U.S. tourists flock to Florida as foreign visitors still lag

U.S. visitors continued to drive Florida’s tourism industry at a record pace, while international travel still struggled to reach pre-pandemic levels, according to newly released figures for the third quarter of 2022. The tourism-marketing agency Visit Florida estimated Tuesday the state attracted 35.115 million travelers during the third quarter, a 6.9 percent increase from 2021. The estimate was also 8 percent above the same period of 2019, before the pandemic largely shut down the state’s crucial tourism industry. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Florida Trend Exclusive
New program developed to help Florida job seekers find new careers based on location

CareerSource North Central Florida in Gainesville has been testing a program designed to help job seekers more easily find out location-specific information about jobs, salaries and demand. The information comes from myCareerPathway Dashboard, developed by the data visualization company EImpact of White Salmon, Wash. [Source: Florida Trend]

Florida wildlife officials will feed manatees again this winter to curb die-off

In an effort to slow an ongoing manatee die-off, Florida wildlife officials announced Wednesday they will once again feed the wild animals lettuce this winter to curb starvation from a human-caused lack of seagrass. It’s the second time Florida’s leading wildlife agency will carry out the feeding program after a record 1,100 manatees died in 2021, many from starvation or severe malnourishment. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida diabetics scramble to find drugs suddenly popular for non-intended use: weight loss

Florida diabetics are struggling to buy prescription drugs to help control their blood sugar now that the medications have gone viral on social media as a weight-loss solution. The demand from dieters for Ozempic, which is sold as a liquid solution administered as an under-the-skin injection, has caused shortages of the medication along with Trulicity, also an injectable diabetes medicine. The buzz has created serious issues for people who actually need the prescribed medications to control diabetes. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

In the market to buy a used boat? What to know about fixer-uppers after Hurricane Ian

After Hurricane Ian, some Floridians may be in the market to buy a used fixer-upper boat. These boats can be a bargain — but they can also be a nightmare. Here’s what you need to know before purchasing a used boat that may have been damaged during a storm. [Source: Miami Herald]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Miami focus of Fujifilm drive into Latin America [Miami Today]
Miami has become the focal point of Fujifilm’s expansion into Latin America, as the company adroitly shifts its core business from film products to health care and optics. This is not the first, or even the second time that Fujifilm changed its business exposure. It was originally developed to produce nitrocellulose film for both still and movie cameras.

› Santa Rosa County's water is at risk. Growing area while protecting wellfield no easy task [Pensacola News Journal]
With Santa Rosa County experiencing exponential growth in the East Milton area, outgoing County Commissioner Bob Cole convened a workshop last week to discuss ways to protect the wellfield that supplies the county's water. The East Milton Area Wellfield Protection District was established between 2010 and 2013 to protect an area bounded on the south by U.S. 90 and the west by State Road 87. The Fairpoint Regional Utility System and East Milton Water System operate approximately 12 wells within the area from which they draw water from the Sand and Gravel Aquifer.

› A Tampa Bay surf park concept is making waves, but it hinges on one thing [Tampa Bay Times]
People keep asking Tony Miller exactly when he’ll open his Tampa Bay surf park project. He doesn’t have an answer yet. Peak Surf Park, a first-of-its-kind attraction for a region with a lack of surfable waves, was announced earlier this year with much buzz.

› Orlando housing market flattens as interest rates hit 20-year high [Orlando Sentinel]
As the holidays near, Orlando’s housing market has slowed to a crawl with home prices and sales essentially flat in October and inventory continuing to inch up, according to a new report. Metro Orlando’s median home price was $365,000 in October, unchanged from September, while the 2,716 home sales were down by exactly one sale from the previous month, according to the survey by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association.

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› Disney picks developer for affordable housing project near its theme parks [Orlando Sentinel]
Walt Disney World has chosen housing developer The Michaels Organization to build, own and operate its new affordable housing development near Flamingo Crossings Town Center. This announcement Wednesday comes over six months after Disney World committed to build more than 1,300 housing units across 80 acres of its land in southwest Orange County, close to its theme parks.

› Wine and shop: Publix customers at select Florida locations can drink while they get groceries [WFLA]
Ever wanted to have a glass of wine while shopping for groceries? Customers at certain Publix locations in Florida can do just that! Publix Pours is a store feature where customers can enjoy various beverages, including wine, beer, coffee, and kombucha. The program was first started at a Publix GreenWise Market in Tallahassee in 2018, but it has since expanded to all eight GreenWise markets and four traditional Publix locations in Florida.

› Hard Rock Stadium could get Metrorail station first in Miami-Dade’s new transit plan [Miami Herald]
Hard Rock Stadium could have a train station connected by elevated track to the Metrorail system under an expedited transit plan revealed Tuesday that would postpone construction of neighborhood stops until after the Miami Gardens route is finished. The new strategy by the administration of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava doesn’t reveal a solution for the biggest hurdle ahead: raising the billions of dollars needed to build and operate the first expansion of Metrorail since the Miami International Airport station opened in 2012.

› $9M Davis Islands property breaks record for second time this year [Tampa Bay Times]
A 0.3-acre lot on Davis Islands sold for $9 million last week, making it the most expensive piece of residential land sold in the Tampa Bay area, according to records from the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser. This is the second time the waterfront property at 202 Blanca Ave., has broken the record in the past year. In February, it sold for $7.2 million.