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FRIDAY, SEPT. 14, 2007
VERO BEACH:
Florida and California Citrus Growers Face Off [Miami Herald]
Citrus farmers have everything on the line as the USDA considers changing shipping rules to allow clean fruit from an infected grove.
Related article:
TAMPA:
At Last, a Little Relief On Home Insurance [St. Petersburg Times]
After watching their maintenance fees soar out of sight, Florida's nearly 1.5-million condominium residents are finally starting to see some relief, thanks to a change in state law that demands insurance companies list a specific range of discounts for making buildings - including condos - more hurricane resistant.
More on this topic from Florida Trend:
PORT ST. LUCIE:
Real Estate to Stabilize by 2009, Banker Says [TC Palm]
The residential real estate market of St. Lucie County is moving in the right direction, but probably won't stabilize until 2009.
At least that's the message William Pittenger, chief real estate economist of Seacoast Coast National Bank. "St. Lucie County was one of the nation's fastest growing counties," Pittenger said. "Today, it has one of the nation's largest inventory hangovers."
Related article:
TALLAHASSEE:
Budget Special Section Back On [Tallahassee Democrat]
Citing ''significant progress'' on spending cuts, House and Senate leaders Thursday rescheduled a special legislative session for Oct. 3-12 to plug a $1.1 billion hole that Florida's slumping economy has punched in the $71 billion state budget.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
›Putting Your Mortgage Payment On Plastic [St. Petersburg Times]
A new company, CardIt LLC is making a splash by setting up an online system to make mortgage payments with credit cards. Let's get this straight: You're behind on your 7 percent mortgage, so you lard up your 20 percent credit card with thousands of dollars in house payments?
›Officials to Let Polluted Farm Water Back Into Lake O [Sun-Sentinel]
Water managers on Thursday agreed to let polluted storm water that washes off farms flow into Lake Okeechobee, with the hopes of boosting water levels needed to irrigate drought-strained crops. Multimedia from Florida Trend: History of Lake O
›Hormone-Fed Milk Cows Fade from Market [Miami Herald]
Florida's milk producers have stopped injecting their dairy herds with rBST, after grocery giant Publix said it would sell milk only from cows not treated with the synthetic hormone.
›Boycott Threats Follow Giving [St. Petersburg Times]
The threat, laid out in a certified letter to the chief executive officer of Tampa's OSI Restaurant Partners, was explicit:
Stop making charitable donations to Planned Parenthood, it warned, or else face an embarrassing boycott of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill and other OSI chains.
›Royal Caribbean Targets French Market [Miami Herald]
The Miami-based cruise holding company said the new cruise line will begin sailing its first ship, Bleu de France, in the Mediterranean beginning in May after the vessel undergoes renovations.
›Tropical Storm Ingrid Forms In the Atlantic [Sun-Sentinel]
It's moving west-north west.
›Mayport On Port Authority's Charts for Cruise Terminal [Florida Times-Union]
The Jacksonville Port Authority is considering building a permanent $60 million cruise terminal in Mayport adjacent to the St. Johns River Ferry docks.
›Catholic Professors Assail Ave Maria Law School [Naples Daily News]
Incidents this summer involving three professors, who have been vocal against the school moving to the Collier County town of Ave Maria in 2009, prompted the statement. Related from Florida Trend: Leap of Faith
›Showcasing the Abilities of Black MBA Candidates [Orlando Sentinel]
The opportunity demonstrates a goal of the National Black MBA Association's conference: to give young black business professionals a place to network, perhaps find jobs and become better prepared for the business world.
›Property Appraiser Sees No Reason to Quit [St. Petersburg Times]
Pinellas' Jim Smith says he will serve his term despite a land-sale scandal.
›Pet Congressional Projects Come Out of Hiding [Miami Herald]
Florida Congress members continue to secure federal funds for local projects, but a handful of them are pulling back the secrecy surrounding the practice.
›Newell's Old Firm Loses Water Deals [Palm Beach Post]
Water managers are trying to put more distance between themselves and the engineering consultant whom federal prosecutors have implicated in the downfall of former Palm Beach County Commissioner Warren Newell.
›Opinion: Developer's Choice Is Refreshing Change [Tampa Tribune]
After some county staff and residents objected, the developer of Pine Ridge acquiesced and dramatically reduced the plans to 178 homes -- not 300 -- on three-quarter-acre lots, with the rest of the land being preserved as open space.
›Suit Filed Alleging Real Estate, Escrow Firms Conspired to Defraud [TC Palm]
A Vero Beach man who put $42,000 in escrow to buy a home has become the first person in the aftermath of Coastal Escrow Services, Inc.'s sudden collapse to name a real estate agency in a lawsuit. Related: Couple went on spree with home buyers' escrows
›Thompson Courts Florida Vote [St. Petersburg Times]
A lot of political pros say it's too late to mount a strong presidential campaign when so many candidates have been at full steam for months.
›Firms Win Incentive Packages to Stay Here [Florida Times-Union]
Trend Offset Printing Services Inc. and J.C. Renfroe & Sons Inc. received approval from the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission for incentives geared toward ensuring their businesses will grow in Jacksonville, not elsewhere in the country or abroad.
›NASA May Pull Plug On Rocketplane
[Florida Today]
It issued a letter last week, after the private company failed to meet two benchmarks - in the effort to use government funds to jump-start development of privately funded spacecraft that would carry cargo and astronauts to orbit.
›Sarasota Sheriff Spending Scrutinized [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
The company now providing health care for the county's jail inmates has accused Sheriff Bill Balkwill of dumping them and awarding the $9 million contract to another firm without taking competitive bids.
›Pro-White Candidate Probably Won't Get Far [St. Petersburg Times]
He is also operations manager for the Nationalist Coalition, a St. Petersburg-based white nationalist group that wants to create its own media, education system, government and white-only living space.
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