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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Hermine hits Florida coast as first hurricane in a decade
Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade, bringing soaking rain, high winds and thousands of power outages.
Rain from TS Hermine battered a Hurricane Hunter flight while on the ground at Macdill AFB in Tampa. [Photo Luis Santana /Tampa BayTimes]
"The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will continue to cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the National Hurricane Center said. The center warned that some areas along Florida's northern Gulf Coast may experience 9 feet (3 m) of flooding. Gov. Rick Scott said the storm could lead to deaths and told residents to stay indoors until it had passed.
» Full story from Reuters, here. Also read more at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the Orlando Sentinel and Accuweather.
See also:
» Hermine wallops Florida, knocks out power to 200K
» Florida fears Hermine could hamper fight against Zika
South Florida has 2nd highest rate of minority businesses
South Florida has one of the highest rates of minority-owned businesses in the nation. New figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show that more than a third of businesses in South Florida have owners who are either nonwhite or Hispanic. [Source: AP]
Florida’s planned layoffs down 85 percent from year ago
This is how much the economy has changed since a year ago: Florida had 354 planned layoffs in August. That same month last year, the state saw 2,302 layoffs,. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Florida finds Zika in trapped mosquitoes, first in U.S. mainland
Map from the Florida Department of Health (DOH) shows area of Zika transmission.
Authorities in Florida have found the Zika virus in trapped mosquitoes, the first time this has happened in the continental US. Officials say 3 mosquitoes from Miami Beach have tested positive. The state agricultural commissioner calls the development disappointing, but not surprising. Full statement from the Governor, with maps, here. Also read more at the AP and CNN.
See also:
» Zika’s threat may last beyond a baby’s birth, monitoring crucial, study says
Florida pushing for Chinese real estate buyers
Tapping into the Chinese market, home to the world's second largest economy, has been a longstanding item on Miami's real estate wish list. In the race to secure a Miami-China connection, local brokerage houses have deployed marketing trips abroad, hired Chinese-speaking agents and sought partnerships with China-based companies. [Source: Daily Business Review]
› How Jacksonville's Baptist Health is making itself a medical tourism destination
Through its partnership with Houston, Texas' MD Anderson, Jacksonville-based Baptist Health is looking to become a destination for cancer patients, Baptist CEO Hugh Greene said at Thursday's JAXUSA Partnership luncheon.
› Miami-Dade’s top economic development executive is stepping down
Larry Williams, the president and CEO of the Beacon Council, will step down after three years as Miami-Dade County’s top economic development executive. He has accepted a new role as president and CEO of the Technology Association of Georgia.
› A 'Green District' proposed for Collier County
There are shopping districts, waterfront districts and art districts. So why not a "Green District?" That's what leaders with some of the Naples area's green attractions are asking.
› Boca Raton cosmetic tech company breaks into foreign billion-dollar market
Apira Science has received clearance to distribute its hair-growth therapy laser technology in one of the biggest hair care markets in the world.
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