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Southwest Florida Roundup
Bradenton's planetarium becomes a star attraction
SAINT LEO —
Saint Leo University has created the Saint Leo Polling Institute to conduct surveys on a variety of topics, including state and national politics.
ST. PETERSBURG —
The St. Petersburg Opera has opened a 10,000-sq.-ft. facility west of downtown. The building has rehearsal, performance and office space. » Jabil Circuit is selling its aftermarket services business to New York-based iQor for $725 million. Iqor's CEO, Hartmut Liebel, had been CEO of Jabil Aftermarket Services. Jabil CEO Mark Mondello says the deal will allow the company to focus on the electronics manufacturing part of its business.
TAMPA —
The AirFest air show is returning to MacDill Air Force Base, following a one-year hiatus. This year's show, featuring the Air Force Thunderbirds, is set for March 22-23. » The city spent $48.5 million of a $50-million federal grant to pay for expenses associated with 2012's Republican National Convention. Major expenses included $6.1 million for police radios, $2.4 million for police overtime and $2.3 million for surveillance cameras. The unused money remains with the federal government. » The University of South Florida enrolled 709 international students last fall — a 19% boost from the year before — as part of INTO University Partnerships, a program that links American universities with foreign students.
TARPON SPRINGS —
SME Education Foundation, which supports engineering education nationally, announced that East Lake High School's engineering program will get $68,000 worth of machining technology and simulation modules.
VENICE —
Caldwell Trust has broken ground on a $2.5-million, 11,500-sq.-ft. headquarters, which it plans to complete by November. The company's current building has 6,500 square feet. Tech Data has appointed Joseph H. Quaglia president of the Americas. He had been the Clearwaterbased technology distributor's senior vice president. » Robert Farrell is the new CFO at Tampa-based Biovest, a drug-development firm. The St. Petersburg Museum of History has hired Rui Farias as executive director.
A new halfmillion dollar projection system displays realistic images across the planetarium's 50-foot dome.
