Insurance giants are ‘stiffing’ customers in Florida, report says
Floridians filing a homeowners insurance claim had the lowest chance in the 50 states of getting a check from their insurer in 2022, with more than a third of claims going unpaid. And last year, those filing claims with two of the state’s largest, healthiest companies — subsidiaries of State Farm and Allstate — had the lowest chance of all. Nearly half of all claims closed by those companies last year went unpaid. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Business Beat - Week of June 28th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Filling a conservation gap
The 1,285-acre Lightsey Family Ranch in Highlands County, considered one of the most vital “missing links” in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, is going to be preserved forever thanks to a conservation easement. The agreement means the ranch located along Fisheating Creek will continue to operate, but the land will not be developed in perpetuity. [Source: Florida Trend]
Florida jobless claims top 7,000
Florida continues to see a slightly higher number of unemployment claims. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report that showed an estimated 7,140 first-time unemployment applications filed in Florida during the week that ended June 22, the fourth consecutive week with more than 7,000 claims. Before that four-week period, Florida had posted just two other weeks since mid-January 2023 with more than 7,000 claims. [Source: News Service of Florida]
As bird flu spreads to dairy cattle, Florida begins testing cows
A bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle across the country has experts worrying the virus is mutating and could spread from human to human, creating another pandemic. Benjamin Anderson, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Health at the University of Florida, is concerned those drinking unpasteurized milk will get exposed to the disease, allowing it to adapt to humans. [Source: Health News Florida]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Pensacola's food truck scene has exploded in the past decade
It's no secret. Pensacola has come into its own as a "foodie" town. But it’s not just the brick-and-mortars that are making this small Southern coastal city’s food scene so diverse. Dozens of local food trucks are regularly stationed outside the city’s wide variety of breweries, in open fields and packed into open-air food courts.
› Miami’s aviation history began in this Pan Am hangar. County grounds plan to save it
The oldest standing building at Miami International Airport, a 1929 hangar built by visionary Pan American Airways founder Juan Trippe, played a singular role in aviation history. It’s all that survives of Miami’s original airport, the very ground zero where Trippe launched and developed international air travel.
› Second Harvest sounds the alarm on surging summer hunger in Central Florida
A local Central Florida food bank is sounding the alarm on rising summer hunger, as searches for free food at its feeding sites have surged in the last two months. Searches on Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s food locator tool, that helps families find free meals, are up by 43% this June compared with last. In May, searches jumped by over 100%.
› Chewy repurchases $500 million of stock from its largest shareholder
Pet supply retailer Chewy repurchased $500 million from private equity firm BC Partners, its largest shareholder. Plantation-based Chewy agreed to buy back 17.55 million shares of Class A common stock at a price of $28.49 per share, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
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› Titusville city officials face conflicts with residents, with one saying 'the fight is on'
There is a battle brewing in Titusville between the city government and residents. The city and various groups of residents are at arms over a variety of issues, most notably the city's refusal to certify a 2022 election in which more than 82% of voters approved an amendment to the city charter guaranteeing a "right to clean water."
› This luxurious Miami Beach hotel is opening a new space for extravagant events
Miami Beach is getting closer to having more splashy meeting space for business or leisure. The Fontainebleau Miami Beach’s new convention center is expected to be completed in November and it is already booking reservations for business and social events well into 2026, said Phil Goldfarb, chief operating officer of Fontainebleau Development.
› Clearwater has a $100 million plan to prevent this neighborhood from flooding
Booming development along the Gulf Coast coupled with rising seas fueled by climate change have pushed current stormwater infrastructure to its limits. Now, the city is looking to fund a decades-long project that may cost up to $100 million to safeguard Clearwater’s most vulnerable and low-lying neighborhood from future floods.
› Boeing South Yard is another $90 million expansion at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville
The city is reviewing a permit application for a $90 million construction project to develop the Boeing South Yard at 13240 Wing Lane on land leased at Cecil Airport in West Jacksonville. The building would boost The Boeing Co.’s leased space at Cecil Airport in West Jacksonville to more than 1.1 million square feet, at least for now.