Good morning, Tallahassee.

Tallahassee firefighters Gene Liford and Brandon Corley earned national medals at the Firefighter Challenge in Erie, Pennsylvania from Sept.

23-26 & secured top-three finishes in several relay and individual events.

Chili & Chile's taco stand on West Tennessee closed permanently after an immigration raid detained three staff members; its Governors Square mall location stays open.

Community groups are rallying tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept. 30, 6:30 p.m.) at 5750 W. Tennessee to support affected workers.

Local businesses will join the Accelerate AI program offered by the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality — a four-week process to build custom AI solutions.

The office will partner with Nub8 and Amazon Web Services on Oct. 6 to showcase available tools and practical steps for implementation.

A one-hour walking tour called See and Stroll will begin at Argonaut Coffee by Cascades Park on Wednesday, 30 Sep at 9:00 a.m., offering participants a chance to explore local public art, learn about past and upcoming projects — parking is available in the Cascades garage and on nearby streets.

Leon County teachers report increased work demands, lost planning time, and staff gaps — they have sent 12 emails to the board while the school district tries to fill 13 vacant teaching positions.

The heavy workload has led some educators to consider leaving their jobs.

School Resource Deputy Ryan Dehner of Lincoln High was named Leon County Schools’ 2026 School Related Employee of the Year on Friday, Sept.

25 & he became only the second deputy to receive the honor, with praise for his support of students, faculty and staff.

Florida State University will build a campus-scale quantum communication testbed with $2.1 million in federal funding by linking its hub at the Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building + receiver nodes at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory; researchers will study system performance under real-world challenges to improve reliability.

At the Panther Invite cross country meet on Sep.

26 at St. John Paul II, 11 local schools competed as Leon claimed both team titles and individual wins in the boys and girls races (with standout performances from freshman Isaiah Renn and senior Tatum Hendon).

FSU freshman outside hitter Sophia Moss brings international experience to Tallahassee after moving from Italy and posted 14 kills on Sept.

14. She credits coaching from her pro mother & her background in multiple sports for her growth on the court.

Florida State football will face Virginia on Oct.

3 as coach Mike Norvell said his defense must rise up against the Cavaliers’ strong running game — a key test for the Seminoles currently 2-2 as they prepare for a challenging conference stretch.

FSU fired athletic director Michael Alford on Sept.

14 and is now searching for a new AD to guide an athletic department facing $437 million in debt and a football team struggling in conference play; University President Richard McCullough said the new leader must tackle financial and game challenges.

Freshman quarterback Armond Parker started for FAMU last Saturday in a 40-21 loss to Alabama A&M amid a 1-4 start; head coach Quinn Gray said Parker is fine and shows promise for the Rattlers.