Chiles (19-8)

The Timberwolves entered the playoffs as two-time defending Class 5A state champions and captured their fifth consecutive district title on Oct. 15 with a 25-16, 25-11, 25-8 sweep of Leon. Senior Loganne Abernathy led the way with 13 kills and a .520 hitting percentage, setter Riley Boykin finished with 17 assists, and sophomore Channing Savoy recorded four aces.

Chiles’ postseason run ended Oct. 21 in the Region 1-5A quarterfinals, where No. 7 seed Gainesville upset the No. 2-seeded Timberwolves 3-2 (20-25, 25-22, 13-25, 30-28, 15-13). Chiles outscored Gainesville 113-103 and led two sets to one, but the Hurricanes took the fourth set 30-28 and closed out the fifth 15-13. Junior Sterling Carlile paced Chiles with 20 kills and 15 digs, Savoy added 12 kills, eight digs and six aces, and Boykin contributed 24 assists.

Leon (17-11)

The Lions finished the regular season strong enough to reach the 5A District 1 final, where they fell to Chiles in straight sets. Leon’s season concluded Oct. 21 with a 3-0 loss to Ponte Vedra in the Region 1-5A quarterfinals (25-16, 25-15, 25-17). Riley Perezluha led the Lions with 16 assists and four digs, while Abby Swee added nine digs.

Community Christian (21-6)

Community Christian won the 1A District 1 championship with a 3-0 victory over Wakulla (25-17, 25-13, 25-17) and carried an eight-match winning streak into the postseason. The Chargers fell Oct. 20 to Covenant School of Jacksonville in the Region 1-1A quarterfinals, 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 16-25, 21-25). Violet McMillan, Avea Casperson, Sarah Bradley and Lyndsey Freeland were among the standouts in the season-ending loss. Bradley surpassed 1,700 career assists during the season.

Florida High (23-4)

The Seminoles turned in the deepest run of any Leon County team. Florida High won the 3A District 2 title with a 3-0 sweep of North Bay Haven (25-17, 25-17, 25-12), then defeated Freeport 3-0 in the regional quarterfinals on Oct. 20. The season ended Oct. 24 with a 3-1 loss to South Walton in the Region 1-3A semifinals (22-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-19). Setter Olivia Woods finished with 32 assists, 10 digs and two aces, while MacKenzie Taber recorded 17 digs and two aces.

Byron Donalds rallied with a crowd of 200 people at a restaurant in the state capital Tuesday, bashing his Democratic opponent in the governor’s race, David Jolly, and urging supporters to get to the polls with a week until the Nov. 3 election.

Donalds, a U.S. House member from Naples, largely contrasted Florida’s economic and social policies with that of Democratic-led states like California and Illinois, citing them as a warning. Florida should continue to stay the course with the GOP leadership it has had in the governor’s mansion for nearly 30 years, especially under Gov. Ron DeSantis in the last eight years, he argued.

“In Florida we’ve been consistent for a very long time, and now under Governor DeSantis it’s been supercharged,” Donalds said during a 15-minute speech at Bumpa’s Local 349. “And what have we seen as a result? We’ve become the number one state in all of America.”

He also bashed Jolly, a former U.S. House member who served as a Republican before switching to become a Democrat, largely over the rise of President Donald Trump in the GOP.

“(Jolly’s) somebody who, when he was a Republican, kind of sucked at it,” Donalds said.

Before Donalds spoke, other Republican leaders stressed the importance of keeping Florida in GOP hands, especially as some Democratic leaders embrace socialism.

Bryan Avila, a former state senator whom Donalds picked as his running mate to be lieutenant governor, is the son of Cuban refugees who fled the Castro regime. He assailed state Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, for skirting a question about whether there was a dictatorship in Cuba in a recent interview. Nixon said she didn’t know because she hadn’t been there, but others have told her it was a dictatorial regime and she believed them.

“(Democrats) don’t believe in freedom; they believe in socialism,” Avila said.

Jolly and Nixon, though, have been hammering Donalds and U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody on the cost of living, as inflation has driven prices for groceries, gas and insurance higher in recent years.

