Takeaways from Tallahassee — There’s No Place Like the Hill

AMU Homecoming brings the magic to Tallahassee ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

From: Extensive Media Enterprises The best party in town. This Oct. 18-25, Florida A&M University (FAMU) Homecoming is back with the theme “There’s No Place Like the Hill,” drawing inspiration and spirit from the beloved Oscar-nominated film “The Wiz” — itself a reimagining of the classic “The Wizard of Oz” — and putting Rattler culture center stage. FAMU Homecoming is a nationally revered celebration for students, alumni, and the Tallahassee community alike to come together once again and “ease on down the road.” There’s nothing quite like the FAMUly getting together for an event shaped by creativity, pride and love for that Green and Orange. “Stepping into this role, I knew all eyes were on me, especially for homecoming,” said Caitlin Smith, Student Government Association vice president and Homecoming Committee Chair. “We wanted to create a week that brings generations of Rattlers together and gives everyone a reason to reconnect with the place we call home. From the traditions we cherish to the new memories we’ll make, we wanted that FAMU pride to shine through every event. I truly hope that people see the hard work, commitment and true spirit throughout the week that I, along with my committee, created because, in the end, we want everyone to remember there’s truly no place like The Hill.” The week’s activities kick off with the Coronation & Ball honoring Mister and Miss FAMU at 5:30 p.m. in Gaither Gym. Head to the Quad for Market Monday or the “Taste of a Rattler: SGA Crab Boil” on Tuesday at 12 p.m. at the Will Packer Amphitheater, followed by the Fashion & Art Show at 7 p.m. in the Lawson Center. All Roads Lead Home for FAMU Homecoming 2026, ‘There’s No Place Like the Hill.’ Image via FAMU. The week continues with a pep rally, the Walmart 5K Run/Walk, Homecoming Convocation, FAMFest Homecoming, and the NPHC Step Show. “Each year, thousands of Rattlers return to the Hill, bringing generations of memories, traditions, and an unwavering love for Florida A&M University. Homecoming is our opportunity to reconnect, celebrate our accomplishments, and strengthen our collective commitment to the future of this great institution. No matter where life takes us, the Hill will always be home. Together, we are moving FAMU forward, and together, we are FAMU forever,” said Brandi Tatum-Fedrick, the Senior Vice President for University Advancement, Strategic Partnerships and Innovation. But for many, the crown jewel is the Homecoming Concert at 7 p.m. in the Lawson Center on Thursday. This year’s lineup includes Belly Gang Kushington, Grammy winner T.I., and Grammy nominees Summer Walker and Gunna — major star power and radio airplay with those four. Saturday starts with the Homecoming Parade at 8 a.m. along a campus-wide route, followed by the Strike Zone Tailgate at 11 a.m. on Gibbs Lawn and the Rattler Walk at 12:40 p.m. at the Village Breezeway. Then it’s gridiron time as FAMU faces the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at Bragg Memorial Stadium at 3 p.m. Stick around for Sunday, though: FAMU volleyball plays Alcorn State at noon in the Lawson Center, and then you can be taken to church for a Gospel Concert at 4:30 p.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium. Eight fun days of Rattlers from different generations calling The Hill home once again. ___ Coming up, the usual assortment of news, intel, and observations from the week that was in Florida's capital city by Peter Schorsch, Drew Wilson, Drew Dixon, Liam Fineout and the staff of Florida Politics. But first, the "Takeaway 5" — the Top 5 stories from the week that was:   Take 5   POTUS comes to town — President Donald Trump will rally voters in his home state ahead of the Midterm Elections. The Commander-in-Chief will hold an event in Fort Myers on Oct. 23. A venue will be announced later, and tickets will be available online through the Republican National Committee. Doors will open for the rally at 10:30 a.m., with programming beginning around 12:30 p.m. Trump is expected to take the stage and address the crowd at 2 p.m. In Florida, Trump’s official state of residency, several competitive federal races are on the ballot this year. That includes a U.S. Senate race, where Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody faces Democratic challenger Angie Nixon, as well as a nationally watched race for Governor between Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly, a former Congressman. Polls show both races within the margin of error despite Republicans holding a large voter registration edge. Meh — Yet another statewide poll shows unpromising numbers for a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot that would significantly hike homestead exemptions on property taxes, to the detriment of local government budgets. New survey figures from South Florida-based consulting firms EDGE Communications and MDW Communications show support for Amendment 3 at 50% — 10 percentage points shy of what it needs to pass. Twenty-seven percent of voters oppose the proposal, and 23% are undecided with less than three weeks until Election Day. EDGE and MDW’s findings on Amendment 3 agree with polling released this week by Associated Industries of Florida, which showed support at 53% among voters who read the measure’s full language. RIP — Hurricane Isaias is blamed for six deaths in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a storm update. “We’re sad to say that,” DeSantis said, describing four new deaths: two people killed in a car crash at an intersection where the traffic signal wasn’t working and two who died after “disruptions to some of their medical treatment.” Officials previously disclosed two deaths in Escambia County: a woman killed when a tree fell on her home and a man who died after a generator ran inside his garage. DeSantis said