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Costco brings back a fan-favorite food court treat after years off the menu
Costco fans who have spent the last two years begging for one discontinued food court favorite to be brought back are finally getting their wish.
The retailer announced Friday that its twisted churros will return to U.S. food courts for a limited time, ending speculation after the company teased the comeback on social media.
Earlier in the week, Costco teased the announcement with a cryptic Instagram video showing two employees discussing a mystery menu item before its name was bleeped out, prompting fans to flood the comments with guesses ranging from the meat-and-vegetable-topped combo pizza to the Polish hot dog and acai bowl.
COSTCO SHOPPERS CHALLENGE INFLUENCER'S CLAIM THAT 'INSANE' CHICKEN MEAL CAN FEED FAMILY OF FIVE
Many correctly guessed the cinnamon-sugar dessert, which was pulled from menus in 2024, according to reports and social media users.
"The Churro is BACK in U.S. food courts for a limited time!" the warehouse club announced Friday. "Look out for it at your local warehouse over the coming weeks as exact launch dates vary."
MCDONALD'S NEWEST MENU ITEM HAS FANS BEGGING FOR ONE DISCONTINUED FAVORITE
The treat is expected to cost $1.49, the same price as before it was discontinued, according to reports.
Many social media users rejoiced.
"Dreams do come true," one man commented on Instagram. "FINALLY," another one wrote.
COSTCO FANS ERUPT AFTER BELOVED FOOD COURT ITEM REPLACED BY HIGH-CALORIE NEWCOMER
"The scream my kid just screamed," a mom commented.
But not everyone was satisfied.
"LIMITED TIME???? NO. YOU KEEP IT ON THERE!" one Instagram user exclaimed.
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"Limited time better be the next 50 years," said another.
Other people were disappointed that the twisted churro, which was reportedly introduced in 2021, was being brought back and not the classic straight version that dates back to the 1990s — which only cost 99 cents.
"We meant the old school straight churros, not these twisted imposters," one person said.
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Others were still hung up on the pizza of the past.
"Combo pizza next please!" one said.
The announcement marks the latest change to Costco's closely watched, low-priced food court menu, which has developed a dedicated fan base.
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This year alone, Costco added chicken tenders nationwide and a hot dog-and-water-bottle combo while continuing to test other menu items.
Costco tried to satisfy fans earlier this year by adding mini churro bites to a $2.99 caramel sundae, but many shoppers said it wasn't the same as the full-size food court churro they had been requesting, Fox News Digital previously reported.
It's unclear how long the churro will be on menus for.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Costco for comment.
Test your pop culture: From Hollywood to the Heartland
The Pop Culture Quiz is your weekly test of what’s making headlines and breaking the Internet, from the Heartland to Hollywood.
This week's quiz spotlights country confessions and star-studded reunions.
Can you get all 5 questions right?
For more Entertainment articles, visit www.foxnews.com/entertainment
To try your hand at more quizzes from Fox News Digital, click here.
Tropical disease spread by mosquitoes claims first recorded death in southern US state
Florida recorded its first confirmed dengue fever death of 2026 earlier this month, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Gay Small of Hillsborough County died on Sept. 4 — her 80th birthday — from complications of a dengue infection, including septic shock and multi-organ failure, after she was bitten by a mosquito near her home on Bayshore Boulevard, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
"Cheated, just, you know, it’s so unfair because she was in good health, and she worked hard to stay healthy, and she walked, and she ate right and you know, all the things that you’re supposed to do," Small's daughter, Anna Small, told Tampa's WFLA Channel 8.
DANGEROUS MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS SPREADS IN ONE STATE AS OFFICIALS WARN OF RISING CASES
"And you know, this virus just kind of comes out of nowhere. She met the wrong mosquito, and that’s it," Anna Small said.
Small's family said they believe Gay Small first caught dengue years ago while traveling abroad but didn't know it. People who have had dengue before are much more likely to develop severe symptoms.
"While in the hospital, Small said her mother was weak, her hands turned red, and she had trembles that she could hear in her voice," reported WFLA. "She had to go into the ICU by the middle of the week."
Small's late husband, Bob Small, spent his career working on dengue vaccines, according to the couple's daughter.
The Florida Department of Health confirmed the death Friday after completing its investigation, but did not release additional information, WFLA reported.
