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Friday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida's strawberry industry pushes tech innovation, immigration reform
The countdown has begun. Farmers and economists agree, the Florida strawberry industry has 10 years to drastically reduce production costs or the industry could see its last harvest. According to Zhengfei Guan, an economist with the University of Florida studying the Florida strawberry industry, domestic strawberries can cost more than $6,000 more to harvest per acre than those harvested in Mexico. More from the Plant City Observer.
Florida’s prescription drug database is underused, UF Health researchers find
Nearly seven years after a statewide database was created to encourage safer prescribing and to reduce opiate abuse and diversion, the number of emergency medicine providers who use the system remains low, University of Florida Health researchers have found. More from the North Central Florida Business Report.
Canadian snowbirds could stay in U.S. longer under proposed federal bill
Canadians who can’t get enough of South Florida’s sunny beaches are gaining some help from Congress. U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-West Boca, has introduced the “Canadian Snowbird Visa Act,” which would allow Canadians to stay an extra two months in the United States if they own or lease a home there. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Column: Major challenges to Florida’s economic promise
Despite changes in banking and mortgage regulations, Florida is not out of the woods in real estate speculation. Florida’s economic promise faces other challenges that are equally daunting to its economic future. More from the Gainesville Sun.
Florida’s ‘hidden gem’ for prime homes: Ponte Vedra Beach
Forget Miami’s celebrity hotspots or the old money opulence of Palm Beach. The highest-income county in Florida is almost 300 miles further north, on the outskirts of Jacksonville, on the Atlantic coast. More from the Financial Times.
Florida Dining
Bridging the Gap
McGregor Boulevard and Tamiami Trail are still the main drags of the Fort Myers-Cape Coral corridor, weighed down with the familiar. But these days dining on both sides of the Caloosahatchee River has become thoroughly modern, stacked with clever small plates and tiny new venues.
Out of the Box
Supercon
If you found yourself glued to San Diego Comic Con last weekend, dust off your first edition comic books or Spandex supersuit, and head to Fort Lauderdale. Florida Supercon opened Thursday. The four day convention — the largest in South Florida — promises 750 hours of activities dedicated to pop culture geekery.
» Read more from the Miami Herald.
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