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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida's surging construction industry faces worker shortage
As the construction industry surges, skilled workers are hard to come by. Many have retired or moved to other states after the recession, and younger workers are scared to get into the trades businesses. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Oyster craze leaving Florida varieties behind
Restaurants from haute cuisine to neighborhood hangouts are leaning more toward serving the pleasantly salty, more delicate oyster varieties from the northern East Coast and the Pacific. Blame it in part on scarcity from environmental woes besetting the state’s industry, but local chefs also point to the flavor profile. [Source: Miami Herald]
South Florida farms, nurseries prepare for polar plunge
Freezing temperatures are expected to all but completely blanket the Sunshine State over the next 24 hours, and temperatures may fall below 20 degrees in the center of the state, where many of its farms and groves are located. More at WSVN, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and CNBC.
See also:
» Records will be broken as temperatures drop in central Florida
» Freezes threaten southeast, blueberry growers assess damage
» Tallahassee breaks low-temperature record
Credit card debt increased in 2014
In another sign that we're gaining confidence in the economy and our ability to pay the bills, a new report shows we whipped out our credit cards more during last year's holiday season compared to the year before. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the South Florida Business Journal.
Florida ports seek help in luring shipping companies
The top lobbying group for Florida's seaports wants the state to establish a marketing campaign to help lure cargo-shipping companies from major ports in other areas of the country. [Source: Jacksonville Business Journal]
See also:
» JaxPort beats Port Canaveral with $17.7M VW incentive
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Two paths in St. Pete on new Rays stadium
If nothing else, a City Council workshop Thursday confirmed that St. Petersburg's approach to the Tampa Bay Rays is running on two distinct paths.
› Car rentals bringing in major bucks at MIA
Miami International Airport is focused on air travel, but the busy hub is seeing growth in land-based transit as well. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department said Wednesday that car rental revenues jumped 68 percent between 2010 and 2014, from $330.9 million to $555.9 million.
› ADT releases emergency response device developed by Boca’s MobileHelp
ADT Corp.'s year-old health business grew this week when it launched an emergency response device developed by another Boca Raton firm, MobileHelp.
› Florida Tech Selected for National Innovation Program
Florida Institute of Technology is one of just 25 U.S. institutions selected to join the prestigious Pathways to Innovation Program based at Stanford University, the program recently announced.
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