The Times, citing University of South Florida public-health instructor Kristi Miley, reported that a dengue death had not been recorded in the Tampa Bay area in nearly a century.
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Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness that can cause fever, severe aches, nausea, rash and, in rare cases, life-threatening complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The virus is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, including Southeast Asia, the Western Pacific islands, Latin America and Africa. Though less common in the continental U.S., locally acquired cases have been recorded in Florida, California and Texas.
Florida mosquito-control agencies have stepped up surveillance, inspections and spraying, as locally acquired dengue fever cases — which means people contracted the illness where they live rather than while traveling abroad — have climbed in recent weeks.
The Times reported that since July, Florida "has been experiencing an unprecedented outbreak of locally caught cases." Hillsborough County, where Small lived, "has been at the epicenter of the epidemic."
Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are under mosquito-borne illness alerts issued by the Florida Department of Health.
"Dengue does not stop at county lines," Pinellas County Mosquito Control Director Alissa Berro told Fox 13.
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"The mosquitoes that transmit the virus generally stay within a relatively small area, but people travel throughout the Tampa Bay area every day," he said.
"When someone infected with dengue enters a new area, a local mosquito can bite that person and later spread the virus to others. As cases rise across the region, so does the potential for additional local transmission."
In addition to increasing aerial and ground treatments in areas showing dengue virus activity, Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services has also been inspecting private properties for potential mosquito breeding sites, according to local reports.
The increased application of insecticide and larvicide by helicopters appears to be working, the Times reported, as, "Of the last 1,500 mosquitoes they've sent for testing, all have returned negative for dengue."
The Florida Mosquito Control Association (FMCA) is urging residents to empty or cover standing water around their homes. The mosquito that spreads dengue is a container breeder, meaning it lays eggs in buckets, planters, plant saucers, tires, discarded toys and other objects that collect small amounts of water, experts say.
The FMCA also advises people to follow what it calls the "three Ds."
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Many people infected with dengue have no symptoms, and most people who do become sick recover within a week or two, according to Mayo Clinic. In some cases, however, the illness can progress to severe dengue, a potentially life-threatening condition.
Warning signs can develop quickly, often within a day or two after the fever subsides. Those may include severe stomach pain, repeated vomiting, unusual bleeding or bruising, difficulty breathing, extreme tiredness and irritability, or restlessness. People experiencing warning signs of severe dengue should seek immediate medical care.
Entire California high school football team suspended after mascot's obscene gesture
Another football Friday in the books for all high school teams across this great country ...
Except one.
Victor Valley High School, located in Victorville, California, sat out Friday night's scheduled game against Brea Olinda because the entire team, including the coaching staff, was suspended.
That's right. Suspended. All of them. A one-game timeout for everyone. And it's all because the team's mascot got a little rowdy after last week's Bell Game win over rival Apple Valley.
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"There is a clear line between passionate competition and unacceptable conduct," the school's principal and district's superintendent said in a joint statement. "That line was crossed."
That line?
A couple birds, apparently:
Well, that's one way to your entire team suspended! Goodness gracious.
Thoughts? First impressions?
Mine? Eh. This was a rivalry game. Come on. It's a mascot. Seems a little harsh to me. I know it's high school football. I get it. Young minds are getting molded right there in the stadium, and on that field.
But come on. It's a couple middle fingers from the team's mascot. Is that really worth suspending the entire team? Feels like an overreaction to me.
CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL COACH ARRESTED AFTER STUDENTS MAKE DISTURBING DISCOVERY AT SCHOOL
Unless, of course, there's more to the story. The school had more to say in its joint statement:
"Members of the Victor Valley High School football team behaved in an unsportsmanlike manner toward the opposing team and its fans, including offensive gestures and language. As a result, the VVHS varsity football players and coaching staff are suspended for football activities for one week.
"There will be accountability. There will be reflection. And there will be a clear expectation that this cannot happen again."
This line in particular seemed aimed at the coaching staff, which could offer up some clues as to who was involved in whatever happened after the win.
"Our responsibility as educators is not simply to develop better athletes, it is to develop better human beings."
Here's the full statement:
Were you at the game? Let us know what happened! Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
Ole Miss fans open ESPN's 'College GameDay' with a vulgar chant for Lane Kiffin
It's here. The game we've had circled since last November is finally here.
