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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Gov. Scott directs statewide public health emergency for opioid epidemic
Today, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed Executive Order 17-146 directing a Public Health Emergency across the state. By signing the Emergency Order, the state will be able to access $27 million in federal grant funding from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Opioid State Targeted Response Grant. The grant was awarded to Florida on April 21 to provide prevention, treatment and recovery support services. Read the full news release from the governor, here.
Related, from Florida Trend:
» Addicted to rehab: A look at Florida's sober houses
Florida Legislature crafts budget deal in secret; session to end Monday
Earlier today, Florida Trend reported there was no state budget deal, and no firm date to end the annual legislative session. Now comes news that Republican leaders have crafted a budget deal behind closed doors that clears the way for the Legislature to wrap up its work for the year. Florida Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran announced that the Legislature will extend its annual session to next Monday. The session was supposed to end on Friday. More from the AP.
Vology to expand in Pinellas County -- 200 jobs projected in the next 2-4 years
Vology, one of the nation's largest managed IT services providers, today announced a significant corporate expansion in Pinellas County. The company hired 80 new staff members in 2016 and expects to add an additional 200 positions over the next 2-4 years as it continues its steady growth. Most of the new jobs will be in network operations. More at Florida Trend.
Bidders for Citrix include private equity giants Bain, Carlyle
Private equity firms Bain Capital, The Carlyle Group LP and Thoma Bravo have reportedly submitted bids to buy Fort Lauderdale-based Citrix Systems Inc. Reports surfaced last month that the cloud-services company was positioning itself to be acquired. More from the South Florida Business Journal.
Bush ‘confident’ he will complete Marlins sale, but Romney’s bid in consideration
A group led by Massachusetts businessman Tagg Romney has submitted a bid slightly higher than former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s and former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter’s $1.3 billion offer to buy the Miami Marlins. More from the Miami Herald.
Event
MuniMod Hackathon
On Friday, May 12 the Florida League of Cities will host the MuniMod Hackathon, the southeast’s largest civic tech competition. It involves student teams from 10 universities across the state all competing for a grand prize of $10,000. It’s a 24-hour competition where teams will work tirelessly through the night to find innovative technological solutions to problems plaguing our cities.
» More from MuniMod.
Profile
Swap Shop
For Preston Henn, the Swap Shop flea markets and his drive-in movie theaters were his tickets to wealth: he reaped millions from his three operations in Lauderhill, Lake Worth and Tampa. But in the wake of his death, what will happen to the destinations for bargain hunters, families looking for affordable entertainment and tourists seeking the unique and unusual?
» Read more from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
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