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Post Endorsements: Choose Acosta in Florida House 89 and Tendrich in Florida House 94

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Post Endorsements: Choose Acosta in Florida House 89 and Tendrich in Florida House 94


Florida House 89: Choose Acosta in GOP primary

Next month voters in the northwest and western areas of Palm Beach County will begin the process of choosing a new state representative as Republican Rick Roth cannot run for re-election due to term limits. Four Republicans have qualified in the Aug. 20 primary to vie for Florida’s 94th House District. The Palm Beach Post recommends voters choose Christian F. Acosta. The winner will face Democrat Rachelle Litt in the November general elections.

The district leans Republican due to its mix of growing suburbs and vast areas of sugar cane and other farmland. It includes Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm Beach, Westlake and the Glades communities along Lake Okeechobee.

Acosta, 41, is an engineer by trade. He’s an adjunct professor at Palm Beach State College and he has worked with Roth. That opportunity in particular has given Acosta a better understanding of the district’s constituents and needs.

If elected, Acosta has said he’d like to serve on the House Agriculture committee, an assignment that would be tailor-made for the district. He would work to boost opportunities in technical education and explore using technology to better secure school perimeters. He would also like to develop new leakage and waterproofing standards for roofs as a way to lower property insurance premiums.

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The three other candidates in the race include Gabrielle M. Fox, a 41 year-old small business owner in Palm Beach Gardens and Anthony Aguirre, 40, a Palm Beach Gardens resident who works as an operations manager in the healthcare field. Of the two, Aguirre is the better prepared candidate. If he fails to win the primary, he should continue seeking public office. The fourth candidate, Meg Weinberger, declined to be interviewed by the Post editorial board.

Florida House 94: Vote Tendrich in Democratic primary

Term limits are also forcing a change in Florida House District 89, where state Rep. David Silvers, D-Lake Clarke Shores, has served for eight years and is term-limited from re-election. Two Democratic candidates have qualified for the Aug. 20 primary, and the winner will face Republican Daniel Zapata in the November general elections.

The Palm Beach Post recommends voters choose Debra Tendrich. The 37-year-old Lake Worth resident brings energy and her community involvement has helped her build connections with businesses, faith-based organizations, nonprofits and political groups within the district. which has prepared her for the role as an elected official.

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District 89 is a majority Democratic with a growing Hispanic population. It stretches south from West Palm Beach through Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Worth Beach and includes Palm Springs and portions of Greenacres.

Tendrich is a fitness and health educator who founded Eat Better Live Better, a Delray Beach-based nonprofit that provides health food and nutrition advice to children and their families. She would be a reliable Democratic vote in addressing concerns important to the district, like reasonably priced housing, quality public schools, environmental protection, small business support and access to healthcare, reproductive rights and mental health services.

Her priorities include pushing for greater regulation of insurance firms and allowing for more premium discounts for homeowners who invest in measures to reinforce their properties. She’d also support developing down-payment assistance programs for first-time homebuyers and rental assistance programs to ensure individuals and working families looking for apartments and other rental property can afford to live in the communities in which they work.

Destinie Baker Sutton, a 44 year-old attorney, is also running for the seat. Her legal background, volunteer work within the county and stand on issues make her a credible candidate but we believe Tendrich is the better fit for the district.

Up Next: U.S. House primary races

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How Florida Can Attack Georgia DB Daylen Everette

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How Florida Can Attack Georgia DB Daylen Everette


The Florida Gators’ wideouts will line up against one of the most athletic corners in the SEC in Georgia’s Daylen Everette.

UF needs to immediately minimize his impact to win Saturday’s rivalry matchup. With interim coach Billy Gonzales looking to push the Gators towards bowl eligibility, the offense needs to start fast and succeed in the passing game consistently.

Target Him Early

Target him early. While he plays an effective corner, he is not a true lockdown corner to be feared and avoided. In fact, Florida needs to keep up the pressure. Granted, Everette is a tanky corner (6-1, 190 pounds) with good speed, but he possesses many flaws that the Gators need to take advantage of. Somewhere along the way, the Florida wideouts will beat him.

UF just needs to exercise patience.

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Double Moves and Rub Routes

Although Everette can run with most wideouts, his speed and explosion reside along a straight line. Under those circumstances, quick cuts and double moves appear to be a winning proposition. Everette fails to adjust in full stride, needing to gather steps to self-correct. A quicker wideout like Eugene Wilson III, who will see many snaps on Saturday in place of the injured Vernell Brown III, and provided he can beat the press, can leave Everette behind for big plays.

Moreover, Everette’s overt agility issue will cost him time attempting to either slide under or veer over pick plays. That lost step could cost the Bulldogs yards.

Missing Tackles

While a willing tackler, Everette’s approach and technique are still unrefined, even for a senior with 48 games of experience.

