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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida Memorial Day travel expected to hit highest level in 12 years
AAA projects 39.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Memorial Day weekend. The total number of Florida travelers will also be the largest for the holiday in 12 years. Vicky Evans, Assistant VP of Travel Sales at AAA, said the spike in travel will be good for Florida's travel industry. From Evans:
“So far in 2017, travel bookings with AAA in Florida are up 17 percent, compared to the same period last year. Higher confidence, rising wages, and recent gas price declines have bolstered consumer spending, leaving many Americans with more money to spend on travel this Memorial Day.”
Full story from AAA is here. Also read more at Florida Weekly,WINK News, and WUWF.
See also:
» Memorial Day Weekend is No. 1 for fatal traffic accidents
» Why Memorial Day could be dangerous for Florida’s waterbirds
The last farmer of Florida's prized Zellwood corn is thinking of packing it in
Hank Scott his family are the keepers and protectors of one of Florida's only remaining name brand foods. Folks know Plant City strawberries, they know Ruskin tomatoes and Indian River grapefruit. And they know Zellwood corn. Scott's Zellwood Triple-Sweet Gourmet Corn is proudly touted on menus in some of the state's best restaurants. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
The sunshine economy: Flooding and finance
For hundreds of thousands of people in South Florida, flood insurance is a fact of life, whether they’ve ever been flooded or not. Consider this the property mortgage mandate when it comes to flood insurance. [Source: WLRN]
NOAA forecasters predict above-normal Atlantic hurricane season
Warm ocean waters could fuel an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, while storm-suppressing El Nino conditions are expected to be scarce, forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Thursday. NOAA is predicting 11 to 17 named storms, with five to nine hurricanes, and of the hurricanes. Two to four will be "major." The NOAA forecast is close to data from the Weather Company, but higher than Colorado State University's forecast, which came out in April. See the full story from NOAA, with video from Dr. Gerry Bell, here. Also read more at the AP and Florida Today.
1,100 miles: Discovering Florida's hidden trail
The Florida Trail is one of just 11 national scenic trails in the United States. All are dirt footpaths and were created by Congress. Almost as soon as they were drawn, they became like mountains on a map – a dare to a certain type of person to hike them from beginning to end. [Source: Naples Daily News]
› Solar farm may be headed to Samsula
A Samsula sod farm may soon be growing a new product – solar energy – via a Florida Power & Light facility that could start construction early next year.
› Southwest Florida homebuilder moves up in national ranking
Southwest Florida homebuilder Neal Communities moved up two spots to No. 43 on Builder magazine’s 2017 Builder 100: The Top 100 ranking.
› Mote celebrates opening of new Florida Keys facility
When scientists begin their work at the Mote Marine Laboratory’s new $7 million International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration on Friday, threatened coral reefs will have a better positioned ally in the Florida Keys.
› Humana adding 200 telemarketing jobs in Tampa Bay
Health insurance company Humana Inc. is hiring more than 200 workers in Tampa Bay. The Louisville, Ky.-based company said this week that the new positions will focus on phone sales for Humana's direct marketing services department.
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