Will insurance stability be upended by busy hurricane season?
It’s so Florida. A yearslong effort to stabilize the home insurance industry is finally paying dividends, according to state officials and insurance insiders, just as forecasters are predicting a super-charged, La Niña-driven hurricane season. What could possibly go wrong? [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Visit Florida spending plan OK'd for statewide tourism marketing
Visit Florida will help promote Panhandle counties affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, expand European marketing and boost the pay of its leader, under a spending plan approved last week by the agency’s board. The Visit Florida Board of Directors approved a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that includes $80 million from the state and $95.6 million from the industry. [Source: News Service of Florida]
U.S. set heat death record in 2023. Florida had the 4th most.
The death certificates of more than 2,300 people who died in the United States last summer mention the effects of excessive heat, the highest number in 45 years of records, according to an Associated Press analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. With May already breaking heat records, 2024 could be even deadlier. [Source: AP]
Florida's DeSantis signed 18 bills into law from busy legislative session
After a busy legislative session, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed 18 bills in the past week, including new initiatives for rural health care and economic development. Senate Bill 644 creates a new hospital designation type, "rural emergency hospital," and defines requirements for rural or critical access hospitals. [Source: The Center Square]
A pollster asked Florida voters about energy. The results surprised him
Floridians of both political parties are overwhelmingly concerned about the cost of energy in the state and Florida’s heavy reliance on natural gas as a source of electricity, according to a poll by a Republican strategy firm. It also found that environmental issues will factor into voters’ decisions in the 2024 election. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› WeWork says goodbye to Miami Beach office. What about its other South Florida sites?
Shared workspace fans can say goodbye to WeWork in Miami Beach. The company has announced plans to cut locations after it filed for bankruptcy last year. WeWork decided in May to close its space 429 Lenox Ave. this summer, according to company spokesperson Cat McCormack, the company’s director of corporate affairs. The company failed to agree on new lease terms. The site is WeWork’s only presence in Miami Beach.
› Arts and culture hub The Factory St. Pete has a new owner
The Factory St. Pete in the Warehouse Arts district has sold in an off-market transaction to a local investment group following years of instability. The creative and cultural hub in St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts district includes roughly 90,000 square feet of buildings on 6.5 acres that abut the Pinellas Trail. It is home to several cultural concepts, including The Fairgrounds, Daddy Kool Records, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, Drew Marc Gallery, Heiress Gallery and the Museum of Motherhood.
› Gateway Jax CEO Bryan Moll talks past projects, hopes for Jacksonville
Bryan Moll, now the CEO of Gateway Jax, is in charge of what could be one of Jacksonville’s largest and most ambitious projects in recent years. Gateway Jax announced in September a $500 million mixed-use development project in downtown that includes apartments, grocery and retail spaces. While the execution of this project is “by no means easy,” Moll said he is confident his team will be able to succeed where others may not have had as much luck in Jacksonville.
› Boeing’s Starliner scrubs again, skips Sunday attempt
With less than four minutes on the countdown clock, teams scrubbed a launch attempt Saturday of a pair of NASA astronauts seated in what was supposed to be the first human spaceflight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner. Mission managers elected to skip a Sunday backup opportunity, making the earliest possible launch Wednesday at 10:52 a.m. The delay allows teams to work through the problem United Launch Alliance identified as the reason behind the scrub.
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› Ex-director Aaron De Groft revamps countersuit against Orlando Museum of Art
filed an amended countersuit against the Loch Haven Park institution — after a judge dismissed his original suit. De Groft, who was fired from the museum after championing the now-discredited “Heroes & Monsters” exhibit of work attributed to Jean-Michel Basquiat, had countersued the museum after OMA first filed suit against him in August.
› Florida shoppers preparing for hurricane season as sales tax holiday begins
The Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday will run for two weeks, and places like Home Depot have things like flashlights, batteries and tarps, without any sales tax. As the time of year heads into hurricane season, Floridians need to be prepared. Some other items that are tax free include: lanterns, candles, matches, battery-powered radios, coolers, rain gear, first aid kits, and more.
› Expanding engineering firm acquires Jacksonville-based company
A Jacksonville-headquartered engineering firm was recently acquired by PRIME AE as it expands its presence in the Southeast. Connelly & Wicker joined Prosser | PRIME AE in the Southeast division, creating a robust planning and engineering firm in Northeast Florida.
› Sarasota chamber up for national Chamber of the Year title
The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce has been named a finalist for the 2024 Chamber of the Year title from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The Sarasota chamber is among 12 finalists in the country up for the honor. Based on factors like population and revenue, the association divided the 12 finalists into four categories. As a result, Sarasota will be pitted against two others in its category.