Friday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 6/1/2018

Florida among top states where personal incomes are booming

As Florida's population has grown more than any state in the country, personal incomes are also growing faster than most other states. A net of over 1.9 million people have migrated to the Sunshine State since 2010, a 10.3% growth rate. Both figures are higher than any other state. More from USA Today.

United States Sailing Center Miami keeps Olympic training site

It wasn’t easy but the United States Sailing Center Inc. was able to keep its piece of the Coconut Grove waterfront for at least another decade. The US Sailing Center Miami is one of only 18 official US Olympic Training sites sanctioned by the US Olympic Committee, and the only one for sailing in the US. More from Miami Today.

When it comes to growth, marketing firm Spectrio won't hold the line

So, you’ve been placed on hold while calling to make a hotel reservation. You hear some pleasant music on the other end of the line, followed by a few marketing messages. Chances are the music and messages were produced by Spectrio, an Oldsmar-based company. More from the Business Observer.

Brightline wins seven-month extension to issue tax-exempt bonds

The Brightline passenger train won an extra seven months to issue more than $1 billion in tax-exempt bonds to pay for its expansion to Orlando, federal transportation officials said Thursday. The ruling is a boost for Brightline and its ambitions to operate shiny new passenger trains throughout the country. More from the Palm Beach Post.

Who’s allowed to charge a fee for using credit cards in Florida?

Under Florida law, it historically has been illegal to charge an extra fee if a customer wants to pay with a credit card. Unless, that is, the entity charging the fee is a government agency or public utility. Some customers — who are no fans of the government exemption — are going extra lengths to avoid paying extra. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Storm Season
Could wind turbines protect Florida from hurricanes?

Every season is a reminder that hurricanes can be some of the most destructive events on the planet, and there's no way to really stop them. At least, not yet. It's possible that massive fields of offshore wind turbines might one day slow them down.

» More from WPTV.

Around the State
Pensacola startup provides an online home for vets

VetCV aims to be a must-have for veterans. VetCV, a startup launched by Niels K. Andersen in Pensacola, has developed a web application that allows veterans, their families and caregivers to store and share important documents like medical histories and other personal data.