There was little mention of the cost of living during Donalds’ speech, although he did say there were things in Florida that needed to be fixed, including the cost of property insurance, which he pledged to lower if he becomes governor.

There was also no mention of Trump, whose decision to start a war in Iran in February has pushed gas prices higher, affecting the cost of other goods.

Republicans, though, are confident of defeating Democrats in seven days’ time, mainly because they’ve done it so often before, and GOP voters outnumber them by 1.5 million registered voters.

“Every election we keep on hearing about a blue wave, but that does not materialize in the state of Florida. Why? It’s because we get Republicans out to the polls in droves,” Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia told supporters at the rally. “So what they think is a blue wave winds up a little blue trickle and it hits into a big red wall. You guys are that wall.”

In speaking to reporters after the rally, Donalds noted he also supports Amendment 3, the major property tax cut for homestead properties pushed by DeSantis as a way to cut the tax bill for residents.

But he’s not going to vote for Amendment 1, which would require the Legislature to put $750 million into a key budget reserve fund each year. That position puts him in line with DeSantis but at odds with GOP legislative leaders and the Republican Party of Florida, which has urged a yes vote on the measure. Donalds said there are too many pressing priorities for the state to set aside such a large chunk of funds, including wastewater treatment and other large infrastructure projects, or even tax cuts.

“I actually don’t support Amendment 1. I think the state’s rainy day fund is full. I think if we have additional resources that we have that can go into a rainy day fund then we need to be looking at the infrastructure projects that need to be completed,” Donalds told reporters.  

But his main message to supporters was simple – get to the polls.

“You want Florida to continue to be great? Go vote,” Donalds said during his speech.

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Weather: Today, sunny, with a high near 81. Northeast wind around 10 mph. Tonight, mostly clear, with a low around 59. Wednesday, sunny, with a high near 82. Wednesday night, partly cloudy, with a low around 64. NWS

US stock markets: the S&P 500 up 0.7%, Dow up 0.3%) and the Nasdaq closed up 0.8%.

Local & State News

Tallahassee City Commission candidate Dot Inman-Johnson has filed a defamation lawsuit against Tallahassee United, a political committee supporting candidates running against the city commission progressive slate of candidates. Details.

State Attorney Jack Campbell is questioning recent decisions by local elected officials to limit surveillance technology following Saturday’s mass shooting. Details.

The first weekend of early voting being available in every Florida county pushed the number of votes cast for the Nov. 3 election towards 2.8 million, more than 20 percent of the turnout in the prior midterm election in 2022. Details

National News

More than 30 million Americans have voted in this year’s midterms so far, with Election Day one week away. In Texas, over 4 million ballots have been cast, exceeding half of the state’s 2022 turnout. The figures are from the University of Florida’s Election Lab; see how your state compares here.

The Marauders posted a team score of 315 (+23) to secure the title, while Florida High finished second at 337 (+45). Chiles placed third with a 387 (+95), followed by Wakulla at 460 (+168), Leon at 468 (+176) and Community Leadership Academy at 523 (+231). Golfers from Rickards, St. John Paul II and Lincoln also competed individually in the tournament.

Maclay also dominated the individual leaderboard, with junior sisters Addie Sprague and Mollie Sprague sharing first place after each carded a 76 (+3). Their performances helped lead the Marauders to the team championship and gave them a strong finish heading into the postseason.

Florida High senior Peyton Johnson finished third individually with a 78 (+5), while Chiles junior Kate Mathis placed fourth at 79 (+6). Maclay sophomore Trisha Patel rounded out the top five with an 80 (+7).

Maclay placed four golfers among the top six, with junior Reece Erwin shooting an 83 (+10) to tie for sixth alongside Florida High junior Kamryn Montgomery and Chiles junior Liza Baker Wright. Florida High also placed Leah Lowe ninth with an 87 (+14), followed by freshman Eva Castillo in 11th at 89 (+16) and sophomore Samaira Patel in 12th at 90 (+17).

