Monday, September 14, 2026

Weather: Today, sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Tonight, mostly clear, with a low around 75. Tuesday, sunny and hot, with a high near 95. Tuesday night, mostly clear, with a low around 73. NWS

US stock markets: closed higher Friday (S&P 500 +0.9%, Dow +1.0%, Nasdaq +1.0%) to snap a four-day losing streak as oil prices declined for the first time in over a week (More).

Local Sports: The Lincoln Trojans held off a late comeback attempt from the Rickards Raiders to secure a 26-25 victory Friday night at Gene Cox Stadium in a home game for Rickards. Details.

Local & State News

Tallahassee Reports has received a 92.5 out of 100 credibility rating from NewsGuard, an independent media-rating organization. Details.

Leon County is moving forward with a bid to bring the World Athletics Cross Country Championships back to Tallahassee in 2029. Details.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says automated license plate readers have helped reduce crime by over 64% over the last ten years. Details

National News

Average diesel prices in the US surpassed $6 per gallon for the first time ever Friday, climbing to $6.20 yesterday. Commercial trucks, farm equipment, fishing boats, and trains that produce and transport consumer goods run on diesel, tying higher fuel costs to everyday expenses. 

The Leon County Commission will receive an update on the effort at its September 15 meeting. County staff reports Leon County has completed the pre-qualification phase for the 2029 championships and has been approved by World Athletics to submit a formal bid.

The effort follows Tallahassee-Leon County’s successful hosting of the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Apalachee Regional Park. The one-day competition marked the first time the championships had been held in the United States since Boston hosted the event in 1992.

According to the county, the January event generated an estimated $6.09 million in local tourism economic impact and drew 15,262 attendees, including 10,900 visitors from outside Leon County. Fifty-seven percent of those visitors were making their first trip to Leon County.

County officials also point to the international exposure generated by the championships. The event was broadcast in 70 countries and federations and generated approximately 950 articles and stories worldwide. Nielsen calculated the event’s global impact at $24.5 million, which the county says was the highest recorded for a World Athletics Cross Country Championships.

The success has prompted discussions about a larger role for Leon County.

On August 5, County Chairman Christian Caban, County Administrator Vincent Long and county staff met with World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and CEO Jon Ridgeon in Eugene, Oregon. The discussions included Leon County’s 2029 bid and the possibility of a long-term hosting arrangement.

According to the agenda item, World Athletics is considering enhancements to the championships beyond 2030 and discussed using Leon County as a potential pilot location for a new hosting model.

Under such an arrangement, Leon County could assume responsibility for transportation, logistics, volunteers, venue operations, athlete experience and community engagement, while World Athletics would retain responsibility for governance and competition standards.

In the meantime, the county faces several deadlines in its pursuit of the 2029 championships. The initial bid application is due October 23, 2026, followed by a final application on January 29, 2027. World Athletics is expected to select the 2029 host in March 2027.

County staff is developing the bid package, including plans for a new course at Apalachee Regional Park, accommodations, transportation, finances, event operations and marketing.

The agenda item has no immediate fiscal impact. If Leon County wins the 2029 championships, staff would return to commissioners with proposed hosting costs.

Since 2013, Apalachee Regional Park has hosted more than 75 local, state, regional and national championships and meets, attracted more than 80,000 athletes and runners, and generated more than $84 million in direct spending, according to county estimates.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says automated license plate readers have helped reduce crime by over 64% over the last ten years.

His comments come in the aftermath of the Florida Department of Transportation this week revoking general use permits for ALPRs like Flock.

Since then, there’s been a wave of counties and local municipalities announcing they were doing away with the technology despite the FDOT memorandum only applying to state roads.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said they would fully comply with FDOT’s directive and also discontinue ALPR use throughout Duval County.

Lake County Commissioners voted to remove all Flock cameras and license plate readers.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Aden said they would also begin removing devices on county rights-of-way and formally notify Flock to work through contract timelines for equipment removal. He did not rule out using ALPR’s again in the future but said the department would “wait for clearer legal guidance on constitutionality before revisiting the program.”

