one lawn-watering day per week after Tampa Bay Water’s C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir held only 7.87 billion gallons as of Sep 20 — about half capacity (FOX13 Sep 22). (FOX13)

❖ Orlando: Oviedo City Council is weighing new e-bike / scooter micro-mobility rules that would cap speeds at 10 mph, require yielding to pedestrians, and could bar devices from some parks; civil enforcement only; work session Sep 28 and public hearing Oct 5, with Orange County’s own ordinance expected Sep 29 (ClickOrlando). (ClickOrlando)

❖ Jacksonville / First Coast: Jacksonville City Council voted 19–0 Tuesday for Ordinance 2026-570 setting a 15 mph e-bike speed limit on sidewalks and shared-use paths, requiring helmets for riders under 16, and sending the measure to Mayor Donna Deegan (News4Jax). (News4Jax)

❖ Broward: Pompano Beach Fire Rescue extinguished a fully engulfed 40-foot Carver yacht behind 264 S. Tradewinds Avenue in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea about 6 a.m. Wednesday; no injuries; fire marshal says the blaze is “currently considered suspicious” (Local10). (Local10)

❖ Palm Beach: Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County lifted the no-swim / water advisory Wednesday for Camino Real connected to Lake Boca northwest of the Boca Raton Resort after coordinated testing showed acceptable bacteria levels; advisory had followed a Sep 18 wastewater spill (BocaNewsNow). (BocaNewsNow)

❖ Gulf Coast: Sarasota County commissioners approved a land-swap settlement Wednesday ending a roughly decade-long Siesta Key beach dispute with Michael Holderness; he said the county traded a 50-foot-wide non-gulf-front parcel for about two acres of sandy beach with prior illegal beach access — “a huge win for the community” (WWSB / MySuncoast). (MySuncoast)

❖ North Florida: Tallahassee city commissioners are set to approve a historical marker honoring longtime housing activist Oliver Hill Sr., tied to Orange Avenue Apartments / South City / Columbia Gardens tenant advocacy (WCTV Sep 22). (WCTV)

❖ Atlantic / First Coast: NOAA / FWC approved a 14-day Atlantic red snapper recreational season Oct 9–22 (1 fish per person, no minimum size; app declaration required) after closing Atlantic state waters Sep 22 to align with the window (News4Jax; FWC). (News4Jax)

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❖ Lee County: DOJ charged Christiane Vinette Young, 75, a Canadian citizen allegedly unlawfully present in the U.S., with three counts of voting by an alien in Lee County’s 2022 primary, 2022 general, and 2024 general; if convicted on all counts she faces up to three years in federal prison, after an HSI probe with FDLE and Lee County SOE help (WFLA; WGCU). (WFLA)

❖ Statewide: Local10 reported Byron Donalds scrubbed prominent “Trump endorsed” language and “enact the Trump agenda” framing from his campaign website ahead of a WLRN Sunshine Economy Summit appearance Wednesday; Donalds called the rewrite a planned general-election policy update and denied Trump is a midterm drag (Local10). (Local10)

❖ Statewide: WUSF reported that after a Pensacola federal consent decree — following the U.S. Supreme Court’s June strike-down of federal party coordinated-spend caps — Florida’s major parties may now make unlimited coordinated ads and services for state and local candidates weeks before Election Day, while direct cash caps ($50,000 legislative/local; $250,000 statewide) remain on the books (WUSF). (WUSF)

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❖ Space Coast: Cape Canaveral Port Authority voted unanimously Wednesday to advance a 31-year lease with Brevard Zoo’s East Coast Zoological Foundation for 14 acres at Port Canaveral for the planned $140 million Bowen Aquarium and Conservation Center, with about $20,000/month base rent plus attendance-tied payments; more than $70 million is raised and groundbreaking is set for Dec. 2, 2026 (WESH; FOX35). (WESH)

❖ Central Florida: WESH reported a proposed Richland-Bronson development of more than 2,000 acres south of Lake Toho in Osceola County with 5,831 single-family units, 1,518 multifamily units, about 819,000 SF commercial, 979,000 SF office, and 2.8 million SF industrial — framed to put jobs near housing over a 10–20-year build toward 2049, after Osceola’s Development Review Committee approved the concept plan Sep 15 (WESH). (WESH)

❖ Tallahassee: Amazon is exploring Prime Air drone delivery for Tallahassee — documents filed Friday show a drone storage unit planned for the front parking lot of the Vineyard Drive fulfillment center, and the company is hiring at least three drone handlers/monitors locally; an Amazon spokesperson told WCTV the firm is working with local officials to expand same-day / within-an-hour drone drops and plans a future community event (WCTV; Fox49). (WCTV)

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Rays Clinch Fifth AL East Crown Behind Rasmussen’s One-Hitter

Drew Rasmussen allowed one hit over 6⅔ innings and struck out 11 as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 6–1 in Game 2 of Tuesday’s day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, clinching their fifth AL East title and first since 2021 (ESPN/AP). Yandy Díaz delivered two two-run singles, including his AL-leading 175th hit in the ninth; Tampa Bay (96–61) opened a six-game lead over the Yankees (90–67) with five to play and locked home-field advantage through the AL playoffs. (ESPN)

Dolphins: Robinson Back at Practice; Douglas Ankle Clouds Chiefs Week

Edge Chop Robinson, who sat Sunday’s 35–13 loss at San Francisco in concussion protocol, resumed practice Wednesday, while receiver Caleb Douglas sat with an ankle injury from the fourth quarter and running back Jaylen Wright was limited with a stinger, coach Jeff Hafley said ahead of Miami’s home opener Sunday vs the Kansas City Chiefs (1 p.m. ET, CBS) (Dolphins Wire; ThePhinsider). (Dolphins Wire)

No. 6 Miami Loses RB Marty Brown, WR Joshua Moore for Season

Running back CharMar “Marty” Brown (serious right-knee injury vs Wake Forest) and wide receiver Joshua Moore (upper-body) are out for the season, coach Mario Cristobal confirmed, thinning the depth chart as the Hurricanes prepare for Central Michigan on Saturday Sep 26 at Hard Rock Stadium (6:30 p.m. ET, The CW) (ESPN). (ESPN)

Scoreboard

MLB Tue Sep 22 DH G2: Rays 6, Yankees 1 (AL East clinch; Rasmussen 1 H / 6⅔ IP, 11 K) — ESPN/AP.

