Florida
New College of Florida tosses hundreds of library books, empties gender diversity library
New College of Florida throws out hundreds of library, LGBTQ+ books
New College of Florida sent hundreds of books from the library and from the school’s Gender and Diversity Center to a landfill. Video provided by Zander Moricz.
Hundreds of New College of Florida library books, including many on LGBTQ+ topics and religious studies, are headed to a landfill.
A dumpster in the parking lot of Jane Bancroft Cook Library on the campus of New College overflowed with books and collections from the now-defunct Gender and Diversity Center on Tuesday afternoon. Video captured in the afternoon showed a vehicle driving away with the books before students were notified. In the past, students were given an opportunity to purchase books that were leaving the college’s library collection.
Some discarded books included “Nine and Counting: The Women of the Senate”, “The War of the Worlds” and “When I Knew” — which is a collection of stories from LGBTQ+ people recounting when they knew they were gay.
New College spokesperson Nathan March acknowledged the Herald-Tribune’s request for comment but had not provided the college’s response as of 2 p.m.
Amy Reid, the faculty chair and representative on the board of trustees, said when you throw away books, you also throw away democracy.
“They take the trees and people had a service to recognize the loss of those trees,” she said. “I want to do that for books, because books are what matter.”
Natalia Benavites, a 21-year-old fourth-year student at New College, said books in the dumpster carried the college’s seal as well as a “discard” sticker on the spine.
When she asked officials whether they could donate the books, she was told that under state statute the college can’t donate books purchased with state funds.
The college also discarded books from the Gender and Diversity Center, which was located across campus. The GDC books were purchased individually and not with state funds, she said. Several students and activists with the SEE Alliance worked Thursday afternoon to save the GDC materials before they could be thrown away.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
Follow Herald-Tribune Education Reporter Steven Walker on Twitter at @swalker_7. He can be reached at sbwalker@gannett.com.
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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