Gualtieri said he believes there is misinformation around what ALPRs do.

“ALPR automates what officers have long done manually and will continue to do on the computers in their cars, and that is to check license plates against law enforcement databases. But ALPR does it with greater speed and accuracy to enhance public safety,” said Gualtieri during a press conference.

He added that ALPRs don’t videotape, run continuously or photograph and identify people and rather take only motion-activated photos of license plates and vehicles.

“We recognize the recent concerns being raised about ALPR. We are committed to working with policymakers and communities to ensure that this technology is used responsibly. We’re also committed to making sure ALPR is properly understood,” said Gualtieri.

He pointed to more than 64% reduction in crime he said Pinellas County has enjoyed over the last decade and said in one service area the number of stolen cars went from 529 in 2015 down to 230 in 2025.

“That’s a 56% reduction. We’ve been using ALPR all that time. This reduction in crime is not by accident. It’s by design and by using technology such as ALPR,” Gualtieri said.

FDOT’s memorandum stated the purpose was to preserve Floridians’ sovereignty and quality of life.

Gualtieri acknowledged there were “legitimate concerns” like officers who have improperly used ALPR databases. He said when those incidents happen, those officers are held accountable.

“The abuses get attention but compared to how many officers have ALPR access and how many inappropriately access the systems, the abuses are very minimal. We don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater because a few people did something stupid. We support ALPR regulation,” said Gualtieri.

NewsGuard has evaluated the reliability of more than 36,000 news sources worldwide. A 2025 peer-reviewed analysis of NewsGuard’s ratings database found an average score of 63.6, placing TR’s score nearly 29 points above that benchmark. In the U.S., the 92.5 assigned to Tallahassee Reports is 35.7 points above the U.S. average of 56.8.

Tallahassee Reports publisher Kathy Stewart responded to the ratings by saying, “over the last 15 years we have strived to provide the community with a credible source of fact-based local news. The ratings from these independent groups indicate we are succeeding.”

NewsGuard designated Tallahassee Reports as “Generally Credible,” stating that the website “mostly adheres to basic standards of credibility and transparency.” TR received credit for eight of the organization’s nine criteria.

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NewsGuard’s review noted that Tallahassee Reports does not publish false or egregiously misleading information, gathers and presents information responsibly, maintains effective correction practices, responsibly distinguishes news from opinion, avoids deceptive headlines, clearly labels advertising, identifies those in charge and provides information about its writers.

In its assessment of the publication’s journalism, NewsGuard concluded that articles on TallahasseeReports.com are “typically fact-based and well-sourced,” frequently relying on elected officials, government releases and government data. The review also found that headlines accurately reflect story content and that news articles are typically neutral in tone.

NewsGuard also reviewed TR’s corrections practices and found that the publication has a policy to post corrections identifying any mistake and explaining how it was corrected.

TR lost 7.5 points on one transparency criterion. While Tallahassee Reports identifies itself as a project of the nonprofit Red Hills Journalism Foundation, NewsGuard said the website does not disclose its donors, which does not satisfy NewsGuard’s standard for nonprofit financing disclosure.

In response, Stewart said “in a small media market like Tallahassee, it is import to offer privacy for those small donors who want to be involved with journalism. Also, any donor that contributes more than 5% of Red Hills’ annual revenue is identified in a publicly available document.”

Local Government Advertising

NewsGuard also investigated recent criticisms related to Tallahassee Reports receiving local government advertising.

NewsGuard confirmed that city expense data show that the city paid Tallahassee Reports $28,000 from January 2024 to March 2026. NewsGuard stated that “all payments were classified as advertising, a common practice for city governments” and added “over the same period from January 2024 to March 2026, the city paid the Tallahassee Democrat $40,500 for advertisements..”

On the issue Stewart said, “these findings indicate news consumers need to be diligent in evaluating the statements from community leaders who challenge the messenger rather than TR’s fact-based journalism.”

