Unseasonably calm hurricane season continues in Florida
Severe weather is slamming the east coast but for once it's not hitting Florida. August is traditionally the beginning of the most active season for hurricanes in the Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center still has an eye on four tropical waves that may bring some isolated showers and thunderstorms to NW Cuba and SW Florida, with a few showers possible between Andros Island and SE Florida, but no major tropical activity is expected over the next few days. More from the Florida Times-Union and the Daytona beach News Journal.
Report: Florida is No. 1 in the nation in new home listings
The lack of residential inventory has been a sore point for Realtors across the region for months, but, according to one new report, Florida is awash in home listings. So much so that the Sunshine State, with 20,655 new home listings per 100,000 properties over the past three years, is No. 1 in the country in the closely watched metric. The report, from Ruby Home Luxury Real Estate in California, using data from Realtor.com, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and RentCafe, traced new home listings nationwide from January 2020 through June 2023. [Source: Business Observer]
Grand jury probes bid-rigging in DeSantis’ education department
The head of Florida’s affordable housing organization has been put on paid leave and subject to an inspector general’s investigation six months into his tenure as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ hand-picked leader of the multi-billion-dollar public corporation. Michael DiNapoli, executive director of the Florida Housing Finance Corp., was ordered to step away by the corporation’s Board of Directors Chair Mario Facella, according to sources familiar with the situation. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the Orlando Sentinel, and the Tallahassee Democrat.
See also:
» DeSantis’ affordable housing director suspended pending investigation
Space industry's economic impact on Central Florida measures in the billions
The success of the commercial space industry has brought in massive benefits for Florida's Brevard County, with billions of dollars in economic impact being directly linked to the industry. Since the retirement of NASA's space shuttle program, there have been more licensed launches in Florida than ever, at 50 in 2022 and 36 in 2023 as of Aug. 2. [Source: Orlando Business Journal]
Funds for home improvement grant program ‘quickly being obligated,’ state says
Thousands of Floridians applied for a state grant program that pays up to $10,000 for home-hardening improvements in the month after it received another $100 million and expanded across the state. For Floridians with older homes, the program is a good deal: It offers $2 for every $1 spent on strengthening potential weak points that can be breached in large storms, such as roofs, windows, garage doors and exterior doors. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Florida's Specialty Hospitals for Children: Driving the future of pediatric care
One in four Florida children will be treated in one of Florida’s four non-profit specialty-licensed children’s hospitals, which are uniquely designated and solely focused on providing specialized pediatric care. Year after year, Florida’s specialty children’s hospitals continue to expand services to stay at the leading edge of pediatric treatment and research, while ensuring that all children can access this care regardless of their needs or socioeconomic status. [Sponsored report]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Why was a Florida sea creature named for singer Jimmy Buffett? Researchers have a reason
You might think Jimmy Buffett has already been immortalized through his five decades of popular music and the business empire he has built since emerging from the Key West scene of the early-1970s. But a team of scientists, including a group from the University of Miami, has found another way to implant his name in Florida, where the Mississippi-born Buffett calls home.
› Fanatics accuses rival sports card platform Panini of 'unfair tactics' in lawsuit
Fanatics on Monday escalated a feud with Panini, suing the rival sports card platform for alleged unfair competition just days after Panini accused Fanatics of unlawful business dealings with key professional sports leagues and their players' associations. The cases pit sports card industry veteran Panini against its upstart rival, which was valued at more than $31 billion last year. The companies compete in the market for the production and sale of trading cards and other merchandise.
› Santa Rosa embarks upon effort to build multi-million dollar consolidated dispatch center
If Santa Rosa County government staff can somehow navigate through controversial negotiations to secure a design contract for a long planned consolidated dispatch center, they will have laid the groundwork for construction of a multi-million dollar state of the art facility. The county is prepared to negotiate with Architect Design Group-Caldwell in the first step of what has been estimated to be a 30-month process through design and construction.
› Hillsborough battles driver’s license appointment fraud
The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office is altering its operations after discovering scammers booked blocks of driver license appointments and then attempted to sell the availability to the public. Tax Collector Nancy Millan said the office investigated after an influx of complaints about a lack of appointments and a tip about third parties selling appointment times. She said the office found a pattern of daily appointments being reserved under identical names and email addresses.
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› Florida's minimum wage to rise to $12 per hour on Sept. 30
Florida's minimum wage will change from $11 per hour to $12 per hour on Sept. 30. On Nov. 3, 2020, Florida voters approved Amendment 2, which amended Florida’s constitution to gradually increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by the year 2026. On Sept. 30, 2021, the state's minimum wage rose from $8.65 per hour to $10 per hour. On Sept. 30, 2022, minimum wage rose to $11.
› Central Florida group to launch new initiative to bridge racial gap in homeownership
A group of organizations dedicated to bridging the racial gap in Central Florida’s homeownership finished its planning phase Friday. The BIPOC Housing Initiative met at Barnett Park’s Recreation Center in Orlando to set up implementation for this fall in October.
› Selby Gardens names new COO
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens has a new COO. Crystal Bailey, who’s been with the organization since January as chief administrative officer and general counsel, was promoted to COO and general counsel where she will oversee Selby Gardens’ strategic operations. Bailey was also elected corporate secretary by the board.
› Gainesville's ART theater prepares for third act by kicking off 23-24 season Aug. 18
Turns out there will be a third act for the Acrosstown Repertory Theater which nearly shuttered its doors last year. It's a tribute to homegrown performative tenacity in a post-COVID-19 era that has seen community theaters close their doors all across the nation. For Act 1, ART founders raised the curtain for the first time in the old downtown Star Garage in 1980.