Without much of an ability to break down in space, his aggressiveness places him in positions that fleet-footed wideouts can stop and turn, while Everette flies by. The Georgia corner is a reacher, throwing his arms at the ball carrier, usually seeing the opponent maintain balance through contact. Florida should run Jadan Baugh in his direction. The senior defender must persevere through the challenge and execute the play.

Bottom Line

Everette is unquestionably the most talented defensive back in Georgia. With his explosion, experience, and drive, he should be a bit further along than he is now.

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Gonzales, the wide receivers coach, knows the talent in that position group, as he recruited the majority of them. The offensive line will give DJ Lagway time to throw due to Georgia’s lack of defensive line push. Now, if they can run routes at or around Everett, the rest of the secondary will fall.



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Florida unveils AI system to predict deadly drug threats before they hit

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Florida unveils AI system to predict deadly drug threats before they hit


SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Florida law-enforcement and public-health leaders on Wednesday unveiled a first-of-its-kind artificial-intelligence system designed to detect and warn communities about new drug threats before they become fatal.

The platform, called DrugAlert.ai was announced at the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office alongside Sheriff Dennis Lemma and Project Overdose CEO Andrae Bailey. The system uses machine-learning to scan statewide drug data in real time, including toxicology screenings, EMS calls, arrest records and street-level intelligence, then issues alerts when dangerous substances emerge.

[WATCH BELOW: Fentanyl awareness taught in Osceola County with community event]

Lemma said the system could change how agencies fight the overdose crisis.

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“I’m convinced this will be the model that is used across the country,” Lemma said.

Project Overdose confirmed the system had already generated its first statewide DrugTRAC alert, after carfentanil, one of the most lethal synthetic opioids ever identified, was detected in multiple Florida counties, including Orange and Seminole.

Bailey said the AI platform closes a critical time gap that once left communities blind for months.

“Data we used to work with was six months to a year old,” Bailey said. “The data coming through this system will be no older than 24 hours.”

[WATCH BELOW: New X-ray tech coming to Fla. agricultural stations to help combat illegal immigration, drugs]

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Officials warned the technology is launching as Florida enters what researchers are calling the “fourth wave” of the overdose crisis, defined by mixtures of opioids, stimulants and synthetics that change too fast for human tracking.

Lemma said the tool allows police, hospitals and service providers to target resources faster and more precisely.

“Project Overdose has connected the dots like never before, public sector, private sector, the faith community, businesses, everybody is involved,” Lemma said.

Project Overdose confirmed Florida will use the alerts statewide and will issue targeted warnings ahead of large events, including next week’s EDC music festival, where officials anticipate increased drug activity.

Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.

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Lee Named to Jerry West Award Watch List – Florida Gators

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Lee Named to Jerry West Award Watch List – Florida Gators


Florida men’s basketball senior Xaivian Lee has been named to the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Top 20 Preseason List, the Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday. The West Award is part of the Naismith Starting 5 positional awards.
 
A two-time first-team All-Ivy League performer at Princeton, Lee transferred to UF this offseason after averaging 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists last season. A Toronto native, Lee has tallied 1,154 points, 406 rebounds, 302 assists and 124 3-point field goals in three career seasons entering 2025-26.
 
Lee joins backcourt mate Boogie Fland as a preseason Naismith Starting 5 honoree, with Fland named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list on Monday. The West Award has been presented since 2015, and the Gators’ Alijah Martin was on last season’s midseason watch list.
 
Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List
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Brayden Burries Arizona
Richie Saunders BYU
Josh Dix Creighton
Isaiah Evans Duke
Xaivian Lee Florida
Emmanuel Sharp Houston
Kylan Boswell Illinois
PJ Haggerty Kansas State
Otega Oweh Kentucky
Ryan Conwell Louisville
Seth Trimble North Carolina
Anthony Roy Oklahoma State
Jason Edwards Providence
Ian Jackson St. John’s
Solo Ball UConn
Rodney Rice USC
Mason Falslev Utah State
Malik Thomas Virginia
Wesley Yates III Washington
John Blackwell Wisconsin

 
2025-26 Florida Men’s Basketball Ticket Information
Traditional season tickets are officially SOLD OUT for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
 
Arena Pass
Arena Passes are officially SOLD OUT for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
 
Single Games
Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 Florida men’s basketball season are now on sale.
 
Fans can purchase tickets at FloridaGators.com, by calling the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683, or in person at Gate 2 on the west side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
 
All Gators Weekend Pack
The All Gators Weekend Pack is now available, which includes the Florida men’s basketball game against Merrimack on Friday, November 21, and the Florida football game against Tennessee on Saturday, November 22, for only $149 plus taxes/fees.
 
All fans attending the Merrimack men’s basketball game will receive a 2025 NCAA National Championship replica ring, presented by Meldon Law.
 



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