Friday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 11/4/2016

Parties deadlocked as Florida's early turnout nears 5.3 million

Florida's early turnout is at a record 5.3 million with Republicans and Democrats nearly dead even in ballots cast four days before Election Day. Reports posted on the Division of Elections website Friday morning showed Republicans cast 39.74 percent of votes and Democrats 39.70 percent through Thursday. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the AP.

Okaloosa tourism industry wants top-notch director

Okaloosa County’s vacation industry is not content with the way the county's Tourism Development Department has been run since 2010, and has asked the County Commission for changes in how its next director is selected. More from the Northwest Florida Daily News.

Florida farms singled out for environmental leadership

Florida's farmers and ranchers not only fuel our people and economy, they have proven themselves as responsible and innovative stewards of our land and world-renowned natural resources. This year's Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award went to three Florida operations that stood out for their efforts. The farms are:

Alliance Dairies in Trenton
Jones Potato Farm in Manatee County
Cherry Lake tree farm in Groveland

» Find out why each farm won the award (includes video)

Port Canaveral gets community input on master plan

Community members gathered at three sites Thursday to help paint the picture of Port Canaveral's future. Port officials and their consultants are devising a port strategic master plan for the next 20 years, and asked for the public's help. More from Florida Today.

Pioneer in brain research opens R&D office in Aventura

Brain Tunnelgenix Technologies has opened an R&D office in Aventura for its proprietary brain temperature monitoring solutions. Company founder and president, Dr. M. Marc Abreu, leads the management team. More from the Miami Herald.

Headline
The Shell Factory

Inside the Shell Factory, beyond the post office, animatronic pirates, upside-down Christmas trees, an exhibit on JFK’s assassination, the fudge, flamingo décor, an outhouse with a sign, “For a good time…Open the door 50 cents,” the clamor of arcade games, and a café with a deal on sliders, is a collection without peer.

» More from USA Today.

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Terry Stiles

At one point during the 1990s, developer Terry Stiles was about $100 million under water. Now he is battling cancer. “I’ve had three life-threatening events, and once you have one of those — probably four, I’m going to throw my dad in there because he died when he was 55 — you go, you know what? There’s more to life than just working all the time. " » Access full Icon interview