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Monday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Concerns grow that snowbirds will be hurt by Citizens takeout bill
Despite predictions that Florida’s legislative leaders had little interest this year in enacting major insurance reforms, Senate and House bills are headed to the finish line that could affect thousands if not millions of Florida homeowners. Proposals with a strong chance of survival with just a week remaining in the 2024 legislative session include one that would allow state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to expand its depopulation program to surplus lines carriers for anyone not living in a “primary home.” [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Florida beaches brace for spring break crowds
Florida beach cities are bracing for spring breakers with increased police presence and new restrictions. Though some students have already reached Florida for their spring breaks, local police departments are expected to be in “high-impact” mode starting next week. [Source: News Nation]
Your supermarket is rolling out new things this year. What to expect at Florida stores
What’s new at the supermarket? Sure, there are the traditions that continue: produce section, dairy shelves, bakery. But there are also more self-checkout lines and in-store cafes What can you expect at your Florida grocery store in 2024? From restaurants inside to pairing grocery stories with apartment complexes, there are many new ways for consumers to shop. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida lawmakers won't hear bills to improve state prison conditions this session
Appalled by the lack of air-conditioning and numerous other problems in the state prison system for years, state lawmakers were hoping to kickstart change by backing bills that reinforce the rights inmates are to have — things they say should already be considered basic human rights. But those bills never received a hearing this legislative session. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]
Strong March predicted for Florida strawberries
Florida strawberry production is gaining ground and March should see good supply. Meanwhile demand for strawberries has been very strong and continues to be, even with California's strawberry season underway. As for pricing, the average price has been better than recent pricing. [Source: Fresh Plaza]
Tallahassee: A bicentennial celebration of ambitions, arts, and allure
In 1824, when Florida was a newly claimed United States territory, the seats of power were in the Spanish colonial cities of St. Augustine and Pensacola. The territorial legislature assigned two men to set out and find a desirable location for a new Capital City in the middle of the two cities. Its inception marked the ambitious spirit of pioneers who sought a place that would become the hub of influence and community. [Sponsored report]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Southwest Florida manufacturing industry grows
Southwest Florida will never be mistaken for the Rust Belt when it comes to manufacturing. The area and the state are far more likely to tout the beaches and sunshine, and the jobs that support the tourism and retirement industries. Manufacturing is a small portion of the state’s economy, making up 4.5% of jobs; October employment numbers show 423,000 manufacturing jobs. Southwest Florida’s numbers are even lower than the state’s.
› Temple Terrace might ‘pump the brakes’ on downtown plans
The city of Temple Terrace has some big decisions to make about what it wants in its downtown area concept, and Mayor Andy Ross suggested that it might be time to slow down on pursuing suitors until it can figure out exactly what that is. “I’d like to pump the brakes on this a little bit, we don’t have to press real hard, because we’re not getting a lot of offers anyway,” Ross said. “But I’d like to slow down a little bit.”
› Kissimmee is running out of land. Experts says denser development is the answer.
With only 850 acres of undeveloped land left, Kissimmee is shifting to redeveloping dilapidated buildings to sustain its steady growth and increasing the density of new developments, a controversial method experts say is the way of the future. Most of the city’s empty acreage is already set to be a 3,000-plus-home subdivision, Hilliard Isle. Kissimmee residents are feeling the pinch of the lack of land.
› Jacksonville Zoo is working to save wildlife worldwide
The birth of three critically endangered Malayan tiger cubs at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens underscores the nonprofit institution's crucial but lesser-known role in global, national and state conservation efforts to save animals considered at risk of potential extinction.
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