No division title yet for the Bucs for now. The team fell to New Orleans at home Sunday 9-0 for their seventh straight loss to the Saints, and the first time in nine seasons they were shut out. Tom Brady sacked three times, and injuries to key players included Bucs’ wide receiver Mike Evans, wide receiver Chris Godwin running back Leonard Fournette. The Bucs are on the road for the next two games at Carolina this Sunday at 1 pm, and January 2nd against the Jets.

What lead to former Tampa Bay Buc Vincent Jackson’s death is now official. Jackson had stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. His family has donated his brain for research to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston University and the Concussion Legacy Foundation. Jackson was the second player this week to have been diagnosed with CTE. The other was Phillip Adams who took his own life after killing six people.

COVID-19 cases in Florida are on the rise, and Dr. Tom Unnasch, a professor and infectious disease researcher from the University of South Florida said cases are doubling every day and a half in the state. Residents are encouraged to get vaccinated, get the booster shot and watch for symptoms. For more on coronavirus in Florida and where to get tested and vaccinated please check here.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is giving state workers extra days off for Christmas and New Years. The two four-day weekends are the result of a collective bargaining package that will give workers the Thursdays before both holidays off.

Travel will be heavy this week before Christmas with almost 35% people hitting the road and flying this year versus 2020. To check when the best times to travel are according to transportation analytics firm INRIX check the list they provide, and take along a lot of patience. Out of the top ten travel destinations this year, four are in Florida with Orlando, Miami, Ft Lauderdale and Tampa all on the list.

One thing that’s certain after any holiday - a lot of trash. To check the days for pickup in your county or when landfills will be open, check here. For individual cities and unincorporated areas check with your specific carrier.

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