Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 3/26/2018

As fewer refugees arrive under the Trump administration, Florida's numbers drop

With President Trump capping refugee resettlement in the U.S. at a low of 45,000 this fiscal year ending Sept. 30, the number of refugees arriving in Florida has dropped. Fleeing persecution, 28,100 refugees have been resettled in Florida since the 2009 fiscal year. See an interactive graphic here. Also read more at the Orlando Sentinel.

Gov. Scott poised to jump into Florida's race for U.S. Senate

Republican Gov. Rick Scott appears ready to jump into Florida's Senate race, setting up a high-profile showdown against incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. A top Scott aide, Jackie Schutz Zeckman, resigned as the governor's chief of staff over the weekend and says Scott will make a "major announcement" on April 9. More from the AP and Politico.

Food production, distribution company considers adding 95 Melbourne jobs

North Carolina-based MG Foods Inc. is considering expanding into Melbourne, creating 95 jobs over the next three years, most of them in production. The food production, packaging and distribution company also proposes spending a total of $2.3 million to renovate a more than 30,000-square-foot unoccupied building. More from Florida Today.

Gov. Rick Scott hears from shaken and angry Floridians after Parkland

Gov. Rick Scott received nearly 1,200 submissions via a “public input” page his office set up shortly after the Parkland school shooting. Floridians across the state used the portal to vent their frustrations and lay bare their fears after a mass shooting that rattled the state and nation. More from the Source.

Clearwater counts 50 tech companies, 2K jobs

With Clearwater Beach consistently rated one of America’s top beaches -- visitors and residents don’t often immediately identify the city as a tech haven. It’s a long way from Seattle and Silicon Valley, after all. More from 83 Degrees Media.

Out of the Box
Tree wedding

Karen Cooper was ready to go out on a limb to save her beloved, so she got married ... to a tree. Specifically, the giant ficus that has shaded Snell Family Park in Fort Myers for more than a century.

» More from the Fort Myers News-Press and the AP.

Business Profile
Munchkin Fun

Like many young companies, Munchkin Fun has taken a few zigs and zags. When it won the 2014 Business Plan Challenge, Munchkin Fun was almost 2 years old. “Winning helped boost our visibility to local parents and build credibility with local business,” said founder Valerie Schimel.