Florida homeowners fear soaring insurance cost after hurricanes
For 32 years, Jim Tynan had a homeowners' policy with Allstate on his 1,200-square foot condo in Ponte Vedra, Florida. In January, Tynan's Allstate subsidiary told him it was going to drop him. Tynan called ten different agencies, "and none would cover me," he said. Finally, he found one that would. It cost 50% more. Florida has been hit with four major hurricanes in the past four years, which has sent insurance premiums rocketing and caused some insurers to pull back on coverage. For residents cleaning up after storms or living nearby water, they have another worry: Will they still have insurance? [Source: Reuters]
Florida eyes further cracking down on ballot initiative process
Florida lawmakers could once again seek to make it harder for everyday citizens to change the state’s constitution in the wake of a ballot initiative this year that would enshrine access to abortion. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ election security office called for changes to the citizen petition process in a report last week claiming widespread fraud by people who collected signatures to put the measure on the ballot. While the report includes little data to back up many of its claims, it says the office has “a great deal of information” it plans to deploy as legislative proposals in the coming session. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
How Florida hospitals avoided an IV fluid disruption after Helene damaged major facility
Intravenous therapy is a common, but also critical, medical procedure. “IVs are used for patients in trauma, dialysis, people who have nutritional feeding issues,” said Dr. Jay Wolfson, the dean of the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health. Since Helene ravaged Baxter’s major manufacturing plant in North Carolina, which supplies 60% of the nation’s IV fluid supply, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has formally declared a shortage for three fluid products. [Source: WESH]
Florida Amendment 6 on campaign money explained
Article VI, Section 7 of the Florida Constitution is on the line for the Nov. 5 election. To repeal or not to repeal? The section was adopted in 1998, establishing a spending limit for candidates using public funds for their campaign. It also states that it is the responsibility of the state Legislature to provide funding for statewide elections. The eligible offices include governor, attorney general, chief financial officer and commissioner of agriculture granted the candidate is not running unopposed and agrees to spending limits. [Source: Click Orlando]
Civil liability for parents could deter school threats, Board of Education member says
Civil penalties for parents whose children threaten schools could deter threats from occurring, a Florida Board of Education member suggested Tuesday. A 14-year-old killed four and wounded nine in Georgia in September, setting off a wave of “copycat” school threats in Florida and around the nation. The increase in threats prompted sheriff’s departments and school districts in Florida to remind students and parents that threats are illegal and not a joke. Tuesday, State Board of Education Member Ryan Petty echoed the superintendents and sheriffs: School threats are not a joke. [Source: Florida Phoenix]
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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Storms be damned, Florida keeps building in high-risk areas
Driving through the mess left behind by the twin hurricanes that slammed Florida, it doesn’t take long to pass a construction site for another batch of new homes. Among them is La Linda Estates, which is being built in a high-risk flood zone on a barrier island near where Milton made landfall. .
› UNF offering programs to help people join the cannabis industry, which could grow if Amendment 3 passes
Max Simon was an educator in mind-body medicine and wanted to fuse teaching and cannabis together. His company Green Flower is collaborating with the University of North Florida with five, six-month online certificate programs to help people join the cannabis industry. It also covers the history, science, and business of cannabis. They are partnered with 60 learning institutions.
› Taylor Swift's Eras Tour to bring excitement, economic boost to South Florida
Get ready to "Shake It Off," South Florida! Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour is about to make its mark on Miami, bringing a wave of excitement and a significant boost to the local economy. Three sold-out shows at Hard Rock Stadium are poised to be a huge draw for tourists, creating a "Love Story" between our city and local businesses. Jennifer Diaz Azuri from the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau says they're "ready for it."
› Miami Beach hotel nabs $49M loan from Goldman Sachs for major redevelopment
The Red South Beach Hotel at 3010 Collins Ave. is set for a major transformation. Assouline-Busch Capital, the property's owner, has secured a $49.3 million loan to redevelop the hotel, located in the heart of Miami Beach's Faena District, according to Newmark, a New York-based commercial real estate advisory firm and service provider.
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› Most of Florida's orange crop washed away by Hurricane Milton, squeezing industry at height of harvest
Citrus crops across the Sunshine State are in a world of hurt, as back-to-back hurricanes and one of the most serious plant diseases plague oranges and their prices. "Milton came across the center of the state and really impacted probably 70% of the most productive citrus acreage in Florida," Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Matt Joyner said on "Cavuto: Coast to Coast," Tuesday.
› Physician-owned company could rezone Miami-Dade site for multifamily
A company owned by a local physician could rezone a vacant site just north of Homestead for multifamily development. Crowned Night Heron LLC, managed by emergency medicine specialist Dr. William H. Kranichfeld, filed a pre-application with Miami-Dade County officials for the 0.96-acre site at the southeast corner of Southwest 167th Ave and Southwest 300th Street. It purchased the land for $850,000 in April.
› FAMU classes going virtual Thursday amid investigation of campus-wide power outage
Classes at the main campus of Florida A&M University will go virtual Thursday as university officials investigate a bizarre campus-wide power outage that plunged the campus into darkness Wednesday evening for about three hours.
› Clearwater official says hurricane debris pickup could take up to 3 months
Driving around Clearwater, it doesn’t take more than a couple minutes to pass at least one large pile of debris leftover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Clearwater Solid Waste Director Kervin St. Aimie says city crews are hard at work trying to clear the debris, but because of the amount, it will be a long process.
"There is still a lot to do, but this shows that these channels have a bigger impact than traditional ones."
Wimauma activist Ana Lamb said that after hurricanes Helene and Milton, reaching out to residents has become more critical than ever. Lamb shared a simple form in Spanish with her followers in one of her 10 WhatsApp groups, asking people where they were staying. She arranged transportation for an elderly woman and her son to leave their home in Ruskin. She later shared Red Cross reports in Spanish and information about donations.
Read more at the Tampa Bay Times