LSU and Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin,'s return to Oxford nearly 12 months after fleeing town on a jet right before the playoffs. He's been in the safe haven of Baton Rouge all season.
Not anymore. Not tonight.
'HE'S DUST': OLE MISS STUDENTS RIP LANE KIFFIN AS LSU COACH PREPARES FOR HATRED IN OXFORD
Kiffin and the Tigers are in town ahead of tonight's primetime showdown, and fans spent the morning warming up the vocal chords ahead of kickoff.
And by that, I mean they let Kiffin HAVE IT just 30 seconds into ESPN's College GameDay.
Take a ... listen:
Amazing. This is why college football is the best. Frankly, there's not a close second in terms of atmosphere. Rebel fans are FIRED UP for tonight's game. It's personal for them. Oxford is buzzing right now.
The national guard is on hand. Police presence has tripled over the past few days. Hotel prices have soared into the quadruple-digits.
The Grove, by all accounts, has been mayhem.
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And it's all because Lane Kiffin ditched town last fall, with Ole Miss on the cusp of a legit national title run, for LSU. It was the biggest story in sports for months.
"Would Lane leave?"
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Some thought he'd stay. Others thought he'd go to Florida. But, in the end, LSU was always the logical choice. And so, Lane hopped on his PJ, and left Oxford in the dust.
Just like that, he was gone. And the fans were furious. Rightfully so, by the way. Kiffin built Ole Miss into a national championship program, and then bolted before finishing the job.
Tonight, he returns. All eyes will be on Oxford.
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LSU. Ole Miss.
If this morning's College GameDay was any indication, maybe watch the game on mute if the kiddos aren't in bed yet.
'Shut up' and listen: Trace Gallagher shares 'unexpected' wisdom learned from being a 'girl dad'
For 30 years as a broadcast news anchor, Fox News chief breaking news correspondent Trace Gallagher has built his career on knowing exactly what to say when the camera turns on.
Yet when it comes to raising daughters in an increasingly hyper-connected and chaotic world, the veteran newsman says the most powerful tool in a father’s arsenal is paying attention in silence.
"These are different people," Gallagher said with a smile about his two daughters, now 25 and 22. "When they have a problem, they don’t really want you to talk to them about their problem. They just want you to hear them about the problem. You need to sit, you need to shut up and you need to listen."
TRACE GALLAGHER: COMMON SENSE IS ALIVE IN AMERICA, WE JUST NEED TO LISTEN
In an era defined by fast-moving feeds, constant commentary and increasing mental health challenges for young women, fathers often fall into the trap of trying to repair, analyze or lecture their way through their daughters' anxieties, he suggested.
Gallagher, who details his parenting journey in his new book "Turns Out They Were Right All Along," admits that overruling his own instincts to speak was an important step in making use of the good advice he's received over a lifetime.
"I’m a talkative guy. My career is talking," Gallagher said. "When I was younger with them, I would try to explain what I think."
Gallagher figured out that his daughters did want to hear from him.
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What they wanted was to simply be heard.
"So then you learn through the years, you just listen, and you nod, and you only jump in when they ask you to jump in," he said.
When daughters know their fathers are paying quiet, steady attention without rushing to judge or correct, it fosters a unique sense of security — which Gallagher has learned firsthand.
"They want to be heard, they want to get it off their chest," he said. "Instead of screaming and yelling, these girls just want to talk it out. And when requested, they want your advice — but only when requested."
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Although he once dreamed of having an "all-American quarterback" son, Gallagher admitted that having girls is "the greatest thing in the world."
This active presence extends beyond daily conversations and into how fathers help their daughters build resilience against life's inevitable bumps, he said. Gallagher recalled watching his youngest daughter take a hard fall during a youth soccer match.
"I'm looking at her, and she's looking at me, and I said, 'Hey, it's all good. You know, it'll be fine,'" Gallagher recalled. "She scores a goal five minutes later, and she looks over at me.... It is soothing for them to know that somebody is really paying close attention."
This contrasts with his mother’s approach when an eight-year-old Gallagher tried to quit football. Instead of making the call for him, his mother — nicknamed "Big Red" — forced him to go to practice and tell the coach himself.
By the end of the day, Gallagher was hooked on the game, in part thanks to a coach who likely sensed his hesitation and put him straight to work.
