Good morning, Tallahassee.

Big Bend CoC (community organization) is planning a central hub, new board and expanded outreach to address rising homelessness driven by high housing costs in Tallahassee.

Officials say the initiative will come soon.

On Saturday, La Tiendita launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $50,000 for debt relief and expansion (1840 N.

Monroe St.) as its owners invite support through gift cards, T-shirts, and seat sponsorships. They hope the funds will cover costs and modernize the kitchen for a new retail salsa launch.

The Tallahassee Young Actors Theater is staging its school production of Les Misérables with Broadway veterans Jillian Gray (a former national tour member) as director and Lindsay Wood Hose handling choreography; the show opened Friday and runs through Aug.

2.

Students across Big Bend and South Georgia face different back-to-school dates as counties prepare for classes ranging from Aug.

10 to Aug. 12 while some South Georgia districts begin on July 31 and extend to Aug. 19; Tallahassee State College resumes on Aug. 17.

FSU Center for Advanced Power Systems was awarded an $88M U.S. Navy contract to research ship power (which may total $99.5M by 2031) and boost innovation at the local campus.

FSU Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship Professor Juliana Binhote won the ICSB Global Award in Entrepreneurship Educator Excellence on July 1 in Washington D.C.

Her honor recognizes a cross-cultural course that connects FSU students with peers at Armenia's second-largest university.

Biologists rescued over 1,600 threatened flatwoods salamanders on Friday, July 17th, using soft-release pens to help larvae develop amid a severe drought in the Florida Panhandle and southeast Georgia.

The Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy led efforts — adapting recovery strategies as wetlands failed to fill.

Tallahassee Fire Department added two new E One Typhoone fire engines, one at Station 3 on South Monroe and one at Station 16 to speed emergency responses.

Each engine cost nearly $1 million, was paid for by fire service fees, and features Wi-Fi and advanced life support + safety equipment.

Nearly 100 Floridians got sick with cyclosporiasis amid a national rise in cases, and local health officials urge residents to wash produce carefully since freezing does not kill the parasite (CDC advice).

More than 25 local restaurants are participating in Tallahassee’s first Restaurant Week, which began on Friday, July 17 and runs until July 26.

Organizers hope the event will boost local dining by offering curated breakfast, lunch & dinner menus.

FSU football enters 2026 as coach Mike Norvell's team faces road games at Alabama on Sept.

19 and Miami on Oct. 17 plus home tests against SMU on Sept. 7 and Clemson on Oct. 31 in Tallahassee — with a decisive rivalry against Florida on Nov. 27 pending.

The 850 Band Live Performance

8:30 PM — Duke's & Dottie's — Free entry — Enjoy a long-awaited night of great tunes and cold drinks with The 850 Band.

Godby Class of 1986 Reunion

6 p.m. — AC Hotel Tallahassee Universities at the Capitol — $100 per person — Celebrate the 80s with food, drinks, and dancing at an unforgettable reunion night.

Tallahassee Beer Festival

2-6 p.m. — Donald L. Tucker Civic Center — Ticketed event — Experience North Florida’s largest beer festival with over 400 beverages and interactive fun.