Friday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 12/27/2013

Florida on verge of beating out New York in population

The Census Bureau will release new population estimates on Monday and demographers expect New York and Florida to be neck-and-neck, with population totals within a few thousand people. Florida may pass New York this year; if not, it will likely do so next year. More from the New York Business Journal and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

SpaceX targets first launch of 2014 for January 3

SpaceX is targeting the Cape's first launch of 2014 one week from today. The launch would be SpaceX's second from the Cape of its upgraded Falcon 9 rocket and second of a commercial communications satellite to a geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles above Earth. [Source: Florida Today]

Wawa CEO: Florida builds are faster than the Northeast

Tampa Bay has made an impression on Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens, and for that matter, Florida has, too. Wawa has opened 10 stores in the Tampa area and shows no signs of slowing. Twelve of 25 next year will be in the greater Tampa area. The goal was 50 stores this year corporately, Gheysens said, “the most in our company’s history.” More from the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
A Fixture in Apopka - Florida's longest-serving mayor

John Land, 93, was first elected mayor of Apopka in 1949. He lost an election in 1967 but returned to win in 1970 and has been re-elected continuously since. In 2001, the Legislature named Land, Florida’s longest-serving mayor, a State of Florida Treasure. He will announce this month if he will seek another term.

» Read more

» FRIDAY PREVIEW: Coming next week to FloridaTrend.com:

Floridian of the Year:: Once again, our editorial staff scoured the news and took your nominations for those Floridians who had the biggest impact on the state during 2013. See whom we selected as Floridian of the Year.

» You'll find all these stories first on the Daily and Afternoon Pulse e-mails.

Changing Landscape
Iconic airboats won’t be part of Everglades culture for much longer

Today, South Florida airboat owners like Keith Price, Don Onstad and Charlie Erwin range freely throughout the East Everglades in their roaring, slough-skimming craft as they have for decades. “We are the protectors of the Everglades,” Erwin said. But maybe not for much longer.