"The first couple of weeks, it was just tackling and blocking and calisthenics and jumping jacks and push-ups, and I'm like, "Oh I hate this,'" he recalled.
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"So, I'm sitting in my full pads in my mom's avocado-green recliner ... and I said [to my mother], 'I don't want to play football anymore. I want to quit.' And she said, 'Fine, go quit.'
"I walk on to the practice field and the coach looks at me, and he blows the whistle three times, and then he screams at me, 'Gallagher! You're late! Give me five laps.'"
Gallagher did as his coach said until he was instructed to get out on the field and stay quiet.
And finally, there were footballs.
"I fell in love with football and played it through college," he said. "[Coach] saw me coming from a mile away and was not about to let me quit — and my mom knew."
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"And I think that today, kids need to be put in that very same position. If you want to do something, if you want to quit something, you need to do it. You need to fight your own battles."
While talent and teamwork are important for being successful in life, the fortitude to show up every day, despite challenges, is what propels most people forward, he indicated.
"You build your career, you build your character and you build your esteem. You build your confidence," he said. "Career, confidence, character."
In his new book, Gallagher drives home the message that great guidance is "so valuable to young minds." And some of the most valuable life lessons sometimes come at the most unexpected times from the most unexpected people, he said.
"It's so good for young minds and young bodies to get good guidance, but you don't always recognize good guidance," he said. "The best lesson is that wisdom, guidance, advice — it comes at the most unexpected times."
"My advice to everybody is listen," he went on.
"Listen to people. Hear them out. Sometimes it hits you like a sledgehammer, and sometimes it seeps in, and you don't really understand it for years. So listen."
Khloe Quill of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
SMU vs Louisville could be a college football shootout with the over at 58.5 looking strong
Week 0 and Week 1 were not good looks for me. They were brutal results, and I lost a bunch of plays that I shared with readers. Luckily, Week 2 saw me get wins and get some of that cash back, but there is still work to be done. There are quite a few tasty matchups on the docket for today’s College Football schedule. One that stands out to me is this one between SMU and Louisville.
Coming into the season, SMU was ranked 19th, and after two victories, they’ve moved up slightly to 16th. The opening game of the Mustangs’ season was not easy and was a strong challenge for them. They faced Florida State in Florida, and despite the Seminoles having struggles lately, this was still a good opponent. They alternated scores all game, but the Mustangs scored first and last, which resulted in a win for the Mustangs. They kicked a game-winning field goal with just 20 seconds remaining.
Last week, the team had a significantly easier game, facing UC Davis, and they did exactly what they were expected to do: win, and win big. The team dominated them 56-10. On offense, the team dominated through the air. Kevin Jennings has completed 40-of-52 passes this season for 767 yards and eight touchdowns. He does have two interceptions this year as well, but that might happen as they seem to be a pass-first team.
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The Louisville Cardinals had a tough start to their campaign, but a respectable loss actually moved them up in the rankings as opposed to down. They started the season ranked 24th, and now are sitting at 23rd in the nation after last week’s win. What I liked about their opener against Ole Miss was how impressive their passing game looked. Lincoln Kienholz, the quarterback, was dominant both through the air and on the ground. He racked up 307 yards and two touchdowns through the air, and 69 yards and a touchdown on the ground against Ole Miss.
Last week was a much easier game for the Cardinals as they took on Villanova. They pulled out a 59-13 victory over the Wildcats, and once again had their passing attack at the forefront. Kienholz threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns. Again, he wasn’t one-dimensional, getting another two scores on the ground. The defense still looks a bit questionable, but maybe that is more of a sign of how good Ole Miss is than how bad the Cardinals defense is.
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This game should see a lot of attacks through the air. I am not really comfortable backing either one of the defenses in this game. I do think Louisville might be the right side given that this game is at home for them. However, I like the over 58.5 for the game. I think with two dynamic quarterbacks, the defenses will both struggle. This could be one of the more exciting games of the weekend.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
Congressman Tom Barrett: 'Being a socialist should disqualify him for people's consideration in my district'
Control of Congress may very well run through Michigan's seventh district. Anchored by Lansing, the state capital, it features a large blue city, surrounded by reddish suburbs, and deep red rural areas. It is consistently described as one of the closest swing districts in the country.