Other Rating Services, Political Bias

Media Bias/Fact Check, another rating group, currently describes Tallahassee Reports as having a right-leaning editorial perspective but fact-based local reporting. Its November 2024 review specifically says TR’s local news uses relatively neutral language and cites government records. It reported no failed fact checks at the time of its review.

There is some disagreement about political orientation. A current aggregation of ratings reports that Ad Fontes Media rates TR “Center,” while Media Bias/Fact Check rates it “Right.” Ground News currently gives Tallahassee Reports a “Lean Right” bias rating and “High” factuality rating.

For comparison, the Media Bias/Fact Check rates the Tallahassee Democrat and WFSU as Left-Center Bias and Florida Phoenix as Left Bias.

NewsGuard Nutrition Label – Tallahassee Reports

Lincoln entered the game with its backup quarterback taking the majority of the snaps due to an injury to the team’s usual quarterback. Despite the change under center, the Trojans established control early, scoring on their opening possession.

Lincoln’s first touchdown came on a run by Andreas Greene, who lined up at wildcat quarterback. The Trojans’ opening drive was aided by multiple penalties against Rickards as Lincoln moved the ball into scoring position.

Rickards struggled to maintain momentum on its first possession. A high snap over the quarterback’s head on second down resulted in a significant loss of yardage, forcing the Raiders to punt. With nine seconds remaining in the first quarter, Lincoln recovered a muffed punt by Rickards, giving the Trojans possession in the red zone.

Lincoln capitalized on the opportunity when Andreas Greene scored his second rushing touchdown of the game, extending the lead to 14-0.

The Trojans continued to find success on the ground, with Reginald Thompson adding another rushing touchdown to push Lincoln’s advantage to 21-0 with approximately 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Rickards responded with a strong kickoff return that put the Raiders in scoring position. The drive ended with a quarterback sneak by Jordan Kelley, putting Rickards on the scoreboard.

The Raiders’ next possession ended in further trouble when an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone resulted in a safety. Lincoln added two points to its lead, making the score 23-7 and regaining possession.

Rickards opened the second half with the ball and began to chip away at the deficit. The Raiders put together a productive drive, capped by a touchdown from Tyler Walker Jr., narrowing the score to 23-13.

After a period of back-and-forth play, Rickards continued its comeback effort in the fourth quarter. With less than eight minutes remaining, the Raiders found the end zone again on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Kelly to Curtayis Cooper. Rickards failed to convert the ensuing two-point attempt, leaving Lincoln ahead 23-19.

Rickards had an opportunity to regain possession with approximately six minutes left in the game when the Raiders dropped a potential interception. The missed opportunity proved costly as Lincoln’s Barron Burris connected on a field goal with five minutes remaining, extending the Trojans’ lead to 26-19.

Rickards quarterback Jordan Kelly then delivered a significant gain on a quarterback keeper, putting the Raiders in promising field position. The drive ended with Timothy Scott scoring on a rushing touchdown, bringing Rickards within one point at 26-25 with three minutes remaining. The Raiders again failed to convert the two-point attempt.

Rickards appeared to recover a fumble and return it for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but the officials engaged in a lengthy discussion before determining that the player who recovered the fumble was down by contact.

With one minute left, Rickards attempted a deep pass that was intercepted by Lincoln’s Ahmad Greene, ultimately ending the game after the Trojans assumed victory formation.

The Trojans held on for the 26-25 victory, surviving Rickards’ second-half rally to leave Gene Cox Stadium with a one-point win.

Montford won the toss and deferred, giving Swift Creek the opening possession. The Wolves punted on their first set of downs. Then the Mustangs came out passing, quarterback Jase Dault throwing to receiver Simon Pettion for a first down. A pass interference call gave Montford another first down two plays later. After the Wolves’ defense halted an attempted Mustangs run, Dault went back to the air. The pocket held, and he fired a pass over the middle to receiver Owen Pulfer for 20 yards, the game’s first big play. Running back DJ Read ran for a first down to the Wolves four yard line. He pushed into the end zone on third and goal behind blockers Adrian Ortiz and Jackson Davis. Swift Creek stopped the Mustang conversion, starting a pattern that would continue throughout the game.

