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MONDAY, JAN. 7, 2008
VERO BEACH:
Piper Won't Take Off, Official Says
Vero Beach residents can breathe a sigh of relief: It looks like Piper Aircraft Inc. is sticking around town.
After almost a year of sometimes agonizing negotiations with the plane maker, Indian River County officials plan to vote this month on a $12 million incentive package that appears enticing enough to keep Piper local. The deal probably will be sealed at a commission meeting Jan. 15. [Source: Palm Beach Post]
More on this topic from Florida Trend:
SOUTH FLORIDA:
Donations to 'Green' Causes Offset Carbon Emissions
It's a familiar sign in South Florida nowadays: "This event is carbon neutral."
Organizers are donating money to compensate for the carbon dioxide emissions that their events produce, as participants travel by plane and car to attend and use electricity generated by fossil fuels.
They calculate the heat-trapping emissions and then pay to plant trees or fund "green" energy projects, such as wind farms. Those ventures either absorb carbon dioxide or make energy without the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Individuals are turning to "carbon offsets" too, sometimes donating through companies such as Delta Air Lines to offset their personal travel emissions.
[Source: Sun-Sentinel]
More on this topic from Florida Trend:
LOXAHATCHEE:
Rock, Paper and Politics: Turning Gravel into Gold
How PB Aggregates rock pits became government-run reservoirs -- revealing close connections between county's elected officials and their business partners.
[Source: Palm Beach Post]
More on this topic from Florida Trend:
TALLAHASSEE:
Insurance Crisis Creates a State of Confusion
Some homeowners are forced into Citizens, others are moved out of Citizens and few know their options.
[Source: St. Petersburg Times]
More on this topic from Florida Trend:
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
›Challenges Await Governor in His Second Year [Miami Herald]
He will need more than political popularity and charm to handle what Florida House Democratic leader Dan Gelber believes could be "the perfect storm of trouble.''
›Seminoles' Gambling Deal Clears Another Hurdle [Miami Herald]
The Seminole Tribe gambling deal with Gov. Charlie Crist neared completion Friday when a federal judge refused to block the controversial agreement.
›Property-Tax Proposal: Savior or Charade? [Tallahassee Democrat]
Supporters say it's the magic ingredient that will put the fizz back in Florida's stagnant real-estate market, and ultimately, the state's economy.
Skeptics say it's the tail wagging the dog and it won't work. Related: Don't bank that Florida "tax cut" just yet
›Rubio, Rivera Stump for Huckabee in New Hampshire [Miami Herald]
Mike Huckabee's staunchest Florida supporters believe his Iowa surprise was enough to catapult him to victory in Florida's Jan. 29 contest -- so much so that they spent a chilly Sunday hitting the pavement for the Baptist minister who has upended the Republican race for the presidency.
›Extra Shuttle Flights Worry Space Experts [Washington Post]
NASA's plan to double the number of space shuttle flights it launches this year, in an effort to speed up final assembly of the international space station, has stoked concern among independent experts that the space agency is placing scheduling demands on the 27-year-old fleet similar to those that contributed to the Challenger and Columbia disasters.
›Housing Reversal Shoves Economy to Brink [Palm Beach Post]
Now, though, the housing market is snatching away jobs and wealth. There's little question that the economy in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast has slowed. The question for 2008: How long will the housing slump last, and how deep will it go?
›Scripps, Torrey Pines Poised to Expand Staffs, Labs [Palm Beach Post]
"We are in a position of ramping up recruiting as we get more space," Scripps spokesman Keith McKeown said. "In the past, we've been hindered by the limited amount of lab space." Related from Trend: Innovation: 'We Need to Be Proactive, Not Reactive'
›Smaller Parks Ready to Compete for Thinner Slice of Tourists' Cash [Sentinel]
Visitors will defy economic worries and come to Orlando this year, but they might not bring as much money with them -- leaving the area's smaller attractions to compete more for a little less.
›Low-Cost Carrier Skybus Airlines Delivers Fliers and Hope [Herald-Tribune]
Skybus' arrival last month is sure to affect Charlotte County's economy, especially as the airline adds new destinations from Punta Gorda as it already has said it will.
›Opinion: Florida Is Losing Some of its Luster [Miami Herald]
Position: Attention needs to be paid attention to retirees and diversifying the economy.
›Corridors Carve Out Road to Refuge for Florida wildlife [Orlando Sentinel]
Planners seek creative solutions to protect state's wildlife from perils of traffic and development.
›Condo Buyers Abandon Contracts [St. Petersburg Times]
They leave St. Petersburg developers in a bind by bailing in the free-falling market.
›Dade Shares New Vision for Troubled Art Program [Miami Herald]
County leaders have proposed a reorganization of the Art in Public Places program to improve its accountability, maintenance and funding.
›Gabriel Navarro: I Was Not Forced Out [Miami Herald]
Navarro said he voluntarily stepped down as chief executive of Navarro Discount Pharmacies, ending three generations of his family leading the company.
›Commercial Building Left Unscathed Despite Residential Downturn [Ledger]
Local construction activity has shown modest gains over the past three years, and Polk can still boast a wealth of retail, office and industrial projects in its pipeline.
›Disney Restaurant Bans Children [AP]
Beginning Jan. 1, children younger than 10 are no longer welcome at Victoria & Albert's in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the theme park's only restaurant with an AAA five-diamond rating.
›Computer Sleep Theory Is a Myth; Turn it Off [St. Petersburg Times]
Leaving a computer on does more harm because of heat stress, says the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
›Riding a Soft Money Train [St. Petersburg Times]
Some legislators pile up millions in donations to funds they control.
›Office Space Finally Cools Off [Palm Beach Post]
By the end of 2007 the commercial real estate market on the Treasure Coast had come back to earth, and experts say property prices are likely to be less lofty in 2008.
›Broward Airport-Seaport Transit Plan Still Alive [Miami Herald]
A new elevated system between the airport and Port Everglades could boost tourism in Broward and ease traffic on local roads.
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Business Beat - Week of May 3rd
