Florida has 'effectively banned' one of the most popular AP courses
The approximately 30,000 Florida teens who planned to take the Advanced Placement psychology course might have to find something else for their schedules. The College Board, which operates Advanced Placement, released a statement Thursday after being told the state Department of Education is requiring that their psychology courses omit lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation — a condition that the educational organization finds unacceptable. More from the Tampa Bay Times, Politicio, Fox News, the New York Times, and WESH.
Business Beat - Week of August 4th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Florida marijuana initiative in jeopardy despite having one million signatures
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody doubled down on her claims that a proposed amendment to the state constitution is too misleading to appear on the 2024 ballot. In a brief filed with the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday, Moody maintained that the Adult Personal Use of Marijuana initiative – which has collected over one million valid signatures – is invalid because it contradicts federal law. [Source: WFLA]
What’s behind all the bear sightings in Florida?
In recent years, bear sightings in Florida—especially in the northern part of the state where pine trees far outnumber palms—have become a regular occurrence. According to figures from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the black bear population has surged back from just several hundred bears in the 1970s to more than four thousand today—including the occasional few that find their way into the Gulf of Mexico and other waterways around the state. [Source: Garden and Gun]
As the temperature rises, South Florida’s first responders are called on more often for heat-related emergencies
First responders across South Florida are directly witnessing the heat wave’s toll on human health. As temperatures soar, so do the number of dispatches for heat-related emergency calls. In July 2022, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue reported 35 heat-related emergency calls. This July, that number more than doubled to 73 calls. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Orlando International Airport’s voice: Carolyn Fennell retires after 43 years
Winding up her long career, Carolyn Fennell has personified Orlando International Airport perhaps more than anyone. She’s worked there longer than every colleague, reported to 13 directors and nine chairmen, and helped grow her workplace from a backwater landing strip to the gateway for the nation’s top tourism stop. Along the way were recessions, a terror attack, mortgage crisis and pandemic.
› Pensacola wins $2.6 million needed to complete American Magic HQ at Port of Pensacola
Pensacola announced Thursday that it was awarded a third grant for $2.6 million to fully fund the new Maritime Center of Excellence that will serve as the permanent headquarters for the New York Yacht Club American Magic sailing team. The $2.6 million grant from the Florida Seaport Transportation Economic Development program comes after the city was awarded a $3.9 million grant from Gov. Ron DeSantis' Florida Job Growth Grant and an $8.5 million award from Triumph Gulf Coast.
› Beacon Council’s new leader: 'The tech sector is essential' for Miami’s economic growth
The potential tech innovation has to impact economic development is immense. Leveraging this potential, however, can prove challenging. For Rodrick Miller, it’s critical for the private sector and public sector to work together to bring prosperity to all. His goal is to do just that. Five months ago, Miller became the president & CEO of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, a public-private partnership that is the official economic development organization for the county.
› No pickleball, no way, say New Port Richey neighbors
Pickleball may be all the rage across the country, but residents of one 55-and-older community near New Port Richey are not rolling out the welcome mat. Residents of Colony Cove this week urged New Port Richey City Council to reconsider the plan to replace basketball courts in a nearby city park with pickleball courts. They said they wish they had known that was in the works, even though they live outside the city limits.
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› Citizens is shedding thousands of policyholders. How could that affect your insurance?
Thousands of Florida property owners will likely lose their Citizens Property Insurance Corp. policies. Citizens, the insurer of last resort in Florida, will shed as many as 184,000 policies starting in October after regulators this week approved proposals to move these policies to different insurance companies.
› Tampa logistics firm buys three Dutch companies
Quala and Boasso Global, a Tampa-based global provider of services for the tank-trailer and tank-container industry, acquired three tank-cleaning companies from Matrans Holding BV, headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The terms of the sale were not disclosed in a Wednesday news release.
› Kissimmee sees return of Jehovah’s Witnesses conventions after COVID forced them online
The conventions, which were one of Kissimmee’s mainstay series since 2005, return this summer to Silver Spurs Arena after a three-year in-person hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. About 65,000 delegates and visitors will attend the 2023 convention series, six of which remain in English and Spanish until the Sept. 8-10 weekend. All told 44 conventions will be held throughout Florida. There are about 136,000 baptized Witnesses living in the state.
› Skeptical residents pack house as developer talks about plans for Sarasota's Laurel Park
Nearly 100 residents of the downtown neighborhood of Laurel Park attended a neighborhood workshop hosted this week by Benderson Development Co. in a process that could see part of the historic neighborhood rezoned and redeveloped after Sarasota County government vacates its longtime headquarters. The county has a lease agreement that runs through 2025 with Benderson after the Manatee County-based company purchased the property for $25 million in 2021.