Freshman Congressman Tom Barrett narrowly won the district in 2024, and is now locked in a tight race with William Lawrence, an activist and founder of the climate change-focused Sunrise Movement.
Barrett is a 21-year Army veteran helicopter pilot, who served numerous deployments overseas, before returning to Michigan and spending nearly a decade in the state legislature.
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The race has recently been roiled by a series of controversial social media posts. In some of them, Lawrence called the nuclear family "an isolating, violent way of organizing society" and praised campaigns to abolish the police.
He now claims that his views have changed.
Barrett argues that the newfound shift is about political expediency, not genuine conviction:
"I think we got to take him at his word that this was his absolute true ideology and it wasn't just this one statement that he made. He made repetitive statements against police, calling to not just defund but abolish the police altogether. He wanted to throw open the borders. He said if we're a humane country, we've got to throw open the borders and redistribute all of the wealth.
"He called the nuclear family a violent way to organize society, as you said. Countless other statements that he's made and other things that he has done that show a pattern of behavior that this is not an isolated incident.
"And obviously it's clear to any neutral observer that he is doing this because he is running in a competitive district trying to get elected to Congress. He's not running in Rashida Tlaib's district or AOC's district where they're far more sympathetic to these DSA-aligned socialist candidates. He's running in the district that I live in where I'm raising my own nuclear family."
Barrett contends that the implementation of Lawrence's border and immigration policies would pose a clear and present danger to the safety of Americans:
"Well, the foremost obvious risk of these open border policies of my opponent is just starting with the public safety threat. So take out all of the other economic factors: just the physical threats to our communities are substantial.
"There are criminal gang activities. We have cartels that were freely operating both ways across the border under the Biden administration. We had upwards of ten or even fifteen million illegal immigrants that came into our country completely unvetted."
Barrett also argues that the fentanyl crisis is directly tied to border and immigration policies as well.
"The leading cause of death of Americans my age wasn't cancer, wasn't heart disease, it was fentanyl overdose deaths. People that I served with in the military that came home and survived combat and died of fentanyl overdose…because of drugs that were pouring across our border.
"For the first time in my life, we have seen a significant decline in fentanyl overdose deaths, really because of the efforts…to secure our border, and my opponent, William Lawrence, would entirely reverse that, throw the border open again, abolish the police at the same time.
"And we can only assume the outcome of that would be far more Americans dying of fentanyl deaths, as well as gang activity and other tragic circumstances that arise when you have an open border and no public safety to protect Americans."
William Lawrence is also a longtime member of the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), but recently claims that he let his membership lapse. Barrett argues that Lawrence remains a fervent believer in socialist ideology, but is merely trying to downplay his true beliefs to win a competitive race:
"Well, I think being a socialist should disqualify him for people's consideration in my district. You look at the tenets of socialism and what they want to do and the endorsement of that.
MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE TRIES TO JUSTIFY DELETED POSTS THAT REVEAL FAR-LEFT BELIEFS
"My opponent…cleverly claims that he let his membership lapse, I don't know, two weeks before the primary election on the eve of him winning…to face off against me in one of the most competitive congressional races in the country that will arguably decide control of the House of Representatives.
"So he doesn't disavow the democratic socialists…He has embraced all of their positions, gathered all of their support, really benefited from the support of the democratic socialist movement.
"And then when the time comes to defend those positions, he wants to say, well I let my membership lapse so you can't hold me accountable for all their positions. But I didn't leave under any actual disagreement with them. I'm simply leaving for political reasons because he's so focused on trying to win this election in a desperate attempt to not be accountable to his own record, but to distract away from the devastating effects of socialism and what that would mean for our country if he were to be elected."
Perhaps the most controversial of Lawrence's statements involved a post expressing frustration and outrage with politicians on climate policy. Lawrence, specifically targeting West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, wrote: 'Hurry up and die so that we can get started."
Barrett believes that this type of rhetoric should put the voters of the seventh district on high alert:
"Obviously that's entirely inappropriate, something that should really raise the attention of every single reasonable American to say that that's not how we go about our rhetoric here in our country. Politics is a full contact sport…but I've never in my political life, in any campaign, called on political figures to 'F you and hurry up and die.'
"And that shows the radicalization…He was a founding member of the Green New Deal Alliance in Michigan, calling to ban gasoline-powered vehicles that we build in my district that employ thousands of people in my district."
