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FRIDAY, AUG. 31, 2007
Insurance Rates: Promise or a Pipe Dream? [St. Petersburg Times]
Insurers' filings seek an average 28.2 percent increase, not a decrease that Floridians were promised. A check of rate filings shows that of 42 companies that have made their final filing, 32 have requested an increase in rates, seven filed for no adjustment and three filed for a rate decrease.
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BONITA SPRINGS:
Icahn Brings New 'Dynamic' to WCI, Some Say [Naples Daily News]
Five months after bidding $956 million for luxury builder WCI Communities Inc., billionaire investor Carl Icahn took a seat on the board Thursday.
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SARASOTA:
No Buyer for the House, Or for the Sofa [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
After climbing steadily for more than three years, furniture sales in Florida have tumbled far off their housing-boom highs. The furniture companies' fortunes reflect the state of the housing market.
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TALLAHASSEE:
Public Service or Free Political Ads? [St. Petersburg Times]
The presence of officeholders on state billboards has raised an objection. The $150,000 campaign, called "Move it, yes you can!" is paid for with tax dollars. Various billboards feature county commissioners, a mayor, sheriff and appointed heads of the Florida Highway Patrol and its parent state agency.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
›Manatees May Lose Protection, Protectors [St. Petersburg Times]
The state agency set to remove manatees from the endangered list plans to slash 90 positions from the division that enforces the boating speed zones designed to protect manatees.
›Vero Beach Residents Hope Piper Takes Stock In Support [TC Palm]
If the community rallies behind the stock — Piper management might take the gesture into consideration when making their final decision on where Piper operations will eventually be located, one investor thinks.
›Sen. Mel Martinez's Plane Fired Upon In Iraq [Associated Press]
A military cargo plane carrying four lawmakers scrambles to evade a grenade attack.
›Column: Magic Pledge Arena Contractors Will Play Fair [Orlando Sentinel]
The world of multimillion-dollar design and construction contracts is fiercely competitive and politically charged.
Bidding for work on the new $480 million Orlando Magic arena is no exception.
›Political Consultant Sues DNC Over Primary [Orlando Sentinel]
A Tampa Democratic activist filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the Democratic National Committee's decision to strip Florida of delegates to the party's national convention unless the state's Jan. 29 presidential primary is delayed.
›Red Tide Toxin Theory May Help Fight Spread [Associated Press]
Researchers have confirmed a 20-year-old theory about how the red tide algae produce their toxins.
The finding may be a first step in protecting seaside communities, shellfish beds, marine mammals and humans from the periodic outbreaks.
›Condo Project Developer Sues Miami Commissioner [Miami Herald]
The Related Group development company is suing City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff over a mysterious memo that Related says contains defamatory statements.
›Land Sale Shrinks Project In Clay [Florida Times-Union]
A Clay County development planned north of Camp Blanding will be smaller after land owners sold 3,500 acres for conservation.
›Chico's Looks Ahead In Wake of Poor Quarter [Naples Daily News]
The Fort Myers-based retailer will be courting the new boomer customer this fall and trying to catch up to her style.
›Mayor's Comments Rile Gays, Stir Fear for Tourism [Associated Press]
Tourism officials have worked for years to make this beach town a gay-friendly destination. Now their biggest obstacle could be the mayor himself.
›Custody Fight Dubbed 'Elian II' [Associated Press]
The mother of a young Cuban girl is at the center of a bitter custody dispute.
›St. Augustine Beach Targets Vacation Rentals [Florida Times-Union
Plans to curtail the practice come to a surprise to those who offer their homes part of the year.
›Opinion: Don't Back Down On Early Primary [Orlando Sentinel]
Position: Florida should defy national parties and stick with early primaries.
›Time-Share Group Finds Money Talks
[Orlando Sentinel]
Lobbyists help win passage of a couple of industry-backed bills.
›Unearthing the Past On Marco Island [Naples Daily News]
Beneath the roads in the Old Marco section of Marco Island, there's trash. Lots of it. The good news for historians and anthropologists is much of the muck belonged to the Calusa Indians, a more than 1,000-year-old society that once lived on the island.
›New Citizen Builds His Dream, One Center at a Time [Miami Herald]
An Argentine-born architect who designed South Florida's new immigration centers was sworn in as a citizen with more than 150 people.
›Land Not Protected for Scripps Spinoffs [Palm Beach Post]
The group charged with protecting land for Scripps spinoffs is poised to do just what former Gov. Jeb Bush feared: Let vacant land eyed for biotech be used for retail.
›Florida Trend Picks Up National Design Awards [News release]
Florida Trend magazine won six national design and two regional design awards presented by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
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