Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida Small Business
Coming off of a global pandemic that has lasted three years and shuttered thousands of businesses worldwide, it may surprise you to know that more than 5 million brand-new businesses, an average of 14,000 per day, were created across the U.S. in 2022. Even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the desire to be your own boss remains alive and well. Visit Florida Small Business online and take advantage of the expertise we have to offer. Start learning all you can about how to launch and grow a new business in the Sunshine State from our experts. [Source: Florida Trend]
Florida gas prices now lowest since April
Florida gas prices dropped last week to their lowest numbers since late April, AAA reported Monday. According to AAA, gas prices in the Sunshine State dropped 5 cents last week, with a state average of $3.36 per gallon on Sunday. “Pump prices have been under pressure during the past month, due to falling oil prices,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA - The Auto Club Group. “However, oil prices could strengthen this week." More from WPLG and the Miami Herald.
Mail carriers in Florida among the most bitten by dogs in the U.S.
One bite is too many. The U.S Postal Service in Florida and around the nation is hoping to make that message loud and clear as it kicks off its 2023 National Dog Bite Awareness Week. For Florida there's a little more urgency for raising awareness. The Sunshine State made the USPS list for Top 10 states for dog bites in 2022. [Source: Naples Daily News]
Judge to weigh 'drag show' legal fight
Arguing that the measure does not “target” drag shows, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is urging a federal judge to toss out a constitutional challenge to a new law that bars children from attending “adult live performances.” State lawyers filed arguments Friday as U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell prepares to hold a hearing Tuesday on a motion by operators of the Orlando restaurant Hamburger Mary’s for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the law, which DeSantis signed last month. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Burmese pythons are helping rats take over Florida's Everglades — and that could help spread disease
Burmese pythons are inadvertently helping rats dominate parts of the Everglades in Florida by wiping out their traditional predators, researchers have found. The rise in rodents could further disrupt an already fragile ecosystem and increase the risk of disease to humans. The first Burmese python (Python bivittatus) was found in Everglades National Park in 1979, and numbers skyrocketed throughout the 1980s and 1990s. There are now tens of thousands of the snakes living in the Everglades, and over the last 40 years they have decimated native populations, including bobcats, rabbits and foxes. [Source: Live Science]
Regional partnerships are a proven approach for addressing healthcare talent needs
The need for skilled healthcare workers in the United States continues to grow, a critical issue exacerbated by the pandemic. According to the American Ambulance Association, about one-third of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) quit their jobs in 2021, and turnover continued to rise last year. The cost of getting certified can be a major hurdle, especially when new EMTs have to factor in paying for their training and finding employment. Resulting EMT shortages can have a life-threatening impact as wait times increase and the quality of patient care declines when there are not enough people to respond to an emergency. [Sponsored report]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Study shows top richest counties in Florida: see which ones made list
Among 67 counties in Florida, a recent study found the top ones in the state with the highest per capita wealth, ranging all the way from the top of Jacksonville to islands of the Key West. To identify the wealthiest counties, financial technology company SmartAsset compared all U.S. counties across three metrics: investment income generated by each county, property value, and per capita income.
› Clearwater may allow police, fire chiefs to collect salary and retirement upon return
The Clearwater City Council may allow retired police and fire department employees to continue collecting retirement benefits if rehired as chief. The change is being considered as city manager Jennifer Poirrier explores candidates for police chief, including a deputy chief who retired from the agency in 2022.
› Same four Jacksonville companies remain on Fortune 500
Four Jacksonville-based companies remained on the 2023 Fortune 500 list released June 5, while one local company entered the Fortune 1000 and another fell out of the list of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies. Dream Finders Homes Inc., which went public in 2021, entered the Fortune 1000 at number 843 after reporting revenue of $3.342 billion. The magazine annually ranks companies that file public financial statements based on their revenue from the previous year.
› Renowned Miami artist unveils decorative cooling towels to help people beat the heat
Miami-Dade County artist-in-residence Xavier Cortada wants you to wipe your neck with his latest artwork. Cortada unveiled a series of paintings highlighting the threat of extreme heat in Miami At the Coral Gables Museum on May 25. He also revealed a cooling towel, printed with one of his designs, which he hopes will keep people cool this summer.
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› USF to enhance skillset of soaring tech workforce with new AI certificate program
Tampa Bay has become a magnet for tech start-ups – an industry growing more quickly than the talent pool, especially in artificial intelligence (AI). In response to this demand, the University of South Florida has launched a graduate certificate program in AI for working professionals in the technology sector interested in enhancing their skillset.
› California attorney general says Florida responsible for flying migrants to Sacramento
California’s attorney general said the state of Florida appears to have arranged for a group of South American migrants to be dropped off outside a Sacramento church. “While this is still under investigation, we can confirm these individuals were in possession of documentation purporting to be from the government of the State of Florida,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said.
› Brightline buying land in Titusville, developing residential neighborhood in Cocoa
Aspects of Brightline's future plans in Brevard County, although in full swing, still remain opaque. Test runs of the passenger train hurtling at speeds over 100 mph have become common and rumors of a future stop in Cocoa (as well as lobbying from Melbourne) continue to swirl, but Brightline's moves don't stop there. Recent land acquisitions in Cocoa and Titusville have prompted both questions and insights into the company's future in Brevard.
› 'Beyond King Tut' opens June 9 in Jacksonville. Here's what you need to know.
A taste of old Egypt comes to Jacksonville this month when "Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Show" opens at the NoCo Center downtown. It's an immersive show put together with cooperation from the National Geographic Society, using projection technology to flash enormous moving images onto the floors and walls of the main hall, similar to the "Beyond Van Gogh" show that ran earlier this year in the same venue.