Florida consumer sentiment remains at Great Recession levels

Floridians’ opinions about current economic conditions were gloomy. Views of personal financial situations now compared with a year ago decreased slightly by four-tenths of a point from 53.8 to 53.4. However, these views were divided across sociodemographic groups with men and people with an annual income over $50,000 expressing more favorable views. Similarly, opinions as to whether now is a good time to buy a major household item like an appliance declined by one-tenth of a point from 54.1 to 54. These opinions were also split by demographics with men, people age 60 and older, and people with an annual income over $50,000 expressing more favorable views. [Source: UF News]

Airbnb refund policy specifically excludes hurricanes in Florida

Airbnb guests and hosts who canceled bookings last week due to Hurricane Ian may have been surprised to learn that the historic storm was not covered by the app's weather-related refund policy. That's because the vacation rental platform's "extenuating circumstance policy" — which automatically refunds guests and waives cancellation fees for hosts during unforeseeable events — specifically excludes Florida hurricanes. [Source: Business Insider]

Florida Trend Exclusive
How the documentary 'Because of Sam' changed workplace inclusiveness  

Sam Piazza is an employer’s dream. He works hard. He’s friendly. And he’s improved the environment at the restaurant where he works. Now, a documentary about his life has inspired a new training program for Florida workplaces. Sam Piazza loves to socialize, even during work. He wipes down tables and empties the trash while greeting the regulars at a PDQ restaurant in Tampa, chatting them up. The restaurant managers who work with him say he has made a real difference in their business environment. [Source: Florida Trend]

DeSantis-Crist governor’s debate postponed because of Ian

The gubernatorial debate between Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist has been postponed due to Hurricane Ian, with no makeup date yet scheduled. News station WPEC News 12 had been set to host the debate, the only one scheduled between DeSantis and Crist, on Oct. 12 in Fort Pierce. “The move to postpone the debate is meant to ensure all Floridians have an opportunity to adequately recover from the storm and watch the debate,” the station wrote on its website [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Feds target Florida immigration lawsuit

Saying Florida “cannot identify any direct injury caused by the challenged practices,” the Biden administration on Monday urged a federal judge to reject a lawsuit filed by the state over the release of undocumented immigrants. Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office, meanwhile, contended that the state has “standing” to challenge federal immigration policies that Florida maintains are costing it hundreds of millions of dollars. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Southeast Volusia: Your future is here

Ready to launch a business? Call us. Expanding your business and need a qualified workforce now? We can help. We’re the Southeast Volusia Manufacturing and Technology Coalition, a non-profit entity that works closely with public and private stakeholders and local city and county governments to promote economic development within the Southeast Volusia County region.[Sponsored report]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Tampa Bay business accelerator launches new initiative for climate tech startups [Business Observer]
Tampa Bay Innovation Center, an early-stage tech incubator headquartered in St. Petersburg, will focus its next startup accelerator program on emerging climate technologies. The 12-week program will begin Jan. 9, according to a news release, and can accommodate up to 10 startups. It’s sponsored by Duke Energy and PODS Moving & Storage, whose support will provide a combination of mentoring, expertise, financial backing and other resources for TBIC and its startups. Financial support also comes from Pinellas County.

› NASA, SpaceX launch Crew-5 mission from Florida with first Russian passenger [Florida Today]
Cloud-kissed skies above Kennedy Space Center welcomed the launch of four people atop a SpaceX rocket Wednesday, giving way to a roughly day-long flight to the International Space Station. At pad 39A, a 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at noon sharp, taking NASA's Josh Cassada and Nicole Mann, Japan's Koichi Wakata, and Russia's Anna Kikina to orbit in a Crew Dragon capsule. The mission known as Crew-5 is SpaceX's sixth crewed flight under contract from NASA and eighth overall when including private spaceflights.

› Week after Hurricane Ian, Sanford struggles with historic flooding [Orlando Sentinel]
As floodwaters from Lake Monroe continued to swell and flow into downtown Sanford on Wednesday, Tom and Judy Myers had a nervous bride on their hands. The couple owns and operates the popular 520 On The Water events venue on Marina Isle, a peninsula that juts into Lake Monroe near Fort Mellon Park and includes several businesses, an assisted living facility and the city’s marina. The only access road into Marina Isle, however, was under several feet of flood waters that continued rising a week after former Hurricane Ian plowed through Central Florida with tropical storm-force winds and a historic deluge of rain.

› This Little Havana bar was just named among the 50 best in the world — again [Miami Herald]
Miami again has one of the best bars in the world, and it just keeps getting better. Little Havana’s Café La Trova, the cocktail bar, restaurant and music venue partly owned by James Beard Award winning chef Michelle Bernstein, has moved up the list for the third straight year among The World’s 50 Best Bars for 2022. The annual ranking, started in 2009, named Café La Trova No. 21.

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› A former Arturo Fuente Cigar Co. factory is for sale [Tampa Bay Times]
The two-story Ybor City wooden and concrete block building at 2708 N 18th St. is primarily known as a former Arturo Fuente Cigar Co. factory. But Carlos Fuente Jr., the third generation of that family to run what is now one of the world’s largest handmade-cigar businesses, also remembers it for a different venture. “That’s where my shoeshine stand was when I was a kid,” the 68-year-old said. “My grandfather handed me the shoeshine box and put me to work so I could earn my own money.”

› Boca Raton readies for new 14-acre park opening off Intracoastal Waterway [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
A 14-acre lot in Boca Raton that’s remained vacant for nearly 30 years will soon be the site of a new park by the Intracoastal Waterway. Boca Raton parks officials are finishing development on Ocean Strand Park, which will stretch from the Intracoastal to State Road A1A, in between Spanish River Boulevard and Palmetto Park Road. The park, located at 2300 N. Ocean Blvd., will feature a walking path from A1A to the Intracoastal, picnic tables and a kayak launch.

› The Mylkery plant-based creamery and desserts planned for San Marco [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Owner and founder Ashley “Asha” Bland chose San Marco for The Mylkery, which she is introducing as Jacksonville’s first plant-based creamery. Bland and business partner Jasmine Andrews hope to open in March or April 2023 at 1642 San Marco Blvd., most recently Pretty Paws pet grooming. It is a 750-square-foot building between the Baptist Medical Center campus and the heart of San Marco Square.

› Texas tech company cuts 58 jobs at Pinellas manufacturing facility [Tampa Bay Times]
A Texas maker of networking equipment and software is cutting 58 jobs from its Seminole manufacturing plant after outsourcing those operations to an independent contractor. Dallas-based DZS Inc. announced Wednesday that the move would help the company “meet customer demand and deliver on a growing backlog that has increased more than 300% since 2020,” CEO Charlie Vogt said in a statement.