Central Florida News

Floridians brace for Arctic blast over holiday weekend

Published

4 years ago

December 24, 2022

Beachgoers face the sun on Fort Lauderdale beach, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. While most of the country is under severe cold weather warning, South Florida's high temperature peaked in the mid 80's. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Floridians on Friday braced for unusually chilly weather as rare freeze warnings were issued for large parts of the state ahead of the holiday weekend.

The National Weather Service said an Arctic blast was heading for Florida on Friday, followed by a holiday weekend with some of the coldest temperatures of the season.

“We’re dreaming of a cold Christmas… said no Floridian ever,” the National Weather Service in Melbourne, Florida tweeted Friday.

In the Florida Panhandle, temperatures were expected to drop to the teens and 20s degrees Fahrenheit. Wind gusts also were expected to reach up to 45 miles per hour (72.4 km per hour), and there were some reports of downed trees Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee.

“Secure those holiday decorations!” the weather service tweeted.

In central Florida, temperatures were expected to drop to near or below freezing. The last time there was a freeze in Orlando was almost five years ago, though nearby communities reached freezing last January, according to the weather service.

Florida is the primary supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables for the rest of the country during the winter, and growers were harvesting as much of their crops as possible ahead of the cold front. In the state’s midsection, where blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are grown, growers planned to use overhead irrigation to spray a protective coat of ice around the fruit.

“We are well into Florida’s winter growing season, and fruit and vegetable growers around the state have been preparing around the clock in advance of this weekend’s cold weather,” Christina Morton, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, said in an email.

South Floridians were on watch for falling iguanas over the weekend. The cold-blooded reptiles that reside in Miami suburbs typically become immobilized when temperatures drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 Celsius degrees). The temperature in Miami on Friday morning, though, was above 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 Celsius degrees), allowing vacationers one last gasp of beach weather before having to don their winter coats.

Central Florida News

Commissioner Uribe Announces New Date for Hispanic Heritage Festival Due to Weather

Published

2 hours ago

October 9, 2026

FNN NEWS

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Commissioner Uribe announced that the Hispanic Heritage Festival has been rescheduled due to weather conditions. The event will now take place Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon at Cypress Grove Park, 290 Holden Ave., Orlando.

The festival will celebrate the rich history, cultures, traditions and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities through live music, dance performances, food and community resources.

Scheduled highlights include:

Live music by youth orchestra The Nucleus Orchestral.
Dance performances featuring Maria Saavedra of FusionFest with Huellas de Colombia, Unidos for Ecuador and Mexico Dansa.
Food from Zaza.
Community resources from 311 and other participants.

Join Commissioner Uribe and the community for a morning celebrating Hispanic and Latino heritage.

NEW DATE: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
TIME: 9 a.m. to noon
LOCATION: Cypress Grove Park
ADDRESS: 290 Holden Ave., Orlando, FL 32839

Basketball

UPSHOT Announces Professional Women’s Basketball Franchise for Tampa Bay

Published

2 days ago

October 7, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

Jacksonville Waves battle at the rim against the Charlotte Crown during UPSHOT League action in Jacksonville. Photo by Nisey Spruill/FNN Sports.

New team will debut at the Yuengling Center in summer 2027 as fans help shape the franchise’s identity

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — UPSHOT League officially announced the arrival of professional women’s basketball in Tampa Bay, with the new franchise scheduled to begin play at the Yuengling Center in summer 2027.

UPSHOT Tampa branding unveiled as the league prepares for its inaugural 2027 season in Tampa Bay. Image courtesy of UPSHOT Tampa.

Owner Morgan Busby introduced the vision behind bringing elite women’s basketball to the region, while Garland Cooper was announced as team president. UPSHOT Deputy Commissioner Taj McWilliams-Franklin also joined the launch alongside local leaders as the organization emphasized community involvement, fan experience and competitive excellence as core parts of the franchise.

FAN INVOLVEMENT: The Tampa franchise does not yet have an official team name. Fans are being invited to submit ideas and take part in helping shape the team’s identity ahead of its inaugural season. Season-ticket deposits and founding membership opportunities are also available.

UPSHOT Tampa President Garland Cooper speaks with media following the announcement of Tampa Bay’s new professional women’s basketball franchise. Photo courtesy of UPSHOT Tampa.

Community outreach began immediately with a “Shoe a Day” initiative supporting young athletes in the Tampa Bay area. During media availability, Cooper also spoke about the importance of giving young girls an opportunity to see what is possible through professional women’s sports.

Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise and Advisory Board Chair Kathleen Shanahan were among the community leaders in attendance, highlighting the potential economic and social impact of adding another professional sports organization to the region.

INAUGURAL SEASON: UPSHOT Tampa is scheduled to tip off at the Yuengling Center in summer 2027, adding professional women’s basketball to an established Tampa Bay sports market that already includes the Buccaneers, Lightning and Rays.

The team name, branding and additional franchise details are expected to be announced as the organization continues building toward its first season.

– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com

Central Florida News

Temple Hands USF First Loss, 17-13

Published

5 days ago

October 4, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

Cameron Seldon races toward the sideline as Temple defenders force him out of bounds. Photo Credit: Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Bulls move to 4-1 as Hartline turns attention toward corrections and the week ahead

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — South Florida’s unbeaten start ended Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium as Temple defeated the Bulls 17-13. USF struck first behind a Nico Gramatica field goal but went into halftime trailing 10-3 before finding momentum after the break.

USF responded in the third quarter as D.J. Crowther’s one-yard touchdown tied the game at 10.

USF and Temple battle at the line of scrimmage. Photo Credit: Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

The Bulls’ defense added a key stop when No. 1 C.J. Hicks recovered a Temple fumble in the end zone. Gramatica later connected from 49 yards to give USF a 13-10 fourth-quarter lead. Temple answered with the defining possession of the night, driving 96 yards before quarterback No. 13 Ajani Sheppard scored on a 34-yard run to put the Owls ahead for good.

Temple’s 96-yard fourth-quarter drive became the turning point in the 17-13 finish.

Joshua Porter sprints for catch with Adrian Laing closing in for Temple. Photo Credit: Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

USF was unable to answer late, dropping to 4-1. Following the game, head coach Brian Hartline focused on returning to the film, correcting the mistakes that surfaced and making sure the Bulls use the loss to improve heading into the next week.

FINAL: Temple 17, USF 13

Up Next: USF travels to San Antonio to face UTSA on Thursday night.