Midterm elections generally hinge on economics and affordability issues are driving the political narrative today in tight races around the country. Barrett makes the case that congressional Republicans have delivered on everyday pocketbook issues:
"Well, we lowered costs on people's taxes, certainly…and we expanded the child tax credit. We saved families taxes to the expanded standard deduction, streamlined filing for individuals. No taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, no tax on Social Security. I wanna take that a step further and have no taxes health care. Give every American a tax-exempt health savings account and expand the things that they can use it for, for healthy groceries, gym memberships, fitness equipment.
"Obviously bring down the cost of gas as well with the conflict in Iran that I have again voted my conscience on as well and want to see gas prices come down and that will affect a lot of other parts of the economy as well around affordability. These are things that we can face.
"But if we hand our country over to radical socialists who are simply going to tax Americans to death and then pass on benefits to illegal immigrants and people who refuse to go to work and participate in the economy. We will be worse off for that.
"So this is a very, very important election. I stand on my own merits. I know what I've done here in Congress. It's my job to go out and make the case to the voters in my district, and contrast that with the exact things that my opponent has said what he has stood for and what his pattern of behavior has shown in what he would do if he were elected to Congress."
Trinidad Chambliss leads Ole Miss Rebels offense as Lane Kiffin faces former team in SEC football spotlight
Gee, I wish there were some storylines for this game between the LSU Tigers and the Ole Miss Rebels. There isn’t going to be a game this week that has more attention than this one. I’m excited to see what happens with the crowd as much as I am on the field. The product on the field should be one of the best games of the weekend as well.
The LSU Tigers are off to a good start and are currently ranked at 7th in the nation. The main story you’ll hear about is Lane Kiffin, and I feel like I should share my opinion. Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU is… not a big deal. Everyone in the world has goals and desires, and outside of a family business, you're going to work for a competitor if they are paying you more or have a better reputation. That is exactly what you should do. People will get over it, but we all knew this would be a major story this week, and probably much of the season.
As for the actual players of this game, it has been a good start against bad teams for the Tigers. They blew out Clemson 51-10 in their first game, and in the second, they took down Louisiana Tech by a final score of 45-14. I’ve got some questions about how much of a leash Sam Leavitt has after throwing four interceptions compared to two touchdowns in his two games.
ELLA LANGLEY, DISTRACTIONS AND LANE KIFFIN: PETE GOLDING CALLS OLE MISS-LSU ‘HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING’
Ole Miss really shouldn’t feel bad about Kiffin leaving, and so far, they’ve done everything you need to do to make a team and school forget about him. They are 2-0 for the season, winning over one quality opponent and one easier one. Their season opener was against Louisville, and they took them down 41-38 in Week 1. Last week, they beat Charlotte with a final score of 41-9. That was a much more comfortable win, obviously.
All eyes tonight will be on quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. He was a key piece of Kiffin’s success at Ole Miss last year. After a court battle giving him eligibility, Chambliss has looked good, going 44-for-62 so far with five touchdowns and one interception. I’ve been impressed with their work on the ground as well. Half of the carries have gone to Kewan Lacy, and he has 148 yards and three touchdowns.
I think the biggest question about this game is which one will get the stop when they need it. The game opened somewhat as a pick’em, but has moved in favor of the Tigers taking this one. I do think this will be a very hostile environment for LSU to play in. I also have been really unimpressed with Leavitt. I’m taking the points here, and I do think Ole Miss can win this game outright. Give me the Rebels +3.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
The week Gainesville forgot about football: Inside the terror that gripped Florida during the 1990 murders
College football season in Gainesville is everything.
Everything.
The town has forever revolved around the Florida Gators. Gainesville is a college town. It's built around the university. As the program goes, so does the town.
With all due respect to Miami and FSU, most would argue that Florida is a Gators state. Yes, I know that'll ruffle some feathers. Let's not get caught up on that, please. Just bear with me.
My point? Very few things in life can actually take attention away from the Florida Gators during football season — especially with a legend like Steve Spurrier set to return home, this time as the program's head coach.
August of 1990 did just that.
"I remember at Walmart, the gun line was down the aisle," former UF student Erik Tallbacka told OutKick this week. "When a hurricane's coming, and you're at Home Depot and preparing, there's that kind of electricity, like something's coming. And it was that hurricane sensation.
