Florida
License plate redesign eyed — Florida without .com likely
The word “Florida” without a website address might be coming back to the state’s standard license plate.
A proposal slated to go to the House Transportation & Modals Subcommittee on Friday would direct the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to begin the redesign of the standard license plate.
The bill (PCB TMS 24-01) would direct that “MyFLorida.com” be replaced on the plate with the word “Florida.” In November, Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, said talks were underway to update the design.
“Some of us think it might be time to look at redesigning the official non-specialty license plate for the state of Florida, as probably 49 other states have done in the last 50 years,” Hooper said.
A 2003 change in the standard design included two oranges and an orange blossom. It also splashed the web address “MyFlorida.com” across the top, where before it had simply said “Florida.”
The standard plate also includes along the bottom the words “Sunshine State,” “In God We Trust” or, in some counties, the county name.
Under the House proposal, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles would have until Oct. 1 to start the redesign process.
The redesign wouldn’t apply to the more than 170 specialty plates offering designs for such things as colleges, sports teams, the environment and the military.
Florida
Colts select Florida defensive end George Gumbs Jr. in fifth round of 2026 NFL Draft
The Colts added to their defensive line on Saturday, selecting Florida defensive end George Gumbs Jr. in the fifth round (No. 156 overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-4, 245 pound Gumbs split his college career between Northern Illinois (2021-2023) and Florida (2024-2025), totaling 11 sacks, 21 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles and 98 total tackles over 45 games (19 starts).
Gumbs began his college career on offense with Northern Illinois and moved from wide receiver to tight end, and then ultimately to edge rusher in 2023. He appeared in 12 games for the Huskies on defense in 2023 and totaled 3.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for a loss, then hit the portal and transferred to Florida.
With the Gators, Gumbs totaled 66 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss over 22 games.
The 23-year-old Gumbs is a native of the South Side of Chicago and attended Simeon Career Academy.
Florida
Browns trade up, select Florida OT
Just when you thought the Cleveland Browns were done trading for the night, they pulled out one more wildcard, making a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Just after trading down with the New York Giants (No. 74 with the Giants, receiving picks No. 105 (4th round) and No. 145 (5th round) as well as a 2027 4th round pick), the Browns traded pick No. 105, No. 145 and No. 206 to the Chargers to get No. 86.
With that No. 86 pick, the Browns picked up University of Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber.
The Browns started their night drafting offense with Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston (No. 39), then using their 49ers No. 58 pick to add some defense with Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and now No. 86 Barber.
Here are the Browns’ 2026 draft picks:
- Round 1: No. 9 overall: OT Spencer Fano
- Round 1: No. 24 overall: KC Concepcion
- Round 2: No. 39 overall: WR Denzel Boston
- Round 2: No. 58 overall: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
- Round 3: No. 86 overall: OT Austin Barber
- Round 5: No. 146 overall
- Round 5: No. 148 overall (from Chiefs)
- Round 5: No. 149 overall (from Bengals)
- Round 5: No. 152 overall (from 49ers)
- Round 7: No. 248 overall (from Seahawks)
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Florida
Growing wildfires blamed for death of Florida firefighter, destruction of 120 Georgia homes
NAHUNTA, Ga. (AP) — A volunteer firefighter died battling a wildfire in Florida while more than 120 homes in drought-stricken southeast Georgia have been destroyed by two large blazes, one of which investigators suspect was sparked by an aluminum party balloon, officials said Friday.
An unusually large number of wildfires are burning this spring across the Southeast, where scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of drought, gusty winds, climate change and dead trees still littering some forest nearly two years since they were toppled by Hurricane Helene.
READ MORE: Southern U.S. wildfires force hundreds of residents to flee
In northern Florida, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews suffered an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire. Crews was rushed to a hospital where he died Thursday evening, according to a news release posted to social media.
“Kevin was the epitome of courage and dedication,” Hilliard Volunteer Fire Chief Jerry Johnson said in a statement. “His sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
After getting a firsthand look at firefighting efforts in southeast Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters that state officials believe 87 homes burned in rural Brantley County this week are the most ever destroyed by wildfire in the state’s history.
READ MORE: Wildfires destroy nearly 50 homes in Georgia as blazes grow in Florida
An additional 35 homes have been lost to a larger fire burning in sparsely populated Clinch and Echols counties near the Florida state line, Kemp said. That blaze has burned about 50 square miles (129 square kilometers), an area twice the size of Manhattan.
Kemp said investigators suspect the Brantley County fire was sparked by an aluminum party balloon that touched live power lines, creating an electrical arc that sparked flames on the ground.
Spread across more than 8 square miles (20 square kilometers), the Brantley County blaze was 15% contained Friday, the Georgia Forestry Commission said. Local officials have ordered evacuations across an expanding area almost daily, including Friday.
“There’s no way to stop this fire,” Kemp said. “They’re having to contain the flanks and the back of it and then, hopefully, we get a change in the weather.”
READ MORE: Powerful winds and extreme weather knock out power, damage property and fuel wildfires across parts of U.S.
No fire deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia.
Firefighters are battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida that have sent smoky haze into places far from the flames, triggering air quality warnings for some cities.
Local officials estimate roughly 200 Brantley County residents have been ordered to evacuate, leaving those displaced to worry about animals left behind and whether they will have homes to return to.
While crews with bulldozers work to clear fire breaks around the burning areas, firefighters from dozens of local agencies have focused on protecting nearby homes and other structures — clearing away dry brush and using hoses and sprinklers to keep houses and yards wet.
READ MORE: Tornado barrels through Oklahoma, damaging 40 homes and shutting down roads
“We’ve definitely had the local fire guys out there literally hosing stuff down,” said Seth Hawkins, a Georgia Forestry Commission spokesperson dispatched to the Brantley County fire.
In Florida, firefighters were battling more than 120 wildfires Friday, mostly in the state’s northern half. Fire crews in Georgia responded to 31 new and relatively small blazes Thursday, the state forestry commission said.
Officials say soaking rain is needed to snuff out the larger fires. Areas where the two big wildfires are burning in Georgia have a 20% to 40% chance of showers and possible thunderstorms over the weekend.
That might produce enough rain to slow the big fires down, Hawkins said, but won’t extinguish them. And lightning from thunderstorms could spark more fire, he said.
“We’re going to need several inches of rain, and then maybe another blast of several inches, to extinguish this thing,” Hawkins said.
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