SHARE:
Monday's Top Stories
What You Need to Know About Florida Today
MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2010
VERO BEACH:
Seald Sweet Successfully Goes Global
Florida's most traditional citrus co-op is aided by an unlikely CEO. Read cover story from Cynthia Barnett ... [Source: Florida Trend]
TALLAHASSEE:
Sink Has Money, But Fans Want a Message
|
|
 |
Craft Engaging Newsletter Content It's 2010. Have you launched an e-mail newsletter yet? No more excuses -- anybody can write a great newsletter. Here are some ideas. |
|
Index of Small-Business Optimism Rises Slightly |
|
LEGISLATURE: Saving Small Businesses |
|
Business Tech Tools: 5 Trends for 2010 |
|
More Merchants Embrace Mobile Coupons |
Veteran political pros and Democratic activists across Florida increasingly fret that the woman once viewed as a sure winner for governor is proving to be a hypercautious candidate without a potent message or viable political operation. Alex Sink is the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate in two decades to raise more money than the leading Republican, and that matters enormously in a state as vast as Florida. But money and a lackluster Republican opponent are about the only things her campaign has going for it at the start of an election year shaping up to be tough for Democrats everywhere. "The campaign needs to focus on the major issues facing Florida, and it's not paper clips, it's not Arnold Schwarzenegger,'' said state Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston, an enthusiastic Sink supporter. [Source: St. Petersburg Times]
ANA MARIA:
Boating Industry Sees Deluge of Foreclosures
Boat dealers are asking themselves the same question Realtors are: Will 2010 be the year of the turnaround? Dealers say the pace of boat repossessions has slowed this year from a peak in mid-2009, and they hope the worst may now be behind them. Meanwhile, some see opportunities in repossessed boats the way some see profits in repossessed real estate. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
STATEWIDE:
Florida Takes Its Time Spending Stimulus Money
By the end of 2009, only 15 cents of every dollar sent to Florida had been spent, one of the lowest rates in the country, according to an analysis of federal-stimulus-grant progress reports. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› UF Puts End to Enrollment Cuts
The school will keep enrollment at current levels because of budget cuts.
› Buyers Race to Seal Deal Before Tax Credit Expires
Even if homebuyers meet April 30 contract deadline, sales might not close by June 30.
small biz advice
› Language Matters
Chick-fil-A understands how critical communications are between employees and customers, and as a result, it trains workers about using correct language.
›
Polo Fans Say Game Not Tainted by Fatal Crash
Members of the International Polo Club described last week's deadly car crash involving local millionaire and club founder John Goodman as a "tragedy."
› Crist Supports Inmate Rehab Programs in Tight Budget
The new mind-set, also welcomed by top Republican lawmakers, is not a change of heart from the lock-'em-up policies that dominated the past decade. Rather, it indicates how Florida's dire budget situation is making officials rethink the link between crime and punishment. From Trend: Prison Reform: A Course Correction
›
CDC Estimates Swine Flu Has Hit 3.5 Million in Florida
The same CDC analysis indicated about 15,600 Floridians have been hospitalized with flu.
› Sansom Legal Bills Continue to Add Up
The Florida House has spent more than $234,000 on legal fees investigating Rep. Ray Sansom.
› Jackson Health System Running Out of Time, Cash
The Jackson Health System is confronting three enormous challenges as it seeks to reduce a $230 million deficit that could bring the whole operation down by May.
› Attorney General's Office Investigates Cash4Gold
The Florida Attorney General's Office is investigating Cash4Gold after receiving 72 consumer complaints about the Pompano Beach company's services and policies. From Trend: Cash4Gold's Rush
›
UCF Violation of NCAA Rules Threatened 27 Players' Eligibility
UCF automatically deemed 27 football players ineligible when school officials learned that former recruiting administrator Ed Marynowitz and former director of player personnel Steve Rubio combined to place 209 improper phone calls and about 100 improper text messages to the prospects and their parents before they had signed letters of intent.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Floridians Join Hands to Protest Offshore Drilling
Countless Floridians across the state met at several beaches in unity.
› Econ River Polluted? It's in Eye of Beholder
Feds and state clash over what standard to judge rivers by.
›
Couture Designers Find Home Shopping TV Profitable
HSN and QVC have been on a signing binge for couture designers who made a name dressing celebs for red carpet events. They are churning out ready-to-wear lines with a designer cachet for a mainstream home shopping audience.
›
Is Orlando Set Up to Lose JetBlue?
Last week JetBlue Airways CEO Dave Barger said that the contest between Orlando and New York for the airline's headquarters is an all-or-nothing proposition.
He handicapped the chances that the airline would ultimately arrange some sort of split among the 800 jobs between the two cities with, "I really think it's unlikely."
›
Final Lynn University Student's Body Found
Britney Gengel had been among 12 students and two faculty on a three-week program the university called "Journey of Hope." It was meant to inspire the students to charity and provide help to Haiti's poor.