MLB Tue Sep 22 DH G1: Yankees 2, Rays 0 (Rodón 8 IP) — CBS New York / held from Wed board.

NFL Sun Sep 20 (held): 49ers 35, Dolphins 13 — last Dolphins FINAL until Week 3.

NFL Sun Sep 20 (held): Browns 23, Buccaneers 19 — last Bucs FINAL until Week 3.

Schedule

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

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

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

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

More Scores: NFL | MLB | NCAAF | WNBA

Bucs Host Vikings Seeking First Win; Murray Cleared Concussion Protocol

The Buccaneers host the Minnesota Vikings Sunday Sep 27 at Raymond James Stadium (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX) seeking their first 2026 win after an 0–2 start (Browns 23–19 Week 2), while club notes frame urgency against a blitz-heavy Vikings defense and mobile quarterback Kyler Murray, expected to start after clearing the NFL concussion protocol (buccaneers.com). (buccaneers.com)

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Florida regular averaged $4.294 a gallon Wednesday (AAA current as of filing) — up about 5.2 cents from Tuesday ($4.242) and up about 9.5 cents from a week ago ($4.199), and still about 18.0 cents under the national $4.474. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive named metro at $4.431; Crestview–Fort Walton Beach is cheapest at $4.069 (Panama City $4.091; Pensacola $4.093). (AAA)

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❖ Hamilton County: Hamilton County’s Emily Simpson, 15, celebrated being cancer-free after a January Ewing’s sarcoma diagnosis that left her paralyzed from the waist down; after nine rounds of chemo and a month of radiation, her scans returned clear, and her reveal video drew nearly 1 million likes (WCTV Sep 22). (WCTV)

❖ St. Petersburg: Kitten Bungee (~2.5 months) is recovering in foster care after surviving a nearly 55-foot fall from an I-275 overpass in St. Petersburg during a rescue attempt; Pinellas Animal Services vets said he had no broken bones or internal bleeding but needed jaw/chin surgery with a button suture (FOX13 Sep 15 update). (FOX13)

❖ Wakulla County: Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Sopchoppy Baptist Church to build a 36-foot accessibility ramp for a 91-year-old woman after a senior-watch visit found she struggled to enter and leave her home safely (WCTV Sep 18–19; Fox49 twin). (WCTV)

❖ Gadsden County: Gadsden County Deputy Kamryn Weeks cleared a piece of candy from a choking baby’s throat at the courthouse with two firm back blows in about 30 seconds; the baby was okay and the mother returned repeatedly to thank him (WCTV Sep 10). (WCTV)

❖ Coral Springs: Coral Springs Fire Department rescued a tiny kitten stuck on a platform truck during the city’s Sep 11 memorial ceremony; crews nicknamed the cat Hero, and Coral Springs Charter School’s Carolyn McGuire adopted her after a clean vet visit (Coral Springs News Sep 14). (Coral Springs News)

❖ Destin: Destin Fire Rescue Ladder 9 helped Emergency Veterinary Clinic vets free a dog’s paw from a tightly wrapped object using a small drill after the animal arrived unable to walk; crews posted “Best part of being a firefighter, you never know what the day will bring” (WFLA Sep 17). (WFLA)

Today’s Quote

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”

— Langston Hughes

Florida Almanac

Moon: Waxing Gibbous (~95% illuminated; MoonGiant). Next Full Moon (Harvest Moon): Sat Sep 26.

Sunrise / sunset (Thursday Sep 24; Orlando, EDT — times vary across the state; most of Florida is Eastern; Pensacola is Central): 7:14 a.m. / 7:21 p.m.

Gardening: Late September remains a strong cool-season window — set broccoli, kale, carrots, lettuce, collards, and cabbage by region. Central and South Florida can still prep strawberry beds; North Florida strawberries usually wait until October. Keep warm herbs (basil, mint, rosemary) going. Check local fertilizer blackouts through September. (UF/IFAS Vegetable Gardening Guide / regional calendars)

Coastal note: FWC statewide status dated September 18, 2026 (next written report due Fri Sep 25): Karenia brevis at background in one Southwest Florida sample last week; not observed Northwest Florida or East Coast. No red-tide fish kills or respiratory irritation reported. Pair beach plans with the rip-current note. (FWC red tide)

Florida by the Numbers

Florida’s State Highway System has 14,026 centerline miles (2024), according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s Transportation Fast Facts (updated February 2026). (FDOT)

Today’s Poll

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?

Yesterday’s Results

After Broward County commissioners voted unanimously to take Fire Rescue back from the Sheriff’s Office by letting the BSO contract expire in September 2028, should Florida counties keep fire-rescue under civilian county control rather than sheriff’s offices?

Yes — fire rescue should stay under civilian county management for cost control and transparency 0% · Leave fire-rescue governance to each county’s local deal with its sheriff 50% · Focus first on first-responder pay and staffing, not which agency holds the contract 50%