In the second quarter, the Wolves played gritty football to grind out first downs, including a fourth down conversion through multiple tacklers. After a failed pitch for a loss of five, Swift Creek’s running back broke through the Montford defense and ran down the sideline more than 40 yards for the score to tie the game at 6.

Montford immediately struck back. On the Mustangs’ next drive, they had steady runs from Dominic Scott, and a keeper from the QB on fourth down set up a 1st down at the 3 yard line. After a Swift Creek defensive lineman made a tackle in the Montford backfield, Montford faced 4th and goal at the 5. Dault found receiver AJ Henry for Henry’s first score of the game. Yet again, Swift Creek did not allow the conversion.

With less than two minutes left in the half the Wolves drove into Mustang territory on a run around the outside and a QB keeper. A first down pass over the middle and a pass interference brought Swift Creek to the Montford 10. The Wolves used a timeout to stop the clock at 27 seconds with the opportunity to tie the game before the half. On third down, the Wolves’ quarterback made a high arcing throw off his backfoot, lofted toward the back of the end zone. It bounced off cornerback AJ Henry’s hands, then off a Wolves’ receiver’s pads, then up in the air. Henry intercepted the football, then tucked it and ran down the sideline. Surrounded by a protective ring of maroon jerseyed blockers, Henry ran well over 100 yards for the pick six. Montford converted their only conversion of the day, making the score 20-6.

In the second half, the defenses reigned, and the game only saw one score. Despite Swift Creek nearing the end zone after successful passing, they could not convert. The Mustangs scored off steady runs from key ball runners Dominic Scott, Landon Del Prado, leading to DJ Read’s second score of the game. This touchdown iced the game to give Montford a 26-6 win.

The event began with 10 Baker games of qualifying, with the results used to determine the teams’ positions heading into match play. Rickards A finished at the top of the boys qualifying standings, while Lincoln A posted the highest girls total.

The Baker Format

Unlike traditional bowling, where one bowler bowls an entire game, the Baker format has teammates share the same game. Bowlers take turns bowling individual frames, with the team’s bowlers collectively completing the game.

The score is therefore a team score rather than an individual score. In this event, teams bowled 10 games during the qualifying portion, with their scores added together to determine their qualifying totals and seeding for match play.

Following qualifying, teams competed head-to-head in Baker match play, with the matchups decided through best-of-three games.

Boys Competition

Rickards A led the boys qualifying competition with 1,869 pins over 10 games, earning the No. 1 seed going into match play. The Raiders also rolled the highest single game among the boys teams, posting a 254 in Game 4. Rickards A had several other strong games, including a 200 in Game 1 and a 230 in Game 7. After securing the top seed, Rickards faced Lincoln in a head-to-head, best-of-three Baker match. The Raiders dropped the opening game by just one pin, but responded by winning the next two games to take the match and advance. Lincoln A finished second in qualifying with 1,840 pins, just 29 pins behind Rickards. Lincoln recorded its best game in Game 10 with a 200, while also rolling a 205 in Game 3. Chiles A placed third with 1,741 pins, including a 197 in Game 4 and a 192 in Game 2. Leon A finished fourth with 1,166 pins. Leon opened the competition with a 193 before recording a 137 in Game 2. Lincoln B finished fifth at 1,097 pins, followed closely by Chiles B at 1,086. Lincoln C placed seventh with 1,026 pins, while Rickards B finished eighth with 697 pins. Godby A rounded out the boys qualifying standings with 458 pins.

