The Tallahassee Reports Daily Briefs: Tuesday, August 19, 2025

LOCAL NEWS

The City of Tallahassee has responded to the recent decisions by the Leon County Commission related to the controversial increase in the fire services fee. 

The Tallahassee Police Department recently provided a synopsis of a robbery which resulted in a homicide. 

In the historic Heritage Museum at Dodd Hall, surrounded by family, colleagues and university leaders, longtime Florida State University police officer Jason Trumbower was sworn in on Tuesday, August 12, as the university’s new chief of police. 

LOCAL SPORTS

The defending 5A state champion Chiles T-Wolves girls volleyball team kicks-off their season tonight with a home game against cross-town rival Lincon Trojans. Varsity play begins at 6 p.m.

FLORIDA NEWS

Florida state troopers have charged a truck driver with three counts of vehicular manslaughter following a crash in St. Lucie County last week. The truck driver, Harjinder Singh, entered the United States illegally in 2018, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Average gasoline prices in Florida continue to linger around $3 a gallon, increasing 3 cents over the past week.

NATIONAL NEWS

Dozens of Texas Democrats returned to Austin yesterday after a two-week walkout to block Republican-led redistricting efforts. Their return gives the Texas House the attendance needed to vote on a congressional map designed to shift five districts from Democratic to Republican ahead of the 2026 elections. 

President Donald Trump says the US will help provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia, encourages territory swaps; see other takeaways from Trump’s meeting with leaders of Ukraine and Europe (More).

US stock markets close near flatline (S&P 500 -0.0%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq +0.0%) as investors await annual policy speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the central bank’s Jackson Hole, Wyoming, summit Friday (More).

TALLAHASSEE WEATHER