Outside the top three teams, Wakulla senior Hadley Brown led the Eagles with a 94 (+21), finishing 13th individually. Leon junior Aubyn Galloway was the Lions’ top finisher, placing 14th with a 95 (+22).

With the Big Bend Championships complete, the area’s girls golf teams now turn their attention to district competition on Oct. 27. Maclay will look to carry its championship performance into the postseason, while Florida High and Chiles will aim to build on their finishes as teams compete for a place in the next round.

Monday, October 26, 2026

Weather: Today, sunny with a high near 79. Tonight, partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Tuesday, sunny with a high near 82. Tuesday Night, mostly clear with a low around 58. NWS

US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.5%, Dow -1.2%, Nasdaq -0.2%) as oil prices stay near five-month high (More).

Local & State News

Tallahassee police have arrested a 15-year-old suspect in connection with a Saturday night shooting near Florida A&M University. Details.

The Ghazvini Family Foundation has committed $500,000 to nonprofit organizations to help victims overcome financial insecurity, housing challenges, and other barriers to recovery. Details.

Insured losses in Florida from Hurricane Isaias so far approach $582 million as claims start to roll in from the Oct. 9 storm, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation. Details

National News

Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady this week, analysts say, in final meeting before next week’s midterm elections (More).

Friday, October 23, 2026

Weather: Today, sunny, with a high near 78. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Tonight, clear, with a low around 52. Saturday, sunny, with a high near 78. Saturday night, clear, with a low around 58. NWS

US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -1.2%, Dow +0.0%, Nasdaq -2.6%) as Brent crude oil prices exceed $113 per barrel, the highest price point since May (More).

Local Sports: Leon County was represented by boys’ and girls’ bowling teams at the FHSAA District 1 tournament on Oct. 19 at Capital Lanes in Tallahassee. Details

Local & State News

House District 9 candidates disagree on state policies while sharing concerns about jobs and affordability. Details

The latest jobs report shows the Leon County September unemployment rate was 4.5%. The August unemployment rate was 5.0%. Details.

First-time jobless claims in Florida dropped last week after two weeks of growth. Details

National News

US jobless claims fell to 194,000 last week, their lowest since July, according to Labor Department data released yesterday, indicating a stable labor market less than two weeks before the midterm elections.

Ridgeview claimed the district title with a three-game total of 3,198 pins, well clear of Lincoln’s 2,951. But it was the Trojans who delivered the meet’s most consequential moment, rallying past Rickards in the Baker bracket to claim the runner-up position — and with it, a trip to the state tournament — before falling to Ridgeview in the championship match.

After beating Rickards in the first round of the winners bracket with a score of three games to two, The Trojans met back up with the Raiders in the Consolation Bracket in a loser goes home situation. Lincoln started off strong winning the first game 224-205 while Rickards came back in the second game winning 225-182. The match came down to the fifth game with Lincoln posting a score of 201 over Rickards’ 166 securing the state bid and advancing to the finals where they would lose to Ridgeview 3-0.

The Rickards girls’ team was the only Leon County team to advance to bracket play. The Raiders fell to Columbia in a close winners-bracket matchup, with the outcome decided in the final game, 154-151. Rickards then faced Fort White in the consolation bracket, where another tight contest came down to the fifth game, with the Raiders falling 135-131.

Leon County’s top performers

Lincoln’s Caleb Moore led all Leon County bowlers, placing second individually with a 648 series on games of 195, 218 and 235. Teammates Kale Hurd (618, eighth) and Dylan Fell (611, ninth) also cracked the top 10, while Hunter Mortham added a 14th-place 577 to round out a balanced Lincoln lineup.

Rickards carried the banner for the district’s individual qualifiers. John Nance placed fourth with a 633 series with games of 237, 227 and 169 and Jayden Peterson finished fifth at 629, games of 221, 256 and 152. With Rickards missing a team berth, both advanced to the state tournament on the strength of their individual scores.