Boys Qualifying Standings

1. Rickards A — 1,869
2. Lincoln A — 1,840
3. Chiles A — 1,741
4. Leon A — 1,166
5. Lincoln B — 1,097
6. Chiles B — 1,086
7. Lincoln C — 1,026
8. Rickards B — 697
9. Godby A — 458

Girls Competition

Lincoln A finished first in the girls qualifying competition with 1,430 pins over 10 games. Lincoln A’s performance included a 190 in Game 8 and a 171 in Game 10. Rickards A finished second with 1,356 pins, 74 pins behind Lincoln, earning the No. 2 seed for match play. Rickards A’s qualifying performance included a 165 in Game 10 and a 157 in Game 8. After qualifying second, the Rickards girls faced Lincoln in Baker match play. Lincoln won both games of the best-of-three matchup, defeating the Raiders 2-0 and ending Rickards’ run in match play. Lincoln B was third in qualifying with 1,335 pins, just 21 pins behind Rickards A. Lincoln B opened with a 149 and finished with a 156 in Game 10. Rickards B placed fourth with 1,085 pins, followed by Lincoln C with 895. Rickards C finished sixth with 692 pins, while Godby A recorded 337 pins. The score sheet also lists Leon A in the girls competition, but the available entry is incomplete and does not provide a usable final total. Because of that, Leon’s girls team cannot be accurately placed in the qualifying standings from the available results.

Girls Qualifying Standings

1. Lincoln A — 1,430
2. Rickards A — 1,356
3. Lincoln B — 1,335
4. Rickards B — 1,085
5. Lincoln C — 895
6. Rickards C — 692
7. Godby A — 337
8. Leon A — score incomplete on results sheet

Friday, September 11, 2026

Weather: Today, showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 3pm, with a high near 90. Tonight, a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, then a slight chance of showers between 2am and 3am, with a low around 74. Saturday, showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm with a high near 91. Saturday night, a 30 percent chance of showers before 8pm with a low around 74. NWS

US stock markets: close down (S&P 500 -0.6%, Dow -0.6%, Nasdaq -0.7%) as oil prices again top $100 per barrel, pushing 10-year Treasury yield to its highest mark since at least October 2023 (More).

Local Sports: Maclay (6-4) erased an early two-set deficit to upset Florida High (3-2) 3-2 in a non-district matchup Thursday night, Sept. 10, overcoming losses in the opening two sets before winning the final three to complete the comeback. Going into the match Florida High was ranked 83 in Florida, while Maclay was ranked 169. Details.

Local & State News

The Leon County Commission will hold the first of two public hearings Tuesday, Sept. 15, on an 18-month moratorium on large-load customer facilities, including large-scale data centers. Details.

First-time jobless claims in Florida showed a slight decline over the prior two weeks as month-to-month business optimism dipped. Details

National News

The American flag is flying at half-staff today as the US recognizes the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The proposal originated with County Commission Chairman Christian Caban, who raised the issue in June and called for a temporary pause while county officials study the potential impacts of large-scale data centers on electricity and water supplies, utility rates, the environment and surrounding communities.

The proposed ordinance would temporarily halt the acceptance, review and approval of certain development applications involving large-load facilities in unincorporated Leon County. The pause would apply to development permits, development orders, rezonings and site plans while county officials develop regulations addressing the potential impacts of such facilities.

County commissioners directed staff in July to pursue the moratorium following the passage of Senate Bill 484, which took effect July 1. The new state law highlights planning, infrastructure and compatibility issues associated with facilities that have substantial electric or other utility demands.

According to the county, neither the Leon County Development Code nor the Tallahassee-Leon County 2050 Comprehensive Plan currently contains specific provisions addressing large-load customers or data centers. County staff says the moratorium would provide time to study potential impacts and develop amendments before applications are received.

The proposed moratorium is not a permanent prohibition. County staff reports there are currently no approved or pending applications for large-scale data centers in unincorporated Leon County.

Among the issues expected to be evaluated are impacts on economic development and tax revenue, land and water resources, energy consumption and utility rates, and public health and safety. A state-required independent study addressing many of the same issues is due by July 1, 2027.

The county proposal also comes amid questions about the ability of the area’s existing electric infrastructure to accommodate a large data center. During a June City Commission meeting, then-City Manager Reese Goad said neither the Comprehensive Plan nor city code permitted large-scale data centers and that additional electric-generating capacity would be needed to accommodate such a facility.

