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Graham Mertz is Home with the Florida Gators: ‘I Owe This Place Everything’

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Graham Mertz is Home with the Florida Gators: ‘I Owe This Place Everything’


Flashback to October 1, 2022, the University of Wisconsin hosts the University of Illinois. The Badgers scored the first points of the game on a pass from then-quarterback Graham Mertz. Over the next forty-eight minutes and fifteen seconds, the entire Badgers offense collapses. You can see the sideline ignoring coaches and players looking generally disinterested. 

Despite this, Mertz continues to play hard. However, you can hear the audible boos echo through Camp Randall whenever he takes the field. Somehow, the Badgers fanbase, from alums to students chose to blame Graham Mertz for their failings as a program. Mertz finished with 206-yards passing, and a Wisconsin program known for its ground game, rushed for two yards.

The next day, the Badgers relieved Paul Chryst of his head coaching duties. Yet, much of the vitriol veered towards Mertz. 

The Badgers went 4-3 after the firing, but for Graham Mertz, the writing on the wall signaled the need to leave. One year later, wide receiver Chimere Dike felt the same. At media availability, Mertz discussed what Florida means for him after a solid-first year that saw him set career highs in yardage, completion percentage and touchdowns.

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After leaving Madison, Mertz needed a new home. With eligibility remaining, he chose Florida. Now, using Gainesville as a one-year stopover feels like the move for so many veteran players. Yet, Mertz stayed around. When he makes the NFL, you will see and hear Florida listed as his school. 

“I care about this place,” said Mertz. “This place gave me a second chance in college, they put in so much time, energy, and effort into developing me as a player, as a person, that I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I feel like I owe this place everything I got. And I didn’t just come back here to boost my draft stock. 

“I came back to win. That’s why I’m here right now. That’s why I’m standing up here. That’s why I was just on the practice field for two hours in some serious heat – because I want to win. That’s why we’re here, man. That’s why we’re all here right now.”

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Unlike Mertz, Dike stayed with the Badgers another season. He did not feel like a fit within Luke Fickell’s offense. Dike managed to graduate from Wisconsin and head south to play alongside his close friend. Mertz cannot explain enough what Dike means to him. 

“Yeah. One of the great things about Wisconsin is that the guys there, they care about each other, love each other and they are so close. And that was one thing that unfortunate turn of events, coach got fired and at the time I thought it was my last year of college football. 

“How do I find the best situation for me? How do I figure out who my OC is going to be? All these different things. But, I mean, Chim’s my brother. I’ve known that guy. We’ve been through some great times, some hard times. I don’t think anybody knows me as good as he knows me. I think anybody knows him as good as I know him.”

Graham Mertz is a Gator. Despite toiling for the majority of his career in Wisconsin, he loves the school, his teammates and the program for what they did for him. That level of appreciation is rare in college football, where the symphony of me plays the sourest of notes.



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South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open

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South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open


On Monday, more than 800 faith leaders and community activists from across South Florida, crowded into the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami to demand the Miami Dade County Commission move forward with opening the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery.

“Are we OK with being told to wait when lives are on the line?” said Quanda Dupree, of the St. Peters Missionary Baptist Church. “Or do we believe real accountability means keeping your word? Even when things aren’t guaranteed. We believe our communities deserve more than a delayed response. We deserve action.”

The center – which was promised to voters back in 2004 – would take mentally ill individuals out of the jail and move them into a place where they can receive comprehensive treatment and support. The county has spent more than $50 million renovating the building and two years ago, a pair of non-profit groups were selected to operate the facility while numerous local groups and agencies have pledged their support, including the Homeless Trust. Funding for the first two to three years of the center is already in place.

And yet, the center remains empty – not helping anyone.



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SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday

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SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday


New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.

What we know:

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These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.

Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.

Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.

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“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”

Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.

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“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”

The other side:

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This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”

What they’re saying:

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Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.

“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.

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This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.

“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”

The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.

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Big picture view:

The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.

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The Source:  Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.

Hillsborough CountyHealth



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GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds

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GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds


The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.

“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.

What to expect

  • 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
  • 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
  • 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
  • 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
  • Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.

For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.

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Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.

Other Friday highlights included:

  • 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
  • 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
  • 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
  • 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.



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