DeSantis signs bill to rename section of U.S 41 as ‘Dickey Betts’ highway
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WWSB) – It’s official: A section of U.S. Highway 41 in Sarasota County is now the “Dickey Betts Memorial Highway.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a bill passed earlier this year by the Florida Legislature (Senate Bill 628) that names the section of highway between North Creek and Blackburn Point Road after Betts, a longtime Suncoast resident best known as a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band.
Betts died April 18, 2024.
The bill also renamed Tallahassee’s airport after legendary football coach Bobby Bowden.
“Coach Bowden was a college football legend, and it is fitting that we honor his legacy in a way that will be seen by all who travel to and from our capital city,” DeSantis said.
Previous coverage:
Bill to name section of Tamiami Trail to honor Dickey Betts ready for DeSantis’ OK
Tallahassee International Airport renamed for Bobby Bowden
The bill also renamed 15 other sections of roads, including a section of State Road 80 that run across the state as “President Donald J. Trump Highway.”
Dowden’s daughter, State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden, was at the bill signing.
“I spoke with my mother this past weekend, and while she is unable to attend the ceremony this afternoon, she asked me to relay her deepest appreciation for this great honor,” she said.
Bobby Bowden rose from humble beginnings in Birmingham, Alabama, to become one of the most iconic figures in college football, ultimately transforming Florida State University into a national powerhouse after being named as head coach in 1976.
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