The moratorium would apply only to unincorporated Leon County and would not be countywide.

County staff recommends commissioners conduct the first hearing and schedule the second and final public hearing for Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. The Sept. 15 hearing is required before the ordinance can be adopted.

Florida High came out strong, taking control of the match from the start. The Seminoles won the opening set 25-13 and followed with a 25-14 victory in the second set, putting Maclay in a difficult position heading into the third. Facing a 2-0 deficit, the Marauders responded by changing the direction of the match in the third set. Maclay battled its way to a 25-19 victory, cutting Florida High’s lead to 2-1 and keeping the match alive. The momentum continued into the fourth set. Maclay again came through in a competitive set, winning 25-21 to even the match at two sets apiece and force a deciding fifth set. With the match coming down to the final set, Maclay finished the comeback by defeating Florida High 15-12. The Marauders’ three consecutive set victories turned an early two-set deficit into a 3-2 victory.

Stella Oseicki played a key role defensively for Maclay, finishing with a team-high 13 digs. She also contributed four aces, giving the Marauders a strong presence from the service line. Eme Brooks led Maclay in kills with 10, while Grace Oseicki added eight kills as the Marauders found their offense during the comeback. Sola Brooks helped keep the offense moving throughout the match, leading the team with 17 assists. Maclay’s ability to respond after dropping the first two sets proved decisive. The Marauders won each of the final three sets by at least four points, closing out the match with the 15-12 victory in the fifth.

The win moves Maclay to 6-4 on the season, while Florida High falls to 3-2. Maclay’s next matchup is tonight against Lincoln at 7:00pm while Florida High plays Leon on Sep. 15.

The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 5,365 initial unemployment claims were filed in Florida last week, down from a revised count of 5,458 the week ending Aug. 29, but up from the 5,205 posted for the week ending Aug. 22.

The numbers remain just below the year’s average, now at 5,922 a week.

On Wednesday, the National Federation of Independent Businesses reported its Small Business Optimism Index and Uncertainty Index both declined from July to August.

“Florida’s small business owners continue to report concerns about rising business costs and fewer sales, which has led to a dip in optimism,” NFIB Florida Executive Director Bill Herrle said in a released statement. “Hiring on Main Street has also slowed as owners report labor quality or availability as a top challenge.”

Despite the recent dips, the NFIB indexes both remain above their historic averages.

Nationally, the Department of Labor estimated 206,000 claims were filed last week, a decrease of 1,000 from the prior week’s revised level.

The national unemployment rate stands at 4.1 percent.

Florida’s unemployment rate stands at 4.6 percent, representing an estimated 515,000 Floridians qualified as out-of-work from a labor force of 11.1 million in July.

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Weather: Today, showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 5pm, with a high near 92. Tonight, a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm with a low around 74. Friday, showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 4pm, with a high near 91. Friday night, showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, with a low around 74. NWS

US stock markets: The cost of Brent crude topped $100 per barrel yesterday for the first time since July. US stock markets dropped on yesterday’s news (S&P 500 -0.5%, Dow -0.8%, Nasdaq -0.6%).

Local Sports: Led by Liam Minton, the Leon boys golf team posted its strongest team performance of the early season Tuesday, Sept. 8, defeating Florida High and Maclay in a three-team varsity match at Seminole Legacy Golf Club. Details.

Local & State News

A Tallahassee Reports public records request has identified the person who sought Orlando Police Department records involving Tallahassee City Commission candidate Talethia Edwards — records that later became part of the controversial “fake Facebook” political operation connected to the Jeremy Matlow campaign. Details.

The Tallahassee City Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to suspend the city’s use of automated license plate reader cameras, reversing course just two weeks after a majority of commissioners rejected an effort to begin removing the technology. Details.

The Florida Realtors trade group is getting behind Amendment 3, the major property tax cut on the November ballot, putting $10 million to support the measure. Details

National News

President Donald Trump delivers keynote address at Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, says he will give every citizen $5K if Republicans control Congress (More).