Sunday, August 9, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1967, Deion Sanders was born in Fort Myers. The North Fort Myers High and Florida State star is still the only person to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.

As the school year kicks off, remember to watch for stopped school buses. Nearly 18,000 drivers were issued violation notices last school year in Brevard County after being caught illegally passing by school bus cameras. Learn more in Around Florida.

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Amy uncovered five Amazon Prime benefits hiding in plain sight. Many people pay $139 a year primarily for shipping, but the membership also includes perks involving photo storage, gas, food delivery, books, and prescriptions. One could save the average driver nearly $70 a year, while another may even beat your insurance copay. Amy explained how to activate all five, so before you place your next order, find out what you may already be paying for but never using. Tune in here!

There are a lot of electrolyte drinks out there, but LMNT continues to be one we recommend checking out. It delivers the electrolytes your body needs without the sugar found in many sports drinks, and their new lemonade flavors are perfect for hot summer days. Plus, when you order through this offer, you'll receive a free LMNT Sample Pack with your purchase.

State Eyes New Detention Sites

The state asked contractors this week for information on building temporary detention centers across Florida, including five or more south of the I-4 corridor.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, parent agency of the Florida Highway Patrol, described contractor-run sites holding up to 50 adults each under federal oversight. The request doesn't commit the state to building anything, and never says who would be held.

It follows the June closure of Alligator Alcatraz, the Everglades facility that cost more than $608 million, with federal reimbursement still unsettled.

Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, who posted the request online, said residents deserve to know what's going up near them and where their tax dollars go.

DOJ Denies Donalds Investigation

The Justice Department said Friday that U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is not under investigation, knocking down an accusation from a rival in the Republican primary for governor.

James Fishback said Thursday that a government whistleblower tied Donalds to a federal sex-trafficking investigation involving U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, citing two 2024 trips to a Maryland casino resort. Fishback said his legal team had independently verified it.

The Justice Department's rapid response account posted Friday afternoon: "Falsely accusing someone of being under investigation is a dangerous form of weaponization. This claim is not true. Congressman Byron Donalds is not under investigation."

Florida's closed statewide primary is Tuesday, Aug. 18, with 11 Republicans on the gubernatorial ballot.

Hurricane Center Watching Atlantic Wave

The National Hurricane Center is tracking a tropical wave expected to roll off the west coast of Africa on Tuesday, with a 30% chance of developing within seven days.

Odds over the next 48 hours sit near zero. If it does organize, it would become Cristobal, the season's third named storm.

NOAA lowered its seasonal outlook Thursday, estimating seven to 13 named storms, two to six hurricanes, and zero to two majors. The agency now puts the odds of a below-normal season at 75%, up from 55% in May.

Forecasters credit a strengthening El Niño, which increases wind shear over the Atlantic. Arthur and Bertha have been the only named storms so far, and no hurricane has formed.

Activity typically peaks from mid-August into October. The season ends Nov. 30.

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➤ Statewide: The state wildlife commission and the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida are launching the Coastal Corridor Project, which puts most of a $15 million grant toward sinking new ships to form reefs, with three vessels going down this fall. Florida's 4,500-plus artificial reefs already make up the nation's largest program. (Details)

➤ Brevard County: School bus cameras caught nearly 18,000 drivers illegally passing stopped buses during the 2025-26 school year. Violation notices were mailed to every one of them. (More)

➤ Panama City: Crews are rebuilding the Martin Theatre, the 1930 downtown venue Hurricane Michael destroyed in 2018. The $35 million project, funded partly by FEMA, adds a banquet hall and a speakeasy-style bar alongside a 488-seat auditorium, with completion set for September 2027. (Read Story)

➤ Jacksonville: Teamsters Local 512 and Durham School Services reached an agreement late Friday, averting a strike days before Duval County students return Monday. The union represents 275 Jacksonville bus workers, who had voted to authorize a walkout this week. (More)

➤ Marion County: Commissioners are weighing a $13.9 million, three-phase expansion of Shocker Softball Park in Ocala, adding two fields and a championship diamond seating more than 500, with a study projecting that hosted tournaments will jump from 10 a year to 30. (Details)

➤ Flagler County: Fire Rescue pulled a man off his sinking 33-foot sailboat late Thursday after it ran aground on a sandbar near Channel Marker 94. Crews found the boat half-submerged; the lone occupant got back to the dock unhurt. (Watch)

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➤ Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody proposed an amendment to the Protect College Sports Act that would give Power Four schools 180 days after the bill becomes law to change conferences without serving a five-year stint as independents. (More)

➤ Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi's father and longtime agent, died at 68 in Rosario, Argentina. He negotiated his son's contracts at Barcelona, as well as his later moves to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. (More)

➤ Miami enters the season with the seventh-best quarterback room in college football, according to Pro Football Focus, which ranks Darian Mensah as the nation's No. 6 quarterback after he led the Power Four in passing yards last season. (See Rankings)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Golf | Soccer | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ If you’re sitting on untapped home equity, Money.com says you may be able to turn it into cash for renovations, debt consolidation, or major expenses without touching your savings. Their latest guide compares top home equity loan and HELOC lenders, breaks down current rates, and explains how homeowners can access funds with predictable monthly payments. LEARN MORE

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A Summer Favorite

Few things hit the spot on a hot afternoon like a cold glass of lemonade. LMNT has taken that classic flavor and turned it into a refreshing electrolyte drink that helps replenish what you lose through sweat without loading you up with sugar.

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➤ Author Mark Mustian, a Tallahassee attorney, won the Grand Prize for Fiction at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and a bronze in historical fiction from the IPPY Awards for his novel Boy with Wings. It follows a boy born with wings through a 1930s Southern sideshow. (Read Story)

➤ A strong storm over south Sarasota County kicked up a waterspout near Englewood around 4 p.m. Friday, startling a family nearby. (See Video)

➤ Volusia County deputies scooped up about 75 hatchling sea turtles overnight on Thursday that were crawling up a beach approach instead of toward the surf, then worked with county staff to get them into the water. (See Photos)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ The Postal Service's massive quarterly losses places thousands of post offices at risk. (Hear More)

➤ A new generation of companies view space junk as a potential gold mine. (Listen Now)

➤ Fleetwood Mac's most famous feud finally came to an unexpected end. (Podcast Available)

Incredible landing! A Piper Cherokee lost oil pressure over Pensacola, Florida, on August 3, forcing a flight instructor and student to put it down on Interstate 10. A nearby trucker's dashcam captured the whole landing as it happened. No injuries were reported.