the death toll has been higher in past storms and credited local officials for sounding the alarm for people to take the hurricane seriously. “I think people did take precautions and I think the local officials did a really good job of helping spread the word,” he said. Whoops — When Lake County sent out vote-by-mail ballots in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, one qualified candidate’s name was missing from the ballot. Voters who received incomplete ballots are getting postcards explaining the mishap. “You are receiving this notice because the name of one of the candidates for Congressional District 6 was omitted from the ballot you previously received. The ballot you received should have included the name, Andrew Parrott (LPF). We apologize for this omission!” each card reads. Election officials then explain that anyone who wants to support Libertarian Andrew Parrott and vote by mail must request a new ballot from the Lake County Supervisor of Elections Office. They can provide it in person at the offices or mail it to voters' homes. Poopy water — Future toilet flushes in Florida won’t just clear the commode. They also could cool data centers, if Republican gubernatorial candidate Donalds has anything to say about it. During an event at a Christian school in Pinellas County, Donalds suggested data centers use reclaimed water instead of fresh water. “I’ve been talking with Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. He’s been saying, well, if they do get built, why don’t we require them to use reclaimed water from the water treatment plants? That makes sense. Let them use the poopy water. Because we’re not doing anything with the poopy water anyway. So let them use it to cool servers,” Donalds said. Reclaimed water is already used industrially, so this isn’t an expansion of purpose. Donalds has been the more data-center-friendly candidate this cycle, a position Jolly, his Democratic opponent, has exploited.   We clean up nice   ♫♫ “Don’t you forget about me.” ♫♫ On Oct. 14, DeSantis announced that a $1 million investment through VISIT FLORIDA will soon support tourism recovery efforts in Northwest Florida following Hurricane Isaias. The funding will go to the Northwest Florida Tourism Council to resume its Northwest Florida Beaches marketing campaign, which has helped increase visitation and support local businesses throughout the Panhandle. “Today, I was proud to announce that VISIT FLORIDA is awarding $1 million to the Northwest Florida Tourism Council to resume their successful marketing campaign following Hurricane Isaias,” DeSantis said. “This investment comes from a dedicated disaster recovery budget that is set aside to help Florida’s tourism industry. The returns are proven to be great: For every dollar invested in this strategic tourism marketing effort in 2024-25, Northwest Florida generated $58.95 in total economic impact.” The recovery campaign builds on a partnership between VISIT FLORIDA and the Northwest Florida Tourism Council, which represents eight Gulf Coast counties. Recently, a similar marketing initiative, funded in part by Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., generated more than 2 million additional visitors between 2024 and 2025, contributed $327 million in additional visitor spending, and supported nearly 3,000 jobs. Ron DeSantis is directing $1 million in tourism cash to Northwest Florida. “When a community is ready to welcome visitors again after a storm, good marketing is essential. Our partnership with the Northwest Florida Tourism Council has built an effective Panhandle-focused campaign, and VISIT FLORIDA is stepping in to keep that work funded so Northwest Florida can recover quickly,” said Bryan Griffin, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. The $1 million will help fund the Northwest Florida Beaches brand campaign, highlighting the region's beaches, outdoor recreation and unique visitor experiences. This year's campaign will emphasize Fall and Winter drive-market travel and further support the most affected counties. "On behalf of the Northwest Florida Tourism Council and the eight counties we proudly represent, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to Gov. DeSantis and VISIT FLORIDA for their support following Hurricane Isaias. As our communities come together, we are confident in our ability to emerge stronger than ever, and look forward to welcoming visitors to experience the unforgettable adventures that make our region so unique,” added Matt Algarin, Tourism Director for Walton County and Northwest Florida Tourism Council Chair.   1492   Gov. DeSantis unveiled a statue of Christopher Columbus in Naples on Thursday, adding the explorer to Florida’s America250 commemoration ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. DeSantis used the ceremony to deliver an unqualified defense of Columbus, whose legacy has become a recurring flashpoint in disputes over how the United States commemorates European exploration and colonization. “In the Free State of Florida, Christopher Columbus is a hero. End of story,” DeSantis said. The Genoese explorer in all his glory. The Governor’s Office said the statue recognizes Columbus’ role in opening an era of Atlantic voyages that preceded Spanish exploration and settlement of Florida. Michele Mistò, Italy’s consul general in Miami, participated in the unveiling and connected the monument to Italian-American Heritage Month and the Italian community’s contributions to Florida. The release pointed to Naples’ shared name with the Italian city as one reason the Southwest Florida community was a fitting home for the monument. The statue is the latest piece of DeSantis’ America250 initiative. In February 2025, he announced plans to install statues of the Founding Fathers. The initiative has since expanded to include Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan, Andrew Jackson and Lady Columbia.   TO SEE MORE TAKAWAYS FROM TALLAHASSEE CLICK HERE