ORLANDO, Fla. – Today, Florida StateRepresentative Daisy Morales (D-Orlando) expressed her excitement for the Down syndrome community with the signing of CS/CS/SB 364 – Specialty License Plates into law Wednesday evening.
“I’m honored to champion legislation in the Florida House for Florida’s first-ever specialty license plate for the Down syndrome and intellectual disability communities,” said Representative Morales. “With this bill signing, Florida residents who have Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities will receive the help they need for housing, scholarships, educational opportunities and employment assistance that are otherwise underfunded or do not exist. Plus, the organizations that serve them will get a much-needed boost in funding to do even more for them.”
Representative Morales filed the Down Syndrome Specialty License Plate legislation during the 2022 Legislative Session, the language for which was amended into CS/CS/HB 67, sponsored by Representative Alex Rizo, and Senate companion bill CS/CS/SB 364, filed by Sen. Aaron Bean, which includes seven other specialty tags.
“We are proud of our great state of Florida for joining our mission to create awareness and acceptance on WHO/WHAT/WHEN/WHERE/WHY/HOW of the people with Down syndrome,” said Hope Chinchak, founder of Our City Beautiful, a non-profit organization serving the special needs community, which partnered with Rep. Morales in proposing her initial legislation. “…On behalf of the team at Our City Beautiful and each self-advocate, parent, friend, and organization which supports persons and families in the Down syndrome community of Florida, thank you!”
Former Orange County Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor Daisy Morales, her sister Diana, and former Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings. (Photo credit: Rep. Daisy Morales’s Facebook page)
“This also serves as a special tribute to my late fifty-four-year-old sister Diana, who had Down syndrome,” said Rep. Morales. “I was her primary caretaker. I want to thank my colleagues in the Florida Legislature, Representative Rizo and Senator Bean, for their collaboration on this bipartisan legislation.”
Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.
Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.
Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.
UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM
Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.
Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.
Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.
Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.
This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.