Good morning, Gainesville.

Families gathered on Thursday morning on the front lawn of HCA Florida North Florida Hospital for the third annual butterfly release to honor children lost during pregnancy or infancy.

Long-time speaker Lauren Blake — who wrote a proclamation for Gainesville — supported parents during the ceremony.

UF set aside $40.7 million for a record 5% faculty merit raise pool for 2026-2027, as announced in an Aug.

20 email, though union leaders said the email omitted (their role in negotiations) that secured the increase; the new raise pools took effect Oct. 1.

Gainesville homeowners can save on heating and cooling costs by switching to smart thermostats that adjust temperatures when they are away.

The devices reduce energy use and may qualify for rebates from Energy Star programs — a simple upgrade that cuts both bills and greenhouse gas emissions.

Florida softball opened its fall season Friday with a commanding 20 to 0 win over Santa Fe College at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, as freshmen & transfers energized the offense.

The Gators will face Carson-Newman today at 6 p.m. at the same venue.

Florida will face No. 7 Texas college football at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday at noon ET.

The Gators, coming off two SEC losses, will look to bounce back + test a strong Longhorn defense led by Arch Manning.

Dunnellon rallied for a 22–17 win over Santa Fe on Thursday to claim the 3A-District 5 title (they scored two crucial fourth-quarter touchdowns) while Santa Fe celebrated a Pink Out for Breast Cancer Awareness ahead of their Friday game against Belleview.

Oak Hall will host the St. Augustine St. Joseph’s Academy Flashes at 7 p.m. Friday, with the Eagles seeking a bounce back win after a season low last week while the Flashes build momentum from their recent victory; the game is expected to be closely matched given similar past margins.

No. 7 Florida defeated Texas A&M 3-1 on Friday in an SEC match that saw improved serving with 10 aces and four errors (a steadier approach after earlier struggles).

The Gators will face No. 12 Texas on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. in Austin.

Hawthorne High School beat Hardee 38-3 on Oct.

16 — handing the Wildcats their first loss this season — and the Hornets are one win away from an undefeated regular season as they head into the bye week before the Oct. 30 finale vs. Dunnellon.