Underground Fires Tear Up Downtown Tallahassee

Fires burning beneath downtown Tallahassee streets blew out pavement near the Florida State Capitol early Tuesday, closing roads and shutting the Leon County Courthouse and Annex.

Firefighters sent to a courthouse fire alarm around 5:15 a.m. found several fires burning in the roadway near Monroe Street, Apalachee Parkway, and Calhoun Street. Crews then cut power downtown to make repairs, knocking out traffic signals and area buildings.

The fire also took down the county’s fiber-optic network, canceling every court proceeding in the 2nd Judicial Circuit. Chief Judge Frank Allman wrote that case management systems and email were down, and “there’s just no point in trying to go forward with anything until further notice.”

In-person visitation at the Leon County Detention Facility was suspended for the day, though virtual visits continued. Text-to-911 went offline, and some county phone lines ran intermittently. Officials asked anyone with an emergency to call 911.

DeSantis Signs 20th Death Warrant

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Monday for Jesse Guardado, 64, whose Nov. 5 execution at Florida State Prison would be Florida’s 20th this year.

Florida leads the nation in executions again this year. Its 19 executions in 2025 were the most in a single year in Florida since capital punishment resumed in 1976. DeSantis wrote that clemency was considered but found “not appropriate.”

Guardado pleaded guilty to killing Jackie Malone, 75, who had rented him a place to live. During a cocaine binge in September 2004, he beat her with a metal breaker bar at her Walton County home, stabbed her, and took her purse.

Three executions come first: James Robertson and William Thompson on Oct. 13, then William Reaves on Oct. 20, putting the state on pace to break its 2025 record. Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, pointing to two failed executions in Tennessee, warned that Thompson is gravely ill.

Disney World Raises Ticket, Pass Prices

The most expensive ticket at Walt Disney World, a one-day Magic Kingdom pass on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve in 2027, will cost $229, up from $209 for the same dates this year.

Annual passes rose across all four tiers, with the top-level Incredi-Pass, the only one open to everyone, climbing $120 to $1,749. The Pixie Dust Pass, a Florida-residents-only pass with the most blackout dates, went up $10 to $499.

Skip-the-line service is climbing too. The ceiling on the Lightning Lane Premier Pass, good for one trip through every Lightning Lane ride in a park, increases $50 to $499. The Multi Pass is unchanged, as is the $119 Animal Kingdom day ticket.

At Disneyland in California, the least expensive one-day ticket remains $104, the price since 2019, and annual passes, parking, and multi-day tickets hold steady. Disney said the approach raises prices on premium options while keeping lower-cost ways in.

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➤ Coral Gables: A former Biltmore Hotel kitchen worker is accused of walking off with $7,854 worth of food, including 192 lobster tails and 116 pounds of pork belly. Diego Medina-Acosta, 37, faces a first-degree grand theft charge. (More)

➤ Broward County: Health officials confirmed the county’s first locally acquired dengue case of the year. Florida has logged 485 cases in 2026, nearly half of which were picked up in-state across eight counties, with 223 in Hillsborough County alone. (More)

➤ Statewide: Florida placed 47th in WalletHub’s 2026 ranking of the safest states, ahead of only Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The state scored best in personal and residential safety at 31st and worst in emergency preparedness at 47th. (See Rankings)

➤ Statewide: Florida’s education commissioner told superintendents to review every classroom and library book and remove anything considered harmful to minors, or risk losing state money, grants, and lottery dollars. Clay and Nassau counties were noted for already complying. (More)

➤ Osceola County: The school district plans to spend $191,885 in opioid settlement money on vape detectors at 19 middle, high, and alternative schools picked using vaping referral data. Staff would get real-time alerts. (More)

➤ Orlando: Twenty speed cameras are now watching city school zones, flagging drivers going 10 mph or more over the limit. Warnings started Oct. 5, and $100 citations begin Nov. 30. (More)

➤ Dover: Deputies arrested a fugitive wanted in Indiana and Kentucky and found a handcuff key taped inside his underwear. Jonathan Terry, 42, tossed a pair of brass knuckles under a nearby vehicle as deputies closed in. (More)

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➤ The Jacksonville Jaguars have given up 53 points through four games, second fewest in the NFL, and rank second in the league with eight takeaways. The 3-1 Jags now fly to London for back-to-back home games against Philadelphia and Houston. (More)

➤ Florida State’s backfield thinned again with reserve running back Gemari Sands off the roster, and the school gave no reason. With Samuel Singleton Jr. hurt, Texas transfer Tre Wisner is the main backup to Ousmane Kromah. (More)

➤ The Chiles cross country girls team won the Championship Division title at the FLRunners.com Invitational in Lakeland, scoring 48 points and beating runner-up Our Lady of Lourdes Academy by 56. Sophomore Emma-Claire Tanenbaum finished third in 19:04.49. (See Results)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | NBA | Soccer | NCAA Volleyball

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➤ Florida gas prices fell about 29 cents in a week, dropping the statewide average to roughly $4.06 a gallon Monday. Drivers paid $4.37 a week earlier and about $3.04 at this time last year. (More)

➤ Senate Bill 484 makes big data centers pay the full cost of the power lines and plants they need instead of passing it to other customers. The law, in effect since July 1, also added water-permit requirements. (Read Rules)

➤ Bazaar47’s night market takes over five downtown Jacksonville blocks today during the First Wednesday Art Walk. The Gainesville-based traveling series has already stopped in Orlando and South Florida, with the Gulf Coast and Gainesville still ahead. (More)

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Memory Loss, Low Libido, Weak Bones

Not magnesium, and not calcium. A new study says memory loss and cognitive decline may be the result of a different mineral deficiency, one that can also cause stubborn weight gain, low energy, mood swings, a low libido, bleeding gums, and weaker bones.

An estimated 90% of adults over 60 may now be at risk. Soils have become depleted, and common medications such as blood pressure drugs, along with microplastics, strip it from the body.

There are seven warning signs that you might be running low. (See Warning Signs)

➤ A quantum computer is coming to Florida International University by late 2027, making FIU the first Florida university to install this type of system on campus. Researchers will use it to study power grids, drug molecules, and shipping routes. (More)

➤ The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando Grande Lakes topped the Orlando resort rankings in a national Conde Nast Traveler readers’ poll, ahead of Signia by Hilton Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria Orlando. JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, and the Evermore Orlando Resort rounded out the top five. (See Rankings)

➤ Meanwhile, the top Florida Keys resorts, voted on by readers in the same publication, include the Pier House at No. 1, the Hyatt Centric at No. 2, and Baker’s Cay in Key Largo at No. 3. (See List)

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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. 

➤ Stubborn neck pain often lacks a clear cause, but physical therapists say five simple exercises can bring real relief. (See Exercises)

➤ Apple News has been accused of suppressing months of coverage about the DNC’s mounting debt ahead of the midterms. (Hear Details)

➤ Some everyday habits are damaging your hearing in ways audiologists say you won’t notice until it’s permanent. (Listen Now)

How often will you go for walks or exercise outdoors now that it’s October?

1. Every day
2. Most days
3. Occasionally
4. Rarely
5. Never

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever been to a Buc-ee’s?

1. Yes: 69%
2. No: 31%

What historic swimming pool in Coral Gables was created from a former coral-rock quarry?

Show me the answer