After Milton's wrath, experts see a reshaping of Florida tourism
Damage assessments are ongoing in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton, but tourism experts already say they expect the storms to reshape Florida's tourism landscape. The exodus of small businesses from Florida's Gulf Coast is likely to accelerate the region's transition toward higher-end tourism and hospitality development, as only well-funded developers will have the financial means to rebuild and comply with costly modern building codes. [Source: Travel Weekly]
Jobless rate in Florida for September holds steady for 6th consecutive month
Florida’s unemployment rate held for a sixth consecutive month, but a key state economist said Friday “it’s still too soon to tell” how a trio of hurricanes could affect the state’s jobless figures. The state Department of Commerce on Friday estimated 368,000 Floridians were qualified as out-of-work in September, a figure unchanged from August. The state’s work force of 11.04 million shrank by 6,000 workers in the same period as retirements continue to outpace efforts to grow the labor force. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Unprecedented launches: Space Coast poised to break its yearly rocket record before Halloween
Few people believed the rocket launch ecosystem on Florida's Space Coast could accelerate at such record-shattering speed in recent years — with more unprecedented launch growth forecast in the upcoming decade, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro said. Indeed, KSC and neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station may already tie the all-time annual record of 72 orbital launches on Monday. [Source: Florida Today]
A crane collapsed in Hurricane Milton. Authorities aren’t investigating
The collapse has spotlighted gaping holes in the regulation of cranes in a place that’s booming with coastal development and more susceptible to major storms than just about anywhere in the country. Florida has no laws on crane safety during high winds, not even for hurricanes. In fact, lawmakers have banned cities and counties from passing rules themselves — at the urging of construction lobbyists. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Smoke shops sprout like weeds in Florida
The number of smoke shops in Florida has increased by more than 1,000 since 2019, according to data by the state Department of Revenue. Hemp entrepreneurs say an explosion of hemp products since 2018 has fueled the growth. And it’s not just smoke shops where hemp products can be found. A spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said that 9,543 businesses in the state are permitted to sell hemp for human consumption. [Source: South Floridda Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Tampa Bay area schools rushed to reopen after Milton. Was it too soon?
In less than a month, the Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas districts have missed about two weeks of classes because of hurricanes Helene and Milton. The time away was longer for Milton, which delivered more of a direct hit to the region. To some, reopening on Wednesday in Pinellas and Pasco, and Thursday in Hillsborough — after more than a week away — was laudable. About 95% of Pasco students attended Thursday. To others, though, it seemed too sudden.
› Tri-Rail express to downtown Miami booms
Tri-Rail’s one-seat weekday express, launched July 1, has been regularly achieving a 100% on-time performance and ridership is growing, reports Victor Garcia, South Florida Regional Transportation Authority public affairs director. Use of the express service on the three-county government-owned rail line continues to increase.
› French airplane maker to open new plant, add 1,000 jobs in Daytona
A French airplane manufacturer will build a 500,000-square-foot plant in Volusia County that will bring hundreds of jobs. Aura Aero Inc. on Oct. 17 said it would open its plant at the Daytona Beach International Airport and create 1,000 jobs. The company builds hybrid electric regional aircraft and in July had focused its search on a potential home in Florida, choosing between Volusia County and nearby Flagler.
› Amid rising costs, how Northeast Florida restaurateurs are keeping their businesses profitable
From the surging cost of food and supplies to the rising cost of wages, Northeast Florida restaurant owners are facing the task of keeping their businesses profitable. In 2020, Florida voters approved an amendment to increase the state’s minimum wage $1 an hour each year until 2026, when it would reach $15.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› ‘We are back’: Bradenton Beach open for business after Hurricane Milton
No curfew, no checkpoints: the city of Bradenton Beach is open for business. “We are back baby, we are back,” Anna Maria Island Oyster bar manager Tina Wilson said. After Hurricane Helene, and then Milton, forced many businesses to close their doors, the hustle and bustle has returned, and so have the regulars.
› Boca telehealth company offers a menu of mental health therapies and is branching into AI
In the few years since liftoff, Reachlink, a telehealth company centered around mental health, has grown to providing close to 100,000 sessions a year, and now has more than 300 therapists and other mental healthcare providers on its books. Started in 2019 by James Farese, the site was designed to virtually connect therapists with people in recovery from substance abuse and who had recently left rehab.
› Catapult to double workforce with expansion in Orlando
An Orlando-based label manufacturer is ramping up its presence here — with construction and new jobs in the works. Catapult Print is preparing to hire up to 125 people in Orlando and build a 200,000-square-foot facility over the next two to three years, as it charts a path to reach $100 million in revenue.
› Study offers ideas for Olde Marco redevelopment including parking, waterfront connectivity
What to do about Olde Marco? How to help its residents with flooding, parking and inevitable redevelopments? These are the issues a study commissioned by Marco Island City Council sought to resolve. The study offered two approaches: limit updates with no zoning changes or ease building height restrictions to keep density the same but create space. In other words, build up instead of out.