"But it wasn't a hurricane's coming. It was people getting killed every night, for three nights in a row. The whole campus, the whole town, just had that palpable feeling of 'everybody's in this together.'"
Earlier this week, I wrote about ESPN's recent 30 for 30 on Danny Rolling, also known as the "Gainesville Ripper." Rolling brutally murdered five students in August 1990 — days before Labor Day weekend and roughly two weeks before the start of a new football season.
Rolling was eventually arrested, pled guilty to the murders — along with several in Shreveport, Louisiana — and was later sentenced to death. He died via lethal injection in 2006.
Rolling became known as the "Gainesville Ripper." His killing spree, which had no real motive, led to several books, and one movie. The horror franchise "Scream" is loosely based on the Gainesville Murders, according to the screenwriter Kevin Williamson.
So, yes — 36 years later, that infamous week is still fresh one everyone's minds. You don't simply live through that and forget, you know?
I had dozens of readers reach out to me after I wrote about it on Wednesday — most of them UF alumni who were on campus while Rolling was at large.
The word they all used? Horrific.
"You could drive down the road or through apartment complexes and people had braces in their windows to keep someone from opening them," remembered Duane Engel. "No one had any clue who was involved."
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Of course, there was no social media, either. This was decades before X. Tallbacka said you watched the nightly news for any new information, and that was all you got.
Everyone was on edge.
"As you walked around town and campus, I remember, if you're going into a store, just looking at everybody, like it could be any guy," he recalled. "And we just had no idea. When you'd go to bed at night, especially by the third day, when there'd been five murders, I mean, that night, you're wondering, is somebody going to break into my apartment?
"And so sleeping was weird. I was living with a couple other guys, my girlfriend was living with a couple girls, and we were sleeping over there. And like I mentioned, we didn't have guns. I was a big hunter, but didn't have any guns in college. But we had brought golf clubs and baseball bats and we were sleeping on the couch. Any noise that you heard, you know, a car door slamming, you were just so on edge."
Spurrier famously allowed the girlfriends of players to sleep in Yon Hall — a high-security complex where the entire football team lived.
Matt Sovic had just returned to campus for his senior year, and attended a party the weekend the murders began. He was staying with friends at Williamsburg Village — the same complex where freshmen Sonja Larson and Christina Powell lived.
"I parked my car directly in front of the of the door to the four units that contained the residence of the first victims," he said. "As we left to go party that Saturday night, when my old roommate entered my car he tossed his beer can out of my window and into the yard.
"The next day we watched as it was placed into an evidence bag. I can guarantee you that beer in the evidence bag was a tall boy Budweiser. Not knowing yet there was a double murder, we jokingly told our friend he was a suspect for whatever happened now that they had his prints."
Rolling murdered five students from Aug. 24 to Aug. 27. Four of them were females with brunette hair and brown eyes, the same as his mother.
The fifth was 23-year-old Manny Taboada — a 6-foot-2, 200-pound male.
"It wasn’t until we found out he killed that massive guy, who worked on the corner of Acher and I think 34th, that all the egos took a fall on campus," remembered Kevin Letize, who was just starting his senior year. "We all thought it was a typical perv killer until that came out.
"Once the big kid was killed, all the 'tough' students took it much more seriously."
So, how does football fit into all of this? Well, it really doesn't — beyond, perhaps, a much-needed bookend to the most terrifying week in the history of the town.
After much discussion, Florida, and Spurrier, kicked off the new season Sept. 8 against Oklahoma State. The murders had stopped, at least for a few days, but a lot of students had left for good by then. The ones who stayed did their best to get back to some sort of normalcy.
The Gators won, 50-7. Shane Matthews instantly became a household name. Spurrier had revived Florida football. More importantly, the team had revived a town in desperate need of a reason to smile.
"I've never seen a place so terrorized," said Glenn Summers.
Added Tallbacka: "I guess everybody was in a fog. But I think by the time that game happened, it had been over a week since anybody been killed. And I do think, in retrospect, watching that game brought everybody back to normalcy. It wasn't just going to class and classes are canceled. And every night for three nights, somebody has been killed.
"By the time a week went by, by the time the football game happened, I think that must have been when everybody finally relaxed. I think that was the conclusion."