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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

Good Morning! On this day in 1960, the University of South Florida welcomed its first students with a convocation ceremony. USF was the first major state university in Florida to be planned, built, and opened in the 20th century.

Today is National Shamu the Whale Day, honoring the iconic SeaWorld orca shows that began with the original Shamu in the late 1960s.

As much of our state endures Helene, please be safe. Read more in our Top Story.

This afternoon, you'll receive an extra note from one of our advertising partners. Support from our sponsors helps keep Flyover Florida free, and we're grateful for their support. Keep an eye out for it!

We're sponsored today by LivePainFree, be sure to check them out in today's edition.

Hurricane Helene Targets Florida

Tropical Storm Helene became a hurricane Wednesday as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to make landfall somewhere in the Panhandle today.

The National Hurricane Center said Helene will intensify into a major Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds as it makes landfall along the Big Bend. See forecast maps here.

A storm surge warning for the Keys and almost all of the West Coast is expected to bring life-threatening waters of up to 15 feet.

Mandatory evacuations are in effect for vulnerable areas, and officials are urging residents to take the threat seriously and prepare for impacts such as flooding, power outages, and road closures.

The White House approved a federal emergency declaration for Florida as the impacts could be far-reaching. Residents in the storm's path are advised to prepare for power outages that could last up to a week.

'U.S. News' Florida College Rankings

Florida colleges and universities mostly maintained their rankings on the 2025 Best Colleges list released this week by U.S. News & World Report, dropping slightly or gaining spots. See the national list here.

The University of Florida (UF) fell one spot to No. 7 among public universities and two spots to No. 30 among all schools. Florida State University (FSU) stayed at No. 23 in the Top Public category and ranked No. 54 among all schools. See the public list here.

The University of Miami rose four places to No. 63 nationwide, while Florida International University (No. 98) and Florida Atlantic University (No. 189) rose 20 or more spots each. See the Best Colleges in Florida list here.

The University of South Florida (USF) earned a spot among the top 50 public schools in the nation (No. 45) and is recognized as the “best value” among all public and private universities in Florida for the second consecutive year.

SpaceX Mission Will Leave with 2, Return with 4

Reduced to a crew of two, NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station no earlier than 1:17 p.m. on Saturday.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule will have two designated empty seats for Boeing Starliner astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who will return from the International Space Station (ISS) when Crew-9 completes its mission next year.

The Crew-9 duo—NASA astronaut Nick Hague (commander) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov (mission specialist)—will make the trip without astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, who were initially slated for the mission.

Crew-9 will spend about five months on the ISS, with plans to conduct more than 200 science and research demonstrations before returning to Earth in February.

Flying together with our sponsor

Did your mom ever tell you fruit is healthy? Mine too.

But I guarantee that if your mother knew the damage a popular fruit does to your body, joints, and heart, she'd tell you NEVER to eat this fruit again. You see, even though this fruit is marketed as being "healthy," it actually contains a toxic nutrient your body sees as an "enemy."

So, every time you bite into this fruit...

Your immune system flags this "invader"... and unleashes its army of toxin killers. And since this nutrient enters your bloodstream once it's digested...

Your immune system starts attacking even HEALTHY tissue and organs... causing burning in your joints, muscles, and even your heart.

And even if you HATE fruit and veggies... I can 99.9% guarantee you've eaten this fruit in the past week — probably without even knowing it.

Luckily, Dr. Brian Paris recorded a video revealing the deadly truth about this fruit (and four other common foods).

➤ Florida’s unemployment rate in August remained steady at 3.3% for the fifth consecutive month, staying below the national average for 46 months straight. (More)

➤ Ocala: Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez launched Florida’s Swimming Lesson Voucher Program, emphasizing the importance of swimming skills. The program offers free lessons to eligible families. (More)

➤ Hillsborough County: A second town hall on a proposed teacher pay raise referendum took place at Gaither High School, where attendees voiced concerns about the measure’s wording and the timing of the tax hike. (See Video)

➤ North Fort Myers: An 80-year-old man is accused of suffocating a woman to end her suffering amid their shared struggles with health and finances. (More)

➤ Palm Beach County: About 250 ballots have been resent to overseas voters after an error listing Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz as “Tom” Walz was discovered. (More)

➤ Miami: Amtrak is offering tickets for the Floridian, a temporary route providing direct round-trips between Chicago and Miami, with stops in cities like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa. (More)

➤ Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel isn't revealing who will start at quarterback yet, keeping fans guessing after Tuesday’s press conference. (More)

➤ The Miami Heat have announced they will put $50 million into upgrading their stadium, including a new scoreboard nicknamed the “Fireball.” (More)

➤ The Miami Marlins offense put together a four-run second inning on Tuesday to propel them to a 4-1 win over the playoff-hopeful Minnesota Twins. (Watch Highlights)

➤ The Orlando Magic will honor their late co-founder, Hall of Famer and sports legend Pat Williams, with a patch on their uniforms to be worn during the 2024-25 season. Williams passed away on July 17 at age 84. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | WNBA

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➤ Sip Fresh, a specialty beverage retail concept, announced Marine Corps veteran Ryan McGrail will open the company’s first Florida franchises in Tampa, Orlando, and Sarasota. (See Details)

➤ A turbulent scalloping season ended in Pasco County on Tuesday. What started as a blockbuster season ended with disappointment, leaving businesses struggling. (See Video)

➤ A political committee advocating for a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana raised over $6 million between Sept. 7 and Sept. 13, bringing its total fundraising to $100 million since its formation in 2022. (More)

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➤ Do you have trouble falling asleep? Dodow is a light metronome scientifically designed to block out overactive thought patterns and quickly lull you into a deep, peaceful sleep. Over 500,000 former insomniacs now sleep peacefully with Dodow. Are you next? (See It Here)

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Hundreds of thousands of Americans are feeling much better after following the advice in this video... which is probably why it’s going viral on Facebook.

You can watch it for free for the rest of the day (and be sure to share it with any friends or loved ones who might need to see this). Click the link below to start watching now:

⇒ The WORST fruit to eat if your joints hurt (destroys joint tissue) (Plus, 4 more foods you should avoid like the plague)

➤ Mount Dora, one of the South’s seven most charming towns according to WorldAtlas, is known as Festival City. The Mount Dora Craft Fair will be held downtown Oct. 26-27. (See List)

➤ Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen season 23 debuts tonight with three South Florida chefs: Amanda Currie of Pompano Beach, Hannah Flora-Mihajlovic of Boynton Beach, and Egypt Davis of Riviera Beach. (Meet the Cast)

➤ A Southern white rhino calf, born at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Sept. 1, needs a name. You have until Sept. 28 to decide between Azizi, Zahara, or Zina. (Vote Here)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Are you looking for a morning pick-me-up? Try taking off with our very own Flyover Roast Coffee. We offer two exclusive single-origin coffee roasts: the Afterburner Nicaraguan Dark Roast and the Cruising Altitude Guatemalan Medium Roast, both in whole bean and ground. This coffee is how we stay fueled to bring you the best news every morning at no cost to you!