Girls: Lee, Lastinger lead the way

Grace Lee of Rickards gave the Raiders a third state qualifier, placing fourth in the girls individual standings with a 525 series on games of 161, 174 and 190. Her finish stood as the top Leon County performance in the girls field.

Chrissy Lastinger of Lincoln was right behind in fifth at 522, and her opening-game 235 was the highest single game rolled by any girl in the tournament. Kaylee Jeon of Rickards finished 12th at 442, while Mikia Hawkins (386) paced Godby and Abigail Cherry (346) led Chiles.

Jenna Boltin of Columbia took girls medalist honors with a 571 series.

No other Leon County team advances

No other Leon County program was able to punch a team ticket in either division.

The Rickards girls posted the best Leon County finish, placing fourth at 1,989 pins. Lincoln finished fifth at 1,882, Godby ninth at 1,335, Chiles 10th at 967 and Leon 11th. Columbia won the girls team title with 2,269 pins, followed by Ridgeview at 2,128.

In the boys division, Ridgeview and Lincoln were the only teams to crack 2,900 pins, leaving Chiles (fourth, 2,844) just outside the state picture. Leon placed seventh at 1,966 and Godby eighth at 1,324.

Cameron Morton of Ridgeview took boys individual medalist honors with a 737 series, posting games of 226, 244 and 267 to finish comfortably ahead of the field.

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Weather: Today, sunny, with a high near 81. Tonight, clear, with a low around 53. Friday, sunny, with a high near 78. Friday night, clear, with a low around 52. NWS

US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.7%, Nasdaq +1.1%), boosted by 7.8% jump in SpaceX shares; the company reported $14.6B in third-quarter revenue, up 161% from the year prior (More).

Local Sports: Community Christian School’s volleyball season came to an end Tuesday night, Oct. 20, with a 3-1 loss to Covenant School of Jacksonville in the FHSAA Class 1A regional quarterfinals. Details

Local & State News

California-backed progressive groups want Tallahassee to accelerate its transition from natural gas to renewable energy; recent examples highlight the potential cost to electric utility customers. Details.

Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil has endorsed Loranne Ausley for Tallahassee mayor, joining a growing list of local elected officials, faith leaders and statewide political figures. Details

Senate President Ben Albritton voted to put Amendment 3, the major property tax cut, before the voters, but when he casts his ballot he’ll be voting against the measure. Details

National News

Russia has released American Stephen James Hubbard after nearly five years in prison on charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. The deal, announced during a top US envoy’s visit yesterday, appears to signal warming ties between Washington and Moscow.

Playing at home in Tallahassee, CCS showed resilience throughout the match, battling back in multiple sets and earning a second-set victory to even the match at one set apiece.

The Chargers faced an early challenge in the opening set, trailing 20-14 before mounting a comeback behind strong serving. A run of service aces from Violet McMillan helped CCS erase the deficit and take a 21-20 lead. Despite the late surge, Covenant recovered to take the opening set 25-22.

CCS responded in the second set, finding its offensive rhythm and building a 19-15 advantage. Avea Casperson helped lead the attack, eventually closing out the set with a cross-court kill to secure a 25-19 win and tie the match at 1-1.

Covenant regained control in the third set, building an early lead before finishing with a 25-16 victory. CCS continued to compete, with Lyndsey Freeland recording a kill during the set, but the Chargers entered the fourth set needing a win to extend the match.

The Chargers delivered another strong start in the fourth, jumping ahead 6-1 as they looked to force a deciding fifth set. Covenant gradually worked its way back into contention and eventually took a 19-15 lead. CCS answered with another rally, tying the set at 19-19 behind a strong serving stretch from Sarah Bradley.

However, Covenant closed out the set 25-21 to secure the match and end the Chargers’ postseason run.

Although the loss brought their season to a close, Community Christian leaves behind a successful campaign highlighted by a district title and a 21-6 overall record. The Chargers’ ability to fight through challenging stretches and make late runs against Covenant reflected the competitive effort that carried them through the season.

