Friday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 9/16/2016

Florida businesses created 22,000 jobs in August

Florida businesses created 22,600 private-sector jobs across the state during August, bringing the total number of jobs created in 2016 to 167,100. For the 53rd consecutive month, Florida’s annual job growth rate of 3.4 percent is also exceeding the nation’s rate of 1.9 percent. More from Florida Trend and First Coast News.

Jacksonville poised to pounce on championship moves

Jacksonville is hoping to gain from North Carolina’s loss after the NCAA pulled seven of its scheduled championship tournaments, including basketball, from North Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference voted to relocate all its neutral site league championship games. More from WJXT.

Shipbuilder wins historic contract; hundreds of jobs coming to Bay County

Eastern Shipbuilding Group on Thursday landed a $10.5 billion contract — the largest in U.S. Coast Guard history — to build the first series of nine offshore patrol cutters, topping the biggest and best boatyards in the country in the process. More from Northwest Florida Daily News.

Gov. Scott: In absence of federal action, state allocating $10 million more to fight Zika

Today, following Gov. Rick Scott’s trip to Washington D.C. this week where he met with Congress to express the urgent need for funding to combat the Zika virus, Gov. Scott is authorizing an additional $10 million in state funds to fight Zika. More from Florida Trend.

Massive sinkhole drains contaminated water into Floridan aquifer

A massive sinkhole on top of a Mosaic gypsum stack near Mulberry allowed millions of gallons of contaminated water to flow into the Floridan Aquifer. Since the sinkhole opened up three weeks ago, about 215 million gallons of contaminated water have drained into the aquifer. The water is contaminated with phosphoric acid and is slightly radioactive. You wouldn’t want to drink it, but so far, Mosaic engineers don’t believe the water is making it to private wells. More at WFLA.

Florida Law
Diversity in ranks of lawyers, judges builds confidence

According to a recent report by the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, our judicial system can better reflect the citizens it serves. The Florida Bar's Committee on Diversity & Inclusion has already in 2015-16 funded more than 30 diversity programs at local and specialty bar associations that are working within their respective communities to create a more tolerant, diverse and inclusive justice system.

Florida Dining
Turning up the heat

The hottest grills of the new millennium are mechanical devices of steel from Spanish and Latin cuisines. At least a dozen Florida restaurants have invested in such fancy cookers ($10,000 and up) for steaks, flatbreads, fish, vegetables, fruit and the new culinary darling, charred octopus tentacles.