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Weather: Today, sunny, with a high near 80. Tonight, clear, with a low around 51. Thursday, sunny, with a high near 81. Thursday night, clear, with a low around 51. NWS

US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +1.0%, Nasdaq -0.0%) on strong earnings reports for Hasbro, Equifax, and 3M (More).

Local Sports: Eight Leon County high school teams competed in the 18-hole Tallahassee City Championships at Hilaman Golf Course, with local golfers battling for team and individual honors. Details

Local & State News

The Leon County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to pursue negotiations with the City of Tallahassee over fire services while simultaneously developing plans for a separate county fire department. Details.

The legal position of the Hope Florida grand jury report, already widely reported but also expunged by an appellate court, grew murkier Tuesday amid a multi-pronged effort to prohibit any publication of the document. Details

National News

Pending-home sales drop to lowest level since 2001 due to 7.3% decline in September, per new monthly data; sales fell 11.3% on a year-over-year basis as 30-year mortgage rate climbed to 7.5% this month (More).

Maclay secured the team title with a four-stroke advantage over Chiles. The Marauders placed three golfers in the top 12, led by senior Cameron Kise, who tied for eighth with a 78 (+6). Eighth-grader Brayden Swiney and junior Brody Mitchell each carded an 80 (+8) to tie for 10th, while junior Downing Jordan finished 12th with an 81 (+9). Senior Austin Nobles added an 84 (+12), helping Maclay finish ahead of seven other teams.

Chiles finished second behind a strong performance from junior Rhys Cochran, who took third individually with a 74 (+2). Senior Parker Ritchie also finished among the top five, tying for fifth with a 77 (+5). Junior Asher Hall shot an 85 (+13), sophomore Mason Githens finished with an 87 (+15), and senior Jackson Kukla recorded an 88 (+16).

Leon placed third in the team standings, led by junior Solomon Hardy, who finished fourth individually with a 75 (+3). Sophomore Liam Minton tied for fifth with a 77 (+5), while senior Hudson Gardner shot an 85 (+13). Senior Andrew Suber and junior Aubrey Turner rounded out Leon’s listed finishers with matching scores of 93 (+21).

Glantz delivered a consistent round to secure the individual championship, shooting even par on both the front and back nine for a total of 72. The Florida High sophomore recorded 36 on each side, finishing with 14 pars and two birdies. His birdies came on the third hole, a par 5, and the 15th hole, a par 4. Glantz maintained his steady pace throughout the round, finishing at even par to claim the individual title.

Fleischer took second at 73 (+1), while Cochran rounded out the top three at 74 (+2). Hardy finished fourth, and Minton, St. John Paul II senior Jack Collins and Ritchie tied for fifth at 77 (+5).

St. John Paul II finished fourth as a team, with Collins leading the Panthers at 77 (+5) and junior Cullen Edwards tying for eighth at 78 (+6). Florida High placed fifth, with Glantz’s individual victory leading the Seminoles’ results. Lincoln finished sixth behind Fleischer’s runner-up performance, while Community Leadership Academy placed seventh and Rickards finished eighth.

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Weather: Today, sunny with a high near 77. Tonight, clear with a low around 47. Wednesday, sunny with a high near 80. Wednesday night, mostly clear with a low around 50. NWS

US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.4%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq +1.1%) as tech stocks climb ahead of Tesla and Meta earnings later this week (More).

Local Sports: Leon County cross-country teams and runners turned in several notable performances at the New World Fall Spectacular cross-country meet held in Jacksonville, FL on Oct. 17. Details

Local & State News

Heading into the third full week of October as Tallahassee’s newly hired city manager, Karen Jumonville says she is approaching the new position with a listening ear. Details.

Leon County Schools is projecting that approximately $12.96 million of the $29.26 million expected from the voter-approved property-tax millage would go toward recurring salary increases for teachers. Details.

Florida added more than 225,000 voters since the August primary, with increases nearly even among registered Republicans and Democrats in that time, according to numbers posted by the Division of Elections. Details

National News

Federal officials arrested more than two dozen people in California accused of voting illegally in US elections. The crackdown comes two weeks before the US midterm elections on Nov. 3.